Denver vs Thornton vs Colorado Springs? (Arvada, Westminster: apartment, rent, job market)

[bristoldevlin]

My fiance and I are looking to move and so far he has expressed major interest in Colorado.
He can transfer to any of these three places, and I'm just wondering about the feel of each, the pros and cons, etc.
Here are some key points:
We're both 20-30.
He works in the restaurant business.
I would be starting out unemployed, so the job market for entry level positions is important.
We prefer close amenities: we walk everywhere and when we can't walk, we take the bus or the rare cab.
Snow does not phase us, but less snow would certainly not upset us.
We would be renting an apartment, and aiming for a top price of 700 to start off with.
We're libertarians; he's atheist and I'm a pragmatic agnostic.

With Denver in particular, if anyone had any insight on ok neighborhoods in which rent would be within budget, that would be very appreciated.

[Mike from back east]

I say Denver. Tons of eateries. Good+ bus and light rail service with some sort of car sharing service, some walkable, lots of cycling possible. Possible to be carless in Denver, not the others. Tons to do in Denver.

[sidburn]

Thornton is nice, but I used to work there and the drinking water tastes stale. If you want to live north of Denver, I highly recommend Arvada or Westminster, which are both west of Thornton.

[davebarnes]

$700 is way too low
see padmapper.com
don't even consider Thornton or Colo Spgs

[bristoldevlin]

Thanks for the info.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

$700 is way too low
see padmapper.com
don't even consider Thornton or Colo Spgs

I think it is too low, but not way too low. If they could spend an extra $2400 a year, options would open up.

[bristoldevlin]

Fiance has given up on Colorado all together, too pricey.

Thanks for all the input!