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Whollymama, there are several ways to find answers to your questions. One is to go to the Denver page on City-Data, which will give you tons of data about weather and demographics. Secondly, I don't know if you noticed the "search forum" box at the top of each page, but if you enter in some key words it will bring up threads full of answers to your questions.
I agree with davebarnes (although hopefully I'm nicer) that I'm not going to go searching for the links to these threads for you. But perhaps you didn't know about the search function. Or you could just scroll down through the Denver threads looking at titles to find some interesting reading.
There are a lot of computer software engineering and development jobs in the Denver metro area. For example, my son started working for Raytheon in 2011. They have a huge campus in Aurora.
Hi there Whollymama! My family is atheist and my husband is a software engineer so I might be able to address some of your questions.
I think there would be some good spots for you guys in Denver, but where exactly would depend on where your husband got a job. Because yes, the traffic can suck so you would want to minimize the commute. There are three major areas in/around Denver for tech jobs--the Denver Tech Center (DTC) which is south of downtown Denver, downtown Denver, and the Boulder/Louisville/Interlocken (Broomfield) area which is 20 minutes northwest of downtown Denver. There are plenty of jobs for software engineers with the right skills here, the right skills being Java, .Net, and/or Objective C. I don't think he would have a problem finding a job here at all in that field, there is high demand.
I love Boulder and think you would too but the house prices are insane. I think you guys would be well suited to look in the areas just outside Boulder such as Superior, Louisville, Broomfield, and north Westminster. There are lots of folks who have similar values to your family in this area, there are tons in my neighborhood (Bradburn Village) which is on the Broomfield/Westminster border. You might have a look here, but Bradburn is not at all like the surrounding areas. It's a walkable, new urbanist neighborhood (mixed-use) that is super, super social (everyone knows each other, and everyone's business LOL). But there are lots of other areas around here that would suit your family as well, especially Louisville (although its more expensive than where I live but not as expensive as Boulder).
If you need a location closer to downtown, have a look at Stapleton which is another Denver new urbanist neighborhood.
As to the weather. Denver is a semi-arid climate and we only get about 14 inches of precipitation a year. We have very low humidity, and generally mild temperatures. The lack of humidity can make you feel stretched, but you do adapt. Jan and Feb are cold and sucky, although usually sunny, but things start to warm up in March and get very nice about April. May-June in Denver is basically awesome with temps in the 70s and afternoon storms, we get the most precip in those months. July-Aug can get hot with temps in the high 80s-mid 90s, but it's dry and it always cools off a lot in the evenings, no matter what. September is one of the nicest months here with temps again in the 70s and sunny skies. We usually get our first snow after the summer in October and it starts to get chillier then. Oct-Dec are usually sunny with temps in the 50s-40s. In my opinion, if you are going to live in a place with four seasons, Denver has the best climate in the U.S. Lots and lots of outdoor activities, hiking, biking, running, skiing--you name it.
Crime is very low in and around Denver. We have some, but not much. It's not something I would be concerned about overly much, especially in the suburbs. But even downtown neighborhoods are safe here.
Last edited by Bradburn1; 01-14-2013 at 10:18 AM..
Yes, you could spend hours searching here, gathering a ton of information -- the search function is a good one. Research is half of City Data's purpose and, generally, people search the city forums for hours first, to help qualify their initial questions, before posting.
That said, Boulder would be ideal for you based on your noted priorities. However, if you want anything more than generalities from the experts, you will need to provide your housing budget and specific housing priorities as most others do who are curious about Denver and need advice.
Thank you for your response. I must say I am somewhat surprised by the response and lack of responses- being downright rude, especially compared to the helpful advice and opinions I received from the NC board. Though I will not allow that to affect my image of Denver. We will visit in Spring to see if it is a good fit for our family.
Also, I found the "Official Index" after looking for photos of the area- very helpful, and yes, I see that a lot of my questions are addressed there.
Next time, copy and paste would be helpful to anyone wishing to avoid the repetitive questions from newbies. Simple, easy and kind.
Oh, we're not all rude, you just happened to get zinged by one of our snarkier members who was the first to resond. I will say though, I agree with some of what's been said, though not the tone. After all, copy and paste is a laborious process; surely if you're directed to that page, you can click on the links that interest you. There must be close to 100 links over there.
Bradburn1 gave a good description of the weather. This information, too, is available on many websites.
Snarkier - I like that term!
I feel for momma. Often we post with enthusiasm and good intentions only to be met by snarkier people.
Sure we can find it ourselves, and yes a forum is not a chatroom, but maybe it's an interaction thing anyway.
As I am considering a virgin move to Denver as well I can relate to Momma's post, not all her concerns but some. Anyway it's a feeling of being connected.
Hello all! I posted a very similar post to this one in the NC forum, as we are seriously considering the Triangle area in NC, but my husband has pointed out the wonderful amenities and quality of life factors in the Denver area, and remembers loving the area when he visited as a young adult, so I would also like to get some feedback from any of you who may have advice based on our situation.
A little background: My husband and I were raised in Southern CA. Married young. We left begrudgingly with the military and now, looking back, are so glad we did. We have lived in Louisiana (5 years) -lots to love about it, North Dakota (1 year) -not as much to love about it for us, Montana (2 years by the time we leave) and we have visited family in Florida (I was born there) and even spent a few months in New Zealand -lots to love, but better for vacationing in my American opinion.
Leaving CA really opened our eyes to the variety of lifestyles, cultures and views in the world. We still have family and friends that live there and pay a lot for not much of a lifestyle, especially for families (again, in my humble opinion). $450K for a 2 bedroom, 35 year old house, etc. and are hoping to avoid that type of environment. Raleigh will be cheaper than Denver, but you will definitely get more than an older 2 bed house for $450k in Denver.
