Denver and Marijuana (Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette: how much, living, law)

[Deezy303]

Come to think of it, the most public consumption of MJ I've ever experienced was in Austin..

[TCHP]

Since legalization, I don't smell it or encounter it in public anymore than I did prior, but that is most likely due to my recreational activities and mass public interaction are in environments where you wouldn't encounter it generally anyway.

As pointed out earlier, dispenserys are very prolific and the industry has made commercial real estate a major hot commodity, but grow operations are delibretely low key and in non descript buildings in most cases. Think if it like liquor stores...several in every square mile, but no need to visit them unless you partake.

Never been to Austin, no point of comparison there. Boise, I have family who lived close by there, they call it the land of polyester, for whatever that's worth. They do have a decent interstate system consider their size and population density. Also, Boise is like Denver in that it is not in the mountains but on some very flat plains that get pretty hot. They can have weeks of temps in the 100s during the summer. They do have some good sized rivers there though.

[jessicarae1060]

Boise has a much lower COL than Denver or Austin but is definitely smaller. I'm originally a Utah girl, so I will also mention that SLC is worth considering. It is much closer to skiing and hiking than Denver and has a lower COL. All good choices

[TechMike]

Even here in Edgewater, with a high number of pot shops per capita, I don't smell it walking around the neighborhood or anything like that. It isn't that big of a deal.

[pbctong]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Since legalization, I don't smell it or encounter it in public anymore than I did prior, but that is most likely due to my recreational activities and mass public interaction are in environments where you wouldn't encounter it generally anyway.

As pointed out earlier, dispenserys are very prolific and the industry has made commercial real estate a major hot commodity, but grow operations are delibretely low key and in non descript buildings in most cases. Think if it like liquor stores...several in every square mile, but no need to visit them unless you partake.

Never been to Austin, no point of comparison there. Boise, I have family who lived close by there, they call it the land of polyester, for whatever that's worth. They do have a decent interstate system consider their size and population density. Also, Boise is like Denver in that it is not in the mountains but on some very flat plains that get pretty hot. They can have weeks of temps in the 100s during the summer. They do have some good sized rivers there though.

Thanks guys! I'm getting the sense that I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it is (mostly because it's something I'm just not used to). You're right there are tons of liquor stores and even adult stores and I don't blink an eye at them when I pass them so it's probably just something to get adjusted to.

Originally Posted by jessicarae1060

Boise has a much lower COL than Denver or Austin but is definitely smaller. I'm originally a Utah girl, so I will also mention that SLC is worth considering. It is much closer to skiing and hiking than Denver and has a lower COL. All good choices

SLC is definitely on the radar - just doesn't seem to be many civil engineering jobs out there last time I checked but I am keeping an eye out on it.

[pbctong]

I've got a couple other questions about Denver on my mind:

1. I've read about the altitude and the dry air being a problem for some people. Is there a huge adjustment to the climate/atmosphere?
2. I've noticed the cost of living in Denver has been skyrocketing. It's still do-able for me on an entry level engineering salary but I'm curious about where people think the market is headed and if eventually I might get priced out of Denver and have to move again? (reason why I'm not considering moving back home to Boston) I can definitely spend money on an expensive apartment but just thinking long-term financially it might not be the best thing for me to spend a disproportionate amount of money on living expenses.

[Mr. Analyst]

Originally Posted by pbctong

I've got a couple other questions about Denver on my mind:

1. I've read about the altitude and the dry air being a problem for some people. Is there a huge adjustment to the climate/atmosphere?
2. I've noticed the cost of living in Denver has been skyrocketing. It's still do-able for me on an entry level engineering salary but I'm curious about where people think the market is headed and if eventually I might get priced out of Denver and have to move again? (reason why I'm not considering moving back home to Boston) I can definitely spend money on an expensive apartment but just thinking long-term financially it might not be the best thing for me to spend a disproportionate amount of money on living expenses.

You will adjust to the altitude after a couple of weeks. I personally prefer the dry air. A few years after moving here, I stopped experiencing allergies in the spring and fall. I literally don't have allergies anymore from what I can tell.

Cost of living is a big issue for a lot of people here. It's really difficult to predict where the market will be in 5-10 years. However, in the immediate future, it looks like the market is going to remain pretty steady. A lot of people still continue to move here. However, they're also building a ton of new apartments, which was the primary reason rents got jacked up so much in the first place (lack of living spaces).

If you're making about $50k+/yr, I'd say that you can live comfortably in a mid-range apartment as a single person. If you're making between $30k-$49k/yr, you'll probably need to shack up with a roommate if you want to live close to the city core. My GF is a teacher and makes in the mid-$40k range and just moved into a "luxury" 3-BR/2BA apartment in the Baker neighborhood. So an arrangement like that would be doable.

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by jessicarae1060

Boise has a much lower COL than Denver or Austin but is definitely smaller. I'm originally a Utah girl, so I will also mention that SLC is worth considering. It is much closer to skiing and hiking than Denver and has a lower COL. All good choices

I've always joked that SLC and Boise are similar in population to Colorado Springs but have an interstate system more like Denver's. It isn't exactly, but it is much more ahead of the curve than most of Colorado. So I'd say their governments are much more planning oriented than reactionary like what we have in Colorado.

[TechMike]

Originally Posted by pbctong

I've got a couple other questions about Denver on my mind:

1. I've read about the altitude and the dry air being a problem for some people. Is there a huge adjustment to the climate/atmosphere?

I suppose it varies by person. There is a definite adjustment for altitude, but after a couple weeks, your body will have adjusted.

Originally Posted by pbctong

2. I've noticed the cost of living in Denver has been skyrocketing. It's still do-able for me on an entry level engineering salary but I'm curious about where people think the market is headed and if eventually I might get priced out of Denver and have to move again? (reason why I'm not considering moving back home to Boston) I can definitely spend money on an expensive apartment but just thinking long-term financially it might not be the best thing for me to spend a disproportionate amount of money on living expenses.

It is my opinion we're getting pretty close to the top of the market. I don't really think a bubble will burst (as in homes rapidly losing value), but I do suspect home prices and rent prices will stagnate for a few years. I suspect this, mostly because real estate prices have increased at a rapid rate without wages following as closely. I think we're pretty close to the point where affordability is just starting to get out of reach for most people.

However, the real estate market is incredibly difficult to predict and no one that I know successfully predicted this current run-up in the market. My wife and I just got lucky and bought three years ago before home prices really skyrocketed. The market could continue on this increase, or it could have significantly deflated by next summer. What's your crystal ball say?

[ayoitzrimz]

OP - here's my two cents:

1. MJ - honestly, I am of a different opinion than most. I do see it , I do smell it. When I worked downtown it was in the air more often than not. I don't partake personally but am no more offended by it then by alcohol which I do enjoy But if you are offended or otherwise concerned about MJ maybe Denver is not the right place for you. I do see people smoking from those e-cigs while driving which scares me, but you know - I can't assume that it's MJ and not tobacco.

2. Altitude - I personally LOVE the altitude. It took a little while to get used to it, and even after a year and a half I still got sick on Bierstadt when we got past 13,000 feet. In Denver I feel fine , just got used to the dryness and love it!

3. The RE market is unpredictable, anyone that tells you otherwise is selling you something. We don't know what's going to happen