Is Denver boring? (Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Pueblo: high school, shop, eat)

[downtownnola]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

hahaha, no photo war please!!!! oh gawd, too late. But just observation and opinion-wise, I think the person who posted the pic was trying to just say that based on those pics Denver looks drab. Actually, I see the haziness you are talking about, but just based on the pic, I think Pitts looks much better. Not that it means the city is better or anything. The water running thru the city, the size and the vegetation make it look much better to me than Denver. I've always thought Denver (and Colo.) looked pretty brown and boring. But you know me! When I visited the south and then began traveling to S. America, I was just blown away and really my view of Denver didn't get much better after those experiences.

Oh and yeah, of course you can't show arial shots to prove anything. Again, just based on the pics, I'd say Denver looks small. Just me.

I completely know where you're coming from, wanttomoveeast and jjacobeclark. I love the lush vegetation out east and down south. I spent a weekend in Houston last August. When I returned to Denver, it seemed brown in comparison. I really do love all those lush trees down there! But, throw me a bone here... Denver's not THAT brown (at least, during the summer months). Have you ever been to Phoenix?

[mountaingirl2008]

Originally Posted by tfox

Sorry, to single you out, mountaingirl2008, but your post is just about a word-for-word quote from many transplants I met while in Boulder. They'll confidently claim that Denver has little to offer, certainly not in comparison to Boulder, but then will admit that they rarely got to Denver (when pressed, "rarely" really means "haven't been").

When I last worked in Boulder, some of my colleagues (transplants, of course) insisted that there were no locally owned shops or restaurants in Denver, nor were there any natural foods stores, unlike Boulder. When I told them that in my particular neighborhood in Denver every restaurant or shop without exception was locally owned, and that the grocery stores available were without exception natural foods, they of course didn't believe me -- thought I was making the whole thing up -- and, of course they also had no idea that Denver is a city of neighborhoods. I told them that I wouldn't mind a few chain stores, restaurants or conventional grocery just for some variety. Then, of course, they sheepishly admitted that their experience in "Denver" was actually in what turned out to be Westminster (although they didn't realize that), and come to find out they'd never been to the city proper.

Why do you think I am attacking Denver? And why would you assume that I don't know the difference btw Denver and Westminster? Sorry I hurt you by listing some good points in Boulder. If anyone new from out of state came to me and asked me if this area was boring or not I would reply by giving them a list of things I find enjoyable and ask them to try it out. Since Boulder is fairly close to Denver thats what I did.

As far as Denver is concerned, we have seen the usual stuff like the zoo, natural history museum, downtown area, cherry creek shopping area, the botanical gardens, art museum, attended the Colorado Ballet, Six Flags (which is a joke compared to the one in Dallas)..Why don't you tell me what else is unique about Denver?

Comparing Denver to other cities, I said you couldn't compare it. Not counting the size, some of the other big cities (SFO, NYC, Miami, Chicago) are just more diverse, hence has more diverse entertainments, example: evening market in China town in SFO, or The Indian Festival of Lights celebrated pretty elaborately in Dallas and NYC. Also, in the big cities (not any cities in Texas) you find more people walking or taking the public transportation. Having said that I love living in Colorado because of its beauty, and the people I have met so far, its home to me.

Again, I am not attacking Denver, it is a nice city, like all cities it has its own characteristic. If you tell me to try out some things in Denver I would and may be change my opinion (although I don't think my opinion about Denver was ever negative).

[wanttomoveeast]

okayyyy (*throwing bone*). I haven't been to Phoenix, but I've been to Albuquerque and that's def. worse IMHO as far as dry and brown goes. Oh and sorry all you Vegas lovers, but to me Vegas looked just awful from the sky. Let me tell you, there's nothing like wondering where on earth the pilot is going to land your plane when all you see is vegetation and forest!!!

Originally Posted by downtownnola

I completely know where you're coming from, wanttomoveeast and jjacobeclark. I love the lush vegetation out east and down south. I spent a weekend in Houston last August. When I returned to Denver, it seemed brown in comparison. I really do love all those lush trees down there! But, throw me a bone here... Denver's not THAT brown (at least, during the summer months). Have you ever been to Phoenix?

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by mountaingirl2008

Comparing Denver to other cities, I said you couldn't compare it. Not counting the size, some of the other big cities (SFO, NYC, Miami, Chicago) are just more diverse, hence has more diverse entertainments, example: evening market in China town in SFO, or The Indian Festival of Lights celebrated pretty elaborately in Dallas and NYC. Also, in the big cities (not any cities in Texas) you find more people walking or taking the public transportation. Having said that I love living in Colorado because of its beauty, and the people I have met so far, its home to me.

Ironic how you say Denver can't be compared, but that's exactly what you go ahead and do! Comparing Denver to San Francisco, NYC, Chicago, and then saying "not counting the size," is pretty ridiculous.

Instead of repeating myself:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/6328407-post91.html

[tfox]

Originally Posted by mountaingirl2008

Again, I am not attacking Denver, it is a nice city, like all cities it has its own characteristic. If you tell me to try out some things in Denver I would and may be change my opinion (although I don't think my opinion about Denver was ever negative).

