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Hey folks. I currently live in the Durham area and I am going to be moving out of the city as soon as I can due to the crime rate. I'm originally from Raleigh (they are next door but very different cities, think Minneapolis vs. St. Paul). I have been doing some thinking about moving back to Raleigh but the opportunity came up where I can live in Denver and I'm trying to decide between the two. What you recommend for someone who is looking between the two cities with this criteria:
Things I like about Raleigh:
- Good amount for the house for the money
- Good job market
- Warm climate
- Safe
Things I dislike about Raleigh:
- NC's horrible, backwards politics
- Getting a house that's in an actual walkable neighborhood is practically impossible unless you are rich
- Boring
- No real public transit nor plans for such a thing
Things I like about Denver:
- Outdoor activities
- Much better government policies for me
- Good job market
- Better transit
- More to do
Things I dislike about Denver:
- I HATE the winter. I lived in Pittsburgh for awhile and could not stand the horrible gloomy weather and don't want anything like that again.
- High housing prices
If you had to choose between the two, which would you choose?
For me it's Denver. No contest. Raleigh's hot, humid summers are a non-starter. Been there, done that, have absolutely no desire to do it again. Raleigh's also a hike from the mountains (and I prefer the Rockies to the Appalachians). It's within driving distance of the ocean, but, honestly the ocean/beach isn't my thing.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'll throw in a dash of reality.
Housing in trendy/walkable neighborhoods here will be pretty expensive, too. Washington Park, for instance, is north of $700k. Neighborhoods like Cole and Clayton north/northeast of downtown are cheaper, but they're still in transition.
Denver is not nearly as lush as RDU nor does the area have an abundance of trees. The eastern side of the metro area is where the shortgrass prairie starts. It's largely treeless and looks like your stereotypical image of the Great Plains.
It's green for a few months out of the year here. Typically the green period is late April 'til mid-July with some additional greening during heavy monsoon seasons, but it'll be brown from the middle of July until the next spring. FWIW, foothills locations above 7,500 feet are generally greener longer and have more trees than Denver does.
Denver doesn't have a significant water element. We have some small reservoirs, mountain creeks that run high during snowmelt season, and only one significant river - the South Platte. It's a gentle river that's neither very wide nor very deep.
Getting into and back from the mountains can be a challenge on the weekends. Winters are the worst with ski traffic and snowstorms, but summer/holiday weekends can be rough, too. It's all a fairly-predictable pattern, though, so if you plan wisely you can avoid most of it. You may have to get on the road at the crack of dawn on a Saturday or head back to Denver around noon on a Sunday, but if you're really into it, it's not that big of a deal.
Winter in Denver is hardly gloomy. We typically have a few days that are consecutively gloomy now and then, but we still get plenty of sun in the winter. "Snow season" is more of a PITA than winter is. Snow can fall as early as September or as late as the end of May, but it's typically mid-October 'til late April.
Last edited by bluescreen73; 07-10-2019 at 12:56 PM..
I don't really need a trendy neighborhood at this point, but just walking to a greenway or a park would be sufficient for me. That is actually a tall order in Raleigh. Even though Raleigh has a lot of parks and green ways they are connected in a coherent way and you have to drive to them in most cases. I'd definitely just be into being able to walk to some parks or green ways in Westminster or something.
I too am not a beach person and prefer the mountains. We have Asheville in NC which is wonderful but realistically 4.5 hours drive without bad traffic. The thing I worry about the most is the long winter seasons. They were really tough for me in Pittsburgh but I'm wondering how much of that was due to not seeing the sun for weeks on end.
I don't really need a trendy neighborhood at this point, but just walking to a greenway or a park would be sufficient for me. That is actually a tall order in Raleigh. Even though Raleigh has a lot of parks and green ways they are connected in a coherent way and you have to drive to them in most cases. I'd definitely just be into being able to walk to some parks or green ways in Westminster or something.
Denver has its share of car-centric places in the burbs, but there's also a plethora of biking and walking trails in the city and the burbs.
The state has a free app and website that lists trails and the activities that can be done on them. It's not an exhaustive list by any means but it's fairly comprehensive.
