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Alright, listen! I am currently living in Minneapolis and although I love this city, I have had enough of the cold and sub-zero temps. I have had a couple of stints out West(Phoenix and Albuquerque) and these cities were not my cup of tea. Let me tell ya, I am back in Minnesota!!. Wifey wants to go to CA but I have explained to her that the home prices are extremely high. She wants to go to San Diego, Well, me too! What are you thinking? But who can afford it, right? So I told her, listen honey, if we go to SD, chances are, it may take us a long time to purchase our dream home, I guess she understood, but I think she is still California dreaming!
Anyways, I travel a lot, I have been to Denver, and I found the area a bit too boring and cookie cutter(no offense). Downtown Denver to me was Ok, however not impressive. Now, I am a big skiier and that is why I think I could be entertained enough living in Denver. Now, wifey likes to shop at IKEA and I am really concerned about Denver not having an IKEA, what is the deal?
Also, she likes to go on road trips and I am concerned about Denver being kinda in the middle of nowhere, although we could certainly drive to NM, where you have some beautiful things to see or even the Durango area aint too bad. So whaddya think? Is Denver the place for us. As you can see, I am an Italian guy from Brooklyn, so I am a "no baloney" type of guy. I will come and say it to your face, like we Italians do.I will not hesitate to honk my horn or say "Are you out of your mind?" right to your face if you dont make no sense or if you act stupid. Is Denver the place for us?
I am a finance guy. Ideally, MBA-level financial analysis or financial management jobs are ultimately what I am looking for. We do not have kids and do not plan on having any. Wifey is a HR woman, so we need to make sure that she can find a good HR job. We are down to Earth people, no baloney type of people, do not like BS or 30K millionaire/nouveau riche type of atmosphere(Brooklyn blue collar family background- no baloney type of people). I love skiing but I do not handle well all the "apres-ski" bull****. Have cussed many idiots out on the slopes and will not hesitate to put a phony in his proper place(only if attacked first). Budget for home- 250K tops, I aint living in no fantasy land.Tell me what you got for us.
Alright, listen! I am currently living in Minneapolis and although I love this city, I have had enough of the cold and sub-zero temps. I have had a couple of stints out West(Phoenix and Albuquerque) and these cities were not my cup of tea. Let me tell ya, I am back in Minnesota!!. Wifey wants to go to CA but I have explained to her that the home prices are extremely high. She wants to go to San Diego, Well, me too! What are you thinking? But who can afford it, right? So I told her, listen honey, if we go to SD, chances are, it may take us a long time to purchase our dream home, I guess she understood, but I think she is still California dreaming!
Are you sure you're California dreamin'? If you really love San Diego but want to live in a much more affordable city where you can afford to buy a house, your best option would be Phoenix, Las Vegas, or possibly even Tucson. From Phoenix you could drive to SD in about 6 hours (I've done it twice). From LV it's about 5 hours. Phoenix and/or Las Vegas are about the closest thing you can get to the southern California feel without actually being in southern California. During the summer, Phoenix resembles a blast furnace, of course, but during the winter, the weather is almost the same as southern California, with a lot of winter rains, temps in the '60s, things greening up, etc. Unfortunately you said you didn't like Phoenix, so that kind of blows that option for you. I know many people will speak about Denver being "Californicated," but the truth is, Denver does not remind me of any major California cities at all. Denver I look at as a drier, harsher version of a "Middle American-y" city with a few cultural twists and turns of its own.
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Anyways, I travel a lot, I have been to Denver, and I found the area a bit too boring and cookie cutter(no offense). Downtown Denver to me was Ok, however not impressive. Now, I am a big skiier and that is why I think I could be entertained enough living in Denver. Now, wifey likes to shop at IKEA and I am really concerned about Denver not having an IKEA, what is the deal?
I think IKEA would do great in Denver; not sure what's holding them back from opening a location. In my personal opinion, it is a mistake to move somewhere only because of the surrounding road trips. If you're saying you don't like Denver itself, then don't move there, since you're going to be physically inhabiting Denver and its suburbs for 95% of the time. If the main thing you're looking for is proximity to skiing, take a look at Salt Lake City as well. What parts of Denver have you been to? The "cookie cutter" thing is laughable imo-- that's going to apply to every single major metropolitan area in the western United States-- actually everywhere in the US.
