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Im considering moving to one of these cities (my company has offices in both), but I have never been to either and am currently living out of the country. Of course I plan to visit before making my final decision, but wanted to get an idea here first.
Im an American (grew up in near Baltimore), but after having lived extensively in Europe and spending a lot of time in Asia, I realize just how important walkability is for me when considering where to live.
So which of these two cities--Denver or Seattle--is more walkable? More walkable downtown, more walkable neighborhoods, getting between neighborhoods? Which city seems to be more designed for pedestrians? I know neither is NYC or SF, but whats the relative comparison.
Also, which is more urban overall? I know Seattle has a larger skyline, but Ive heard both get significantly less urban as you get away from downtown.
Anyone who's familiar with both cities, your thoughts are much appreciated! Thanks in advance...
Im considering moving to one of these cities (my company has offices in both), but I have never been to either and am currently living out of the country. Of course I plan to visit before making my final decision, but wanted to get an idea here first.
Im an American (grew up in near Baltimore), but after having lived extensively in Europe and spending a lot of time in Asia, I realize just how important walkability is for me when considering where to live.
So which of these two cities--Denver or Seattle--is more walkable? More walkable downtown, more walkable neighborhoods, getting between neighborhoods? Which city seems to be more designed for pedestrians? I know neither is NYC or SF, but whats the relative comparison.
Also, which is more urban overall? I know Seattle has a larger skyline, but Ive heard both get significantly less urban as you get away from downtown.
Anyone who's familiar with both cities, your thoughts are much appreciated! Thanks in advance...
I havent spent much time in Denver, but from what I can tell Seattle seems a bit more walkable overall, especially downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Anyone else? I tried to post this question in the Denver and Seattle forums but they got deleted for cross-posting. Walkability is kind of a hard thing to research (dont really trust walkscore, and theyre both very close in those rankings anyways). If anyone has had any experience in these cities Id love to hear their take!
In terms of walkability do you mean just getting by without a car/recreational walking? Denver has an expansive (and growing) public transit that is widely used. Biking is very popular. Walking/Biking trails are everywhere.
You have your work and your home right next to
museums
coffee shops
stores
out door malls
entrainment attractions
"Walkable" doesn't necessary mean going to an office building
Parts of LA can match Portland and Seattle easily
Seattle is surprisingly hilly- think San Francisco, but it has a compact downtown that is very walkable if you are fit, and plenty of "village" neighborhoods close by that each have there own identity and a nice walkable urban vibe.
Not as familiar with Denver other that it is fairly flat and that the urban core is spread out a bit more.
In terms of walkability do you mean just getting by without a car/recreational walking? Denver has an expansive (and growing) public transit that is widely used. Biking is very popular. Walking/Biking trails are everywhere.
I mean a combination of a lot of things. You dont have to answer all of these questions, but Im just curious how Denver and Seattle compare in terms of these types of attributes:
How walkable are most of the neighborhoods in the city?
How wide are the sidewalks?
Are there lots of storefronts or is it mostly setbacks with parking lots/strip-malls?
Are there are a variety of services (grocery, hardware, restaurants, etc.) within a pedestrian friendly range of most neighborhoods, or do you need to drive?
Are there good nightlife districts with clusters of bars?
Do the streets feel safe to walk on, or do cars have obvious priority?
Do the streets have a lively and vibrant feel for pedestrians?
I'm very familiar with Denver, and I think it's much more walkable than Seattle. I've stayed in Seattle for up to 3 weeks at a time, & it's really pretty. But it's not quite as easy to get around without a car as Denver is.
But if you're looking for a more urban place, Seattle is a little more urban than Denver. Denver has more open space & less crowds. I guess you kinda have to think which one's more important to you: living in a walkable city or an urban city
Id say within the neighborhoods themselves (including downtown) I would choose Seattle.
Pictures speak louder than words. Here are streetview images from Capitol Hill in Seattle and Capitol Hill in Denver. They are similar neighborhoods, both adjacent to downtown, both have a young, hip population, both have lots of restaurants and bars, etc. But notice how much more walkable Seattle's streetscape seems. Drag the man to the A and explore both areas.
As for getting between neighborhoods, it's more of a toss-up. You can walk between the inner-neighborhoods in both cities, but the outer neighborhoods are more spread out. Denver has better rail transit, although Seattle has an excellent bus system.
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