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To anyone who has had experience in both of these cities, which one would you prefer and why? I am faced with the option of relocating to either the Denver area or Phoenix for a new job within the next few weeks and am having a hard time making a decision. Please reply with any comments, as they could help me make up my mind.
Personally, I would take Denver. But maybe that's because I lived in Denver for about 8 years and Phoenix for a little over a year (although I still go to Phoenix several times a month). Denver is definitely not as big, doesn't have quite the sprawl, etc. Better weather, too, in my opinion -- that is unless you can't stand cold and love HOT. Also, because Denver is an older city, it does have more character and history and a great downtown area. Those are things missing in Phoenix.
Now I know a lot of Phoenicians are going to disagree with me. And Phoenix definitely has it's positives, too. So, James9283, keep an open mind until you hear the other side.
You'll probably have to say what's important to you and what you're looking for but living in Az all my life I'll give you a rundown and someone from Denver can give you the rundown there. I would love to move to Denver by the way but my parents live here and they're 60 going on 90...
- A pool is necessary, if you look at an aerial view you'll see that a huge % of the homes here have them. This is because the average high in phoenix is above 90 for 5 MONTHS, above 100 for 3 MONTHS (this is not a positive for me). The other 7 months of the year are really nice though and the main season for people getting out and doing stuff. In Denver people have community pools and a private pool is extremely rare. It gets cold there and snows but if you check out the city-data factsheet on the two cities you'll see that Denver gets most of its snow in March - April when it's not even sticking much.
- One of the biggest positives about Phoenix is how many options you have to get away from Phoenix. You can drive to San Diego or LA in 5-6 hours, get out of the heat to Flagstaff in 3 hours, White Mountains in 3+ hours, Durango, CO for skiing in 8 hours as the skiing in AZ is typically crap. Denver you're about 1- 1.5 hours to the best skiing around, 8 hours to Yellowstone.
- There are a few lakes within an hour of Phoenix for boating and cooling off a little.
- Phoenix is huge and commutes can be very bad unless if you live near your work. I've had 2 different 1+ hour commutes. Going from the East to West would take you around 2 hours during rush hour although typically nobody would live in complete opposite ends of the city as their work. In Denver from what I've been to you can be on any outskirt and get up into the center of the city in under 30 minutes which is great in my book.
- Phoenix is one large suburb with no downtown to speak of. People stay in their little suburb and do stuff there, there's not much reason to go downtown Phoenix except for a ball game. Urban sprawl as they call it spreads out from phoenix in all directions with cheap row homes all looking the same and about 10' from eachother. There are some older areas in Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale that are nice with larger lots though. In Denver you have a downtown with character and you'll find a lot of homes with character as well. In the newer areas though like Highlands Ranch you'll see the cheap rowhomes that you see everywhere here.
- Phoenix for the most part is brown and flat with a few dirt clods the people here call mountains scattered about. No real mountains within 2 hours though. Denver isn't lush and green like the coast but it's definitely greener than Phoenix. In Denver you have a view of the foothills and parts of some huge peaks from anywhere in the city, some parts of the city are flat, others are really pretty with rolling hills.
Sorry I'm trying to find more positives for Phoenix... If you read a lot of posts on here from people who've lived both places most people have some good things to say about Phoenix but I think all that I've read have preferred Denver.
I read so many posts that bash one city or another, so I'll try hard to give an honest comparison. I am an Arizona native and honestly have really liked it here (28yrs). I haven't lived in Denver (yet) although we are now considering a move very soon and we have visited on a few house hunting and ski trips. Mainly we are looking to get out of the extreme heat in Phoenix. We have two kids and it's just tough to find things for them to do in the summertime (and this is when they're out of school, making it more depressing).
From my visits to Denver and the research I've done, my impression is that winters are relatively mild. I'm just hoping that Denver winters will be more tolerable than Phx summers in terms of getting out and doing things (someone tell me if I'm wrong before I cave in and sign a lease!)
Other than the heat, in Phoenix there are no natural phenomenons that could keep you inside or really throw off your day. Every day is clear and sunny. You watch the news and laugh at the weatherpeople who somehow manage to predict that every day will be SUNNY! It really is great. But in the summer, you see temperatures above 110 on a regular basis. After living here for a while you don't even think twice. You just hope it doesn't get to 120 although at that point you honestly can't tell the difference.
