Denver or Seattle? (jobs, hospital, house)

[itowle88]

we are planning on renting to get a feel for the area then looking to buy within the year - we've considered a housing/condo budget under $300,000, preferable close to a downtown (on both our incomes)... and yes we are thinking of having children within 5 years...

[Katiana]

Try this link (acutally on pg 3 of this forum). You will find a lot of information.

Denver or Seattle?

You'd do fine with your housing budget in the burbs; I'm not sure about the city. The "in" neighborhoods tend to be more expensive, but you may find a condo or small house for that price.

[itowle88]

thanks pittnurse70... we've actually been reading that thread as well... lots of good info...... housing prices aside though what would you say are the "in" neighborhoods??? and where downtown would you recommend?

[Katiana]

I don't live in the city, so I'm not too familiar with all the nieghborhoods. Wash Park is the perennial "in" neighborhood, also many other areas on the east side. Highlands on the west side is supposed to be an up and coming neighborhood. When we lived there 25 yrs ago, it was not so hot. A lot of people recommend Stapleton and Lowry. My niece and nephew, around your ages, lived in Lowry. It was nice, but very compact. The view from their balcony was everyone else's balcony. That's OK if that's your thing.

I know next to nothing about downtown. We were just down there a couple days ago and my DD (also about your age, a PT student at the Health Science Center) pointed out some condos and said "who would want to live here practically on the highway?". But whatever floats your boat. There is obviously a market for them. DD lives in University Park near the U of Denver.

[Inconceivable]

Originally Posted by redtrek1

HI!
I am a 45 yo woman, living in MD/DC area, and I hate it. I have only lived here a year and a half, and am already ready to get out! I can't stand the traffic, (that is one of my top complaints). My apt., which costs $1200 a month to rent, came equipped with mice and molding closets. The cost of living in general is astronomical here (food shopping, going out to dinner, movies, anything really.) I moved here from Dallas and just haven't taken a liking to this area. I am thinking of transfering within my company (I am a sign language interpreter) as they have an office in CO. The office used to be in a town called Cherry something, but I think it has relocated to the heart of Denver.

Hello Redtrek. Your post make me laugh because I'm reading the forums to see if transferring to Denver with my company from DC would be a good move in 2008. My options appear to be Seattle or Denver. Class, feel free to weigh in on those two choices though it's apples and oranges on jobs, weather/climate, and housing costs.

I am a woman in your exact situation, and I CANNOT WAIT to get out of here - I've given DC seven years too long. I don't have the apt mold, but the plaster keeps falling out of my walls and I would bet your mice and my mice hang out at family reunions - priceless for $1400/mo. Factor in scraping by on a single income, traffic, and that most people here are as friendly as rocks, and it's very easy to see why you want out. I am sure DC is a great place for many people, but I think it depends on whether the demographics are working for you or against you in a given age group, your income and housing aspirations, and what your goals are for living in the area.

Moderator cut: link not allowedhas a nifty tool you've likely seen. Based on my visits to Denver and fairly intense research into the housing market, Denver seems like a really wise financial and lifestyle decision compared to MD/DC/NOVA. Traffic is a concern but there are pretty good neighborhoods throughout the City that posters here can direct you towards that will be closer to your office and reduce the commuter stress. I'm betting for 1200/mo., you could find something dog-friendly and mouse-free.

Good luck in your pursuits, I hope the transfer works out for you!

[kimmer]

Inconceivable,

We were debating the same 2 cities when choosing a city to move to. Seattle vs. Denver. Our goal was to find someplace cheaper to live than San Diego, but still pretty.
Hand's down our choice was Denver.

I think Seattle is beautiful with all it's lushness and waterways, but the kicker was driving a few days in their stinky, horrible traffic. It's worse than San Diego, and from what little I've seen, it was worse than Denver's traffic, too.

Seattle housing is almost as expensive as San Diego as well. Denver is much more affordable (coming from San Diego).
I like rain & snow, but I don't think I could handle that many days of overcast skies and clouds.

Good luck on your decision!

[Inconceivable]

Originally Posted by kimmer

Inconceivable,

We were debating the same 2 cities when choosing a city to move to. Seattle vs. Denver. Our goal was to find someplace cheaper to live than San Diego, but still pretty.
Hand's down our choice was Denver.

I think Seattle is beautiful with all it's lushness and waterways, but the kicker was driving a few days in their stinky, horrible traffic. It's worse than San Diego, and from what little I've seen, it was worse than Denver's traffic, too.

Seattle housing is almost as expensive as San Diego as well. Denver is much more affordable (coming from San Diego).
I like rain & snow, but I don't think I could handle that many days of overcast skies and clouds.

Good luck on your decision!

