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I couldn't help myself and looked at your old posts. From your old posts you really hated Denver, never fit in with Littleton, found it dry dull, boring etc. You said it was a very odd and uneventful and un-enjoyable year spent there. Now you say you are older and wiser and really did like it pretty much.
I think you should get back in touch with that part of yourself that hated it before you make an expensive mistake.
I haven't lived in your comparison cities but I think it is important to know what is really important to yourself before you make such a big leap. For example when I lived in San Francisco I hardly ever went to Broadway shows, concerts or other cultural activities because it was very hard to get there. I also didn't do much hiking. You literally lined up behind people to hike a trail and for me that wasn't enjoyable. But that all changed when I moved to Denver where all the amenities were accessible. So for me that was a good quality of life. But the fantastic food I enjoyed in CA went away and got replaced by pretty mediocre fare. However although I missed it, it wasn't nearly as highly ranked on my quality of life scale vs what I gained by moving which was more affordable housing, less taxes and access to amenities. I was and am happy and content.
Now I'm older, the traffic has increased, the housing is more expensive but the amenities have increased 10 fold. I live on a mature treed acre and can walk to a lake and probably 30+ restaurants plus every other sort of amenity. There are great neighborhoods like this all over the metro area. Sure they cost more to live in but the amenities are much greater than they were when they were less expensive. Back in the day you had a two lane road with no shopping, stores, or anything else near my neighborhood. Now there is everything and you will pay 2-3 times as much for such a prime location.
You sound pretty young and at late thirties you pretty much are. If you want value in your housing your going to have to buy in an area with out all the amenities and wait for them to come to you. Otherwise you have to pay a premium price if everything is already there because that is what everyone else wants also. Right now Denver is what everyone else wants and prices reflect that. You are going to get sticker shock when you come back as the pricing is not what it was 2-3 years ago.
Once you decide what is important to you it will be alot easier for you to be happy and content with your choices. From your post I'm reading that cost of living is going to be more important than the amenities you gain as you think they can be had elsewhere for cheaper. This will likely always be your thought so you will be unhappy if you move back. People like Dave Barnes, skydog and myself feel that we have amenities that will be similarly or more highly priced elsewhere. So we are happy and content. But we got happy and content when the amenities were not what they are now so we didn't pay as much for them. We could all complain about the increase in traffic etc. but that would be a miserable way to live. It is much more gratifying to not focus on that but focus on the better and more numerous restaurants that can be supported because the population has increased.
You say you want to disregard weather in the discussion. Weather is a big reason why Denver is so popular. If it is really true that weather doesn't matter so much you are going to find better value elsewhere for the things that you do value.
But you asked some specific questions and my essay above does not answer them. Is Denver enjoyable to live in or is it getting stressful for the M-F work grind?
Yes it is enjoyable to live in. Lots of people are deliriously happy here. Yes some people will be stressed out by their M-F work grind. I think choosing an area where you have a bad commute is likely to put you in the stressed out category. Choosing housing where you can bike or walk to work is going to make you happier.
Has the fact that several other states have legalized Marijuana affected the influx of people? Have no idea but I don't think marijuana legalization had much to do with our influx of people in the first place. We simply became trendy and had jobs to offer. Our state government did a good job diversifying the economy and attracting companies.
It appears that housing prices have stabilized and is lasting longer. Even more inventory that there used to be. True?
I don't think that the stats will support this but the realtors can answer this more definitively. Certainly doesn't seem that way in my area. This question reads more like wishful thinking than something based on fact but maybe I am the one that is out of touch. Certainly prices have not stabilized in my neighborhood, they continue to go up, and the homes fly off the market, usually going under contract within a week of being listed. Multiple offers are also the norm. This is in the upper 6 figures price range.
What your major concerns in the metro now days>
Air quality. Fracking. Getting rid of Tabor and raising our taxes. I want better air quality, no fracking and my taxes to stay low. I really like Tabor.
You didn't ask what we like but I will balance the above question with what we like.
Good health care.
Great selection of neighborhoods - rural, urban, streetcar, suburbs. Many with great walkability.
Good access to outdoor activities.
Good access to city activities.
Reasonable taxes. We feel we get good amenities for the money spent.
Overall good cultural fit, progressive, live and let live, nice people, low crime.
