Denver's Future (top, weather, town)

[SQL]

Originally Posted by guyatwork37

It's funny about Chicago. Everyone I talk seems to love it. But of the few times I have been there for work, it looks / feels old and beat up. Not so much downtown, but the areas around it. Just look haggard and tagged up with tons of graffiti. People then make the argument that it's an old city and of course it looks like that. My counter argument was that the areas around downtown Boston or downtown Pittsburgh didn't seem nearly as crappy. It really turned me off to Chicago to b honest.

But Wrigley was cool.

Chicago is an old city. Much older than Denver in terms of major growth, which Denver hasn't seen much of until the last 30 years or so. The same can be said for much of Metro Detroit. Wherever you wandered, it must have been a bad part of the city. I've been to a lot of areas in the city, being from the Midwest and knowing people who live there. And the neighborhoods I was in were always nice (albeit old) and well kept.

[Phil P]

You know, I'm having second thoughts about there not being a housing downturn here. Denver is already almost at the limit of affordability with housing right now. What's in the forecast for the future? More home price increases and fed rate hikes.

Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but within 5 years, it's likely we'll have a base interest rate of like 2%. This will add like 40-50% to the price of the mortgage, raising rates from like 3-4% to 5-6%. With wage growth being 2% annually at best, there's just simply no way annual home price increases can remain at 5-6%.

Whether it's a downturn in prices or a long stagnation, buying a home will both take a big chunk of your annual income and be a lousy investment, likely not keeping up with inflation.

[Count David]

I have a native-Denverite friend that's effectively homeless right now. He has been couch-surfing with/without his girlfriend/baby for the last 6 months or so.

He's worn out his welcome at every couch, and he texted me today to use mine again, and I avoided the subject because the answer is no.

Anyway, it would have been easy for me to say "just go get an apartment", but I can't really because he can't afford one working full-time at McDonald's. He can't even afford one with his girlfriend working full-time at an auto parts store too.

Far be it for me to suggest they move out of Denver (you can't really "say" that to natives 'round here), but my friends don't really sound like the "future of Denver". Maybe the future of Pueblo.

Bye bye, working class!

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

I have a native-Denverite friend that's effectively homeless right now. He has been couch-surfing with/without his girlfriend/baby for the last 6 months or so.

He's worn out his welcome at every couch, and he texted me today to use mine again, and I avoided the subject because the answer is no.

Anyway, it would have been easy for me to say "just go get an apartment", but I can't really because he can't afford one working full-time at McDonald's. He can't even afford one with his girlfriend working full-time at an auto parts store too.

Far be it for me to suggest they move out of Denver (you can't really "say" that to natives 'round here), but my friends don't really sound like the "future of Denver". Maybe the future of Pueblo.

Bye bye, working class!

Well natives like the one you speak of will blame their current situation on all the transplants that moved here rather than better their situation or take responsibility for their own predicament. To them we are the scourge of the Earth and we should be destroyed. The native would rather be homeless in Colorado instead of having to move out of state to afford living.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

Well natives like the one you speak of will blame their current situation on all the transplants that moved here rather than better their situation or take responsibility for their own predicament. To them we are the scourge of the Earth and we should be destroyed. The native would rather be homeless in Colorado instead of having to move out of state to afford living.

Spoiler

The female half of the duo thought we (Californians) really lived like they do on Real Housewives of OC, and asked us how we could live in all that "Hollywood". I wish I was joking, but I am not. I blame it on their collective ability to not hold down jobs, spending too much money on weed , and parents who never forced them to grow up. They never really say much about the transplants, and neither one of them have gone beyond UT or NM. Aside from all that, they are mostly decent people.

Go Broncos! What a win last night, huh!??!?!?

[SQL]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

I have a native-Denverite friend that's effectively homeless right now. He has been couch-surfing with/without his girlfriend/baby for the last 6 months or so.

He's worn out his welcome at every couch, and he texted me today to use mine again, and I avoided the subject because the answer is no.

Anyway, it would have been easy for me to say "just go get an apartment", but I can't really because he can't afford one working full-time at McDonald's. He can't even afford one with his girlfriend working full-time at an auto parts store too.

