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Denver would be the cheapest of the there ito COL. But then you get what you pay for. ITO your criteria: SF/Seattle and then huge drop Denver. Of the three, I like Seattle the best, but YMMV.SF is a river of piety, mitigated by great food and proximity to Oakland. Seattle has a certain mellow, grey charm.Denver is Indianapolis with a lobotomy and proximity to great mountain recreation. Take your pick of 3 of the most tedious U.S. cities. I am an outlier of this.
I disagree with your assessment of Denver. It feels nothing like Indianapolis. Denver is far more urban, more happening and fast paced than Indi. For a city of its size, Denver has a ton to offer (even for those who never go to the mountains). There's nothing wrong with Indianapolis, but that seems like a very strange comparison.
Denver is the least expensive of the three, but it's certainly not cheap.
As I stated before, no accolades for Seattle. From what I've seen on here it's becoming more of a Denver v San Francisco debate.
I agree, SF is an amazing city but one certainly pays for that. I'm from DC so I know expensive housing but I've gotten spoiled living in Cleveland these last couple of years.
I suppose it's hard not having been to Denver and only to Seattle when I was 12. I imagine Denver like taking Flagstaff, Arizona (old logging/mine town with a walk-able DT), surrounding it with Phoenix, and dropping it on the base of the front range. Am I off?
The other thing I've heard about is the people. It seems from wandering around these forums for years that the Seattle freeze is real. SF I've heard is more outgoing and so is Denver. Of course I take these with a grain of salt as they are people's opinions but I imagine there is some truth to them?
I disagree with your assessment of Denver. It feels nothing like Indianapolis. Denver is far more urban, more happening and fast paced than Indi. For a city of its size, Denver has a ton to offer (even for those who never go to the mountains). There's nothing wrong with Indianapolis, but that seems like a very strange comparison.
Denver is the least expensive of the three, but it's certainly not cheap.
Pay him no mind. He's literally compared Denver to Indianapolis in every the read about Denver (and I'm sure he hasn't been to either, considering he has no clue what he's talking about).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scorpion3510
I suppose it's hard not having been to Denver and only to Seattle when I was 12. I imagine Denver like taking Flagstaff, Arizona (old logging/mine town with a walk-able DT), surrounding it with Phoenix, and dropping it on the base of the front range. Am I off?
I don't think Denver and Flagstaff feel anything alike. Flagstaff is much smaller and is more comparable to Boulder. The best way to describe Denver is as a mix of Seattle, Minneapolis, and Phoenix (imo).
The other thing I've heard about is the people. It seems from wandering around these forums for years that the Seattle freeze is real. SF I've heard is more outgoing and so is Denver. Of course I take these with a grain of salt as they are people's opinions but I imagine there is some truth to them?
If you are the type of person that's extremely outgoing, loud/boisterous, and all, you'd probably find Seattle a bit too quiet and reserved. As for the Seattle Freeze, you will never get a consensus; it is true for some people and it is not true for others. It's not completely an impossible task to make friends and I tell people to give it a chance and not let it become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
As per the op, with the exception of sailing and the urbanity (which is/can also be done in SF), you haven't really mentioned anything that would give Seattle an edge over the other 2. Which is why there is no "accolades" for Seattle in this thread.
I'd push for Denver because it's close enough to Las Vegas and DC and you'd get more bang out your buck. Could you go and visit each of these cities?
I've been to SF and it wouldn't be too hard to get to Denver. The most difficult
Would be Seattle since it's not along any route I would normally take.
No, I'm not particularly extroverted but not extremely introverted either. Middle ground for me.
I'm also not big into skiing either. East coast is just ice and not very fun (excluding Vermont) for that activity. Would that limit me in Denver for winter activity or socially? It sounds like skiing/snowboarding is a religion out there.
SF is very expensive and California has some very stupid laws. The people didn't strike me as particularly warm either but were not unfriendly.
I don't know too much about Seattle other than it's great in summer, people are cold but polite, the city is liberal but more of a live and let live.
I guess I can ramble on but won't truly know what each are like until I visit. The only I know reasonably well from personal experience is SF. The other two are just what I've read. I have been to Portland though. Mini Seattle?
I've been to SF and it wouldn't be too hard to get to Denver. The most difficult
Would be Seattle since it's not along any route I would normally take.
No, I'm not particularly extroverted but not extremely introverted either. Middle ground for me.
I'm also not big into skiing either. East coast is just ice and not very fun (excluding Vermont) for that activity. Would that limit me in Denver for winter activity or socially? It sounds like skiing/snowboarding is a religion out there.
SF is very expensive and California has some very stupid laws. The people didn't strike me as particularly warm either but were not unfriendly.
I don't know too much about Seattle other than it's great in summer, people are cold but polite, the city is liberal but more of a live and let live.
I guess I can ramble on but won't truly know what each are like until I visit. The only I know reasonably well from personal experience is SF. The other two are just what I've read. I have been to Portland though. Mini Seattle?
No, skiing is not a religion here. There are plenty of people who don't ski, and lots who ski only 1-2 X a year. You would not be ostracized or feel out of it if you're not a skier.
However, for as great as SF is in many respects, we are getting pushed out of the area because of the exorbitant prices for rent/housing. We make good money but the dream of every owning anything that is close to downtown (where my job is) is a pipe dream.
So back to the drawing board. We plan on making the move out of SF (unless for some reason the housing/rental market crashes and loses about 30% of its current value) in about the next 9 months or so.
Still looking at Denver and Seattle. Both seem to have their advantages and disadvantages but at least (with their current prices) we would be able to live decently in either one.
I want to thank everyone for their contributions on here. I really appreciate everyone's help!
I love Seattle and would probably pick it. But you would probably get more for your salary in Denver.
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