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Also, she likes to go on road trips and I am concerned about Denver being kinda in the middle of nowhere, although we could certainly drive to NM, where you have some beautiful things to see or even the Durango area aint too bad. So whaddya think? Is Denver the place for us. As you can see, I am an Italian guy from Brooklyn, so I am a "no baloney" type of guy. I will come and say it to your face, like we Italians do.I will not hesitate to honk my horn or say "Are you out of your mind?" right to your face if you dont make no sense or if you act stupid. Is Denver the place for us?
Isolated shmisolated! The complaint of Denver being "isolated" is also very laughable. Isolated is Fairbanks, Alaska-- not Denver, Colorado, a city very close to the geographic center of the nation. If there's not enough in Denver and the state of Colorado and nearby states of the Rocky Mountain West and the desert Southwest to keep you entertained, a world of possibilities, then don't move to Denver. I don't consider 20 minutes to beautiful foothills, 1-1.5 hours to 14,000 foot peaks and skiing, 3-5 hours to deep mountain canyons, 5-6 hours to red rock country resembling the planet Mars, 6 hours to world class food and culture in Santa Fe, NM to be very isolated. Based on what you've said so far, I think you could live in Denver and be okay, but other places would be better choices. Perhaps a return to the east coast?
I appreciate your honesty and feedback. Listen, as far as returning to the East Coast, I lived in Jersey for many years but what killed me there was the property taxes. Don't get me wrong, NY with all its problems has a lot of character which I appreciate but I aint looking forward to paying 6000K in property taxes. I realize that is something about NY/NJ that makes no damn sense, we refinanced our home in Jersey about 5 years ago and the closing costs were something like $7000. I called that broker and told him straight " Listen, are you out of your mind?" He never called me back after that, but all these fees, title fee, attorney fee and all this other nonsense is what really killed me. I can't do Phoenix again or Albuquerque for sure. Chicago is too damn cold and Minneapolis is even worse. Can't do the South for sure. Besides California, seems like Denver maybe the only viable city, tell me more!
Alright, listen! I am currently living in Minneapolis and although I love this city, I have had enough of the cold and sub-zero temps. I have had a couple of stints out West(Phoenix and Albuquerque) and these cities were not my cup of tea. Let me tell ya, I am back in Minnesota!!. Wifey wants to go to CA but I have explained to her that the home prices are extremely high. She wants to go to San Diego, Well, me too! What are you thinking? But who can afford it, right? So I told her, listen honey, if we go to SD, chances are, it may take us a long time to purchase our dream home, I guess she understood, but I think she is still California dreaming!
Anyways, I travel a lot, I have been to Denver, and I found the area a bit too boring and cookie cutter(no offense). Downtown Denver to me was Ok, however not impressive. Now, I am a big skiier and that is why I think I could be entertained enough living in Denver. Now, wifey likes to shop at IKEA and I am really concerned about Denver not having an IKEA, what is the deal?
Also, she likes to go on road trips and I am concerned about Denver being kinda in the middle of nowhere, although we could certainly drive to NM, where you have some beautiful things to see or even the Durango area aint too bad. So whaddya think? Is Denver the place for us. As you can see, I am an Italian guy from Brooklyn, so I am a "no baloney" type of guy. I will come and say it to your face, like we Italians do.I will not hesitate to honk my horn or say "Are you out of your mind?" right to your face if you dont make no sense or if you act stupid. Is Denver the place for us?
Come to Colorado but do not bring your attitude--no bull.
I am from New York--Sicilian Italian; I have been here almost 30 years. Having worked and lived in NYC and my father grew up in Brooklyn; I was born in Jamaica, Queens--I am very familiar with the New York type of behavior which you so describe yourself as having.
"In your face" Ready to give your opinions" and louder and louder so you think that makes you sound more important. Walk around with that hip gate trying to keep that "chip on your shoulders" from falling off; saying stay out of my way. That hand and arm movements; the shoulder roll; the chin tilt; the hip and butt thrust; that bragging "no bull" look at me, I am so tough attitude; I am from "the city" and your are a hick; I know better than you. I have seen it all from Italians, to Jews to Puerto Ricans--all evident of the New Yawk behavior which epitomizes the "Ugly American".
