Help decide if Denver would be a good fit! (Littleton: fit in, transplants)

[Rayray0914]

My boyfriend and I are in our mid-20's and have moved around quite a bit. We really want to settle down somewhere but can't decide where. I did some research and I'm thinking Denver may be a good fit, but I've never been so I need your help! Currently we are living on Oahu, HI and moved here from Orange County, CA. Both of us are from the east coast though-I'm from Pennsylvania and he's from Maryland and we miss having seasons. We like outdoor activities, sunshine, socializing, culture, laid-back atmosphere, and I enjoy shopping, but we can't seem to find a spot that captures everything. California was too gloomy, Hawaii is too far from our family/friends, and we don't know where to go from here. He's lived in Jackson Hole, Wy before, but we don't think there will be jobs if we went back there. Help me out with a few things:

Does Denver feel like a big city or small town?

If you live outside of the city, how long is the commute in for work?

What would be a good area to look in to?

Is it easy for a transplant to fit in?

Thanks!

[Mike from back east]

Does Denver feel like a big city or small town?
A: Big city if in the main part of town. Gets more typically suburban the further from city center.

If you live outside of the city, how long is the commute in for work?
A: From 20-60 minutes, depending on distance. Twice that for snow days. What type of work will be looking for. Consider the light rail system.

What would be a good area to look in to?
A: Lots of nice areas. IMO the west side of I-25, out towards Golden. Look at padmapper.com for an idea on rentals.

Is it easy for a transplant to fit in?
A: Yes, most of the people are transplants.

[jrodgers_3]

There is nothing "modern" feeling here. For a city this size its pretty lame as far as any night life unless youre downtown. And once you leave downtown, it sucks pretty bad. Suburbs are not a place for you if u want things to do. Boring, ugly, jobs are hard to get. Going into the mountains is farther than I thought it woule be. I thought there would be a lot of cool little mountain towns everywhere. Theres not. For younger people I would recommend elsewhere, but thats just me. Its colder here in the winter than I thought it would be. Compare the lows as well as the average highs if weather is something youre looking for. Winter is long and it snows a lot. I wouldnt care so much if it meant it wasnt brown ALL the time. Ohhh, and if youre used to good food (especially mexican food) youre SOL here. Good luck in your search. Sorry if I sound too negative, but I wish I wouldve had someone tell me these things before I moved here.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by Rayray0914

My boyfriend and I are in our mid-20's and have moved around quite a bit. We really want to settle down somewhere but can't decide where. I did some research and I'm thinking Denver may be a good fit, but I've never been so I need your help! Currently we are living on Oahu, HI and moved here from Orange County, CA. Both of us are from the east coast though-I'm from Pennsylvania and he's from Maryland and we miss having seasons. We like outdoor activities, sunshine, socializing, culture, laid-back atmosphere, and I enjoy shopping, but we can't seem to find a spot that captures everything. California was too gloomy, Hawaii is too far from our family/friends, and we don't know where to go from here. He's lived in Jackson Hole, Wy before, but we don't think there will be jobs if we went back there. Help me out with a few things:

Does Denver feel like a big city or small town?

If you live outside of the city, how long is the commute in for work?

What would be a good area to look in to?

Is it easy for a transplant to fit in?

Thanks!

I live in south Texas. I too wanted seasons until this winter.

[lurtsman]

It feels like a big city, but not a crappy one.

For instance, you won't get reamed on parking as bad as you do in Chicago. There is traffic, but it won't compare to the traffic in other 10 destinations. Rent is more expensive, but again, lower compared to most major cities that are not in Texas.

Given that you've moved to so many places, odds are the next one you to move to, no matter where it is, will not be the last one. Transplants fit right in. It looks like you've lived in some pretty nice places, and Denver is no exception to the list of nice places.

[Tekkie]

Originally Posted by Rayray0914

Does Denver feel like a big city or small town?

Big city when you're near the core. You can get a better small town feel in some of the surrounding communities (Golden, Littleton, Stapleton, Lowry). That's what I like most about Metro Denver; the diversity of the metro area. In many metro areas, the outlying suburbs can feel like never-ending sprawl. In Denver's metro, most of the outlying cities have a very unique feel about them.


If you live outside of the city, how long is the commute in for work?

10 miles - about 15-20 mins

20 miles - about 35-40 mins

Traffic can get pretty heavy around rush hour, but not insane like Chicago or NYC. They keep expanding the highways and public transit systems here, which is good. I hear that ten years ago was pretty nightmarish around here.


What would be a good area to look in to?

Depends on where you end up working. Most younger people prefer neighborhoods like Uptown, Cap Hill, Lodo, Ballpark, Wash Park, and (Denver) University.

Is it easy for a transplant to fit in?

Yes, most people I know here are transplants.

Thanks!

See above

[weaselspeed]

Originally Posted by jrodgers_3

There is nothing "modern" feeling here. For a city this size its pretty lame as far as any night life unless youre downtown. And once you leave downtown, it sucks pretty bad. Suburbs are not a place for you if u want things to do. Boring, ugly, jobs are hard to get. Going into the mountains is farther than I thought it woule be. I thought there would be a lot of cool little mountain towns everywhere. Theres not. For younger people I would recommend elsewhere, but thats just me. Its colder here in the winter than I thought it would be. Compare the lows as well as the average highs if weather is something youre looking for. Winter is long and it snows a lot. I wouldnt care so much if it meant it wasnt brown ALL the time. Ohhh, and if youre used to good food (especially mexican food) youre SOL here. Good luck in your search. Sorry if I sound too negative, but I wish I wouldve had someone tell me these things before I moved here.

Out of curiosity, where did you move from? Most of what I read is pro-denver, so I am intrigued when I see a post like this. What do you think is the reason you had a wrong impression?

[wideworld]

Does Denver feel like a big city or small town? Very relative. Small city (not town) compared to NYC/Chicago, otherwise it's decent. Middle-size, if you will.

If you live outside of the city, how long is the commute in for work? Depends entirely on where you are, where you work, and what time you come and go. Impossible to say, otherwise. Coming from Chicago, the amount of traffic surprised me. (There's a lot.)

What would be a good area to look in to? For mid-20's, I'd look at LoDo/LoHi and maybe Uptown and City Park areas. Cherry Creek is nice but requires the right personality, same with University and DTC (which may decrease your commute, given you don't work downtown).

Is it easy for a transplant to fit in? Oh, yeah. Colorado natives are very proud, but in speaking to people in public, it seems like everyone is from somewhere. CO natives almost seem like a minority until you get back on the road.