Single Female Moving for School (Denver, Louisville: rental, transfer, neighborhoods)

[rockster3000]

I've finally made the difficult choice between Chicago and Denver. Denver won based solely on nature trails and hiking.
With that said, I'm a single white 27 year old female with cats. Please no crazy cat lady jokes. I plan on moving to Denver next summer. I'm still trying to decide whether I should get my undergrad completed at Metro and then go to Uni of Denver or end up with a huge debt by transferring straight to U of D. I realize I could complete my undergrad where I currently live (Louisville, KY), but I'm done with this place. I'm tired of the lack of diversity, the racism, the lack of culture, and the lack of environmental regard.
I have friends who will be moving back to Denver May of next year and while it may seem like a good idea to share a place, they're a couple with a baby on the way and two cats. I'm thinking 3 people, a baby, and a total of 5 cats is too much for any place no matter how large. They've given me a lot of information about Denver but I still have a few questions that they can't answer.

1) I want to ride the bus, the rail, and bike almost everywhere. I haven't decided whether I want to give up my car yet but I plan on not using it that much. I'm looking for a cheap efficiency or 1 bedroom apt (poor college student) that is either close to Metro or DU or close to the rail. Suggestions will be so greatly appreciated I might bake you cookies after I finally move.

2) Diversity. I realize that Denver isn't as diverse as Chicago, but you guys hold your own. What are some great places to soak in local diversity and abstract culture?

3) Nightlife and meeting people. I'm terrible at both and will be moving to an area where I know 2 people. So list your favorite bars/clubs/restaurants. I enjoy rock music and the goth scene. I love ethnic cuisine.

4) Environmental clubs/organizations. I'm majoring in ecology and I can't wait to get involved in actual environmental clubs/organizations. Any suggestions?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[shukertj]

Hi There, and congratulations on your decision to move to Denver! : )

Meetup.com is a great way to find like-minded people wherever you are. If I were new to a city and looking to meet friends, I'd probably start there. All you have to do is type in your new zip and the site will give you a list of tons of meetup groups in your area. Just pick some that look interesting! Lots of luck with your upcoming adventure.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by rockster3000

1) I want to ride the bus, the rail, and bike almost everywhere. I haven't decided whether I want to give up my car yet but I plan on not using it that much. I'm looking for a cheap efficiency or 1 bedroom apt (poor college student) that is either close to Metro or DU or close to the rail. Suggestions will be so greatly appreciated I might bake you cookies after I finally move.

One odd thing about the light rail system we currently have is that those living in the city of Denver seemingly have the least opportunity to make use of it. For example, the heavy population clusters in Capitol Hill / Cheesman Park, City Park, Highlands, etc have little access to the light rail system, though there are frequent bus service to all those places.

If light rail access is important to you, I suggest looking at the South Denver stations closer to DU. Living near DU might be an excellent idea for you even if you opt for Metro because you'd be surrounded by a population that is heavily student-focused. You'll notice that there are three light rail station in that general area (Louisiana-Pearl, University, and Colorado).

Craigslist would probably be my go-to place in finding a rental in that area. As with most of the Denver neighborhoods, there aren't a large number of corporate run complexes and instead you have smaller buildings and individual owner renting out their places.