Hi!
We love Denver!
Crime here is what you'd expect anywhere for a town this size. With the crappy economy, things like robbery and home burglary have escalated, but that's probably true for most areas. If you're diligent and alert, you can mitigate it.
Employment in the Charlotte area is depressed, but not as depressed as some other parts of the country. That said, I would not move here, or ANYwhere, without securing a job. I think you'll find that that's the prevailing attitude on this message board.
My husband works uptown, and I would imagine many of the folks here work in Charlotte. If that's your plan, the commute isn't bad, and it's relatively smooth compared to other locations/suburbs. My husband happens to drive 10 minutes into Huntersville and takes the bus uptown. His bus pass every month is $75, and when you consider the gas we're saving plus the cost to park in a lot uptown, it's a great deal.
If you've got the money, NOW is the time to buy. Real estate values are pretty darn low, and many of the homes in my subdivision cannot be sold because sellers cannot compete with the brand new homes being built for MUCH less.
As far as price point, Denver runs the gambit. Homes in my subdivision are in the $175K to $225K range. If you head toward the lake (for example, to the subdivision called Sailview) you're looking at homes in the 1 Million + range.
Taxes are pretty low here, especially when compared to Mecklenburg County.
If kids are in your future, the schools are very good here, although I have heard good and bad about the middle school. However, we're growing so fast, and the middle school is so far away, I wouldn't be surprised if a new middle school was in the works in the coming years.
There is a WalMart, drug stores and grocery stores aplenty, and even some very decent non-chain restaurants locally.
If you choose to live on the north side of Denver (closer to Hwy 150) you'll be close to Mooresville if you need to stretch your legs. If you choose the south side (closer to Hwy 73) you're close to Huntersville, and there's a ton there as well.
Finally, they just expanded Hwy 16 ("New 16") which will be completely finished and opened in the coming weeks, making travel to Hickory that much better. And there is LOTS in Hickory (even employment, I'd guess, if you don't mind the commute).
Good luck, and welcome to Denver "of the east"!
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