Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Colorado > Denver
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
View Poll Results: Where Should I Move?
Denver, CO 13 30.23%
Las Vegas, NV 10 23.26%
San Diego, CA 20 46.51%
Voters: 43. You may not vote on this poll

Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-13-2013, 04:13 PM
 
6,377 posts, read 11,845,195 times
Reputation: 6843

Advertisements

I lived in all 3 and there is no easy general answer to this. All are perfectly acceptable places to live. I chose Denver in the end because I wanted big city amenities and happen to like winter here. Most people I knew in the other two cities had no willingness to live with snow. Perfectly understandable and obviously if this applied one would not even be considering Denver. Same could be said about cost of living concerns in SD or intolerance for heat in summer for LV. As with all city decisions the particular amenities which matter to you are all that matter. Just pick out 3-5 which really matter to you and compare those. A laundry list of pros and cons does not help.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-14-2013, 10:04 AM
 
Location: Colorado
2,483 posts, read 4,362,687 times
Reputation: 2686
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willy702 View Post
A laundry list of pros and cons does not help.
I agree that it's silly to let your decision totter over minor details. But at least considering as many aspects as you can may help if you do it in a structured way. Here's what I did:

I made a list of every pro/con item and gave each one a point-weighted value. For example 'housing' carried a 3 point weight because the difference in what you get for your money is so enormous and what you have to pay per month has a significant bearing on the rest of your lifestyle. Weather carried a two point weight because it wasn't that big of a deal to us but was still something to consider carefully. And something like 'proximity major league sports' carried a one point value because although I do like sports I don't actually go that often and would be content with minor league or other options. I even choose to give some things zero point weight if they were of no significance to me but it wanted to consider them in case they became important at some point.

At the end I had something like +5 to move here. That wash't my final determining factor by any means. Our desire to move was. But it has always brought me peace of mind to know that I gave due attention to every factor I could think of and considered how it may or may not affect my satisfaction with my final decision. That way, even if it didn't work out (which it did) I could say, well I made the best decision I possibly could have it just didn't work out.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2013, 12:50 AM
 
2,174 posts, read 4,392,327 times
Reputation: 3547
I would go with Denver out of the 3 choices.

I could never personally live in Vegas, can't see how that is even in the running. I can take about 1.5 days there and I'm done with that place. It's just so fake and artificial feeling, even outside the strip in the endless generic burbs. I would think it would be difficult to meet quality educated normal people there. Summers are brutally hot too.

I lived in San Diego for 7 years and I wish I moved out of there after about 2 yrs (I live in Seattle now and like it much more). SoCal wasn't for me. The landscape is very brown about 10 months of the years. The weather is very nice, but it gets really boring and there are no seasons. I felt SD was a big suburb with few walkable neighborhoods and the downtown is kind of fake feeling and touristy. Just felt like the whole place was low mentality. It's kind of a dead place. I'm more of a mountain type person then a beach type person.

Anyway my 2 cents.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-18-2013, 12:57 PM
 
1,003 posts, read 1,608,048 times
Reputation: 1316
I've lived in Vegas (multiple times) and currently Denver. Visited San Diego many times. The people in Denver are less slimy than Vegas. If you compare the nightlife in Denver to Vegas you'll want to run screaming out of boredom. The air is cleaner in Denver and you seldom smell cigarettes like you do EVERYWHERE in Vegas.

Denverites are more plain and hippy looking. They seem allergic to make-up and nasty bony chicks with low-body fat are prevalent. My prettiest friends I've ever had, men and women, all lived in Vegas/LA. (Pretty - take care of themselves, model, get plastic surgery to better themselves, not be embarrassed to be seen in public with, ect.) Sometimes I really miss living in Vegas due to the fun, easy road trips one can take throughout the SW and constant activity. I was bored out of my mind after relocating from Vegas back to Denver. It takes an adjustment.

Funny, I've considered moving to AZ but hear it doesn't have as much going on as Denver. Which is hard for me to imagine because besides the mountains/skiing/snowboarding/hiking there isn't much to the city of Denver.