The state's trail database can be found here - COTREX.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wood_lake
The thing I worry about the most is the long winter seasons. They were really tough for me in Pittsburgh but I'm wondering how much of that was due to not seeing the sun for weeks on end.
Honestly you may get tired of the length of snow season. We average about 54" of snow per year, but it's all really spread out. It's so sunny (and often warm) that snow typically melts off between storms. April and May can be frustrating because it's warm and you think you're done with snow, but a cold front moves through and drops another 3-6" of snow. 3-5 days later it's back up in the 50s or 60s and the pattern may or may not repeat.
This year we had snow on May 20th and 21st, but that is fairly unusual. The last time Denver got snow that late in May was 1975. The standard advice is not to plant anything outdoors before Mother's Day.
We also get hail here fairly frequently. Most of the time it's small (pea-to-marble size), but occasionally it'll be ping pong ball-to-golf ball or baseball size. Hail damage to cars and roofs is common.
Falls River is a nice neighborhood if wanting access to the larger trails in Raleigh. Pretty much housing at any price point. And if it takes you 4.5 hours to get to Asheville, I think you are doing something wrong.
But sometimes you just have to experience the world for yourself.
And if it takes you 4.5 hours to get to Asheville, I think you are doing something wrong.
Google says it takes 4 hours and if you stop for bathroom breaks it is definitely 4.5 hours total. It's definitely a long haul unless you are pedal to the floor the entire time.
I too am not a beach person and prefer the mountains. We have Asheville in NC which is wonderful but realistically 4.5 hours drive without bad traffic. The thing I worry about the most is the long winter seasons. They were really tough for me in Pittsburgh but I'm wondering how much of that was due to not seeing the sun for weeks on end.
Denver, no doubt. It's still pretty sunny during the winter.
I love Asheville and Appalachia, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Rockies. I like Raleigh quite a bit, and it has some really cool festivals and good nightlife, amongst some other things to do. I'm sure it's a really nice place to live. But Denver also has that plus so much more.
For what it's worth, I'd go out of my way to visit Denver. I can't say the same for Raleigh, unless there's a specific event going on.
For what it's worth, I'd go out of my way to visit Denver. I can't say the same for Raleigh, unless there's a specific event going on.
Yeah, I've traveled to Denver many times just for fun. When I was in Pittsburgh I never visited Raleigh unless I had to.
But I do love Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The biggest difference is that Asheville lies in the mountains and is surrounded by them, whereas Denver has mountains an hour away.
Hey folks. I currently live in the Durham area and I am going to be moving out of the city as soon as I can due to the crime rate. I'm originally from Raleigh (they are next door but very different cities, think Minneapolis vs. St. Paul). I have been doing some thinking about moving back to Raleigh but the opportunity came up where I can live in Denver and I'm trying to decide between the two. What you recommend for someone who is looking between the two cities with this criteria:
Things I like about Raleigh:
- Good amount for the house for the money
- Good job market
- Warm climate
- Safe
Things I dislike about Raleigh:
- NC's horrible, backwards politics
- Getting a house that's in an actual walkable neighborhood is practically impossible unless you are rich
- Boring
- No real public transit nor plans for such a thing
Things I like about Denver:
- Outdoor activities
- Much better government policies for me
- Good job market
- Better transit
- More to do
Things I dislike about Denver:
- I HATE the winter. I lived in Pittsburgh for awhile and could not stand the horrible gloomy weather and don't want anything like that again.
- High housing prices
If you had to choose between the two, which would you choose?
You didn't mention your age, but given that you're from Raleigh and you're thinking of moving back there ... Denver. If you're in your 20s/30s now's a good time for a change. If you're older, make the change before you get too settled and comfortable.
After 30+ years in Chapel Hill, my wife and I moved to Philly (talk about change!) when I was 56. We realized we simply needed a change of scenery and lifestyle. Best thing ever did.
If you're deeply attached to a city/region and want to live there all your life, great. But given some of the Raleigh negatives you listed, it seems like you could detach and relocate without many misgivings. And the negatives you listed aren't likely to change any time soon (politics, housing costs, etc.)
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