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...Outside of central downtown and the 16th st. Mall, Denver itself is just plain UGLY!...
...The cost of a STUDIO in Capitol Hill, one of the popular neighborhoods for the younger crowd, is over $750 a month. Before I moved, my rent was being raised to almost $800!...
I've never in my life heard anyone call the 16th St. Mall pretty, lol!
And quite honestly, $800 a month sounds like a steal to me. Especially in the Denver of today. I'm curious how small this studio is because that seems a little cheap, even for Capitol Hill.
This is an excellent post! To summarize for those who don't want to read it all:
1. The dry weather means we don't have alot of natural vegetation. It also gives you low bugs but it ain't pretty, lush and green like you get in areas with alot of humidity.
2. Denver is not an east coast city. It has never been one and is not becoming one. It is a beefed up more exciting version of a cow town. (Lots of us like it that way.)
3. If you want to live in a hip trendy neighborhood be prepared for high housing costs as there are alot of people who want to live in hip trendy neighborhoods.
4. See point 2. Denver is not an east coast city.
5. Denver is a very educated place.
I wanted to summarize as the most dissatisfaction I see on this board with Denver is those who expect it to be a cheaper version of an east coast city with everything they liked from back home but none of the negatives like cost and traffic. On the other hand there is nothing wrong with coming and giving it a try. Some people from east coast cities who want a more laid back lifestyle really like it.
Thanks. And thank you for summarizing it for those who didn't have time to read what I wrote. I completely admit that I was taken in by the wonderful things I've read about how hip and up and coming Denver is in different magazines, journals, etc. I regret I didn't make friends with locals or look into things more BEFORE I moved. It was a live and learn experience for me. Again, I do not hate Denver for what it is, it simply was not for me, and by making this post I hoped to genuinely inform others like me who may have a different idea of what Denver is versus the reality of the city.
Denver isn't an East coast city. Very true. I wasn't expecting it to be the mirror image of the East coast cities like NYC and Philadelphia. In fact, I wanted to go to Denver since the people seemed much kinder and more laid back. And I did like that about Denver quite a bit! However, from all the hype I'd heard, there was a lot more going on in Denver in THEORY vs. in reality. I really like the way you put it: a 'beefed up cow town'. It is definitely a Western-style city, through and through, no matter how extremely 'mod' best places to live magazines make it out to be. Also, when I talked about traffic in my OP, it was more to inform those who weren't used to heavy traffic vs. being fired up about it. I've driven in congested cities before like Philly, and the traffic there can be a lot worse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by emm74
According to your profile, you live in Philly now. What's the cost of a studio in Center City?
To me, it sounds like you had unrealistic expectations of what Denver was like and especially how much things cost, and were disappointed that it wasn't some low priced but fantastic "hidden" city that no one else knew about.
Yes, Denver has issues. Like every other large city. Yes, Denver is not inexpensive. Like every other large city. But people keep continuing to complain that Denver isn't worthy of being expensive. Funny that I don't see those complaints about all the other cities that top Denver on this list.
I honestly didn't have expectations of Denver being a fantastic hidden city, and I'd never been foolish enough to think it was that cheap. In fact, I didn't really have many expectations before arriving, other than expecting that it would be a lot more entertaining than it is since it's touted as being such a young, hip city, with friendly people. I knew I wasn't going to be paying $300 a month to live in Denver, but I hoped to get some return investment for what I was forking out. Unfortunately, instead I found myself bored, unhappy and broke due to difficulty finding work. However, for other people who are 420 friendly, enjoy the Denver scene, etc. the high prices of rent, food, etc. may be something they can deal with. I truly think it is just a matter of personal opinion; for some, it's worth it; for others it isn't, just like you'd find with any other big city. There are plenty of other cities that are as flawed as Denver. But they aren't as overexposed and hyped up in the media as Denver has been within the last year. It's a city that's so insanely misrepresented, which frustrates me.
Also, you asked me how much a studio apartment is in Philadelphia. Near or around center city, you can find studio apartments for at least 100 bucks less than what I was paying for a studio in Denver. And you will have something to do every single night.
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
The ignorance is strong in this one.
