Denver: The good, the bad and the ugly (Aurora, Highlands Ranch: apartment, rent)

[FunkyMonk]

Here is my opinion. No sugarcoating, no boosterism, no cheerleading, no naivety. Just the raw truth from what I have experienced in Denver so far.

I chose this topic title because I feel like Denver has a Clint Eastwood movie, wild west vibe to it.

The good:
Fairly low cost of living and cheap rent.
Very safe in most parts.
Awesome mountains nearby with great outdoor activities.
Lots of sunny days.
The majority of people here are really cool and have a good attitude compared to other cities.
A casual, non-materialistic vibe.
A good place to raise a family, slow paced.
Lots of great sports teams.
Traffic is not bad, and although people drive very sloppy, they drive slow at least.

The bad:
Although the awesome mountains are near. Denver itself is flat and in my opinion, ugly and lacking in natural beauty. All the awesome outdoor experiences are about a half an hour drive away.
The suburban and urban sprawl is really bad. Traveling long distances is required to do most things and it's not very walkable at all.
A lack of jobs, and employers are not very welcoming or accomodating, although this is happening in many other places too.
The dryness of the air. I like dry climates, but to me it's too extreme here. Even in the de

[steveindenver]

The suburban and urban sprawl is really bad. Traveling long distances is required to do most things and it's not very walkable at all.

Only if you live in suburbia. I bike everywhere, all year.

[glennarbor]

I'd agree with all of that, except what Steve brought up. I live on the hill and can get to so many entertaining spots and work just by walking or biking. I like that aspect a lot.

Oh, also, the city itself may lack natural beauty, but it has plenty wonderful old architecture instead.

[cowboyxjon]

Originally Posted by FunkyMonk

The suburban and urban sprawl is really bad. Traveling long distances is required to do most things and it's not very walkable at all.

I'll chime in about this one as well. It depends on where you live. I live in the City and County of Denver, but in a neighborhood that borders Unincorporated Arapahoe County and Aurora, and while it's not walkable like Capitol Hill or Downtown, it's really not far from anything I need (and totally 'bike-able'), so I don't spend a lot of my time in the car when I do use it.

If you live in, say, Highlands Ranch, but like to go downtown and hang out in the city frequently, then yes, it could seem like traveling long distances is required to "do things" and the metro area will feel even more spread out than it really is. But really, it's all relative.

[MantaRay]

I've been researching Denver as a potential place to retire and have found that even in the suburbs there are trails and sidewalks which connect with the rest of the city. One of the areas I'm scoping out is the suburban Aurora area, specifically within a 2 mile radius of Southlands Shopping Center. From everywhere in that radius, I can walk or bike trails and sidewalks to Southland and even on up Smoky Hill Rd. to Cherry Creek Lake and from there along the Cherry Creek Trail all the way to Cherry Creek North or even to downtown.

So to say Denver is not walkable is so untrue it's laughable. It's one of THE most walkable cities in America. Even the suburbs are walkable.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

I've been researching Denver as a potential place to retire and have found that even in the suburbs there are trails and sidewalks which connect with the rest of the city.

I have noticed this too. It is really a unique and excellent feature. Many suburban developments back to open space with paved walking / biking trails that link the neighborhoods. It is quite possible for a child to get to school without having to walk on a street. They also have the highline canal which snakes around the entire city. Pretty impressive.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

So to say Denver is not walkable is so untrue it's laughable. It's one of THE most walkable cities in America. Even the suburbs are walkable.

I agree. I also think the weather is helpful in that regard. It's a rare day, even in winter, that you can't walk a short distance.

Louisville is another suburban city with trails all over the city, and a couple of tunnels under some very busy roads so that kids can walk to school.

[DenverAztec]

Originally Posted by FunkyMonk

The good:
Fairly low cost of living and cheap rent.

The bad:
Although the awesome mountains are near. Denver itself is flat and in my opinion, ugly and lacking in natural beauty. All the awesome outdoor experiences are about a half an hour drive away.

For the most part I agree with your opinions, with the exception of the two above. Rent may be cheap in the burbs and a few places on the hill but, sadly, overall Denver doesn't have a low cost of living.

I have to agree with Steve and Glen as I too live on the Hill. Denver is incredibly walkable and easy to get around by bike. Northwest, West and Southwest Denver are all very hilly, not San Francisco hills but enough to cause major issues during icy conditions. Though we don't have trees that grow on their own here, high plain desert, we do have 38 historic neighborhoods with tree lined steets and thousands of victorian homes. We have a huge number of city and state parks that are well maintained. Far from ugly.

[Osito]

I agree with the low-cost of living thing normally except that right now, things like groceries are expensive everywhere. And maybe it's just me, but it seems like here compared to South Florida (where I also lived) you may pay more in rent for a studio down in FL but you'll get more space with it. I paid a little less here than there for an apartment that I could barely turn around in.

And yes, it's dry, dry, dry and the plants go dormant in the winter and everything is brown and dead. And if you don't have a car forget going to the mountains.

[jjacobeclark]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

So to say Denver is not walkable is so untrue it's laughable. It's one of THE most walkable cities in America. Even the suburbs are walkable.

That's only if you live in the Central part of the city like Capitol Hill, LoDo, Highlands, Five Points, etc. There's huge sections of the city-county that are extremely unfriendly to pedestrians. Hampden, Southmoor, Kennedy, Bear Valley, Stapleton, Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, Lowry, Indian Creek, and the huge industrial corridor that runs alongside Santa Fe Dr, I-25, and the Central Platte Valley are all examples of unwalkable neighborhoods in the city-county of Denver.