Actually, mountaingirl, I was not so much responding to your post but rather recalling many conversations I had with friends and colleagues from Boulder.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

okayyyy (*throwing bone*). I haven't been to Phoenix, but I've been to Albuquerque and that's def. worse IMHO as far as dry and brown goes. Oh and sorry all you Vegas lovers, but to me Vegas looked just awful from the sky. Let me tell you, there's nothing like wondering where on earth the pilot is going to land your plane when all you see is vegetation and forest!!!

Actually Phoenix is greener than Denver from October through April. Palm trees, cactus, and a bunch of subtropical vegetation they plant down there stays green year round. In fact when Denver and any city that gets a winter starts looking really brown, Phoenix gets even greener. Even the Sonoran desert can look incredibly green after a winter rain season:



Just outside of Tucson:



Albuquerque is in one of the most beautiful climate/ vegetation zones I've ever seen. I actually wish Denver was more like Albuquerque:









And going back to Denver, I don't think these look too shabby either:






(Roxborough Park)





That brown prairie grass has a very subtle beauty to it.

[movementarian]

Originally Posted by tfox

Sorry, to single you out, mountaingirl2008, but your post is just about a word-for-word quote from many transplants I met while in Boulder. They'll confidently claim that Denver has little to offer, certainly not in comparison to Boulder, but then will admit that they rarely got to Denver (when pressed, "rarely" really means "haven't been").

When I last worked in Boulder, some of my colleagues (transplants, of course) insisted that there were no locally owned shops or restaurants in Denver, nor were there any natural foods stores, unlike Boulder. When I told them that in my particular neighborhood in Denver every restaurant or shop without exception was locally owned, and that the grocery stores available were without exception natural foods, they of course didn't believe me -- thought I was making the whole thing up -- and, of course they also had no idea that Denver is a city of neighborhoods. I told them that I wouldn't mind a few chain stores, restaurants or conventional grocery just for some variety. Then, of course, they sheepishly admitted that their experience in "Denver" was actually in what turned out to be Westminster (although they didn't realize that), and come to find out they'd never been to the city proper.

That is ironic because that is exactly what I always hear. Except replace the word Boulder with Denver and the word Denver with Fort Collins or Colorado Springs. Or replace the word Boulder with Fort Collins and the word Denver with Cheyenne. Or replace the word Boulder with Colorado Springs and the word Denver with Pueblo. Or replace the word Boulder with Springfield and the word Denver with Shelbyville...

Everyone along the Front Range likes to look down on some other town.

[wanttomoveeast]

Vegas: I have never been to Phoenix. I was talking about Albq. It was downtownnola who mentioned Phoenix. And I'm sorry, I see no beauty in drab browness. Not compared to lush Tennessee anyway.

[Awesomo.2000]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Pittsburgh looks pretty drab and ugly in that picture too; even considering that it was taken during the "green" half of the year, I doubt that picture really does Pittsbugh justice. Looks really hazy/polluted or something. Truth is, you can't use stupid aerial shots to "prove" anything about a city. I'd rather see pictures of what it looks like on the ground up. I'm sure Pittsburgh has its charms and has a lot going for it, but I truly do not believe it is any bigger or better of a city than Denver is.

If we're going to launch a photo war here of who's city is better looking in pictures, between my photos, Denver Aztec's, MobyLL's, and McGowdog's, Denver's got a winning team.

You can't compare the two cities. Every city has something in common with another. Hell, Toledo will have things in common with San Diego.

Pittsburgh feels about the same size as Denver. It is hard to describe though. We have 55 sq miles with a lot of the land covered in Rivers, unlivable hillsides, and large parks. Denver is 155 sq miles with a lot of parks, and the area by the airport. The metros are very similair in population with Denver raising and Pittsburgh leveling out.

Pitsburgh is much more dense. The neighborhoods on the southside, and northside, and some of the east are dense row neighborhoods that are not found in Denver. You have more of a Dense eastern city feel here that is not found once you get past St. Louis.

I was catching up on this thread. The biggest thing that struck me moving home after being in Denver for 3 years was the vegitation. I moved back in May and holy crap it is different. You can drive the interstate like I-70 in colorado and see nothing but trees from April-October. Than in winter you see that there are houses actually down there. The vegitation is a huge difference here when it comes out.

I know Mobyll and Denveraztec's photos from Skyscraperpage. They are great photographers. I would suggest looking at this link below. Matt Robinson (Known as Flash on SSP) also takes amazing photos and does my city justice also. I know it may be shocking. But Pittsburgh is an amazingly beautiful city. I love Denver, but people always expect it to be beautiful for being in Colorado. When I lived out west, People expected my city to be old, poor, and ugly with no technology (CMU means nothing)...............


http://www.pittsburghskyline.com/

Please look at that site.

[wanttomoveeast]

Awesome you are Awesome. Thanks for giving a first hand idea of the two cities.