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I know this thread is a few years old, as was the last comment. But I agree with this. I love Denver, overall and personally think it's better than Austin. But every time I go, I am shocked at how dead and boring downtown is. Yes downtown Denver is large, clean, and looks nice, but it is just dead after business hours.
Austin is busy daily, from 6am until almost 3am. Obviously moreso on the weekends. Austin has a bustling downtown core and it feels like you are in a major city.
Downtown Denver is solidly average. It's not that large or majestic and it's certainly not clean. The CBD is still essentially a corporate office zone, so yes it really does shut down after 6:30. All the action is in the surrounding 'districts' which are unique, but the real estate price is so ridiculous that drinks, food, and venues have to be priced above competitive levels. A lot of the restaurants are churning and relocating to the burbs, and who really needs another brewery to visit. The lunch spots downtown have all raised their prices several times in the 3 years I've worked downtown.
I don't know if this is happening in Austin as well or not. I do know the 2 share a lot of the same franchises.
Spent 4 years in Austin and the past year in the Boulder area. I love mountains and I still like Austin more. Better food, more vibrant, more greenery(nice big oak and cypress trees), more water, nice warm winters, Rainey Street..ahh it's wonderful. Denver is dirty, ugly, expensive and overrated. If you're a water person Austin is the obvious answer. I still miss it. Austin wins in pretty much every category for me. Only thing it's lacking is access to mountains which it sounds like you don't care about.
To be fair, we don't live in Denver, but everytime we visit we're disappointed.
Oh shoot, just realized this post is very old. Oh well.
Downtown Denver is solidly average. It's not that large or majestic and it's certainly not clean. The CBD is still essentially a corporate office zone, so yes it really does shut down after 6:30. All the action is in the surrounding 'districts' which are unique, but the real estate price is so ridiculous that drinks, food, and venues have to be priced above competitive levels. A lot of the restaurants are churning and relocating to the burbs, and who really needs another brewery to visit. The lunch spots downtown have all raised their prices several times in the 3 years I've worked downtown.
I don't know if this is happening in Austin as well or not. I do know the 2 share a lot of the same franchises.
Yes the hoods that surround downtown Denver are pretty lively. I don't think Austin has the same there. Advantage Denver.
Yes the hoods that surround downtown Denver are pretty lively. I don't think Austin has the same there. Advantage Denver.
I'd still give the advantage to Austin. The fact that you can walk from Downtown, through green suburban neighborhoods and be at Barton Springs in like 30 minutes is just incredible. Rainey Street is lively enough for me..and just like Denver, there's great stuff scattered everywhere around the city even if it doesn't constitute as "lively". Peace Bakery, for example, might be the best mediterranean food I've ever had and it's just kind of hiding in a commercial strip off of N. Lamar. You'd never know by looking at it.
And again back to liveliness, I haven't hung out in Denver much, but I highly doubt there's anything that can compete with Rainey Street. And for non-alcohol related liveliness the hike and bike trail and greenbelt is right up there too.
Downtown Denver is solidly average. It's not that large or majestic and it's certainly not clean. The CBD is still essentially a corporate office zone, so yes it really does shut down after 6:30. All the action is in the surrounding 'districts' which are unique, but the real estate price is so ridiculous that drinks, food, and venues have to be priced above competitive levels. A lot of the restaurants are churning and relocating to the burbs, and who really needs another brewery to visit. The lunch spots downtown have all raised their prices several times in the 3 years I've worked downtown.
I don't know if this is happening in Austin as well or not. I do know the 2 share a lot of the same franchises.
I'm usually never in th CBD more so LODO/Laramier Square, but when I get out of class (Monday and Tuesday @ 8) it's still very active. I know it will change in the next couple months as it gets colder, but it was surprising to see how many people were still out.
I'm usually never in th CBD more so LODO/Laramier Square, but when I get out of class (Monday and Tuesday @ 8) it's still very active. I know it will change in the next couple months as it gets colder, but it was surprising to see how many people were still out.
LODO is where most of the action is and there's usually something going on, but that's the bar district. go a couple blocks southwest and it's pretty quiet when I go to ride my bike home from a HH or whatever. Not that it's a problem, it's just mostly offices so there' not much going on. I don't necessarily think it's a problem, it's a little more peaceful that way.
Yes the hoods that surround downtown Denver are pretty lively. I don't think Austin has the same there. Advantage Denver.
Austin also has several active areas outside of downtown. SoCo, S. Lamar, The Drag, Riverside, E. 6th (not dirty 6th DT), the Domain, the Square in San Marcos, and to a lesser extent Mueller.
Austin also has several active areas outside of downtown. SoCo, S. Lamar, The Drag, Riverside, E. 6th (not dirty 6th DT), the Domain, the Square in San Marcos, and to a lesser extent Mueller.
Also very true. I think S. 1st is underrated. A lot of cool stuff going on down there.
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