Do you view Denver as being an "inland West Coast" city? (Vail: ski resorts, transplants)

[Apple Tree]

Originally Posted by denverian

Then be sure never to look to the west when you live here. Just look east, so you don't see any mountains and can pretend you don't live in the West

Colorado is a Western state. There's no debating that. And Denver is its main city. NM, WY, MT, UT, ID, AZ, CA, OR and WA all make up "The West".

Colorado is a combo Plains/Western State in the same way Montana is. A marked change in geography bisects both states. The Eastern half of both states are high plains, the Western is mountains. Take one look at Denver, and you see it is a Great Plains city. Sure, you can see the mountains from there on a clear day, but Denver itself is on the edge of the Plains.

[randomparent]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Here is the official breakdown of birth region by current state residence http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2....embedded.html

Cool! We have 3 orange, one blue, and one gray, but no natives.

[emm74]

ha ha, this old discussion popped up.

//www.city-data.com/forum/denve...-consider.html

[NW Crow]

In 2013 12% of people moving to CO came from CA, far more than any other state, but they are coming from everywhere. CO was probably somewhat more Midwestern influenced 25-50 years ago than today and it is getting more west coast now. 12,000 previous California residents a year isn't that much but over a long time, they will be a greater share.

[randomparent]

Here's something to consider: Of those 12,000 people moving from California, how many of them over the age of ten were born in California? In our family of five, three of us were born in the Bay Area, one of us was born overseas to military parents (and has lived in thirteen different states), and the other was born in the Midwest and lived there until the age of thirty. Which region of influence do you think carries the most weight in how we experience and, by extension, affect life in the Denver metro area? For me, Denver is an interesting amalgamation of the rest of the country. Personally, I have sought out a life that feels the most comfortable to me, which is why I ended up buying in a neighborhood that looks just like my childhood home in Ohio, but that doesn't mean all of Denver feels like the Midwest.

[davidv]

OP wants to know whether Denver is an "inland West Coast city" or part of the Midwest. The answer is neither.

Denver IS the West.

The hallmark values of the West are self-reliance, hard work, and distrust of large institutions -- especially political
institutions.

Yes, we are on the high plains, but the high plains of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado are not for farming without irrigation. The plains are for ranching. One of the icons of the West is the cowboy.

We have a history of mining with its boom and bust nature that we know so well. Whether it is metals, oil, or natural gas, with have a strong link to the earth.

We are politically independent. No political party has a majority here. We vote people and issues.

We have churches, but religion doesn't define our population.

We have a large Hispanic population whose ancestors were the original cowboys.

It is not about physical geography or location. It is our mindset. We are Westerners because we believe we are.

It is why we have a huge stock show and Indian Powwow every year.

It is why we name our sports teams Broncos, Nuggets, Pioneers, Buffaloes.

It is why we have the most honorable Native American mascot in the nation at Arapahoe High School.

Denver itself has an influx of people from other parts of the country which makes it more of a collection of cultures. But at its core, Denver and Colorado are the West.

[rumline]

Originally Posted by davidv

OP wants to know whether Denver is an "inland West Coast city" or part of the Midwest. The answer is neither.

Denver IS the West.

The hallmark values of the West are self-reliance, hard work, and distrust of large institutions [snip...]

THIS!! Great post, and /thread.

Originally Posted by rtloucks

Denver is Middle America, I call it a Mountain state

Denver isn't a state, nor is it a mountain city. I sincerely disagree with the "middle america" label but I have nothing to come back against that at this time.

Originally Posted by rtloucks

IS New Mexico the West? Is Idaho the West? Why Not?

Yes and Yes.

[pistola916]

Denver lies in the West. But it's not a "West Coast" city. That usually is reserved for WA, OR, and CA, and cities in the Pacific Time Zone.

[Jimrob1]

To me Denver is a Western City in the Mountain West region. I think most people that live there would say the same thing. I don't see Denver as a Midwest City at all. I see no relationship between Denver and cities like KC and St Louis, Cleveland for example. . I had to laugh on here when I see some people think, parts of upstate New York and Pennsylvania are in the Midwest. I don't understand how some people classify a regions location. Denver could actually be considered an inland West Coast. Seems like a large number of people moved to Denver from the West Coast. So some of the culture and politics, may be leaning in that direction more and more. All in All though I think Denver is its own place in the Mountain West.

[Apple Tree]

Denver is in the plains. It is and always has been one of the great cities of the plains. It is closer to and has more in common with Omaha than Jackson Hole.
Why the kneejerk negative reaction to being classified as a high plains city? I have spent time in Billings, Rapid City, Cheyenne, and all are nice places with good people.
I agree that Denver is not Midwest. In my mind, the only true Midwest states are those in the corn belt. Part of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Texas and the Ozarks sure don't feel like Midwest. Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota don't feel like the Midwest. Denver doesn't either. It is high plains, and you should be proud to say that.