More about us:
We are non-religious/agnostics (raised as Christians), independents (left leaning Republican or right leaning Democrat), we have 2 children (5 years and 5 months). Husband has a BS in Physics and is finishing his BS in Computer Science at the end of this year. He will be looking for an entry level software engineer job in the area after graduation, so at the end of this year. I am a stay at home mom leaning towards the "natural" end of the stick on parenting... cloth diapers, extended breastfeeding, homeschooling (secular), whole foods, etc. As others have mentioned, Boulder sounds like a perfect fit for you. Housing costs do tend to be higher than in some other areas, so if you don't want to provide a price range, check out COhomefinder | Colorado's most popular real estate website for sales and padmapper.com for rentals.
How accepting is the community of families like ours? Speaking for Boulder, I'd say totally accepting. I think this is probably also true of Denver, but I don't know as many people there.
Any city/county recommendations that we should consider looking into or avoid?
This will really depend on where you secure employment. There are several large centers for tech employment: The Denver Tech Center to the South, Broomfield to the NW and Boulder NW of Broomfield. If you're looking at the tech center, Littleton and Centennial are nice. To the NW, my favorites are Boulder and Louisville. I also like Bradburn in Westminster which is a little more East. Within Denver, Stapleton, Platt Park, Wash Park, and others are also possibilities. DPS schools really vary, so you'll want to check out the neighborhood schools. One nice thing about the cohomefinder site is that you can search by neighborhood or subdivision or school.
What are your complaints and praises for the area? Complaints - Today, it is just too cold. Other than that, I wish we had better international air service and more train service. Praises - Weather is generally good and it's easy to take advantage of outside activities year round. It's rarely cloudy and the sun makes the winter weather more tolerable.
How bad is the traffic? (coming from a small town it will be shocking, but how does it compare to SoCal traffic?) Traffic is better than LA, but that doesn't mean it's good. The Denver metro area is smaller, but rush hour can slow to a crawl. Most people try to live within a 30 minute commute. This just shocked me when I moved here. I was used to people commuting 1-2 hours each way.
Gang presence? There are gangs, but no East Coast style ghettos.
Crime in general? (it is higher in Denver than Raleigh, do you notice it?) I don't know how it compares, but I don't notice it.
How is the air quality? Probably not as good as Raleigh's, but a lot better than it was 25 years ago when I moved here. It doesn't stop me from exercising outside during the winter.
Is there a lot of illegal immigration in the area, and if so, does it affect your quality of life? It doesn't affect me.
Any recommendations as far as work in the computer science field or good companies to look into or avoid?
How easy would you say it would be to get a job as an out of stater? It's not easy to get a job as an out of stater, but it's also not impossible.
We seem to be torn between Raleigh, Denver and maybe even Portland and are trying to find out as much as we can without running with stereotypes before visiting our potential home.
Thanks for any input or advice, and feel free to share anything else that might help us make our decision!
Wholly Mama
P.S. How is the weather? I know it is supposed to be very sunny, which is nice. How does the dryness affect you? Do you adjust or is it advisable to install a home humidifier? How much snow do you get? The dryness doesn't really bother me, but it affects everyone differently. I don't have a home humidifier. Denver averages about 60 inches of snow a year. The good thing is that it usually melts pretty quickly. We get a lot of snow in March.
I had to reply to this post, being that I was here looking for the same information a few years ago. My husband and I relocated to Denver with our son about 3 years ago. At the time, it seemed very beautiful for a big city. However, after about a year we began to realize we had made a horrible mistake in moving here. The people are, in general, very unfriendly and downright rude most of the time. My son, who is 8 now, has had several friends who were in his class at school as neighbors, but the parents almost never let the kids outside to play. I grew up in a neighborhood where all of the kids played together on a daily basis, and grew up that way! I wanted that to be his experience as well but the people are so unfriendly and held back that the kids suffer because of it. We have not had much experience with crime, aside from the huge horror stories you have heard on the news, so that is a plus. The hardest part aside from dealing with the people would be the job market. I was also a stay at home mom but was looking for something part time to help pay some bills, but no one seems to be hiring, and the places that are will only pay minimum wage or slightly above. We are actually in the process of looking elsewhere for a place to live because we just don't feel that it was a good move for us as a family. We all grew up in big cities as well (Phoenix and LA) but something here is just different in a negative way, and for a friendly family like us it is difficult to adjust. Good luck in your decision!
is Denver potentially less desirable than some of the outlying suburbs that may cost more?
In the Denver area the more expensive, desirable neighborhoods tend to be in the city itself while the suburbs are cheaper. Boulder does sound like a very good fit for you if you can afford it.
However, after about a year we began to realize we had made a horrible mistake in moving here. The people are, in general, very unfriendly and downright rude most of the time. My son, who is 8 now, has had several friends who were in his class at school as neighbors, but the parents almost never let the kids outside to play. I grew up in a neighborhood where all of the kids played together on a daily basis, and grew up that way! I wanted that to be his experience as well but the people are so unfriendly and held back that the kids suffer because of it.
That sucks! But I've had the opposite experience here in Westminster (Bradburn Village). My neighborhood is filled with kids and they play outside all the time. I know all my neighbors, my kid has tons of friends to play with, and we have tons of kid friendly neighborhood events, like movie nights in the park. Everyone in my neighborhood is super friendly and cool (the ones who aren't seem to move). My friends who live in Stapleton say their experience is similar.
You are welcome to move here with us MommyMya, if you decide to stay in Denver
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Other than that, I wish we had better international air service and more train service. Praises - Weather is generally good and it's easy to take advantage of outside activities year round. It's rarely cloudy and the sun makes the winter weather more tolerable. 
