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I don’t think Denver and Seattle feel that similar. Some things like access to mountains/ mountain sports, acceptance of drug use, and maybe a more laid back vibe. But the climate is almost opposite, Seattle is bigger, dirtier, much busier, more international, more diverse, and the metro area has other urban pockets that contribute to the GDP and culture. Tacoma and Bellevue vs Boulder and Colorado Springs (if you count that) is an interesting mash up but I think one clearly comes out on top, while the other still has some great qualities. Denver is lovely but I don’t really see many similarities. Maybe more similar to Portland then Seattle for size, scale, influence, and laid back attitude. Even then though it feels different to me.
Denver never feels provincial. That's Greeley or Pueblo.
There's a decent amount of diversity here, maybe not in raw numbers but people do exist here from all over the world. There's a decent amount of English and Australians I've met in the southeastern suburbs. Not only that but this is true for most American cities nowadays. I'm sure you can find more than a few ethnic restaurants in every city over 100k.
Compared to Seattle and coastal California it can seem that way.
Denver is big enough to have a bit of everything, but the international presence is not really felt in much of the city.
The interesting thing about Denver's ethnic food scene is how much of it is NOT owned and operated by members of the ethnic group.
Most people would have high expectations on finding a good taco, if we're using your logic, for bigger cities, yet thats not as easy to do in a city like Seattle. Seattle has lots of Asians and Asian culture but it doesn't feel like some mecca of international cities like people claim it is.
Seattle doesn't have great Mexican food for a Western US city, but it's not hard to find a good taco by any stretch. The MSA is 10% Hispanic and virtually all of that is Mexican. You also give Seattle too much credit for its Asian culture. The MSA is only 14% Asian - compared to 36% for San Jose and 26% for San Francisco. Even LA is higher at 16%. Black people make up 7% of the Seattle MSA, which is about average for Western cities, including Denver.
Where Seattle's diversity greatly exceeds Denver's is in % foreign-born and the variety of ethnicities, languages and countries represented. For example, Seattle has high numbers of Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Somalian, Chinese, Russian, Norwegian, etc. residents and that leads to a more international, cosmopolitan flavor. The only area not well-represented in Seattle is Central and South America - as I mentioned the Hispanic population is almost entirely Mexican.
That's not to say Seattle is international at the level of places like NYC, LA, SF or Chicago, but moreso than Denver for sure.
True, much less than SF, LA, etc. But, more like 20% for King County, the central 2.3m. And of course there's a difference by location, for example in the northern swaths of Downtown where tech reigns.
True, much less than SF, LA, etc. But, more like 20% for King County, the central 2.3m. And of course there's a difference by location, for example in the northern swaths of Downtown where tech reigns.
Lol but like Seattle is still at the top for Asian population as a percentage. Like sure it’s not like San Francisco but it has like the highest metro population outside of California. It’s the Mecca for Asian Americans but no one is claiming it is. But it certainly is one of the most Asian influenced metros in the country.
Lol but like Seattle is still at the top for Asian population as a percentage.
No, it isn't. For cities proper, 15% puts Seattle fairly high, but not even in the ballpark of places like San Francisco (36%) and San Jose (35%). San Diego is 18%. Huge cities like NYC and LA are both at ~15% as well, but have exponentially high total Asian populations because they're much bigger. Nearby Vancouver is nearly 50% Asian. Other cities like Boston (10%) aren't too far off.
That's not to say Seattle doesn't have a robust Asian population and culture - it does, but it's not in the same realm as several of the cities mentioned above. One area where Seattle is represented better than almost any other city in the country (aside from DC and Minneapolis) is East African population. There are a ton of Ethiopian, Somalian and Eritrean immigrants and certain parts of the city and the metro have a strong presence of East African restaurants and cultural institutions.
No, it isn't. For cities proper, 15% puts Seattle fairly high, but not even in the ballpark of places like San Francisco (36%) and San Jose (35%). San Diego is 18%. Huge cities like NYC and LA are both at ~15% as well, but have exponentially high total Asian populations because they're much bigger. Nearby Vancouver is nearly 50% Asian. Other cities like Boston (10%) aren't too far off.
That's not to say Seattle doesn't have a robust Asian population and culture - it does, but it's not in the same realm as several of the cities mentioned above. One area where Seattle is represented better than almost any other city in the country (aside from DC and Minneapolis) is East African population. There are a ton of Ethiopian, Somalian and Eritrean immigrants and certain parts of the city and the metro have a strong presence of East African restaurants and cultural institutions.
Boston is 11.3% possibly higher due to a high share of illegal immigrants and a much poorer Cantonese/Vietnamese population that doesn't speak English well and lives in large apartment complexes.
Denver seems more West Coast than midwest as I associate the Mountain West with the West in general.
No, it isn't. For cities proper, 15% puts Seattle fairly high, but not even in the ballpark of places like San Francisco (36%) and San Jose (35%). San Diego is 18%. Huge cities like NYC and LA are both at ~15% as well, but have exponentially high total Asian populations because they're much bigger. Nearby Vancouver is nearly 50% Asian. Other cities like Boston (10%) aren't too far off.
That's not to say Seattle doesn't have a robust Asian population and culture - it does, but it's not in the same realm as several of the cities mentioned above. One area where Seattle is represented better than almost any other city in the country (aside from DC and Minneapolis) is East African population. There are a ton of Ethiopian, Somalian and Eritrean immigrants and certain parts of the city and the metro have a strong presence of East African restaurants and cultural institutions.
Still a much smaller population when compared to that of Minneapolis, DC, Columbus, and a few other Midwest cities though.
Denver definitely lacks the diversity that many West and Midwest cities have. It's mostly white and Hispanic / Latino (Mexican)
Denver never feels provincial. That's Greeley or Pueblo.
There's a decent amount of diversity here, maybe not in raw numbers but people do exist here from all over the world. There's a decent amount of English and Australians I've met in the southeastern suburbs. Not only that but this is true for most American cities nowadays. I'm sure you can find more than a few ethnic restaurants in every city over 100k.
Denver is extremely provincial. It is definitely less so today than 10 or especially 20 years ago, but it isn't fair to compare a metro of 3 million with a rural town of 100k. Denver is by far Colorado's most cosmopolitan and happening city. But we aren't comparing Denver to Leadville and Sterling. We are comparing it to Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Seattle. And, yes, Denver has a distinct insularity or lack of real cosmopolitanism that is pretty characteristic of the Midwest. You feel in Denver a lot of what you feel in KC, which is neither good nor bad just unique to the middle of the country. Denver, like much of the Midwest, is not very diverse or international at all. What it is is a typical, large plains city that happens to be on the doorstep to one of the Western hemispheres greatest outdoor recreational opportunities. That's pretty cool, even if it isn't Seattle or San Diego (which it's really not).
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