San Fran vs Denver?

[Spot]

Originally Posted by LisaCACO

I see it as my personal mission to recruit more liberals to colorado so please move here .

Made me laugh.

[krock1dk]

The two dont even compare. But in my opinion and preference, Denver is superior to San Fran:

1. Denver has a much more reasonable cost of living
2. nicer and more 'real' people that makes it a great place to raise a family
3. it aint in CA (nuff said about that one)
4. the mountains
5. DEN is the 'most educated' and most 'fit' city in the country
6. way more conservative vs San Fran's liberalism
7. not as crowded


But hey, thats just my opinion and preference.

[MantaRay]

Interestingly enough, I enjoy visiting SF a little more than Denver, but I'd rather live in Denver than SF. Denver's downtown is awesome with the greenspace along the riverfront and the bike trails which run from there out to just about every part of the city and the 16th street mall. SF's downtown isn't all that great, but the Ghirardelli Square area and Marina area and hilly sections are very scenic and have awesome views. But going up and down the hills CAN get old once you're not sightseeing anymore. Traffic is much better in Denver too, not to mention cost of living. Another great thing about Denver is all the town centers/power centers that have been built in the suburban communities. Not to mention the AWESOME selection of homes in every part of the city- you can pick any part of the city to live in and still have the choice of beautiful homes that aren't connected to the homes next door. And Denver almost puts a park in every neighborhood, a quality of life amenity that is HUGE. Then there's Red Rocks. SF doesn't have anything like Red Rocks. And Denver has an AWESOME performing arts center downtown. Actually, now that I think about it, Denver has so much in proximity to each other downtown- Rockies baseball, Nuggets basketball, performing arts center, 16th street mall, LoDo, the riverfront parks and pedestrian bridges. In SF you've got to go away from downtown to go to a Giants game or 49ers game, not quite the same night-out experience where you park, see a game, and check out other things downtown afterward. Parking downtown is a MUCH easier undertaking in Denver. And you don't have to drive too far from town to get to wide open spaces. And everybody knows about the outdoor activities.

I find that SF is a city that is great for "seeing" and Denver is a city that is great for "living." At least to me and my budget.

[fsufezzik]

I just moved from San Francisco to the Denver area in late March, so I can talk about this pretty well.

I lived in San Francisco (Mission District, then Glen Park) for five years, and I loved it there. The city was beautiful, and I loved the people. It's an exciting, vibrant place to live. But, of course, it's expensive. I was paying $2,200 a month for a two-bedroom apartment with a parking spot but no yard, in a building attached to the neighbors. When offered the chance to move to Denver with the same salary, I took it, mainly because I can be a homeowner in Colorado, where that was unrealistic in San Francisco.

So far, I love the Denver area, too (I live in Highlands Ranch, south of the city), but I still miss a lot about San Francisco. In the two months since the move, I've already flown some San Francisco friends out here to visit me, and I'm flying back to San Francisco for a visit in a couple of weeks. Of course, part of the reason that I'm doing this is that, since the cost of living is so much lower here than in San Francisco, I can afford to travel more.

The weather has been great. We've had some snow, but I like that, and it wasn't debilitating. As I was told repeatedly before moving here, the snow tends to melt off quickly when the sun comes out, as it usually does soon after the snowfall. As the weather has warmed up, I've been so happy. It's rare to get above 80 degrees in San Francisco. I like having seasons, frankly! I've been to Elitch Gardens, which is a fun little theme park, but I haven't taken advantage of much that Denver has to offer yet (though I do have tickets to see Wicked at the arts center downtown later this year).

I've also enjoyed living in suburbia, honestly - that's part of what I was looking for (a change of pace). I live close enough to shopping centers that I can walk to grocery stores and some restaurants, which is fantastic. I loved taking public transit everywhere in San Francisco, and while that's not an option in suburbia, it's possible to live within walking distance of places you want to go. I do drive a lot more here, I'll admit, but that's okay.

So, to sum up, I'm glad I made the move, thanks to the much lower real estate prices, and I like the area a lot, but I do still miss San Francisco (largely because my friends are there).

[ks360]

Hi Zippy,

I may be able to provide a little insight, I've lived in SF and Den. Im 30, single, and have lived in both, (actually live in bay area now and am in process of moving back to den). I grew up in CA, and you'll miss the city, the ocean, and the CA food, but you wont miss the high taxes, the traffic, and overall cost of living. I think SF is great and if I could afford to buy a home there, I probably would, but Denver is beautiful. I enjoy the change in seasons, the outdoor activities, the people are really friendly, the nightlife is pretty normal, and you can actually park your car. I made the mistake of moving to the burbs in denver and coming from SF, it was a total culture shock. I would recommend staying dtwn so you still have that high-energy and feeling of culture. There are tons of great shows and places to eat and frankly I cant wait to get back. You trade the ocean for the mountains but it is amazing.