Good weather.
Nice area of country - scenic, not too dense, low humidity, not bothered by bugs.
Major airport.
Government is pretty much what we want. Not too corrupt. Represents our interests. Our city of Westminster seems well managed and we like that.
We can afford it. This seems like bragging but is not meant to be. Honestly I don't thing any of the positives can outweigh the huge negative that living in an area you can't afford would be. Not being able to afford it would cancel everything else out.
IIRC you spent a fair amount of energy in the past downgrading Denver. The snow didn't melt quickly enough, winters were too cold, pot was too prevalent, getting into the mountains was too much of a hassle, the roads weren't good enough, it was too expensive, etc. etc. etc. Unless you've had some sort of life epiphany, those things will probably still grate on you.
I've lived in DFW. There's nothing (and I truly mean nothing) that could ever convince me to move back there. June-September is hideous, the scenery sucks, the sprawl is ridiculous, and after all that there's the nauseatingly excessive state pride and the imbalanced, wackadoodle state politics factors to deal with.
The only outdoor recreation category where DFW beats Denver is lakes, but I wouldn't swim in any of them. The water's disgusting, and the boaters are by and large reckless, drunken idiots.
Is it hard to get into the mountains? Not really, but then again I know when to hit the road to avoid traffic. I also don't go to the trails everyone recommends because, wait for it, everyone will be there. I climb 13ers more than 14ers. I try to go hiking early in the morning and/or during the week instead of on the weekends. I don't even have to go into the mountains to find better hiking than there is around DFW. Castlewood Canyon, Spruce Mountain Open Space, Lincoln Mountain Open Space, and Hidden Mesa Open Space blow away pretty much everything the Metroplex has to offer - and those places are nothing spectacular by our standards.
I'll gladly deal with snow if it means not having to spend another summer in a crappy, humid climate. I like being able to leave my windows open at night and not having to breathe stale HVAC air for months on end.
Overall QOL? For me it's Denver, no contest. Denver has vastly better public transportation, a better urban core, a nicer downtown than Dallas, and a much more active and healthier populace. DFW, OTOH, has all the banal, run-of-the-mill garbage (malls, chain restaurants, museums) in spades. If that's all you care about then you'll be better off there because it's cheaper.
After reading this I’m ready to move to Denver right now.
We lived in Denver 2015-2016 and liked it overall. we didnt have and huge complaints, but felt it was overrated. We are not avid skiers/mountain people. We do enjoy hiking and biking. It was always more hassle to get all loaded up and get out to thee mountains than it was worth to us so we just stayed around town most of the time. We have moved around a lot in our past and are currently in Tampa Florida and could not be more unhappy. We hate the never changing climate, the people are rude, driers are the worst (yep the worst) and I could go on why it doesnt fit our lifestyle but to keep it short, we are on the move. Either back to DFW or Denver. Jobs lined up in both places and set to move in a couple of months. We are having hard time deciding between the two, but I am not asking to compare the two at all... plenty of forums on that. My hang up is this:
We really did appreciate the people, QOL, activities, amenities, jobs, economy, etc in Denver when we were there. We left simply to go back to family. Denver at the time was not our favorite, but as we grow a couple of years older we become a little wiser and our interests change slightly. We know it is a good area and what it has to offer and what the negatives are for us. My question is more to the people who either moved there recently from DFW areas, or to others who, like us, may not be into the mountain play activities.
Do you feel that Denver offers a quality of life comparable to other cities like DFW, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Phoenix, etc? Not in comparison to weather so please dont remind me that Phoenix is so hot and Minneapolis is so cold.... I get that. But in regards to culture, arts, outdoor fun, festivals, farmers markets, gatherings, concerts/music scene, etc.
Is Denver enjoyable to live in or is it getting stressful for the M-F work grind?
Has the fact that several other states have legalized Marijuana affected the influx of people?
(one thing i didnt care for was all the marijuana exposure. i have two teenage sons and dint want them to fall into bad habits becoming exposed to it easily)
It appears that housing prices have stabilized and is lasting longer. Even more inventory that there used to be. True?
What your major concerns in the metro now days>
Here is a short list of why we decided to leave but can find a way to overcome now::
Homeless. Seemed like downtown was saturated.
-The feared bubble in the housing market. We got out and did well.