You believe it is so admirable to "say it like it is" and everybody should admire and appreciate that behavior. Well, "Pardner", it does not always work in this part of the country; nor it is a good idea. It is more important to speak quietly, listen to other peoples opinions, tolerate other human frailities, compromise and temper your opinions; and most important realize that you can be wrong.
Oh, your accents and body language is attractive and brings a diversity to the area that is positive to some degree but it needs to be quieted and used with discretion. It does not always play in all situation.
When I moved here, I was told I talked to loud and fast on the phone--"that is the way I tawked, especially when I got excited". I had to learned to moderate my behavior or people would be defensive. However, I keep the humor and the positive parts of the accent and body language. and in face to face conversations, I can get people to laugh and accept me. In addition personal space is different in this part of the country, so when a New York stands closer, and tends to touch more in conversations--it makes some people uncomfortable.
Sometimes I notch it up a bit so as to make a point in some situations because, yes, New Yawkers have many positives attitudes, that work when needed. Though at times it is necessary to gage the situation and determine how much and how far certain individuals will accept the New York way. That is because there are some perceived misconceptions about New Yorkers from movies, cartons, televisions, that to some people makes them apprehensive, when they hear that tell-tale accent.
I am willing to bet that you know all this because you say you are well traveled, and are not a raw New Yorker out of the jungle. Ya, know whata mean.
Last edited by livecontent; 03-01-2008 at 05:39 PM..
Hmmm...as a Pennsylvanian "hick" I always found the New York attitudes to be a huge physical turn-on, but then again my preferences are less than traditional, to say the least.
Getting back on-topic I'd say that the best advice I could provide to you and your wife would be to RENT an inexpensive place in Denver or one of its suburbs perhaps for six months while keeping your residence in Minneapolis. In this sense you'll be able to "test the waters" in a new city while still having an "exit strategy" available in terms of a home waiting for you back in Minnesota should you find Denver to be unappealing. I know it might be cost prohibitive for you consider paying a mortgage, utilities, taxes, etc. on a home up North in a city you won't be living in for a half-year, but if you and your wife are both upper-middle-class business professionals, you might be able to afford this.
The WORST thing you could do would be to sell your home in Minnesota, purchase a home in Colorado, and then say "What a mistake!!!" You're then trapped with having to unload a home in Colorado before finding another place to scout out for relocation.
Two other locations you may wish to consider would be Salt Lake City or even Boise. Salt Lake City is nestled in the foothills of the Bitter Roots (spelling?) and is very near to Park City for some excellent skiing. You won't be terribly far from Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, or Montana for some fun getaways. Boise is a much smaller metropolitan area, but it offers proximity to Seattle, C'oeur d'Alene, Spokane, Yellowstone, Mt. Rainier, Portland, and a few other areas of interest.
I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide!
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 03-02-2008 at 12:46 PM..
Reason: I misspelled Idaho! Oh dear!
I agree that Denver is a bit isolated compared to Minneapolis when you look for options for day or weekend trips....Unless you consider Santa Fe a great place to visit..or Cheyenne, WY. Coming from Chicago, there were many options within a one hour to longer drive. New little towns to explore and B&B's to visit, festivals, places of interest, museums and attractions in all 4 directions. That's part of the problem of having wide open spaces all around, oh and mountain ranges. I guess you learn to live locally and appreciate the Denver area, save up your vacation time and travel then? I just can't see going for a Sunday afternoon drive unless you're headed to the mtns, Estes Park, etc.
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eh, yo, listen well
I have seen it all from Italians, to Jews to Puerto Ricans--all evident of the New Yawk behavior which epitomizes the "Ugly American".
In addition personal space is different in this part of the country, so when a New York stands closer, and tends to touch more in conversations--it makes some people uncomfortable.
Though at times it is necessary to gage the situation and determine how much and how far certain individuals will accept the New York way. That is because there are some perceived misconceptions about New Yorkers from movies, cartons, televisions, that to some people makes them apprehensive, when they hear that tell-tale accent.