Far be it for me to suggest they move out of Denver (you can't really "say" that to natives 'round here), but my friends don't really sound like the "future of Denver". Maybe the future of Pueblo.

Bye bye, working class!

This sounds like my roommate. A mid-40s, Boulder native who never got his life together. Dropped out of expensive culinary school, lost his driver's license to a DUI 20-some years ago and never got it back, alcoholic who quit a pretty decent job (~$45k range) for a sub-$20/hr job. He had the opportunity to strike it rich just by buying property here early on and sitting on it, but never took the initiative. Now he's upset that the metro has become unaffordable and wants regulators to step in and force developers to charge affordable rents. Though I agree with him about the COL issue, I'm personally more of a proponent of free market solutions and incentives that will promote supply of housing inventory. That said, as much as I feel for him, I also think he had a golden opportunity to kill it in this market by buying early, but he chose instead to focus on boozing it up and partying instead. And now he wants developers and government to cater to his needs in order to make up for his poor life choices.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by SQL

This sounds like my roommate. A mid-40s, Boulder native who never got his life together. Dropped out of expensive culinary school, lost his driver's license to a DUI 20-some years ago and never got it back, alcoholic who quit a pretty decent job (~$45k range) for a sub-$20/hr job. He had the opportunity to strike it rich just by buying property here early on and sitting on it, but never took the initiative. Now he's upset that the metro has become unaffordable and wants regulators to step in and force developers to charge affordable rents. Though I agree with him about the COL issue, I'm personally more of a proponent of free market solutions and incentives that will promote supply of housing inventory. That said, as much as I feel for him, I also think he had a golden opportunity to kill it in this market by buying early, but he chose instead to focus on boozing it up and partying instead. And now he wants developers and government to cater to his needs in order to make up for his poor life choices.

Ah! Makes me kind of ill.

I hear Omaha is affordable.

[tantan1968]

Originally Posted by JrzDefector

But what I'd really kill to see move here? Wegman's. It's got all the stuff a normal grocery store carries, but also amazing baked goods and a ton of Whole Foods-type stuff at much more reasonable prices (though it's not Trader Joe's cheap).

I remember Wegmans when I lived in Virginia !! Unfortunately the idea of a Wegmans ever coming to Denver..ah its about the same with In-N-Out Burger coming to Denver..one of those things to forget about since they ain't a coming. besides if Wegmans would as much as even express interest in Denver you can count on King Soopers to do anything and everything possible to keep them out of the area. Looking back now I wonder if King Soopers is the reason why other grocery store chains such as HyVee or H-E-B never did open up shop in Denver ??

[Denver303TJC]

Originally Posted by SQL

Eight short years ago, this was a pretty affordable city.

Denver is a great place, but I also think that people are also looking for a place that they can have a good quality of life. When you're forced to shell out larger and larger portions of your income to housing costs, there comes a point when it's just not worth it. People think about raising a family, retirement costs, etc., and Denver requires that you funnel more money away from those things just so you can afford to live and maybe have a little bit of fun in the mountains on the side.

Mmmhmm, agreed. (Cue senior citizen voice) Back in 2008 I rented a 1 BR apartment near Alameda and Downing and it was $580 per month, plus electric. Now after being hipsterized, a 1 BR in the same new-and-improved complex is around $1,200 per month.

I still like Denver, but have since moved on to Austin. I'm glad here in Austin there are mild winters and no state income tax. However, it's getting much more expensive for families to live, much like Denver. I visited Denver in May and was surprised at how much the city has changed, but I can definitely say that I had a fun time while there! :-)

[lovecrowds]

I am from Colorado and as a person of modest means it is certainly not a place that I would ever want to live.

All of my relatives live in Colorado so I could move back. But, if I had no roots in the state it would be very difficult for someone of modest means such as myself.

Sometimes, people get stuck I think and don't know there are greener pastures out there. Colorado is a good place for retirees and those with good jobs or who like outdoors and don't need to work but for everyone native Coloradoan or not there are far better places to make a living.

I have retiree relatives who are in their 70s and 80s and Colorado and it's outdoors serve them well as they are in much better shape then they would be in another state. The state also has a good tax structure for retirees.