-The exposure to marijuana to our sons.
-We didnt feel that we maximized the lifestyle we were paying for. Meaning, it obviously is not cheap to live in Denver and we didnt do half the things most locals do for fun.
and then we had a few small personal reasons like going back to family etc. that played a part in our decision at the time .
I feel like I am missing something. I am not trolling, and I posted something similar to this when we were going to go to Atlanta earlier this year but decided not to. Got a lot of good responses. But also got roasted. lol.
I've lived here since 2007. My complaints are largely superficial, I can be blunt about things that agitate me about living here, but by and large, I'm not unhappy by any stretch. Just wanderlusty for different things. I don't feel that it's overrated, most of its esteem is deserved, even in spite of overinflated values placed on certain things.
I've never been that in-shape of a guy. I didn't grow up doing much in the way of outdoor activities, so for me, that was never a draw in moving here, living here, or staying here. I enjoy the mountains as far as their beauty goes, I go to Black Hawk on occasion, and work takes me to/through them as frequently as I want it to (and sometimes more). I've been camping once in life, attempted skiing once in life, went rafting once in life (it is a blast and I would go again), snowshoed once, took an OHV around the dirt around Estes once, and I do easy hikes and ride bikes on rare occasion. That's it. We don't often make plans for "mountain trips", and if we do, it's spur of the moment/for the hell of it. We don't think of anything "mountains" as that big of a deal.
I've never been to Dallas, so I can't compare. I think I would go in expecting to like it, and then I would promptly be let down. And I'm a pretty good judge of my own opinion.
Denver beats Phoenix on QOL pretty handily IMO. I was in Phoenix for 12 days back in June/July, and after day 4 or 5 I was completely over Phoenix (and it wasn't because of the heat, heat is no big to me, I've lived in a desert before). It beats Denver in many measures, but overall, I think it takes a certain type, and I'm not it. Phoenix is a good place to exist, and a good place to enjoy yourself, but the day-to-day grind gets old FAST, and I couldn't wait to get home. Way too car-centric, every neighborhood looks like the next, etc. It tested my soul pretty good. Even with all of its positives, there is no way I could live like that for the duration.
Denver isn't quite at the level of many of its west coast peers (LA, SF, SEA), but could probably hang at least in the same lunchroom as San Diego, and could probably pick on and tease Portland. It blows away the Midwest, with the exception of Chicago.
I don't have to commute, but traffic IS getting worse. I wouldn't want to live more than 20-25 min from work if I had to. You can't even go from downtown to the DTC without hitting traffic during lunch hour anymore. I imagine unprecedented commutes during blizzards in coming years.
I wouldn't want to raise kids outside of the BEST areas of metro Denver if I'm being honest. There is too much drama BS in the schools/neighborhoods that are "average/okay". This may be a CO cultural thing, but among young folks, things seem way less "taboo" than other places I've lived. Our oldest (now 18) could not resist all the temptations that seem to exist here (the stuff/things at his disposal made my fairly "hood" native area in CA seem pretty tame, by comparison), and he'll be paying for it for a long time (let's just leave it at that). He may have had these problems anywhere, but trouble seemed too easy to grab off the shelf, and I regret not putting him in better (correction: THE BEST) areas growing up. If we are going to stay here long-term, I want to be out of my "average/good" area before my youngest hits his teens, sad to say.
Things do seem to be flattening out housing market wise. The low/mid-end areas are seeing a ton of price cuts.
I don't really have any "concerns" per se, I'm not too afraid of any possible changes, and any that do come will probably be positive. This place is a lot more "weird" than it gets credit for, there is a pretty general lack of ambition (IMO), customer service generally sucks across the board, and there is an air of needing to thank people for existing. I swear close to 50% of all people here would be just fine being high or drunk and watching 24x7 Broncos coverage in between shopping trips to Walmart (and of course, none of those folks are on this forum ). It's just different, but I deal with it.
Re: Homeless, it's not just downtown. It's every freeway off-ramp in all but the best areas. It's everywhere near a river or creek. It's a flippin' joke, and they aren't going anywhere.
If you do come back, don't buy right away. I have thought very hard about getting out while we can.
Weed is a part of life here. In many ways I wish it wasn't, but in other ways, I'm glad it is (however, I do not partake).
