Denver vs Austin (Lake City: living in, metro area, area)

[Lourdea]

I am relocating back to the US soon and am very curious to pick between possibly Austin and Denver. I previously lived in LA/Miami/DC and I love the opportunity, progression, diversity and good looking people and nightlife...however I want more charm!...Which of these cities would better offer the best of both worlds? What do the people typically look like and party like in these two different areas??

How to the peoples dress and appearance differ between these two cities?...Im trying to get an aimage of the nightlife public!

Thanks

[WestCoDude]

Originally Posted by Lourdea

I am relocating back to the US soon and am very curious to pick between possibly Austin and Denver. I previously lived in LA/Miami/DC and I love the opportunity, progression, diversity and good looking people and nightlife...however I want more charm!...Which of these cities would better offer the best of both worlds? What do the people typically look like and party like in these two different areas??

How to the peoples dress and appearance differ between these two cities?...Im trying to get an aimage of the nightlife public!

Thanks

For you? Austin. It's a funkier, more liberal, more artsy city (and it's obviously a Texas city with its own cool character). And it has no mountains.

For all of the above reasons...I would choose Denver. lol.

I can't speak to the party scene--but the fact that Austin is home to UT will quite likely make it emminently more "hip" and "happening." Denver has Lodo....but it's not quite a college town, per se.

People dress the same in both cities--like Americans.

[steveco.]

There is a lot more to the nightlife than just lodo. Check out pearl st. in Boulder or South broadway in Denver or the tech center. The atmosphere is going to vary greatly between any of these areas though I have to say that Downtown is more of hipster type rather than others which will be more of a college scene

[OA 5599]

Austin has more than "one season" - it has two, haha. I moved here from Missouri and by comparison the winters are absolutely wonderful. Many, many days from late October until April where it is 70 degrees, sunny, light breeze, and puffy blue clouds. It went below freezing maybe twice this past winter, and I never had to wear my winter jacket. It is pretty brown in the winter but is green and beautiful right now.

However, Denver has mountains and all of the amenities. Austin just can't compare, the Hill County is nice but you can't whitewater raft and ski. Denver also has things like major sports teams and a LOT of good microbreweries, Austin lacks those things. Austin is a great city with awesome food and night life, and has a cool vibe, but I'd also wouldn't mind living in Denver. However, its not that expensive to get a direct flight out to Denver if you want to ski for a few days.

[icewater]

No contest on this one. I've only visited Austin and am maybe a bit biased, but Denver is a real all out city. Not merely a funky college-town capitol that comes alive mainly at night. Really, there's alot more to do in Denver and the mountains are close by. Austin felt and looked small, while Denver (although it has an inferiority complex) is a true city. Not quite a 24hr city but there's lots to do and see....I've lived here for 3 years and am always discovering something new. If you follow pro sports there's plenty, and the talk show hosts never run out of stuff to talk about. There's a constant stream of people cycling through town and there's a fair amount of diversity in the city of Denver. The Music scene of Austin may be more alive, but Denver isn't far behind.....Artwise Denver holds its own and I bet the food scenes are similar. Throw Boulder in the mix to add utopian flavor and highbrow progressive thinking and Colorado definitely is the spot.

[RangerDuke08]

Originally Posted by ehill03

It certainly wasn't that people were rude, but more that they were cold & aloof. This ended up making a big difference to me- Denver just never could quite feel like "home". It was a hurdle I just couldn't ever quite get over.

My best times in Colorado were actually not IN Denver, but weekends away in the mountains.

Great post Ehill, I just like to add that the nightlife is great in Austin, Lodo and Boulder on a busy night still doesn't compare but you just can't top the Rockies and it comes down to there are several states that have the Rockies but none that has a real city like Denver and that's what attract people to move to Colorado mainly the Denver metro region including Boulder where 60% of the population lives. I would have to agree with you on the "people" part as people in Colorado are very nice but it definetly does have a different feel partly because it's a transient place. It's really easy to meet people, but it's called the "twilight zone" where you meet a million people and you say hi everytime you see them and that's about it.