Another main difference is the downtown area. Phoenix has a small skyline and sporting events, but you really don't go down there to hang out otherwise. It's just not a bustling place. Yes, there's museums, concerts, etc, but it's not a vibrant, happening city. Also most housing around Phoenix downtown is pretty shady, whereas Denver is the opposite from what I saw. I know that there are bad areas everywhere, but much of Denver's downtown is very desirable and there are plenty of crazy wealthy neighborhoods. You get the point -definitely two VERY different feels.
As far as geography goes, I really don't see the Phx area as being very beautiful. We have mountains here right around the city, but after you've seen the rockies you have trouble calling the Phoenix mountains 'mountains.' Still, they are nice and certainly better to look at than flatland. But I would prefer the rugged peaks/pine trees as a backdrop.
One positive to Phx though is that you can drive to San Diego in about 6 hrs. To us, the drive is no big deal and most of us do it as often as we can. That's definitely a bonus that I'll miss should we decide to move.
I am anxious to hear what you decide to do. I don't know your situation, but if I were single and had the opportunity to transfer to Denver, I'd definitely check it out (especially if you ski). It's just tougher for me moving the whole family now that the kids are staring school soon. But if enough people told me that it's easier to have fun with the kids in Denver winters rather than Phx summers, I'd definitely take the risk.
Having grown up in Denver, now living in Phoenix for the past 2.5 years, and having travelled all around the western US, I would say the two cities are different, but in subtle ways, not black or white differences. Fundamentally, they are both in the same super-region of the country. The biggest difference is climate/natural landscape.
Phoenix: Warm/mild for 1/2 the year, HOT for the other half. Bright, intense sunshine all day long, day after day. Very dry, little rain, little severe weather except for the monsoon season. Within 1-2 hours drive of open desert, Sedona, Mogollon Rim. A lot of mediterranean landscaping planted in the city gives it a California-esque vibe.
Denver: Cool/cold for 1/2 the year, perfectly mild for 1/4 of the year, hot for 1/4 of the year (tame by PHX's standards, though). Very dry, generally sunny, more often than not, but frequent afternoon thunderstorms, occasional tornado warnings in the late spring/summer and occasional mega-snowstorms in the winter. Windy. The weather can vary hour-to-hour. Within 1-2 hours drive of 14,000 ft Rocky Mountains, skiing, mining towns/ski resorts in one direction, and flat plains (just like Kansas) in the other direction.
In terms of culture, a lot of similarities. Denver also has a large Hispanic/Mexican population, a large population of young people and recent transients, and a lot of yuppies/snobs. Drivers in both cities are pretty bad. Both cities, in the last 15 years, have grown like crazy and have been overrun with Californians, permanently changing the local culture.
Some differences I can think of: Denver has more people that are in to outdoors recreation: hiking, bicycling, rock climbing, skiing, white water rafting, etc-- not that Phoenix doesn't have this as well-- just that Denver has more of it. Denver also has more of a developed "urban" scene than Phoenix-- downtown Denver, Cherry Creek, and Boulder, are about 10-15 years ahead of Phoenix when it comes to urban revitalization. The light rail system, now that it has been expanded, is already pretty extensive. The Denver metro area as a whole is probably more white-collar and better educated than Phoenix as a whole-- there are plenty of rednecks in Denver too, but they tend to be concentrated in certain identifiable areas of the city, not all over the place.
Colorado, even though it has less population than AZ, has a bigger selection of universities-- private and public. Even though both states are theoretically "red states," there are probably more environmentally-conscious, liberal types in Denver than in Phoenix. Another difference is in terms of civic pride/ hometown spirit-- people in Denver tend to be proud of their city, hardcore Broncos fans, etc. People in Phoenix tend to have a more sarcastic attitude, somewhat of an inferiority complex towards their city.
This is all good to know, I have never actually been to Phoenix but I have been to Denver a few times. I understand that the cost of living in both cities is a serious issue and I have even heard Phoenix might even be worse. As far as things to do for a young single person like myself who likes outdoor sports and other activities I guess Denver sound more appealing. As far as diversity when it comes to different cultures, arts, races, etc., I didn't really find any of this my trips to Denver. The city worries me becuases it is kinda out in the middle of nowhere, while Phoenix is seems closer to other cities. The warmer and sunny weather is always a plus for me but 120 degrees is a bit over the top! I guess I will just have to take a trip to Phoenix and check things out before I make this decision.