I wouldn't move here now. I'm glad I did when I did, and I'm glad I bought when I did. The bang for the buck only comes if you take advantage of everything. Otherwise, no.
My wife occasionally nags about moving back to CA to be near family. I have to remind her how awful living in CA is, and remind her that (getting away from) family was one of the reasons we left CA in the first place. IMO moving to be near family, primarily for that reason alone is a mistake in many cases.
Denver does have a ton of homers. It is hard to argue its faults with many people. It's like trying to convince people that sunlight isn't good all the time, or that candy doesn't taste good. Most places don't have this, but this is one that does. Denver does no wrong, and as long as you remember that, you'll be good.
I've lived here since 2007. My complaints are largely superficial, I can be blunt about things that agitate me about living here, but by and large, I'm not unhappy by any stretch. Just wanderlusty for different things. I don't feel that it's overrated, most of its esteem is deserved, even in spite of overinflated values placed on certain things.
I've never been that in-shape of a guy. I didn't grow up doing much in the way of outdoor activities, so for me, that was never a draw in moving here, living here, or staying here. I enjoy the mountains as far as their beauty goes, I go to Black Hawk on occasion, and work takes me to/through them as frequently as I want it to (and sometimes more). I've been camping once in life, attempted skiing once in life, went rafting once in life (it is a blast and I would go again), snowshoed once, took an OHV around the dirt around Estes once, and I do easy hikes and ride bikes on rare occasion. That's it. We don't often make plans for "mountain trips", and if we do, it's spur of the moment/for the hell of it. We don't think of anything "mountains" as that big of a deal.
I've never been to Dallas, so I can't compare. I think I would go in expecting to like it, and then I would promptly be let down. And I'm a pretty good judge of my own opinion.
Denver beats Phoenix on QOL pretty handily IMO. I was in Phoenix for 12 days back in June/July, and after day 4 or 5 I was completely over Phoenix (and it wasn't because of the heat, heat is no big to me, I've lived in a desert before). It beats Denver in many measures, but overall, I think it takes a certain type, and I'm not it. Phoenix is a good place to exist, and a good place to enjoy yourself, but the day-to-day grind gets old FAST, and I couldn't wait to get home. Way too car-centric, every neighborhood looks like the next, etc. It tested my soul pretty good. Even with all of its positives, there is no way I could live like that for the duration.
Denver isn't quite at the level of many of its west coast peers (LA, SF, SEA), but could probably hang at least in the same lunchroom as San Diego, and could probably pick on and tease Portland. It blows away the Midwest, with the exception of Chicago.
I don't have to commute, but traffic IS getting worse. I wouldn't want to live more than 20-25 min from work if I had to. You can't even go from downtown to the DTC without hitting traffic during lunch hour anymore. I imagine unprecedented commutes during blizzards in coming years.
I wouldn't want to raise kids outside of the BEST areas of metro Denver if I'm being honest. There is too much drama BS in the schools/neighborhoods that are "average/okay". This may be a CO cultural thing, but among young folks, things seem way less "taboo" than other places I've lived. Our oldest (now 18) could not resist all the temptations that seem to exist here (the stuff/things at his disposal made my fairly "hood" native area in CA seem pretty tame, by comparison), and he'll be paying for it for a long time (let's just leave it at that). He may have had these problems anywhere, but trouble seemed too easy to grab off the shelf, and I regret not putting him in better (correction: THE BEST) areas growing up. If we are going to stay here long-term, I want to be out of my "average/good" area before my youngest hits his teens, sad to say.
Things do seem to be flattening out housing market wise. The low/mid-end areas are seeing a ton of price cuts.
I don't really have any "concerns" per se, I'm not too afraid of any possible changes, and any that do come will probably be positive. This place is a lot more "weird" than it gets credit for, there is a pretty general lack of ambition (IMO), customer service generally sucks across the board, and there is an air of needing to thank people for existing. I swear close to 50% of all people here would be just fine being high or drunk and watching 24x7 Broncos coverage in between shopping trips to Walmart (and of course, none of those folks are on this forum ). It's just different, but I deal with it.
Re: Homeless, it's not just downtown. It's every freeway off-ramp in all but the best areas. It's everywhere near a river or creek. It's a flippin' joke, and they aren't going anywhere.
