Help! Rhode Island to Colorado... (Denver, Lakewood: apartment, homes, job market)

[NW Crow]

In CO, maybe you'd like Golden or maybe Evergreen if you can take more snow.

In NC, if Asheville isn't big enough to be your big city, I'd focus on Davidson. Or look at Clemson SC- pretty near the mountains and pretty near Greenville which is a fairly big metro (somewhat bigger than Asheville with other cities nearby that can be added). The coast would be closer than compared to Asheville.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by LittleRhody

I guess in-between would be preferred! I definitely wouldn't want to live in a busy city, but I also wouldn't want to live somewhere isolated or deserted. I've always wanted to live somewhere scenic with a lot of land, where houses aren't on top of one another, but still close by to other people & amenities. Somewhere cozy with a hometown feel, if that makes sense?

It does, but it's also a very Northeastern thing. I grew up in Denver and only recently started spending time in the Northeast. What you have and what the West generally lacks is a large amount of quaint towns near big cities. I didn't even really unstable what posters on here from the NE meant when they were asking for a "small town near Denver" until I spent hours driving around New England.

The reasons we lack these places, as far as I can tell, has to do with a combination of time and geography. Time because you have to look at when everything was developed versus when the Northeast was developed and geography because the west covers a much larger area. The time piece is important because we didn't have existing little villages when cars took over. As such, everything is very hubbed around the major cities. The west is incredibly urban from a population standpoint. Even though we have large states and huge swaths of undeveloped land, jobs and people are very concentrated in the cities. As for the geography, since the state's are so much larger than the Northeastern states, being on the other side of the state from the nearest big city can mean 8 hours, not 2 hours. It's also important to understand that having a lot of land and being near a city is expensive.

With all this said, there are some really cool little towns in the foothills around Boulder. I like the suggestion above of looking at Lyons, but the best advice I can give you is to try to take a couple weeks and drive around this part of the country to get a feel for it. It's awesome, but it's very different than where you are coming from in some ways.

[Sunderpig2]

LittleRhody - Several statements you made make me think that CO might not be a great choice for you, and/or you might want to exercise caution before getting too deep into plans for the state:

1) "The people I grew up with & encounter tend to be selfish, shallow, & fake for the lack of a better description. I'd like to find & meet kind, genuine, down to earth people"

2) "I haven't been to CO" / "I'm so drawn to Colorado. I fall in love with all of the photos/social media accounts"

3) "somewhere scenic with a lot of land, where houses aren't on top of one another"

For 1) I've mostly encountered people from the first group since moving to CO. I've found less genuine and down-to-earth people since moving here. By observing people here over the years, it seems that those who match and fit the CO culture fit in and are accepted, while those from elsewhere stick out and are kept at a distance. It's not purposely done; it's just the norm.

2) Be careful of all those pictures and social media hypes. It's very easy to get carried away with fantasizing about CO. I've found it to be very singular and cliqueish. Yes, if the area matches your preferences, there's probably a lot to celebrate and rave about. But if you're from a different area, it might be hard to connect with the western/mountain culture.

3) The main cities definitely have houses crammed together, often with very little shading and privacy, so those can probably be ruled out. But the remote areas tend to be expensive, and often feature more extreme weather (especially winter-wise). It's a very dry state, and that affects the scenery much of the year too, so it's an acquired taste. For some coming from elsewhere, it appears perpetually moisture-starved.

Really, the dryness and blandness (deep forest wise) of this part of the country might be a disappointment compared to the coastal and wooded beauty of Rhode Island and the NE. Try to keep lots of areas in mind for your research, and visit CO first if it remains on your list. Also know that with lots of people moving here, there is a lot of competition over jobs. Ideally, you would need something lined up before moving.

[blondmoray]

Originally Posted by LittleRhody

I guess in-between would be preferred! I definitely wouldn't want to live in a busy city, but I also wouldn't want to live somewhere isolated or deserted. I've always wanted to live somewhere scenic with a lot of land, where houses aren't on top of one another, but still close by to other people & amenities. Somewhere cozy with a hometown feel, if that makes sense?

Check out Pinehurst and Southern Pines NC. An hour south of Raleigh and it's cozy. Also waaaaaaay lower cost of living than anywhere within an hour of Denver.