(I know I'm going to get attacked for stating my experiences on here because many people think Denver is utopia...but it IS better than a lot of places. After visiting Vegas last year, I don't think I could live there again....but that's only because I'm getting older and want to settle down.)

Quote:
Given your job, I'd do Denver this year and San Diego the next. Why not? What a great opportunity to see new places.
This is really good advice!

Last edited by Ragazza2011; 11-18-2013 at 01:10 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-18-2013, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,145 posts, read 28,915,048 times
Reputation: 32494
In the 6 months I lived in Denver in 1972, in addition to the isolation factor, the mercurial weather almost blew me away the first time I experienced it. I had arrived in mid-April, one day it hit 75 degrees, went to the park, got nice and red from suntanning, and the next morning I could hardly believe my eyes, to see 7 inches of snow on the ground! What a shock to the body!

I do know there are those in Denver who actually love those wild swings in temperatures, the unpredictability of it, but that's never happened here in Las Vegas, as things cool off slowly, and heat up slowly.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2013, 08:50 PM
 
Location: Salinas, CA
15,408 posts, read 6,175,025 times
Reputation: 8435
Quote:
Originally Posted by robbien9 View Post
Last year, I moved from Las Vegas to Phoenix and it just isn't for me so I'm looking to get out of Arizona. My job enables me to transfer and move to any city in America every year- if I choose to. All my family is in Seattle & Los Angeles so I'd like to stay in the Western U.S so I'm only a short drive or flight away when I need to see them. I'm young, single, energetic, love the outdoors and I hope to discover a city I love within the next few years so I can settle down, meet new people and start a family.

Denver- I hear great things about Denver. I'm told that a lot of the people that move to Colorado fall in love with the state and never leave. The sunshine, mild winters, people, great sports, breweries, hiking trails, neat mountain towns & endless outdoor activities. It'll be something entirely new for me, a place worthy enough to give a chance. I've visited Denver a few times in the last 6 months to check out the areas of town to live in. Impressed with the South Cherry Creek area (more within my price range than downtown, yet close to everywhere) and Westminster (in-between Boulder, Red Rocks and Downtown Denver) Even though the ocean isn't here, I hope to discover a love for the mountains.

Las Vegas- I miss the non-stop excitement, easy access to numerous major cities and National Parks. For me, living in Vegas was almost like having the best of the Pacific Coast (LA/ San Diego only a 4 hr drive away) & Vegas, yet without the CA high cost of living and traffic. After you've called Vegas home, honestly everywhere else is boring. The freedom you have living here never really leaves you. In a 1 year span, I took 93 trips out of state to 12 different states. Vegas is a great city to experience for a year but may not be an ideal place to settle down and start a family. What I came to love about Vegas eventually became the same things that made me leave but every now and then, I crave that excitement which always makes me want to move back....

San Diego- I love California, the ocean and the laid back lifestyle. I feel that if a person can afford the high cost of living in San Diego, it is truely the ideal location in America to live. SD does have it's faults but compared to LA, the year round perfect weather, beautiful beaches, slower lifestyle and quick access to the mountains without the congestion, smog, traffic, crime and stress makes it a much more desirable place to settle down.