If you do come back, don't buy right away. I have thought very hard about getting out while we can.
Weed is a part of life here. In many ways I wish it wasn't, but in other ways, I'm glad it is (however, I do not partake).
I wouldn't move here now. I'm glad I did when I did, and I'm glad I bought when I did. The bang for the buck only comes if you take advantage of everything. Otherwise, no.
My wife occasionally nags about moving back to CA to be near family. I have to remind her how awful living in CA is, and remind her that (getting away from) family was one of the reasons we left CA in the first place. IMO moving to be near family, primarily for that reason alone is a mistake in many cases.
Denver does have a ton of homers. It is hard to argue its faults with many people. It's like trying to convince people that sunlight isn't good all the time, or that candy doesn't taste good. Most places don't have this, but this is one that does. Denver does no wrong, and as long as you remember that, you'll be good.
First off... Thank you for being brutally honest and open. Even with your son. Im sorry to hear that and it hits home with me because our son was 17 at the time there and now 19. He worked at Papa Murphys and although he swears to this day he has never touched weed, he does admit and I do know for a fact that HIS CO-WORKERS and even Manager used while at work and even offered him to try as an underage employee.
I completely agree abut the lack of ambition there. I have said that many many times. I grew up working my but off in Minnesota. We put everyone else first and made sure we got everything done and then some before the end of our day so we did not carry it over to the next day. THAT was the mentality we were hoping for in CO. Unfortunately, CO is almost polar opposite.
We do have a hard time with wanting to be back by family, but anyone who doesnt get that feeling either hates their family or is a liar. LOL
I do appreciate the beauty of the mountains and like you I do enjoy impromptu trips to them. I do enjoy Hiking, biking, walks, and outdoor activities... so to the poster that said we are not outdoor enthusiasts, probably correct if using that term, but we do enjoy being outdoors as much as possible. That is the one and only real reason we left Minnesota. we spent too much time indoors due to the cold temps for too long.
we dont mind snow, just hate the temps when they get below freezing.
To the poster that searched a post i left a while back, you are correct and most of those opinions still remain.
I do find Denver to be dull and drab. My wife (who yes, I am still together with to address another posters concern quickly) Likes it though and her mother lives there, My sons have good groups of friends there that they still talk with often so I am willing to concede to many things to make them happy.
I do have concerns with the readily availability to Marijuana. I am not a user, I could care less about it. I do not judge others for using it. But I would prefer my boys not have to be faced with that temptation. I know they could be and will be anywhere, but lets face it, it is in the backpack of half the kids there and half the parents too. Sad to say.
With that said... My comments about it in no way have anything to do with me moving or not moving there. TO be clear, I am not looking to move there to be a part of it. I would prefer to distance myself from it.
I did mention that I feel the winters are long, cold and numbing or something of the sorts. I stand by that. I understand that the snow comes and goes, the temps are much better than say MN, blah blah blah. I get that. What I do not like is that every year you COULD (and probably will) be dealing with snow from late October to early May. Do not call me a liar either natives, I can send proof. Hell, I can even send you a photo from June When it was snowing on us....
So I am not trying to retract my comments. Those are my concerns and why I put this thread up. While I do not expect everyone to share my concerns, nor am I trying to get people to hate on CO, Im simply trying to get some more insight to what I may be missing. Why I may have these concerns or why these concerns may not be entirely accurate year to year.
Dont hate on me. Just offer some insight and constructive criticism.
First off... Thank you for being brutally honest and open. Even with your son. Im sorry to hear that and it hits home with me because our son was 17 at the time there and now 19. He worked at Papa Murphys and although he swears to this day he has never touched weed, he does admit and I do know for a fact that HIS CO-WORKERS and even Manager used while at work and even offered him to try as an underage employee.
I completely agree abut the lack of ambition there. I have said that many many times. I grew up working my but off in Minnesota. We put everyone else first and made sure we got everything done and then some before the end of our day so we did not carry it over to the next day. THAT was the mentality we were hoping for in CO. Unfortunately, CO is almost polar opposite.
