Denver......a natives perspective on some of the dislikes of the city (Thornton: appointed, legal)

[denverian]

Originally Posted by downtownnola

I was wondering the same thing. What is a "cow town"? Aside from the National Western stock show which takes place for 2 weeks out of the year, I don't see cattle roaming around or cowboys walking around on our street. Sure, Denver has a western heritage (a very rich heritage indeed) but to call Denver a "cowtown" is ridiculous. This is a major metropolitan area of nearly 3 million people. I'm sure that many of kids growing up in the inner city have never even seen a cow.

My boys have never seen a cow, or been in "the country". I guess at some point in life we'll have to drive further than DIA so they can see cows.

[downtownnola]

Originally Posted by Co_guy_94

I guess maybe I wasn't very clear on that point when I wrote this. When I say "cow town" I don't literally mean cows and cowboys. Once upon a time that was perhaps more true, and outside the city you can still find that but I guess I mean still reminiscent of older values like it's stubborness to grow or people still being a bit shy or reserved compared to bigger cities. Also, it's a stark extreme to the word "cosmopolitan" but just another word I use interchangeably to mean "not as diverse." It's a bad habit, because growing up I always heard Denver referred to as such so I've continued to say it myself even though you are right, it's not really very "cow-ey", just not as diverse and big city oriented as some would want.

I see what you mean. Still in my opinion, you're not giving Denver enough credit. Denver is by no means on the level of Chicago or New York, but I feel that we have a nice urban core and the city is certainly becoming more cosmopolitan. In the 7 years I've lived here, I've certainly seen and felt the changes, especially downtown. We have much better nightlife, entertainment and restaurants than when I moved here. I'm not sure if I understand what is meant by lack of diversity, either (the city of Denver is majority minority, mostly Hispanic, and we have a very large gay population). IMO, Denver is a good mix of everything: it's large enough to offer most of the amenities you find in the larger cities, but still managable. It's fast paced enough to have a bit of a big city feel but lacks from the "rat race" mentality you find in the huge cities. I agree that the people here aren't super friendly, but have found many more unfriendly, standoff-ish people in the bigger cities.

[SouthXSW]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

We have an inner city?!? LOL

So me and my friend just went to lunch, and we saw a bunch of biz men in suits wearing cowboy boots. 17th and Glenarm.

I wore boots when I worked in downtown Denver, and so did many of my coworkers. Western wear is pretty common in Denver. Not as much as Greeley, Loveland, Cheyenne and smaller towns north and east of Denver but you still see it.

[SouthXSW]

Compared to Chicago, NYC, LA,SF, and other major cities Denver seems provincial and insular.

I would say that Chicago feels colder though because there is more moisture in the air which clings to you. That is the first time I've ever heard what you experienced.

[Neditate]

Originally Posted by denverian

My boys have never seen a cow, or been in "the country". I guess at some point in life we'll have to drive further than DIA so they can see cows.

Drive to Boulder. There are lots of cows (and babies) in the pastures on both sides of the turnpike.

[Melanzana92]

Actually, I think cowboy boots and hats are quite common around Denver. But that doesn't necessarily make it a cowtown, it makes it Western. IMO.

[All_Over_Guy]

In cities like New York or Chicago, when it's cold, it feels REALLY cold. I would much rather experience 30 in DEN than 30 in any humid environment. And here's some science behind it:

"Q: I know that humid air makes people feel hotter in the summer, how does humidity affect the "feels like" temperature in the winter?

A: Some people claim that a "wet" cold feels colder than a "dry" cold. One possible reason for this is that we wear insulating clothing in the winter. The dead air spaces within the fill materials of a jacket or within the fibers of a sweater limit the loss of body heat, due to the low thermal conductivity of air. Thermal conductivity increases as relative humidity increases, so body heat is more quickly lost in more humid conditions, making one feel colder.

All other conditions being equal, a cold day with rain and/or fog feels colder than a dry day. If moisture is on the skin, heat will be lost through conduction of heat from the body to the water as well as the evaporative cooling effects of the water.
There's plenty more about how the body regulates temperature on this USA TODAY resource page.

(Answered by meteorologist Bob Swanson, USA TODAY's assistant weather editor, December 13, 2006)"

And the humidity in the summer in Chicago combined with the hot temperatures? No thanks. To each his own, but compared to Denver's weather, Chicago weather sucks. That's one thing we have going for us compared to Chicago, so don't take it away!

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by denverian

My boys have never seen a cow, or been in "the country". I guess at some point in life we'll have to drive further than DIA so they can see cows.

You can always just take them to the Stock Show in January.
Plenty of cows and other critters, all in one handy spot downtown, along with the cowboys and cowgirls who raise them.

It probably was time for another one of these threads because people do get put off when faced with pages and pages.

There is plenty to do in and around Denver. It's just that despite hosting important national (and international) events, it will never have that world-class, cosmopolitan caché and never will. When we lived there, my husband's family never wanted to visit the city, they would literally skip over Denver on their way to Vail. To them, Denver just has this sort of slowpoke aura about it.

So what? Denver need not, *should not* rebrand itself, and as the OP says, most mature grownups understand and appreciate the hidden treasures of life in Denver.

For me, after many many years (moved there at 14 in 1968) I had enough of the changeable "wild card" weather.

But I'll always miss those concerts at Red Rocks.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Mach50

These "NATIVE" bumper stickers...

If I ever move to Denver, I'm getting one of those for my truck.

[SouthXSW]

Originally Posted by TonyVaz1009

Actually, I think cowboy boots and hats are quite common around Denver. But that doesn't necessarily make it a cowtown, it makes it Western. IMO.

You also see a lot of trucks and SUV's. Again not because it's a cow town but because that's what people drive in western cities, especially ones near mountains and ones that get lots of snow.