Denver more expensive then much wealthier metropolitan areas (Colorado Springs, Parker: crime, how much)

[lovecrowds]

Originally Posted by guyatwork37

I understand it's above the National average, but $271,000 is so stupidly cheap for a house that it's laughable. The national average is lower because the nation is comprised of a butt load of places that are absolutely awful to live in.

I lived in some very affordable cities like Lincoln, Nebraska and Ogden, Utah which are cheap, flyover country cities.

While they do not have all the white-table cloth restaurants and upscale shopping stores they did have the basics that many people want.

As far as good healthcare, chain grocery-stores and restaurants, nice parks and a strong-middle-class they had that to offer which is enough for alot of people.

I would much rather personally live in a no-frills, basic city with big-box retail with it's 1-3% profit margins as opposed to living in a trendy, botique city filled with over-rated restaurants with 300% mark-ups, no-parking, narrow-sidewalks and riff-raff.

I know there are many, many people who would love to live in a city with a declining population in flyover country as opposed to Denver, San Francisco, New York City etc.

I worked in a call-center making $15/hour in Ogden and there were employees who owned nice homes right up the street from work. The homes were every bit as nice and big as the one's in NW Denver and Washington Park but a fraction of the price.

While $15/hour may be chump change compared to what the realtors and venture capital spending techies might be making in Denver, the brand new apartment I lived in was $550 a month with everything included and I had more shopping selection with-in a mile of me then many in the trendy neighborhoods in Denver have.

I also lived in Lincoln. The median price of a house there is around $150,000 which is about 60% less then Denver.

Oddly, flyover Lincoln has the same median household income as Denver $51,000. This is from the Census Bureau Quickfacts.

Lincoln has some of the highest ACT scores in the country, much higher then Denver.
Lincoln has much lower commute times then Denver.
Lincoln has a lower unemployment rate then Denver.
Lincoln has a far lower violent crime rate then Denver.
I rarely saw homeless in Lincoln, but Denver has a dozen or more on some blocks of 16th street mall.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus is far more appealing then Denver Auraria campus.

I personally think it is hillarious the millenials in these trendy, urban cities paying high prices to commute on crowded roads from computer to computer.

[DougStark]

^^^ Lovecrowds, I agree with many of the good points you make. The assumption that a high median home price= a wonderful city living experience is not true, IMO.

You're right. Lincoln and Omaha have had good ratings recently for employment, low costs, high tech/ business friendly, educated workforce, and growth outlook. Forbes magazine gives both towns good ratings. But, no mountains there... BTW, Lincoln's median SF home price is $156,000 (1st qtr, 2016.) I'll take that...

Like you, I'd rather live in an affordable, growing, prosperous, un-"hip" city, so Phoenix in my case fits me fine.

[guyatwork37]

Originally Posted by DougStark

^^^ Lovecrowds, I agree with many of the good points you make. The assumption that a high median home price= a wonderful city living experience is not true, IMO.

You're right. Lincoln and Omaha have had good ratings recently for employment, low costs, high tech/ business friendly, educated workforce, and growth outlook. Forbes magazine gives both towns good ratings. But, no mountains there... BTW, Lincoln's median SF home price is $156,000 (1st qtr, 2016.) I'll take that...

Like you, I'd rather live in an affordable, growing, prosperous, un-"hip" city, so Phoenix in my case fits me fine.

[caverunner17]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

Lincoln has some of the highest ACT scores in the country, much higher then Denver.
Lincoln has much lower commute times then Denver.
Lincoln has a lower unemployment rate then Denver.
Lincoln has a far lower violent crime rate then Denver.
I rarely saw homeless in Lincoln, but Denver has a dozen or more on some blocks of 16th street mall.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus is far more appealing then Denver Auraria campus.

I personally think it is hillarious the millenials in these trendy, urban cities paying high prices to commute on crowded roads from computer to computer.

And what is there to do in Lincoln?

Where are the hiking and biking trails? Where are the mountains for winter fun? Or the forests? Or the cold, windy winter weather?

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by caverunner17

And what is there to do in Lincoln?

Where are the hiking and biking trails? Where are the mountains for winter fun? Or the forests? Or the cold, windy winter weather?

Lincoln trails network
Great Plains Trail Network : Explore Trails : Overview

And for Omaha
Omaha Park & Recreation finder.

http://www.gptn.org/the_trails/overview.html

It isn't anything like Denver but better than nothing. You can enjoy most of the same things without being hip and expensive. There's hunting, fishing, cycling in Nebraska, boating at lake McConaughy and other smaller lakes. Western Nebraska has some hiking trails along Scottsbluff and NE Nebraska.