We do have a hard time with wanting to be back by family, but anyone who doesnt get that feeling either hates their family or is a liar. LOL
I do appreciate the beauty of the mountains and like you I do enjoy impromptu trips to them. I do enjoy Hiking, biking, walks, and outdoor activities... so to the poster that said we are not outdoor enthusiasts, probably correct if using that term, but we do enjoy being outdoors as much as possible. That is the one and only real reason we left Minnesota. we spent too much time indoors due to the cold temps for too long.
we dont mind snow, just hate the temps when they get below freezing.
To the poster that searched a post i left a while back, you are correct and most of those opinions still remain.
I do find Denver to be dull and drab. My wife (who yes, I am still together with to address another posters concern quickly) Likes it though and her mother lives there, My sons have good groups of friends there that they still talk with often so I am willing to concede to many things to make them happy.
I do have concerns with the readily availability to Marijuana. I am not a user, I could care less about it. I do not judge others for using it. But I would prefer my boys not have to be faced with that temptation. I know they could be and will be anywhere, but lets face it, it is in the backpack of half the kids there and half the parents too. Sad to say.
With that said... My comments about it in no way have anything to do with me moving or not moving there. TO be clear, I am not looking to move there to be a part of it. I would prefer to distance myself from it.
I did mention that I feel the winters are long, cold and numbing or something of the sorts. I stand by that. I understand that the snow comes and goes, the temps are much better than say MN, blah blah blah. I get that. What I do not like is that every year you COULD (and probably will) be dealing with snow from late October to early May. Do not call me a liar either natives, I can send proof. Hell, I can even send you a photo from June When it was snowing on us....
So I am not trying to retract my comments. Those are my concerns and why I put this thread up. While I do not expect everyone to share my concerns, nor am I trying to get people to hate on CO, Im simply trying to get some more insight to what I may be missing. Why I may have these concerns or why these concerns may not be entirely accurate year to year.
Dont hate on me. Just offer some insight and constructive criticism.
I don’t think you should move back here. You clearly didn’t like it. Life’s too short to live somewhere you are miserable.
Denver certainly has its faults. I travel the country almost every week and feel as though I have pretty good perspective on what else is out there. There are only a handful of other places i would consider living and none of them are markedly better than Denver. I agree with David’s assessment on a lot of things, but have my disagreements with him on a few topics.
I have little patience for people on this forum with an axe to grind who exaggerate to try to make their point.
Regarding the marijuana, I was in high school in the early 90s and never had a problem finding pot. This isn’t a new thing. Alcohol is as, if not more, dangerous and you don’t seem to be as worried about it. That’s strange to me.
I'd agree with a lot of Count David's assessment, especially when it comes to schools. As Sky Dog points out, weed was widely available prior to legalization. Perhaps now it is a bit more prolific to casual users, but as Count David said, socio-economic strata will also be a big factor in this. To say its in the hands of half the kids and parents at any given school may be true in some places, but will not be in others. That goes hand in hand with the (lack of) CO ambition as well. Choose your schools and location carefully. They are not all equal.
If Denver is dull and drab for you than it will always be a personal challenge for you, even if the rest of the family is happy. I don't envy anyone in this position and wish you the best.
I too can name about 2-3 other places that I like much better than Denver and fit my personal needs and desires much better but may not align with those of my family. People would that a family can get on the same page but we are not a typical family. We all are open with each other and communicate well over all. We do however, all want to please each other and any of us are willing to concede to make the others happy. I personally think my kids should come first.
As far as the drugs. I do agree it has always been a issue and always been available. My school as well. I graduate in 1996 and went to a pretty rough school. Drugs were all over the place. I managed to keep clean and have confidence in my boys too. My point to that was just that it has become so socially acceptable with legalization that the boys need make good judgement calls and we need to do our part by educating them. I get that.... but when so many people use it so openly and freely, that is the difference between what we had available to us in high school back in the 90s and today.
hope that makes sense....
I do think it is a little drab there. Maybe it is the haze, the emptiness feeling outside the city (some consider it wide open i guess and nice) The brown landscape, the industrial feel in areas, etc. I do see change though in other areas that is refreshing. I do recognize the nice parts too so Im and trying not to be naive or ignorant about it.
...I do think it is a little drab there. Maybe it is the haze, the emptiness feeling outside the city (some consider it wide open i guess and nice) The brown landscape, the industrial feel in areas, etc. I do see change though in other areas that is refreshing. I do recognize the nice parts too so Im and trying not to be naive or ignorant about it.
