Denver vs Calgary, Canada

[proveick]

Agreed, the Canadian Rockies are more "Alp" like then the mountains here. Many of the 14ers look like big bumps with little strata. RP

[ExpatGuy65]

I lived in Calgary for 18 years and Denver for the past 6. Both were established in an around the same time. Both have things going for them. Denver has more amenities such as pools etc. Good if you have kids. Alberta's public school system is second in the world to Norway. Denver is around middle of the pack for US schools systems which, are ranked somewhere around 13th in the world. Calgary is a cleaner city with more usable green space then Denver. In my opinion, a prettier city as well. Socio-economics are quite different. The standard of living in Calgary is higher. You just won't find communities like Aurora or Commerce City in Calgary. That said, the cost of living is also much higher. Other than housing and property taxes, most things are way cheaper in price in Denver than Calgary. You will get more for your money in Calgary regarding housing though. Culture wise, people in Denver are friendly unless they are behind the wheel of a car or a grocery buggy. It's the opposite in Calgary. In Denver, it seems there are three groups - Caucasian, Hispanic and African American. In Calgary, there are all shapes and sizes and all living in the same communities. Denver's three groups are very much living in separate communities. Calgary is a safer city from major crime. In Calgary, if you are white collar, you are working downtown and stuck in traffic caused by having large rivers running through it. White collar jobs are more spread across the City of Denver. As far as weather goes, the extremes are about the same. Just different bottoms and tops. Yes, winter is colder in Calgary. That means, for a few weeks of the winter months, you stay in and watch TV. In Denver, for a few weeks of the summer, the heat can be rather extreme were, you stay in and watch TV. Over all, Spring seems to begin two weeks earlier in Denver than Calgary and Fall ends two weeks later. Both cities are filled with joggers, mountain bikers and skiers. Both have a small group of native "Calgarians" and "Denverites(?)". The cities have both grown as a result of migrants from other areas of their respective countries. Overall, both are very comfortable to live and raise a family in.

[SouthXSW]

Calgary sounds like a good alternative to Denver for many people. How difficult is it for US citizens to get work visas in Canada though?

[wolfstar890]

I'm doing a project for a canada thing at school and the info here really helped. Thanks a bunch!

[Lugnuts]

Two other points that haven't been mentioned:

1) Canada isn't as poor as the US and they are actively working at reducing their deficit

Canada's National Debt Clock : The Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Canada’s budget deficit narrows | Economy | News | Financial Post

2) Calgary isn't running out of water. Denvers water problems are worsening as the population grows.

[Lugnuts]

Originally Posted by ExpatGuy65

As far as weather goes, the extremes are about the same. Just different bottoms and tops. Yes, winter is colder in Calgary. That means, for a few weeks of the winter months, you stay in and watch TV. In Denver, for a few weeks of the summer, the heat can be rather extreme were, you stay in and watch TV. Over all, Spring seems to begin two weeks earlier in Denver than Calgary and Fall ends two weeks later. Both cities are filled with joggers, mountain bikers and skiers. Both have a small group of native "Calgarians" and "Denverites(?)". The cities have both grown as a result of migrants from other areas of their respective countries. Overall, both are very comfortable to live and raise a family in.

This is true. However, in Denver you can drive one hour west into the mountains during the summer to escape the heat. It's harder to get away from the cold in Calgary during the winter.

[Colorado Dude]

Originally Posted by Lugnuts

This is true. However, in Denver you can drive one hour west into the mountains during the summer to escape the heat. It's harder to get away from the cold in Calgary during the winter.

Not really. You just go inside.