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Many mention Stapleton and Lowry, is it because of proximity? Stapleton while it looked neat, looked very desolate. I like a little more life around me.
INteresting about NYC and Denver sentiment. Are these people from NYC? I always heard how much people love Denver, from NYC and LA. Florida is hard, once you get used to that warm weather it's hard to adjust to the cold. I don't understand Chicago though, another midwestern city with severely cold winters.
Yes to proximity for Stapleton and Lowry. Also because of the age of your kids. Lots of young kids there so it will be easy for you to meet other parents with kids, set up play dates and get tips on activities. But if you don't like it you don't. I personally don't but I'm not a young person with young kids. I feel it is too dense and too much of the same architecture. Very crowded in the stores and the homes all so close together.
If you describe more about the flavor of the area your looking for I'm sure you will get some great suggestions near Anschultz. But part of the culture shock everyone is alluding to is that you will likely find nothing with as much life as you find in NYC. (Edit: I see skydog and others have already chimed in with a few good suggestions.)
Chicago has much worse winters than we do but my post wasn't about weather because everyone has things they love about where they live (and take for granted) but they don't realize it until they leave. Basically they want to keep everything they love and get a lower cost of living and eliminate any other negatives they have. But it doesn't work that way because every place has pros and cons.
It seems the Floridian's miss the greenery and tropical plant life. Chicagoan's miss the vibrant city life and culture of Chicago. NYers miss the energy and liveliness. Just about everyone misses the food. That is my own generalization and of course there are tons of people it doesn't apply to. You will likely be shocked by how people dress out here. Lots of people from Chicago/NYC/east coast really can't get over the relaxed style of dress and lack of clothing style in general. Particularly at a pricey restaurant.
Midwesterners and people from small cow towns looking for a big city experience are the happiest (think pigs in mud) when they move to Denver.
Edit: The green pictures are all framed by taking pics of green areas that are being artificially watered with the photographer taking special care of what is shown in the frame or taken in the spring when things are green from snow melt, monsoon season or colorized. Not to say there aren't green trees and green parks but they aren't what you are thinking of when you think a lush area from the east coast.
Another Edit: Walk ability is huge here. You would have to try extra hard to find a place where you had to drive to take a walk. Paths, parks, trails are everywhere and in just about every neighborhood. You should find a place where your husband can walk or bike to work. That is the best lifestyle improvement Denver offers to new residents. Most work places have great housing nearby and people can take advantage of this to improve their lifestyle.
Yep, I would suggest neighborhoods around downtown (except Cap Hill if you are trying to get AWAY from an NYC vibe a la narrow streets, difficult parking, and $$$ - or so I've heard).
I just moved here from Queens (but Queens, leafy and quiet? lol not where I'm from...), but I did also live here briefly about 9 years ago. I'm starting grad school at Anschutz (and ideally, working there at some point too) . I ended up living closer to the campus than I initially intended to, but was looking at Lowry, Hale, and Montclair for a balance between walkability and quiet. Hale, Congress Park, City Park, and Park Hill/South Park Hill are bordered by Co Blvd and/or Colfax, which when I was looking around were major selling points (because a bulk of the walking distance stuff there is on those roads). Someone in my program moved from Cap Hill to Montclair for more reasonable parking (pricing and space wise), closer to Anschutz, plus it's quieter. Stapleton I found a little less walkable than all above, personally.
Winter - it does get cold here. Below zero at times overnight. I think the biggest difference from NYC is the snow melts quickly. There are milder winter days, of course you don't have those coastal type blizzards here (but there will still be snow), but there is a more extreme temperature fluctuation. That's true in general, but I'm just pointing out that it can be both milder and more extreme cold in the winter, compared to NYC.
Pace is slower - works for me. Even some people here are a bit fast paced for me. Driving is faster, but somehow also more civil than NYC. The roads seem better designed to carry the typical volume... I find it refreshing. But a bit challenging to figure out where you're going when you first get here and you're going 65-75mph relying on maps and GPS. Haha.
I know people keep saying it's not "leafy" here, but I think there are more parks around given the density, compared to most of NYC. And the residential neighborhoods seem "greener" (more trees and grass, mostly - probably because there is more room for yards, gardens etc).
Culture - not a priority for me personally, I find it more than sufficient. DCPA is actually good for Broadway shows, my first Broadway show was actually here, not in NYC, because it was more in my price range (also, I never liked traveling into Manhattan, always seems to take the fun out of whatever you're going there for). Entertainment and such in general is going to be more affordable, so in a way, "culture" is more accessible, IMO.
Aurora itself, in the area around Anschutz (if that's where the job is), is not particularly walk-able. So I'd stick with the neighborhoods others and myself mentioned west of the campus. Downtown nightlife can get NYC-like at certain times. Housing costs, Queens-like, not quite Manhattan level yet.
Status obsessions - depends what you mean by that. I find there's less ego here. In NYC, I often got the sense I had to put up an image to be accepted, a bit like a high school clique. There's more identity politics going on (I think that's more of a coastal thing in general), so that might play into it. So in that sense, there is less of that here. I think when it comes to materialism type status, depends on the crowds and neighborhoods you end up being around.
I am around a lot of "poor grad students" so far, so I haven't encountered much of that (yet).