This is a good description. I like it here for the most part but feel this drabness and emptiness even in the city and have a hard time describing it. I just assumed the thin air was part of it. I don't mind the brownness and wide-openness. It's part of being in the West. IMO the haze has been much worse the past couple of years. I feel like our first two summers here we had crystal clear views of the mountains almost every day, even in the summer. Not lately, though I know the fires are causing that right now. The industrial feel is one of the reasons I prefer the south side.
"Is Denver enjoyable to live in or is it getting stressful for the M-F work grind?"
That was sort of my issue - my normal work hours of 9 to 5 prevented me from really enjoying the outdoor recreation (exhausted on the weekends.) And unlike the East Coast, there is a sheer lack of night skiing which would've been really nice to enjoy after work. In short, no.
Other than that, Denver had it's city perks such as nice parks, biking, running, bars & restaurants in cute neighborhoods. To me, it wasn't enough.
I wouldn't say Denver is overrated as a city to visit, perhaps to live in depending on your needs (it didn't fit mine.) That said, I'm surprised and sorry to hear you're unhappy in Tampa. To me that seems like a breath of fresh air compared to Denver - and the qualities you mentioned bad drivers, rude people? Denver definitely had that widespread.
"Has the fact that several other states have legalized Marijuana affected the influx of people?"
Maybe back in 2014 but not really now since quite a few more states have legalized it. People move here with a "try before you buy" attitude thinking everything is going to line up perfectly believing the hype. The hype is definitely inflated much like Portland, Austin, Nashville for a small city. I used to smoke Weed in college, but in Denver it's way too strong even when they say it's "mild." I don't really smoke much anymore (no weed, I do smoke cigs), but can understand your concerns.
"It appears that housing prices have stabilized and is lasting longer. Even more inventory that there used to be. True?"
This is a major concern. I also didn't believe the hype on this one and really do believe there are signs that the market is inflated. Just last year 180K people left the state - if anything bad happens (even with the local economy) then the housing market will drop. In short, I can think of half a dozen places I'd like to own a home in that's not Denver and cheaper.
What your major concerns in the metro now days?
--Obnoxious Transplants Moving In
--Dating scene is bad for a guy (girls know they have the numbers advantage.)
--COL skyrocketing
--Long Term exposure to UV rays, smog, and nearby Superfund sites.
"Is Denver enjoyable to live in or is it getting stressful for the M-F work grind?"
That was sort of my issue - my normal work hours of 9 to 5 prevented me from really enjoying the outdoor recreation (exhausted on the weekends.) And unlike the East Coast, there is a sheer lack of night skiing which would've been really nice to enjoy after work. In short, no.
Other than that, Denver had it's city perks such as nice parks, biking, running, bars & restaurants in cute neighborhoods. To me, it wasn't enough.
I wouldn't say Denver is overrated as a city to visit, perhaps to live in depending on your needs (it didn't fit mine.) That said, I'm surprised and sorry to hear you're unhappy in Tampa. To me that seems like a breath of fresh air compared to Denver - and the qualities you mentioned bad drivers, rude people? Denver definitely had that widespread.
"Has the fact that several other states have legalized Marijuana affected the influx of people?"
Maybe back in 2014 but not really now since quite a few more states have legalized it. People move here with a "try before you buy" attitude thinking everything is going to line up perfectly believing the hype. The hype is definitely inflated much like Portland, Austin, Nashville for a small city. I used to smoke Weed in college, but in Denver it's way too strong even when they say it's "mild." I don't really smoke much anymore, but can understand your concerns.
"It appears that housing prices have stabilized and is lasting longer. Even more inventory that there used to be. True?"
This is a major concern. I also didn't believe the hype on this one and really do believe there are signs that the market is inflated. Just last year 180K people left the state - if anything bad happens (even with the local economy) then the housing market will drop. In short, I can think of half a dozen places I'd like to own a home in that's not Denver and cheaper.
What your major concerns in the metro now days?
--Obnoxious Transplants Moving In
--Dating scene is bad for a guy (girls know they have the numbers advantage.)
--COL skyrocketing
--Long Term exposure to UV rays, smog, and nearby Superfund sites.
180K left the state, over 220K came in.
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Even with all of its positives, there is no way I could live like that for the duration.
). It's just different, but I deal with it.