To anyone who has had experience in both of these cities, which one would you prefer and why? I am faced with the option of relocating to either the Denver area or Phoenix for a new job within the next few weeks and am having a hard time making a decision. Please reply with any comments, as they could help me make up my mind.
That's a tough call. I like Denver a great deal, and in many ways Denver is a good role model for Phoenix in terms of light rail and downtown revitalization. Still, Phoenix is better for me for two reasons:
1) In Denver, the most attractive outdoor recreation usually involves a drive outside the metro area. The Rockies are great, but they're not within city limits. In Phoenix, on the other hand, some of the best hiking trails are right within city limits and just a 15-minute drive away.
2) I may have just had bad luck, but it seems that every time I go to Denver I encounter cold, windy weather. I've never been caught in a big snow storm or anything of that sort, but instead I've encountered cold prairie winds that make it unpleasant to step outside.
Of course, both issues are matters of personal preference. For some, desert heat is far worse than prairie wind. You've got a tough decision to make, but choosing between two attractive cities is a nice problem to have.
If you haven't done so, visit both places first before making a decision.
We have lived in both places-we are moving back to Phoenix. Everything is subjective to your perception of your surroundings, so no one can tell you the best choice for you. And you may change your mind after picking "the place" to live. As visiting somewhere is not the same as living there.
It also depends where you are coming from, what you are use to, and what you personally love.
Why? basically we are happy in phoenix, we are not happy here in Denver
Job market-not as good as they claim it to be. Phoenix is actually better for the fields we are in. Yes the job market in denver is better than it was a few years ago, but "Better" here is not as good as other places.
Weather- Phoenix while hot in summer is pretty consistant and nice the rest of the year. Denver's weather changes day to day hour to hour. For example, two days ago we had 13 inches of snow. Today sunny, by Saturday it is suppose to be 75-this drives me nuts! You can always drive north if you want to see snow in arizona.
Landscape- Both cities have great views of the mtns. Differences- You have to drive to see the mtns in colorado. Mtns in Phoenix are spread across the city-easier access and you never have to worry about road closures to get to them due to snow. Phoenix (obviously) is desert with cacti and the like. Denver has more yellow prairie grasses and pine trees.
We love Phoenix and can't wait to return this summer, but this is my personal opinion. We have family there, we have friends, good memories and this is really the core reason we love it! We love the feeling we have when we are there. The benefits to us: family,friends, weather, sunshine, location in regards to other cities,economic growth.
You must find what you love and go with it! That is the only way you will be happy with your decision. Denver is a beautiful city and so is Phoenix.
Visit both cities, calculate the cost, take in stride what you read on the internet and search for the facts regarding each city-not hype.
We lived in Phoenix for 5 years. We are now in the Denver area and trying to sell our house so we can move back to Phoenix. The job market here is not good and the pay is bad. I work retail and I make less here than I did back in 2000 in Phoenix. Housing is really expensive here and Colorado leads the country in forclosures. Just try to sell a house when most of them around you are in forclosure. My husband also works retail and we both found that our co workers have someone in the household who works a second job. Our son is in the high end of the computer field and his job options are way better in Phoenix. He could not believe what they offered for pay here. We view our move to the Denver areas as one of the biggest mistakes we have ever made. Even the young grandchildren hate it here and are begging to go back to Phoenix.
We lived in Phoenix for 5 years. We are now in the Denver area and trying to sell our house so we can move back to Phoenix. The job market here is not good and the pay is bad. I work retail and I make less here than I did back in 2000 in Phoenix. Housing is really expensive here and Colorado leads the country in forclosures. Just try to sell a house when most of them around you are in forclosure. My husband also works retail and we both found that our co workers have someone in the household who works a second job. Our son is in the high end of the computer field and his job options are way better in Phoenix. He could not believe what they offered for pay here. We view our move to the Denver areas as one of the biggest mistakes we have ever made. Even the young grandchildren hate it here and are begging to go back to Phoenix.
Our housing prices have skyrocketed since 2000, a lot! Everything has doubled in price; is it still worth it for you to move?
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My thoughts on Denver/Phoenix
