9News nailed it with the angry natives (Denver, Pueblo: apartment, house)

[ABQConvict]

Native must mean something different in Colorado.

[Indigo Cardinal]

Originally Posted by mbalmedpoet

What once was a two hour drive to Denver takes anywhere from 2 1/2 - 3 hours because of traffic and the bottleneck between Monument and Castle Rock.

Never fear, the hyperloop is coming to save the day!

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by otowi

It can be hard to see what you love about CO declining in quality because of population growth. And those who have been here longer may have memories of our mountains, long-gone open spaces, natural resources, various other quality of life factors like affordability, etc., that may enable them to feel the loss more profoundly than those who never experienced it and so don't really know what they're missing.


As we become more crowded, things that people do like not picking up dog poop or creating social trails instead of utilizing the intended trails etc., that maybe didn't have as big an impact when the population was 1/5th what it is now - now have a cumulatively greater effect toward ruining the things we love about this state. That means we each have a greater responsibility to be at the top of our game when it comes to behavior, ethics, stewardship, etc. And people just aren't all doing their part - some natives, some transplants included. Clearly that is frustrating because we can't control the behavior of others and yet the actions affect us all and affect our state in ways that often cannot be easily repaired or in many cases cannot be repaired at all once the damage is done.

Nailed it. For some of us, the changes have been dramatic.

Originally Posted by DenverBrian

Some of this is due to the fact that Colorado natives virtually invented the "don't move here" meme decades ago. We're the state that created "Native" bumper stickers and "Don't Californicate Colorado" bumper stickers.

We're the state that voted NOT to have the Olympics in 1972.

We're the state that had a governor say he'd "drive a golden spike" through C-470 to keep it from being built.

We're the state that took 20 years to add a third lane to I-225.

We're the state that has dickered and dodged the I-70 to/from the mountains traffic problem for decades.

So yes, I think there is something to the "*I'm* here, now shut the door" style of many Coloradans.

True, but that isn't all nativism, even though it manifests itself as such. The category that 9 News didn't touch on is the "semi-native." Those people who have been here for 20-30-40 years, who have adopted this as home. I've run into more of these folks who are ready to shut the door on the influx and have driven a number of items above as I have encountered native population willing to do the same. I believe that comes form their recollections of what they left behind and the overwhelming desire to avoid seeing it occur here, no matter how unrealistic that is.

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Native must mean something different in Colorado.

Actually, it may.

If you look at the natural growth rate over the last 40 years, it is no where near what our population is currently, so that means 40% of the people here are from some where else. That creates what i referred to above...the semi-native, or adopted natives.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Native must mean something different in Colorado.

Haha! Yes. I've spent a bit of time in the Land of Enchantment and it is very different.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by abcdefg567

I do find it ironic when a friend of mine who moved here in 2008 posts on FB things like, "We're full," and other stay out of Denver memes. I mean...really? This same person is also dating a very recent transplant and loves to talk about how great his home state is.

Now that is funny. I have been here since 1999 and have never said we are full.

I changed out my California license plates almost immediately because my "native" relatives warned me ahead of time. I have had a few grumblings but other than that there has been no issues from the natives outside of message boards, not just on CD.

[mbalmedpoet]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

Hey there! My great grandmother was born in Pueblo in 1896. Her parents moved there before Colorado was a state. I was raised in SE Denver in the 70s & 80s. It is very different now. I think the growth is mostly very good for the city, but it is not without its challenges. I do wish my grandfather hadn't sold that building near 20th & Blake in the 80s.

That was quite the sketchy part of town back in the 80's. Nobody knew then what would happen, I remember talk of the A's, or Pirates moving here in those days. Pueblo has changed as well, I remember standing in my great grandparents driveway watching the smoke stacks billow coal in the air. I was really young then. I prefer the more moderate growth here compared to what is going on in Denver.

[bentstrider]

Threads like this one and the consistent building and pace of life in the Denver area are making me rethink this potential move like no other. I was already apprehensive about the outrageous costs of basic apartments up there compared to where I've been living in NM. But these state to state animosities, along with some other issues are already making my mind up about flaking on this job offer.
My mind is still stuck on that 2010/2011 years when I first started driving semis through the state. Now that I'm finally catching up to the current times there, not such a rosy picture.

I guess the Stockholm Syndrome of small town, NM living has finally pinned me down.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Chloe333

I think I've only encountered two of these angry natives in my few years here in Denver, and they were an elderly native couple that tsk tsked my husband on a trail in Breckenridge last summer for getting altitude sickness. They lectured us about eating before hiking, and there was definitely a huffy native edginess going on. Other than THAT, I've found the VAST majority of CO natives to be very friendly, congenial, and welcoming. These angry natives seem to be mostly found online!

Here is a comment from one of these embittered souls on the 9News article:

"Great another park to be ruined and shut down by subaru driving man bun wearing tool bags...."

I wonder if this is even a native?! Sounds more like a selfish entitled transplant to me!

I've been here since 1980, longer than many of the "natives" posting here, I daresay. I've met an angry native or two IRL. There has certainly been a lot of anti-native sentiment coming and going over the years.

For those worried about Colorado, or Denver, becoming another California, the weather does keep a lot of people from moving here. I mean, I think the winters are mild, compared to the midwest or even Pittsburgh (which is more uppy-downy in temps like here), but a lot of people find winter to be a deal-breaker.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

I've been here since 1980, longer than many of the "natives" posting here, I daresay. I've met an angry native or two IRL. There has certainly been a lot of anti-native sentiment coming and going over the years.

For those worried about Colorado, or Denver, becoming another California, the weather does keep a lot of people from moving here. I mean, I think the winters are mild, compared to the midwest or even Pittsburgh (which is more uppy-downy in temps like here), but a lot of people find winter to be a deal-breaker.

I think the winters are mild too and I am from San Diego. It is great here.

Please come here but learn about it first. It will do you a load of good. I was lucky because I have always had family here and I visited often as a child.

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by Timmyy

I think the winters are mild too and I am from San Diego. It is great here.

Please come here but learn about it first. It will do you a load of good. I was lucky because I have always had family here and I visited often as a child.

The winters seem bearable enough, but it's the rent prices and my newly developed frustration with "dealing with crowds on an everyday basis" that are causing me to flake out once again. I guess this will probably go for every city with me after having had lived in a small, isolated area for the past, five year. Great to visit and have fun in, but when it's to head back home, the return trip is strangely comforting.