[Hschlick84]

guyatwork37, while you're shoveling snow in the winter in CO

[caverunner17]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Lincoln trails network
Great Plains Trail Network : Explore Trails : Overview

And for Omaha
Omaha Park & Recreation finder.

Great Plains Trail Network : Explore Trails : Overview

It isn't anything like Denver but better than nothing. You can enjoy most of the same things without being hip and expensive. There's hunting, fishing, cycling in Nebraska, boating at lake McConaughy and other smaller lakes. Western Nebraska has some hiking trails along Scottsbluff and NE Nebraska.

I've lived in IL for the last 23 years (only 6 weeks till I'm finally outta here!) and there's plenty of similar "trails" in the Chicago area. I would never consider moving to IL for the trails though. Frankly, most of them are pretty boring and repetitive and none offer the awe-inspiring of the handful I've run in CO while visiting.

Can you live in Lincoln or Omaha still have some stuff to do? Sure, I guess. But what's to draw me there in the first place? There aren't a lot of companies based there, there's not a ton do to around the area, they're isolated (so is Denver, but there's a ton to do in Denver, plus a major airport with 3 airlines hubbed there), and I can't come to call the area "pretty" or anything. It's a fly-over state, as is IA, KS, ND etc. Go through it as fast as possible to get to somewhere desirable.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I lived in some very affordable cities like Lincoln, Nebraska and Ogden, Utah which are cheap, flyover country cities.

While they do not have all the white-table cloth restaurants and upscale shopping stores they did have the basics that many people want.

As far as good healthcare, chain grocery-stores and restaurants, nice parks and a strong-middle-class they had that to offer which is enough for alot of people.

I would much rather personally live in a no-frills, basic city with big-box retail with it's 1-3% profit margins as opposed to living in a trendy, botique city filled with over-rated restaurants with 300% mark-ups, no-parking, narrow-sidewalks and riff-raff.

I know there are many, many people who would love to live in a city with a declining population in flyover country as opposed to Denver, San Francisco, New York City etc.

I worked in a call-center making $15/hour in Ogden and there were employees who owned nice homes right up the street from work. The homes were every bit as nice and big as the one's in NW Denver and Washington Park but a fraction of the price.

While $15/hour may be chump change compared to what the realtors and venture capital spending techies might be making in Denver, the brand new apartment I lived in was $550 a month with everything included and I had more shopping selection with-in a mile of me then many in the trendy neighborhoods in Denver have.

I also lived in Lincoln. The median price of a house there is around $150,000 which is about 60% less then Denver.

Oddly, flyover Lincoln has the same median household income as Denver $51,000. This is from the Census Bureau Quickfacts.

Lincoln has some of the highest ACT scores in the country, much higher then Denver.
Lincoln has much lower commute times then Denver.
Lincoln has a lower unemployment rate then Denver.
Lincoln has a far lower violent crime rate then Denver.
I rarely saw homeless in Lincoln, but Denver has a dozen or more on some blocks of 16th street mall.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus is far more appealing then Denver Auraria campus.

I personally think it is hillarious the millenials in these trendy, urban cities paying high prices to commute on crowded roads from computer to computer.

Then live in Lincoln. I don't understand the need to put down another city if you've found one you like. Why not complain about the prices in New York or San Francisco or any of the other countless cities in this country that cost more than Lincoln?

Honestly all this thread sounds like is sour grapes. If you truly believed that Lincoln was a better place to live than Denver, why would you waste your time complaining about how much Denver costs? You wouldn't is the answer. You're bitter that you want what you can't afford. Welcome to the real world. Again, sour grapes.

I'd like a 3000 sq/ft slope side house in Aspen. I can't afford it. I'm not complaining.

[guyatwork37]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

guyatwork37, while you're shoveling snow in the winter in CO

I shoveled my driveway once this winter. How many days have you already had over 105 degrees? Winter here is rather mild.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by guyatwork37

I shoveled my driveway once this winter. How many days have you already had over 105 degrees? Winter here is rather mild.

Prescott Valley, AZ is not Phoenix but it still sucks in my opinion. My parents just moved there and I told them it is just not my cup of tea. They love it which is all that matters. It will never compare to San Diego where they came from and it has no comparison to Denver.

While I was in Prescott last weekend it got up to 98 degrees. It was 115 in Phoenix at the same time.

I shoveled a few times but I don't mind it. It is good exercise. I get sick of the snow from time to time but I will take it over desert terrain any day. Yes, I know we are high desert but to me it is still nice here.

Live and let live.