Phoenix, AZ vs. Denver, CO (state, better, compared, places)

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

We are seriously looking at both Phoenix and Denver for relocation amongst others (Texas and Florida) but....

I like Sacramento(where we currently live) better than both Denver and Phoenix because Sacramento is green in the winter and spring, much greener than either Denver or Phoenix.

A typical street in Sacramento will have one house with all desert flora-cactus and succulents, new smaller citrus trees, a huge old growth orange or lemon tree. While another house, next door, is full of huge 50 foot shade trees-elms and oaks similar to what you find back east, older yards have 100 foot tall California Redwood trees, next to giant palms trees and of course citrus just about everywhere. The soil is so rich in Sacramento a Valley Oak tree just naturally started growing in my front yard, either the wind blew in a seed and it took root, or a squirrel brought in an acorn... one Valley Oak tree can shade your entire house completely.

I never thought about it much but deserts don't have natural grass growing in abundance naturally. I never thought I would miss grass, wild natural grasses, the natural bare land of the plains, midwest, the east, have grass, deserts don't grow grass. Sacramento has natural grass like the grasses of the midwest and southern US, Phoenix has none or next to zero natural grasses; its mostly naturally sand and rock.

The mountains and rock formations of Phoenix are aesthetic, I get it, but it gets old real fast, Those mountains and rock need life.. living things growing on them......not just Saguaros, which get old really fast too.

Phoenix only looks "nice" to me where there is a lot of the natural Sonoran desert flora but even that is so underwhelming so little shade and the trees are really small in comparison to the natural Oaks and big shade trees of Sacramento. Sacramento has naturally rich soil, not sand and rock. It's very easy to grow just about anything in Sacramento, huge Redwoods grow and live decades, huge indigenous Oaks, huge Ponderosa Pine while you can have desert flora as well as cactus, and succulents, huge aloe vera.



I haven't voted because I'm still torn between the two. Phoenix definitely feels more friendly, feels like laid-back friendly California of yesteryear. There is a lot to like about Denver's nearby front range and downtown, but its so smug (Bay Area smug) meets Seattle freeze.

Trivial...
but Phoenix's airport is so much nicer (inside) than Denver's. Denver's airport looks really cool with the "tents" from the outside but very dated (90's dated) in the inside. Phoenix, Sacramento(SMF), SFO, LAX airport layouts so much nicer. Denver's is laid-out like Atlanta's, they suck, trains underground instead above ground, endless long concourses. As big as Dallas's airport is......still better than Denver.

Everyone says it's laid back here. What makes you think it's smug?

[deepblue38]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

Everyone says it's laid back here. What makes you think it's smug?

I've lived in Denver for over 12 years and their is a smugness about the people. Not sure why. Some very nice people also, but when I first started working in Denver, I was shocked by the smug, pompous attitudes, of some of the people I worked with. If you made eye contact with them and said Hi, you might get a nod of the head back, or maybe not. Same goes for neighbors. I had a few that were friendly, but most of them were difficult to get a wave out of them. It seems like it takes a long time for people to warm up to you in Denver. People tend to live in their own bubble. I was originally from the Midwest, so I wasn't use to that at all.

Denver does have a reputation of being laid back, but also a reputation of being somewhat cold and aloof. Maybe it's a transplant thing. I don't really know.

[deepblue38]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

We are seriously looking at both Phoenix and Denver for relocation amongst others (Texas and Florida) but....

I like Sacramento(where we currently live) better than both Denver and Phoenix because Sacramento is green in the winter and spring, much greener than either Denver or Phoenix.

A typical street in Sacramento will have one house with all desert flora-cactus and succulents, new smaller citrus trees, a huge old growth orange or lemon tree. While another house, next door, is full of huge 50 foot shade trees-elms and oaks similar to what you find back east, older yards have 100 foot tall California Redwood trees, next to giant palms trees and of course citrus just about everywhere. The soil is so rich in Sacramento a Valley Oak tree just naturally started growing in my front yard, either the wind blew in a seed and it took root, or a squirrel brought in an acorn... one Valley Oak tree can shade your entire house completely.

I never thought about it much but deserts don't have natural grass growing in abundance naturally. I never thought I would miss grass, wild natural grasses, the natural bare land of the plains, midwest, the east, have grass, deserts don't grow grass. Sacramento has natural grass like the grasses of the midwest and southern US, Phoenix has none or next to zero natural grasses; its mostly naturally sand and rock.