[erik1977]

LOL 30 miles?? The front range is more like 13 miles from downtown Denver .

Originally Posted by treedonkey

I think you'll find Denver relatively slow paced compared to SF. Not that Denver is any sort of podunk town by any means, as it is the largest metro hub of the entire rocky Mtn. region. Still, despite it's relatively small population, there is a buzz of energy about SF that I've felt in few other places. Also, you should know that for natural settings, SF wins there. Yes Denver is a Mile High and it is in the Rocky Mtn. region, but the actual front range is a good 30 miles (at least) from downtown so it's not like there are towering peaks surrounding the place.

I could go on, but I'll just ditill it in this way:

SF is best for:
Tech Jobs
Baseball on the Bay
Trying to look hip and feel liberal
Weather
Natural Surroundings

Denver is best for:
Big city feel without all the congestion and noise
Stellar mountain access for skiing, mtn. biking, etc.
More affordable housing
Something different

[smileyblonde]

Hi there- I lived in SF for 5 years and then New York City before Denver. I do love SF for the culture, ocean, etc but Denver is wonderful. It has changed a lot since I moved here but all for the better! Denver is affordable and there is always something to do. I am also single and there is a reason they call it Menver! I would recommend living in the city and not the burbs. I live in the city but not downtown because I wanted more peace and quiet. There are fabulous restaurants. music scene and outdoor recreation. Also, it is mild here compared to the east coast. Denver has 300 days of sunshine a year. Also, my family lives here now so this is home. I did leave my heart in SF but Denver is my home and I have lived all over the US.

[ej25]

Originally Posted by treedonkey

I think you'll find Denver relatively slow paced compared to SF. Not that Denver is any sort of podunk town by any means, as it is the largest metro hub of the entire rocky Mtn. region. Still, despite it's relatively small population, there is a buzz of energy about SF that I've felt in few other places. Also, you should know that for natural settings, SF wins there. Yes Denver is a Mile High and it is in the Rocky Mtn. region, but the actual front range is a good 30 miles (at least) from downtown so it's not like there are towering peaks surrounding the place.

I could go on, but I'll just ditill it in this way:

SF is best for:
Tech Jobs
Baseball on the Bay
Trying to look hip and feel liberal
Weather
Natural Surroundings

Denver is best for:
Big city feel without all the congestion and noise
Stellar mountain access for skiing, mtn. biking, etc.
More affordable housing
Something different

^^^ what he said lol

[80skeys]

Okay so many years ago I lived three months in the bay area, here's my take on it.

SF is much more populated, cosmopolitan, big city vibe. Denver is smaller, more laid back.
SF has better weather year round (milder). Denver has cold winters.
SF is a dirtier city (graffitti, trash, etc.) Denver is cleaner and nicer looking.
SF is more racially mixed.
SF is a long ways from mountains. Denver is right next to them.
SF is more humid.

[gayguyfromdenver]

zippy 03, if you're still contemplating a move to Denver from SF, here are my thoughts:

First, and I know this isn't politically correct, Denver's homeless population is much smaller and no where near as aggressive as the homeless population in SF. I currently live in the Capitol Hill section of Denver. I lived in SF for 6 years. First, in lower Nob Hill (Tender Nob area) and then in the Mission (21st and Folsom). I moved from SF back in 02. From what I hear, things have only gotten worse regarding the homeless situation back in SF.

Two, since you live in SF, you probably eat out quite a bit. Restaurants here in Denver close early! Back in SF, I would regularly head out at 9:30 pm or 10 pm to get something to eat. This really isn't a possibility in Denver. At least in Capitol Hill/Uptown most places, during the week, tend to close by 9 or 10 pm. The Panera across from my apartment building closes at 7:00 pm! To add insult to injury, they close at 4 pm on the weekends! Outside of a lot of restaurants closing early, I find the dining scene here in Denver to be pretty decent. There are lots of choices and the food at most places isn't too bad.

Third, you might enjoy the weather out here more than you do in SF. As you know, summer never really comes to SF. It's the one thing I never got used to while living in SF. True, Denver has real winters, but they also have real summers. Temps during June/July/August pretty consistently hit the 80's or even 90's. No jackets/sweaters during the summer here in Denver!

Fourth, Denver, for the most part, is a very walkable city. There are tons of great parks and the city is laid-out pretty well. If you live in Capitol Hill, Uptown, LoDo, or Cheesman Park area, you'll be able to walk to the grocery store/drug store, several coffee shops, numerous restaurants, dry cleaners, etc.

Hope this helps.