Thanks for the input Kimmer. It's a really tough decision for me. I should also state what I'm looking for in a city is not what others would be looking for or weigh in their decisions - we all want different things.

My personal pros/cons in the selection process:

Climate: Greener environments are my thing - I was born and raised on the east coast so water, fresh seafood, etc. is a huge bonus and cool year round is also a plus. Denver has been "brown" each time I have visited, but I see so many people complaining about the lack of sun and extended darkness really bothering them in Seattle. Having only visited Seattle for brief periods, I have no idea if the "gloom" would be an issue but I am a self-entertaining person that doesn't get bored or feel trapped indoors too easily. Hiking and photography are my hobbies and could be done in either location. I also like skiing but tend to fall rather than ski down mountains.

Population characteristics: I am not a bleeding heart, but definitely prefer a liberal and eco-conscious environment.

Housing costs: I'd like to buy for around 300K. Would this even touch a condo or TH in Seattle in a reasonably safe neighbourhood? (People keep telling me buy in West Seattle.) The commute would be to Bellevue (ouch) if I opted for Seattle; Lakewood if I selected Denver. I have a pretty large dog ...sadly I couldn't afford a place in DC to keep her so she's been residing with some family until I relocate. A very small backyard with nearby dog parks or walking trails would be ideal.

Traffic: Well, DC Metro traffic is nothing to sneeze at. If Seattle is on par with DC commuting I could probably handle it. Denver appears to have much better transportation, but also has topography/open space working to its advantage. I am a proponent of paying a little more for housing to avoid spending hours commuting each way.

People-friendly: I've read that neither city is the place to be if you're looking to make friends; both outwardly polite, but tend to limit it to pleasantries and can be quite cliquish. I've read about the "Seattle Freeze" but also read that as a single person, Denver may not be ideal as it's geared more towards families with children, suburbia, church functions, etc. I have no real social networks in either city, just a few acquaintances and ‘friends of friends’ kind of thing...I suspect this is going to be very tough in either city but it’s a weighty factor on my list of pros/cons.

So far Seattle definitely seems like the forerunner based on the City's characteristics and setting; Denver the choice financially if I want to own a home. I'd be willing to take a smaller condo/TH option in Seattle if the real estate market were a reality. I am already in contact with a good Seattle realtor and lender, who seem to feel that's doable, but obviously they have different motivations and I have to be a little wary of their input.

Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially anyone that may have relocated from the DC area.

[Katiana]

I did not relocate from DC, though I am familiar with that area. My parents lived in Frederick while I was in college in Pittsburgh, and a good friend lives in that area, so we have been there to visit many times.

Your impressions of Denver are all pretty realistic except for this one:

Denver may not be ideal as it's geared more towards families with children, suburbia, church functions, etc.

I know there have been some people on the forum who are very outspoken about the above (none lately, in my recollection), but that really is not all there is here. There are lots of singles, especially in the city. There are many empty-nesters, such as my DH and I, childfree couples, etc. Despite what you might hear, "the church" is not paramount, even in Colorado Springs. Yes, there is a subset who live that lifestyle, but there are a lot of the rest of us as well.

[hello-world]

Originally Posted by Inconceivable

Thanks for the input Kimmer. It's a really tough decision for me. I should also state what I'm looking for in a city is not what others would be looking for or weigh in their decisions - we all want different things.

My personal pros/cons in the selection process:

Climate: Greener environments are my thing - I was born and raised on the east coast so water, fresh seafood, etc. is a huge bonus and cool year round is also a plus. Denver has been "brown" each time I have visited, but I see so many people complaining about the lack of sun and extended darkness really bothering them in Seattle. Having only visited Seattle for brief periods, I have no idea if the "gloom" would be an issue but I am a self-entertaining person that doesn't get bored or feel trapped indoors too easily. Hiking and photography are my hobbies and could be done in either location. I also like skiing but tend to fall rather than ski down mountains.

Population characteristics: I am not a bleeding heart, but definitely prefer a liberal and eco-conscious environment.

denver has a bit of this while probably more diluted generally (in this regard) than some of DC-proper or some of the northeast, while much of the surrounding communities can be less so (or MUCH less so) until you reach boulder. if you look for it you can find it here, whereas in some places, the places kind of ARE "it", if that makes sense to you.

Housing costs: I'd like to buy for around 300K. Would this even touch a condo or TH in Seattle in a reasonably safe neighbourhood? (People keep telling me buy in West Seattle.) The commute would be to Bellevue (ouch) if I opted for Seattle; Lakewood if I selected Denver. I have a pretty large dog ...sadly I couldn't afford a place in DC to keep her so she's been residing with some family until I relocate. A very small backyard with nearby dog parks or walking trails would be ideal.