[Sue at the Rock]

Originally Posted by blondmoray

Check out Pinehurst and Southern Pines NC. An hour south of Raleigh and it's cozy. Also waaaaaaay lower cost of living than anywhere within an hour of Denver.

Because it's HOT in summer.

[TCHP]

Skydog and Sunderpig have some very salient points to consider. Colorado does an excellent job of presenting itself through the media, but the reality of living here is sometimes quite different of the postcard view. The field you have employment in may be the biggest factor in determining where you live. There are not the typical small towns every 20-30 miles along the highways out of the urban centers which allow you ti live in a historic village with a hour commute to the city.

Having spent a considerable amount of time on temp assignments through out the New England area, I can confirm that Colorado is nothing like what you are used to. It is dry, wide open, and high altitude. Dry like make your nose bleed daily dry and high altitude enough to make a jog across the parking lot wear you out.The primary population centers are as dense as any back east, but we lack the overall population density within the rest of the state that you are used to. East of the mountains, you can drive an hour and only go through small, 200 person farm towns with nothing more than a convienance store and pre-fab housing. In the mountains, populations centers are typically centered around former mining or supply towns and can be either touristy and urban expensive or late 20th century trashy. Mountain driving also means it is unlikely you can live in a quaint 19th century mining relic and commute into the urban centers for work. Distance is a challenge here because of the geography and unpredictability of the weather. Speaking of which, I've heard many New Englanders say if you don't like the weather, wait a minute and it will change. Gotta say, that is even more true in the Colorado high country were rain, snow, and 80* temps can all occur in a single day.

There are a couple of points that Sunderpig brings up that is actually 180* from my experience here. Perhaps that is because he is in a much smaller urban center, that is more agriculturally oriented in the far northern parts of the state and I am in a much larger city in the southern part of the state that is more service oriented. In my case, it seems that we have such a high percentage of transplanted residents that there is a more genuine, happy to be here, let me help you with recommendations mind set. Additionally, because of the high percentage of transplants, there is often the perception in many companies that there is no decent local talent and most job applicants need to be pulled form elsewhere in the country.

With all that said, we do have plenty to see and do and recreation activities galore. We are growing because of hte opportunities we have here. Do some research on where you job opportunities lie and what is close to those areas and then plan a trip out to see what it looks like for you. I also recommend a read of this post from a prospective resident who fell in love with the media version of Colorado, but their visit provided a glimpse of life away from the camera lens; //www.city-data.com/forum/color...-first-co.html

[blondmoray]

Originally Posted by Sue at the Rock

Because it's HOT in summer.

And absolutely lovely in the winter!

[LittleRhody]

Thank you all so much! Sorry for the delayed response, but I really appreciate all of the advice/info! It definitely saddens me thinking CO might not be for me; I'm definitely drawn to the mountains & fell in love with the idea of having so much to do outdoors. Nature really effects my mood in a positive way, I'd love to spend my time off hiking & exploring different places/parks/trails/etc. I know I need to physically visit places before moving, but it's hard knowing that even if I narrow it down to the state, there's still SO many cities that are polar opposite than others. My biggest fear is not fitting in or feeling at "home" or that I belong wherever I end up. I definitely want to be at my happiest & start/create a new life. Obviously being in my 20's I'm also interested living somewhere that's good for singles to meet new people; I love going out to dinner, grabbing drinks, going to sports events, concerts, etc. Big country fan. Also, LOVE taking photos of scenic places.

[NW Crow]

Your new life is more about you creating it than the city. Do your version. The resources are there, 2 miles away, 10 or 20 isn't that big a deal. The creating is the big deal.

That said, you might look at older near in suburbs. Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge. Between downtown and the mountains. Mostly middle class towns. But come out for 5-7 days and look around. Maybe you'll love Boulder. Or Lafayette. Or a particular Denver neighborhood.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by LittleRhody

It is! Any recommendations in terms of cities?

First of all, OP, I would suggest a visit as you have never been here.

Secondly, I agree that the older burbs tend to have somewhat bigger lots, but that's not 100% true, and the drawback is that at 25 you will probably have much older neighbors, e.g. people in their 70s and 80s in some of those burbs mentioned above. Wheat Ridge has the oldest population, I believe, in the metro area.

I do think you might like Lafayette, also mentioned above, Louisville, though affordability could be a problem or maybe Longmont.