It's an undeniable fact that the legalization of pot has made real estate prices soar compared to what they were before the legalization; transplants are swarming in from all over the West coast and beyond, which has jacked up prices. I've spoken to several natives of the Denver area, all good friends, who agreed on this being a real problem.
Last edited by nomadicheart7; 10-17-2015 at 02:42 PM..
I've never in my life heard anyone call the 16th St. Mall pretty, lol!
And quite honestly, $800 a month sounds like a steal to me. Especially in the Denver of today. I'm curious how small this studio is because that seems a little cheap, even for Capitol Hill.
Well, I didn't call it pretty. But as another user pointed out, this area of the city is much more visually appealing compared to dry, dusty suburban areas that look unattractive due to the climate.
I still marvel to see how popular Capitol Hill is for one of the most boring city neighborhoods I've ever lived in. Anyway, it was Camilla House apartments, and besides the fact that concrete walls provided good insulation in the winter and no noise from neighbors above, below or beside me, it was a dump and something was breaking down every other two weeks.
It's an undeniable fact that the legalization of pot has made real estate prices soar compared to what they were before the legalization; transplants are swarming in from all over the West coast and beyond, which has jacked up prices. I've spoken to several natives of the Denver area, all good friends, who agreed on this being a real problem.
That is actually an easily deniable non-fact.
How many people do you know said they moved to Denver because of pot?
It's an undeniable fact that the legalization of pot has made real estate prices soar compared to what they were before the legalization; transplants are swarming in from all over the West coast and beyond, which has jacked up prices. I've spoken to several natives of the Denver area, all good friends, who agreed on this being a real problem.
You don't have a clue about what is driving our real estate prices. Not a single one.
I almost moved to Denver three years ago and decided against it, after visiting myself. I did not find the scenery to be that appealing, and thought that it was brown/arid, compared to back east. I was appalled at the amount of traffic volume, high cost of living and influx of yuppies and "cool" people and hipsters and homeless that existed all over the city. Also, Denver is possibly the most isolated, landlocked city in the country. And people are indeed obsessed with being outdoorsy, to the point where it's tacky IMO. Outdoor parks are also extremely crowded when the weather is nice.
(Warning: my post is lengthy, but realistic and I hope that others will take time to read it. I speak completely fairly and from a neutral point of view. I don't personally 'hate' Denver, but it did NOT live up to the image of the city portrayed in 'best city' magazines, etc.)
Denver let me down. I lived there for about 7 months and hated it toward the end. I was so happy to get out. Sky-high rent prices are just putting everyone through hell and keeping everyone down. The legalization of pot has made Colorado virtually unaffordable to live in for anyone making under 75-100K+ a year. I was pulled into the hype of how hip, fun, young and cultural Denver is supposed to be. Unfortunately, I got a reality check when I moved. Outside of central downtown and the 16th st. Mall, Denver itself is just plain UGLY! Traffic can be terrible, too. It is not as bad as what I experienced driving in a city as big and congested as Philadelphia, but it's still bad. Some will likely disagree with me, but Denver does not feel as vibrant or fast-paced as East coast cities that always have something going on. Be prepared for insane weather, too, which comes with the location. Hail storms will wreck your car, especially if you're out near Aurora or the airport. (Is being able to take a 35 minute drive up to an overpriced city like Boulder twice a month really worth all of this? I asked myself. I decided it wasn't.)
Housing, as I mentioned, is impossible. The cost of a STUDIO in Capitol Hill, one of the popular neighborhoods for the younger crowd, is over $750 a month. Before I moved, my rent was being raised to almost $800! For parking, tack on almost an extra $100 a month. My car was swiped and scratched more than a few times since shady parking companies squeeze about 150 cars into one tiny lot - they know you have no other choice but to use their lots, since decent parking is so few and far between, so they couldn't care less about damages.
No car? Afraid to risk biking it in the traffic? Sure, you can take the bus, but go on Colfax and you'll find one raging lunatic and drug addict after another getting on and off at each stop. The light rail is pretty much useless on a daily basis. You really DO need a car to get around the city. It's just like any other Midwestern/Rocky Mountain big city I've encountered. The public transit system is just not up to par compared to the East coast's transit systems. Get a car and suffer due to traffic and overpriced parking, or suffer even more intensely trying to do your daily commute on the bus/light rail...it's your choice, but it's a lose-lose.