I am not sure how to comment on "culture shock", it is going to depend on your expectations and how much you fit in in Queens in the first place. For me, the culture here is a better fit, and kind of just makes more intuitive sense (sorry that is kinda vague). So I wouldn't refer to it as culture shock.
Thank you! This is very extensive and informative.
We live in Forest Hills, it is one of the greenest areas of Queens and I love that. Lots of big, "ancient" trees. It's funny about the Broadway show. I personally love ballet, the opera and very rarely Opera, some plays as well. I believe there is a theater or two in Denver.
I noticed that it's adequately green in Denver, some areas look so leafy and quaint.
So do you feel a bit of ease with the Colorado winters, or it still annoying but bearable?
And these are the areas you favor: Hale, Congress Park, City Park, and Park Hill/South Park Hill are bordered by Co Blvd and/or Colfax? My husband thought that Colfax was a bit seedy? So is Highland and LoDo out of reach?
I am an outdoors lover. I lived on the Denver/Aurora line and felt the drive to the open spaces on the west side (Jeffco Open Space has beautiful open spaces and nature programs that are great for young children) was too long for me (45 minutes average). So I moved to Evergreen. That is expensive and wouldn't meet your criteria. That said, if you like the area, I am sure you can find a reasonably priced rental. Evergreen near Bergen Park is very walkable, good restaurants, car maintenance, grocery stores, doctors, etc all there.
Golden CO is very walkable and friendly (IMO), with parks,open space, and walking paths along the river. It is popular and thus a bit more expensive but you might like it. It's a longer drive to Aurora though (maybe 45 minutes, depending upon where you are),
I am from CT and think the humidity in CO is very low, at least in comparison to the east coast.
I might suggest renting first and seeing if you like it.
Hope that helps -- all the best to you and your family!
The job is in Anschutz. It would be ideal for my husband to have a commute of no more than 20 min. After all, if we are making a move from NYC it will be amazing to cut down on the time.
How do you like low humidity? How do you find your skin has reacted?
I have two sets of friends who have moved here from NY. They both love it. I’ve known both since they had toddlers.
Here is the mistake one of them made:
They moved here pre kids and lived in the Highland neighborhood. They thought it was fantastic; urban, walkable great dining. They called it Denver’s version of Brooklyn. I think that’s a stretch, but I’m not from NY so what do I know? ( I have been to Brooklyn a couple times).
They had kids and moved to Hilltop because they wanted a very Jewish neighborhood. Hilltop was waaaaay too slow and not walkable. After a short time there, they sold their house and moved to Congress Park. They love it.
Congress Park is an older city neighborhood that is walkable and has mature tree lined streets, and has restaurants, shops, bars and lots of families with kids. It’s very easy to commute to Anschutz if that’s where your job is.
Per your criteria, Denver does have a winter. It gets cold and snows. It also gets sunny and warm. This sometimes happens in the same week. It DOES NOT stay cloudy, damp and cold for weeks on end.
Park Hill is another great older city neighborhood that I think you would enjoy.
My husband drove by Congress Park, but saw mainly residential buildings with not much going on. I wonder if was just in a wrong area. Is Park Hill very different than Stapleton?
Thank you for your honesty and a very introspective observation. I think that CA would be a good fit for us, minus LA which would be unbearable because of traffic. But unfortunately CA is pricey everywhere. We were in SF recently and fell in love, but it's just ridiculous, more expensive than NYC.
Why do you feel like you didn't fit in? Do you find the people disingenuous?
N610DL is on double-secret probation at the moment for trolling. He's a millennial so he's spent the last 30 years collecting 9th place trophies and being told he's special. He's an arrogant, self-important DB. Give him a few minutes and he'll be sure to tell you how much harder he works than you do. He couldn't cut it here. His opinion can safely be ignored.
As a former mom of three six and under- it is way easier now then when they are more independent.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Do you feel that there is enough for little ones and a stay at home mom to enjoy? We are not super active because of my babies being so small, but we go to different playgrounds, take little lessons and have play dates. As they get older I would like to take them to more places.
N610DL is on double-secret probation at the moment for trolling. He's a millennial so he's spent the last 30 years collecting 9th place trophies and being told he's special. He's an arrogant, self-important DB. Give him a few minutes and he'll be sure to tell you how much harder he works than you do. He couldn't cut it here. His opinion can safely be ignored.
It's always good to also get a view of a pessimist as well, to balance things out. I have quite a few gripes about NYC, while so many others will aggressively attack anyone who criticizes their beloved big apple. You can usually get a sense of the person's interests and values. He seems intelligent and intense, but not quite harmful, just frustrated.
Thanks Mike, very encouraging. What are some of the elements you enjoyed here after your life on the east coast? And why did you chose Denver? There are other smaller cities south of north east which seem nice enough.
We chose COLO SPGS in 2005 because housing there was HALF the price of the DC area. Dry air was a huge draw too. Well educated work force, low crime, low taxes, about 90 minutes to downtown Denver and I always got to Denver airport in 75 minutes using the toll road.
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It's always good to also get a view of a pessimist as well, to balance things out. I have quite a few gripes about NYC, while so many others will aggressively attack anyone who criticizes their beloved big apple. You can usually get a sense of the person's interests and values. He seems intelligent and intense, but not quite harmful, just frustrated.
I think you've gotten a fairly objective set of opinions about life in Denver from others. He just likes to b*&^h and moan and act like he's better than everybody else.
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