Single woman, 40 wants to leave LA (Denver, Lakewood: credit, house, job market)

[Carolynal]

I am a single woman, 40 years old and I am looking to leave the LA/OC/SD area that I have lived in for 20 years. My daughter is in college, and I will be a Special Education teacher with a Masters by the end of December. I am looking for a different type of area, I am over the suburbs and want a fun town to spend the next 20 years in. I am hoping that Denver will be that. I want something less expensive than CA, to live downtown and be close to sporting events, cultural events, bars, restaurants, etc. I will probably be teaching in the suburbs but want to live in the city. Is that a workable idea? I want a more down to earth area than Southern California and meet people that are fun and an area with lots to do...is Denver for me?

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Carolynal

I am a single woman, 40 years old and I am looking to leave the LA/OC/SD area that I have lived in for 20 years. My daughter is in college, and I will be a Special Education teacher with a Masters by the end of December. I am looking for a different type of area, I am over the suburbs and want a fun town to spend the next 20 years in. I am hoping that Denver will be that. I want something less expensive than CA, to live downtown and be close to sporting events, cultural events, bars, restaurants, etc. I will probably be teaching in the suburbs but want to live in the city. Is that a workable idea? I want a more down to earth area than Southern California and meet people that are fun and an area with lots to do...is Denver for me?

Yep, sure is. Y'all come.

[OneMoreMove]

Originally Posted by Carolynal

I am looking for a different type of area, I am over the suburbs and want a fun town to spend the next 20 years in. I am hoping that Denver will be that. I want something less expensive than CA, to live downtown and be close to sporting events, cultural events, bars, restaurants, etc. I will probably be teaching in the suburbs but want to live in the city. Is that a workable idea? I want a more down to earth area than Southern California and meet people that are fun and an area with lots to do...is Denver for me?

Denver could be a good fit for all those things, except the 'down to earth' part of it. People are people everywhere, just different Denver is a nice place and if you want something less expensive and more 'livable' you will really appreciate it.

[Ziasforever]

There are quite a few teachers that want to move to CO too. You might read through their threads and then DM them as to what the teaching job market is like.

[whoisjongalt]

I moved from LA to Denver almost 8 years ago and it's awesome. It has all of the things you mentioned and you can live right in downtown and commute to the suburbs easily. People here complain about the traffic but they don't know how good they have it. After LA, it will seem like nothing to you. Unlike LA, however, the people are really friendly, the downtown is "happening" with 100's of bars, restaurants, clubs, and live music venues....something for every taste, and the quality of life is about 1000 times better. Go for it.

[davidv]

Originally Posted by Ziasforever

There are quite a few teachers that want to move to CO too. You might read through their threads and then DM them as to what the teaching job market is like.

Don't fret terribly about the job market, as qualified special education teachers rarely go unhired. As long as you have good reviews from your present district, you are likely to land a job. However, you will not be given credit for all your years when you are placed on the salary schedule. Some districts will offer 5 years of experience credit and others could offer up to 10 years of experience credit if they have declared sp.ed. teachers to be in the hard to fill category. You will end up taking a pay cut, but the cost of living may make up for it, especially if you sell a house in California and buy a much chearper house in Colorado.

[Gr8DenverHomes]

Hello from Littleton CO,

I might add that the expanding Light Rail system makes getting around easier, and you might find living in the suburbs cheaper and still have access to the amenities of Downtown Denver living. Old Town Littleton and Englewood to the southwest are a couple of options that I'd recommend, with new light rail stations connecting to the west suburbs (Lakewood, Golden) coming online very soon (Google RTD Denver).

Hope this helps!

Bryan

[OneMoreMove]

Originally Posted by whoisjongalt

People here complain about the traffic but they don't know how good they have it. After LA, it will seem like nothing to you.

Also crime, noise, pollution, taxes, and general hassle! Denver is a much easier place to live, that's for sure.

[westcoastbabe]

Kind of in your same boat...Been in NC my whole life and ready to switch it up....Looking at Phoenix, AZ...Cost of Living doable; 300+ days of sunshine; Driving distance to Cali/Las Vegas...