Airport- Denver (DIA)
Air Quality- San Diego
Amusement Parks/Rides- San Diego (SeaWorld, Belmont Park)
Beaches- San Diego (Mission Beach, Coronado Beach)
Bicycle Paths- Denver (Cherry Creek Bike Path)
Breweries- Denver (Coors Brewery, Wynkoop Brewing Co.)
Casinos- Las Vegas
City Parks- Denver (City Park, Washington Park)
Closest Major Cities- Las Vegas (San Diego, LA, Phoenix)
College Towns- Denver (Boulder)
Concerts/Music- Denver (Red Rocks)
Cost of Living- Las Vegas
Crime- San Diego
Downtown- Denver (16th Street Mall, LoDo)
Downtown Skyline- San Diego
Entertainment- Las Vegas (UFC, boxing, shows, casinos, nightclubs)
Ethnic Food- San Diego (Little Italy)
Free Attractions- Las Vegas (free hotels, buffets, slots and access to clubs/ pools)
Freeway Traffic- Las Vegas (I-15)
Health- Denver
Hiking Trails- Denver
Hotels- Las Vegas
Lakes- Denver (Grand Lake)
Local Hangout Spots- San Diego (Seaport Village)
Location- San Diego (Pacific Coast)
Main Tourist Attraction- Las Vegas (Las Vegas Strip)
Mountains- Denver (Rocky Mountains- Pikes Peak, Mt. Evans)
Museums- Denver
Nearby Scenic Areas- Denver (Rocky Mountains)
Nearby Small Cities- Denver (Boulder, Colorado Springs)
Nearby National Parks- Las Vegas (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, Grand Canyon)
Nightlife- Las Vegas (Las Vegas Strip)
Pedestrian Outdoor Malls- Denver (16th Street Mall, Pearl Street Mall in Boulder)
Population- Las Vegas
Public Transportation- Denver (RTD Denver- SkyRide, Light Rail, etc)
Rivers- Las Vegas (Colorado River)
Scenic Drives- Denver (Trail Ridge Road in RMNP)
Shopping Districts- Las Vegas (Town Square, LV Premium Outlets North & South, Forum Shoppes)
Size of City- Las Vegas
Ski Resorts- Denver (Breckenridge, Aspen, Vail, Keystone)
Sports- Denver (Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche)
State Parks- Las Vegas (Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon)
Taxes- Las Vegas (no state tax)
Summer Temperatures- San Diego
Winter Temperatures- San Diego

Do you agree with these choices among city categories? Considering the pros and cons of each city and the fact that I'm not considering moving back to Los Angeles, Seattle or staying in Phoenix, my dilemna is- where should I move to next? Convince me that Denver is all that it's cracked up to be
I am sure you would love San Diego's weather and its coast. However, there is no large city in CA with the laid back lifestyle any longer. San Diego will come closer to that than LA, though. For local hangout spots, it would be Seaport Village during the day in San Diego and probably the Gaslamp Quarter at night. Pacific Beach is good both day or night. If you want something upscale but a little quieter as a change of pace...the LaJolla/Del Mar area a short drive north.

Humphreys is a nice restaurant/bar with occasional jazz performances and I believe it is in either Point Loma or the Shelter Island area slightly northwest of downtown.

I think the clincher for San Diego is that visits with your family would be so much easier (you said they are in LA) than if you were in Denver and a little easier than Las Vegas, too.

One negative I have heard about San Diego is the auto theft/break-in rates are higher than most cities (but most of it is reasonably safe from violent crime). It may be that tourists are the most frequent victims.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-19-2013, 09:59 PM
 
Location: Salinas, CA
15,408 posts, read 6,175,025 times
Reputation: 8435
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmyy View Post
San Diego rivals Denver when it comes to breweries. I wouldn't mention Coors either. Blah.
Coors is not my favorite beer either, but the tour and tasting is free! You can't beat that. I visited in 2011. I will have to check out the San Diego breweries next time I am down there. That seemed to happen virtually overnight. Before that it was a "margarita" town. I know Stone's in Escondido is popular and there are a few near downtown (around 30th Street I was told).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-21-2013, 06:36 AM
 
51 posts, read 81,265 times
Reputation: 85
Quote:
Originally Posted by chessgeek View Post
One negative I have heard about San Diego is the auto theft/break-in rates are higher than most cities (but most of it is reasonably safe from violent crime). It may be that tourists are the most frequent victims.
I've heard several people in Denver say the same thing.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2013, 09:34 AM
 
1,003 posts, read 1,608,048 times
Reputation: 1316
Quote:
Originally Posted by Repatriated View Post
I've heard several people in Denver say the same thing.
Very true! I've lived in Chicago, Las Vegas, (lots of time spent in LA too,) Dallas and multiple cities in Denver. Out of all the cities and travels, my car was vandalized and broken into in Littleton, CO.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2013, 12:16 PM
 
150 posts, read 381,430 times
Reputation: 125
Move to Austin, Texas!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Colorado > Denver

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:25 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top