Traffic: Well, DC Metro traffic is nothing to sneeze at. If Seattle is on par with DC commuting I could probably handle it. Denver appears to have much better transportation, but also has topography/open space working to its advantage. I am a proponent of paying a little more for housing to avoid spending hours commuting each way.

denver's bus system is pretty good. the rail system is limited, but will be less limited or even good once" fastracks" is completed (if and when). that could be 10 or 15 years out. denver has one of the higher/est car ownerships per capita for a city it's size in the country, which might tell you a little about some priorities of people in the metro as a whole, at the least.

People-friendly: I've read that neither city is the place to be if you're looking to make friends; both outwardly polite, but tend to limit it to pleasantries and can be quite cliquish. I've read about the "Seattle Freeze" but also read that as a single person, Denver may not be ideal as it's geared more towards families with children, suburbia, church functions, etc. I have no real social networks in either city, just a few acquaintances and ‘friends of friends’ kind of thing...I suspect this is going to be very tough in either city but it’s a weighty factor on my list of pros/cons.

i would say denver could be good for singles of a few persuasions, generally. i'd think it can be better for straight (at least) women (especially of a few persuasions - maybe more outgoing and more "sporty") - the ratio is favorable for women. maybe for guys that are doing better financially (more emphasis on that here than some other places where, for example, a more "cerebrally oriented" guy might do better). i wouldn't say that denver metro is strictly about suburbia, church, family, middle american values, but more so than some other cities for sure, it seems to me. denver and boulder are more the "democrat" bastions of colorado and maybe much of the mid-/mountain west. that's not to say they are, say, vermont (by any means), or even DC proper. maybe a bit more wealthy-ish-anglo-democrat in boulder, slightly more latino-and-midwestern-democrat-that-can-almost-seem-libertarian in denver. there are many, many differences from the DC metro as far as i can tell, anyhow. yet, there are parts of central denver (say, cheeseman, congress park, cap hill) that actually remind me a bit of some neighborhoods in DC proper.

So far Seattle definitely seems like the forerunner based on the City's characteristics and setting; Denver the choice financially if I want to own a home. I'd be willing to take a smaller condo/TH option in Seattle if the real estate market were a reality. I am already in contact with a good Seattle realtor and lender, who seem to feel that's doable, but obviously they have different motivations and I have to be a little wary of their input.

Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially anyone that may have relocated from the DC area.

i'm somewhat familiar with the DC area (well, at least of 10 years or so ago, and whatever i can gather from these - forum-ish - kinds of things). denver seems less "driven by the social cause or arts and culture" or "driven by status or 'success'" than some of DC metro seemed at the time. denver seems a bit more about middle american values than DC seemed at the time. not that denver is strictly these ways, but these ways seem to run much more strongly through the culture of the place.

if you're about "cosmopolitan" a la new york city or london, e.g., or "liberal" vermont or european style, e.g., denver might not be your thing; but, personally, i'd say the balance of the cost, some of the beauty of the area (if you like mountains, plains, and deserts), and basically decent people, etc. of denver could make it a good place for many people.

[pwright1]

I live in Seattle but have lived in D.C. and a few other big cities and I find Seattle to be a breath of fresh air in comparison. Every big city has its rush hour traffic nightmares but D.C. has to be one of the absolute worst. I lived it. I driven it for years. 295, 395, 495, 95, 66 plus the city streets in D.C. traffic make Seattle look like Billings Montana. I worked in Bethesda, Tysons Corner Va, Capitol Hill and dt D.C. The subway was great if you worked in dt D.C. but if you worked in the suburbs it was useless. Now my commute from Seattle to Bellevue is 50 times better than any commute I had in the D.C. area. Seattle is so much more laid back and cool but yet has its big city sophistication and a care free attitude. Weather seems about the most talked about thing in Seattle but I love the weather here. Moderate temps year around. The air is breathable and no more asthma for me. Its lush and green and very clean. And if you think people are indoors 10 months of the year because it rains then you are mistaken. I am out and about more here in Seattle than any other city I lived in. Plus when I'm walking in the dead of winter I see green grass, flowers and lush beautiful vegetation. As far as Denver, I've visited on occassion and thought it was a nice city but found it unusual not seeing any body of water at all. That's just me I guess. For someone to say living by the water is overrated must need their head examined. LOL!! I couldn't have it any other way. Whether we swim in it or not, which we do by the way, just to walk along the beach, to smell the sea, hop on a ferry or to just watch boats and ships go by are some of the things I love to do year around. As for the people, I made more down to earth cool people here than most cities I lived in including D.C. Take it from a Seattleite, Seattle is not all about rain and weird people.










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