The mountains and rock formations of Phoenix are aesthetic, I get it, but it gets old real fast, Those mountains and rock need life.. living things growing on them......not just Saguaros, which get old really fast too.

Phoenix only looks "nice" to me where there is a lot of the natural Sonoran desert flora but even that is so underwhelming so little shade and the trees are really small in comparison to the natural Oaks and big shade trees of Sacramento. Sacramento has naturally rich soil, not sand and rock. It's very easy to grow just about anything in Sacramento, huge Redwoods grow and live decades, huge indigenous Oaks, huge Ponderosa Pine while you can have desert flora as well as cactus, and succulents, huge aloe vera.



I haven't voted because I'm still torn between the two. Phoenix definitely feels more friendly, feels like laid-back friendly California of yesteryear. There is a lot to like about Denver's nearby front range and downtown, but its so smug (Bay Area smug) meets Seattle freeze.

Trivial...
but Phoenix's airport is so much nicer (inside) than Denver's. Denver's airport looks really cool with the "tents" from the outside but very dated (90's dated) in the inside. Phoenix, Sacramento(SMF), SFO, LAX airport layouts so much nicer. Denver's is laid-out like Atlanta's, they suck, trains underground instead above ground, endless long concourses. As big as Dallas's airport is......still better than Denver.

You're thinking of relocation to Denver or Phoenix, but doesn't seem like you care for either one, and you like your current location better than either? Why would you leave then?

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by deepblue38

You're thinking of relocation to Denver or Phoenix, but doesn't seem like you care for either one, and you like your current location better than either? Why would you leave then?

Poster is probably near retirement and might not want to spend retirement in California

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by deepblue38

I've lived in Denver for over 12 years and their is a smugness about the people. Not sure why. Some very nice people also, but when I first started working in Denver, I was shocked by the smug, pompous attitudes, of some of the people I worked with. If you made eye contact with them and said Hi, you might get a nod of the head back, or maybe not. Same goes for neighbors. I had a few that were friendly, but most of them were difficult to get a wave out of them. It seems like it takes a long time for people to warm up to you in Denver. People tend to live in their own bubble. I was originally from the Midwest, so I wasn't use to that at all.

Denver does have a reputation of being laid back, but also a reputation of being somewhat cold and aloof. Maybe it's a transplant thing. I don't really know.

Been here 3 years and haven't experienced anything noteworthy as far as friendliness, good or bad. I find that most people are equally friendly all over the country.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by orlando-calrissian

Stop. Flagstaff is not peers with Boulder.

4-5 stories of density is actually a decent model if there is significant amounts of mixed use buildings constructed. It would actually benefit Phoenix and Tempe to construct shorter buildings rather than massive supertalls in order to create a better street level feel. 6 5-story buildings is better than 1 30-story building and Phoenix has more than enough lots to fill.

Flag and Boulder both have major universities, so that's more in comparison.

[dontbelievehim]

Originally Posted by deepblue38

You're thinking of relocation to Denver or Phoenix, but doesn't seem like you care for either one, and you like your current location better than either? Why would you leave then?

Chim is always complaining about wildfires and homeless. I think the juice just isn't worth the squeeze for him, anymore.

Chim: check out auberry, ca.
30 minutes from fresno and 30 minutes to shaver lake. Weather is like chico, but a little better.
It's a pretty area with a low fire risk.

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Auberry/32.../home/58270505

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by dontbelievehim

Chim is always complaining about wildfires and homeless. I think the juice just isn't worth the squeeze for him, anymore.

Chim: check out auberry, ca.
30 minutes from fresno and 30 minutes to shaver lake. Weather is like chico, but a little better.
It's a pretty area with a low fire risk.

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Auberry/32.../home/58270505

Keep dreaming.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by deepblue38

You're thinking of relocation to Denver or Phoenix, but doesn't seem like you care for either one, and you like your current location better than either? Why would you leave then?

See my other posts.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by deepblue38

You're thinking of relocation to Denver or Phoenix, but doesn't seem like you care for either one, and you like your current location better than either? Why would you leave then?

I should explain further, there is a lot to like about both Denver and Phoenix. But I'm always going to compare to where I'm now, Sacramento.

Sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you venture out and you realize what's really nice about where you live.

Still yet, we are searching and trying out different places outside of California: Denver, Phoenix, Orlando, Dallas, Minneapolis, Vegas, San Antonio, Austin.....the list keeps expanding,

We might end up staying in Sacramento, only time will tell.