I would highly advise anyone being pulled into Denver by the hype of how it's so fun, with so much to do and soaring job growth to check the facts and take these stories seriously. Unless you're college educated with a Master's degree, good luck scoring one of these coveted jobs as a part of the soaring job growth - people from all over are swarming into the Denver metro area like flies on roadkill, snatching up all the jobs and leaving those in school or without a degree in a difficult position. Even the most mediocre of jobs are being taken quickly, making it difficult to find temporary work! Colorado's ridiculous prices and overly competitive job market are just two reasons you should avoid to keep your bank account and your sanity.
A few things.
Just because Denver doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it doesn't for others. You seem to compare everything here to the East coast, and you just can't do that. It's a different place and anyone who moves here should be prepared for what they're going to get. I seriously don't see how people don't do their homework before moving to a place (unless they're forced to move there). I would never move somewhere unless I was positive that it's what I wanted.
As for it being ugly, well beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Denver looks like an average city to me. It's not really ugly or anything special. Unless you live at the edge of the Eastern metro or around the airport, what's so ugly about it?
It's competitive, but what major city doesn't have a competitive job market (other than most of the South)?
Just because Denver doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it doesn't for others. You seem to compare everything here to the East coast, and you just can't do that. It's a different place and anyone who moves here should be prepared for what they're going to get. I seriously don't see how people don't do their homework before moving to a place (unless they're forced to move there). I would never move somewhere unless I was positive that it's what I wanted.
As for it being ugly, well beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Denver looks like an average city to me. It's not really ugly or anything special. Unless you live at the edge of the Eastern metro or around the airport, what's so ugly about it?
it's competitive, but what major city doesn't have a competitive job market (other than most of the South)?
He essentially expected Denver to be exactly like Boston but half as expensive.
Some of these posts from "supposed experts" just kill me.
I moved here in 2000 and even then Denver was a popular destination for many as the city had been growing significantly for the last ten or so years. Pot legalization has very little to do with the continued growth of Denver.
IMO, it's the weather, which is fantastic if you're coming from the East Coast or Midwest - 300 days of sunshine, snow that typically melts in two days to a week, sunshine and warm temperatures in the winter - often in the 40's. The lack of humidity makes 95 here feel a heckuva lot less hot than 80 in the Midwest, and it also helps keep annoying bugs at a minimum. The worst we have to deal with is moths for about a month in the late spring/early summer. There are actual seasons here, which many people enjoy. Yes, we'll get dumped with snow in the winter for a day or two which usually is gone within a week. Sometimes we get bad hail storms. We don't have to worry about earthquakes, and tornadoes are rare especially West of the airport.
It's laid back here. You don't have to wear a jacket to go out to dinner. People are friendly here, and it's most definitely slower paced than some of the places on the East Coast or say, Chicago. You may or may not like that.
I'm an hour drive away from some of the most beautiful mountains in the country and I can do a number of outdoor activities along that one hour or so drive. Because of that, people here are typically in shape and fit. The bike trails in this city are pretty ridiculously cool compared to most others I've been.
We're not the most culturally diverse city out there by any means, but the cultural diversity is growing and there are certainly neighborhoods that are specific to a certain culture if you really look. Our food and arts scene isn't on par with some of the better cities, but again, it's on the rise.
Traffic isn't great, but it's not as bad as say a Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, LA, etc. My commute from South of downtown to the Tech Center is 30 minutes on a good day, and typically 45 minutes. Snow days can be up to an hour or so. Public transportation, including the light rails is actually usable on a day-to-day basis as many of my coworkers use solely that as their method of transportation to and from work each day.
We're not as economically diverse as larger cities on the East Coast or LA or Chicago, but we're diverse enough with some industries, that most won't have problems getting a job - even without a master's degree. And yes, the Denver metro area is one of the most educated metro areas in the country.
Yes, rent and homes are more and more expensive, all due to supply and demand. However, I'd still argue that we're competitive price-wise, if not cheaper than a lot of those Northeast cities, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco.
This may be the most important part of this post - locals do not consider the 16th street mall a destination, and anyone who does or bases their opinions of Denver on the marijuana they smelled or the lack of police presence while walking down the 16th street mall is not an expert on Denver.
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Whatever happened to looking at the data?