Both Colorado and Texas are growing very rapidly so though Colorado has low taxes for now, housing and sales depends on the city but inevitably they will go up. It really just depends on what you are looking for, you'd might have to live both to experience it. And then the weather, I know some people can't stand the heat but some people can't stand the cold either ... though there are days in winter we get 60-70F, it doesn't even snow from 10/31-5/1 in colder regions as it does in Colorado. Another place worth looking at if you like Boulder and Austin is San Diego, CA about the same size, a lot more pricier but better weather, lots of colleges around, you got beaches and some hills and deserts all in the same area. Good luck!

[Patness]

Looking to relocate from CA to one of these two areas. I've done a fair amount of research and both seem to have plenty to offer related to culture, employment, etc..

It seems that TX has a lower cost of living (and mild winters). Outside of those two items, they seem to be fairly comparable.

Being in IT - these two locations seem to be two cities I should definitely have on my short list.

I'm married and schools are important to me as well.

Any thoughts from anyone on these two cities?

[looopson]

I may be completely out of touch as I don't live in either cities, but I've gathered the impression that Austin has a more suburban feel to it because it of its explosive rate of growth. Even within the city limits. Denver doesn't possess that.

Oh yeah, and Austin is hella hot!! These things have turned me off of Austin somewhat.

[US-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Patness

Looking to relocate from CA to one of these two areas. I've done a fair amount of research and both seem to have plenty to offer related to culture, employment, etc..

It seems that TX has a lower cost of living (and mild winters). Outside of those two items, they seem to be fairly comparable.

Being in IT - these two locations seem to be two cities I should definitely have on my short list.

I'm married and schools are important to me as well.

Any thoughts from anyone on these two cities?

Austin will have a lower cost of living, but Denver's cost of living is below average as well.

I think you'll find higher wages in the Austin area. You'll also benefit from the fact that Texas doesn't levy an income tax. You might also like the fact that Texas has a very good economic outlook. Colorado has a mostly negative economic outlook. A recent problem in Colorado has been the strength of unions, which have had a negative impact on the economy. Employer provided has decreased in Colorado, whereas in Texas it has increased.

I disagree with the previous poster who said that they find Austin to be more sprawled. Denver is much more sprawled and a lot less intimate than Austin is. I think you'll also, ironically, find Austin's terrain more varied. Downtown Austin is located very close to hills, where most of the more expensive and upper-middle class housing is.

Austin is more liberal than Denver, though the suburbs are very conservative just like Denver. Texas' junior Senator Republican John Cornyn lives in the City of Austin, so no matter your politics you'll find something in Austin.

Austin has very good public schools in the suburbs. They are also pretty diverse. You'll find many African-Americans, Hispanics, and Whites in even the wealthiest school districts like Lake Travis Independent School District. Texas schools overall are typically rated in the bottom 5 states, along with California, Mississippi, Utah, and others.

Denver also has very good schools in the suburbs. Douglas County is known for having very good public schools. Many communities in Arapahoe County also have very reputable public school districts. Denver is less diverse than Austin, but the options for public schools and private schools will be greater with the larger metro. Colorado overall typically ranks in the top half of states, but rarely in the top 5.

Coming from California I think you'll enjoy the weather in Colorado more. Colorado tends to be dry and Austin tends to get very VERY hot in the summer and VERY humid.

I think your career should be a strong consideration. I think with your career Texas will be the place to be given its economic outlook and the other potential career centers like Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio, etc.

Good luck with your move!

[derek11111]

I live in Denver now and have visited Austin.

As far as weather, Denver wins hands down. I grew up in the South but still find Texas weather miserable. I'm not a big fan of cold weather either, but Denver does not get that cold nor does it snow that much. Or else I would not have moved here. And when it does snow... the city does not shut down. You can actually enjoy summers in Denver. In Austin it will be miserable if you aren't in a lake.

They are both fairly liberal cities. I suspect that Austin is that way only b/c every liberal born in Texas will no doubt flee to the only area in Texas they are accepted. So Austin is probably fine if you aren't a conservative, but, consider you will always be surrounded by the rest of Texas. And EVERY OUNCE of the rest of Texas, sucks.

I have found the people of Denver and Colorado much nicer than anywhere I have lived or visited in the south. It's just that people will mind there own business here. Southern Hospitality is a myth. They just pretend to be nice so they can be nosey and judgmental.

The music scene is great in Denver. Austin may have more choices but I bet the Dbag factor is much higher. It's Texas for god's sake!

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