Tell me more about Denver (Aurora, Boulder: transplants, apartment complex, broker)

[Va83]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

When do we tell her about the Subaru requirement?

Subarus and Crocs are frowned upon on the east coast but I’m intrigued.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

When do we tell her about the Subaru requirement?

After we draw straws to see who has to break the news to her....

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Va83

Subarus and Crocs are frowned upon on the east coast but I’m intrigued.

It's just them being silly. Subies are prevalent here, and there's a running joke that all new residents are required to buy one. Crocs were (unfortunately) invented here.

As I and others have said you should really come for a visit and spend a week or two. Don't move sight-unseen.

[N610DL]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

When do we tell her about the Subaru requirement?

Tell 'em to leave it at home. They're garbage:


https://clark.com/cars/most-reliable...2018-jd-power/


Subaru is at the bottom. Maybe buy a Buick with snow-tires on it

[COcheesehead]

You need a Subaru, a dog and to start running.
Then after you’re here for awhile, you buy a Jeep, a second dog and a good puffer jacket...that you wear almost year round.

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by Va83

Hi. (Waving really hard) I a single black older millennial woman. Currently I live in Richmond Virginia and am a single mom. In the next 5 years or so I’ll be relocating to a larger city. Hopefully (fingers crossed). Anyway other than the beautiful photos and some brief reading here I don’t know much about it in Colorado. Over the next few years I will be traveling to various cities to find my right fit.
For a city that seems to have a lot to offer like Denver it seems reasonably priced. I’m not the most outdoorsy person but I would like to sit outside on my porch. I’d like to go to a sports game from time to time. I’m a massage therapist and esthetician. I’m almost sure that I’ll need a car and to learn to drive in the snow lol. Can you tell me about insurance and things like that. How about the people? I know us east coast people (stereotypes) and west coast (stereotypes) but what would Colorado be considered?
Anything I would need to know about the area before I invest in visiting please do tell.

Denver has pros and cons. I lived in Colorado for four years back in my youth and was a mountain trail runner. I loved it. I am also Native American, so the area was great for my outdoor lifestyle. But it's also great for many people of Colorado who center upon outdoor activities such as hiking, running, skiing, biking, etc. The weather is moderate. It does get cold in the winter with snow but not nearly as bad as Chicago. I know this because I went to college in the midwest as an undergraduate. The summer gets hot but not nearly as bad as Phoenix. I grew up in rural AZ.

The job market is tricky. During the good years, Denver seems perfect with many, many job opportunities - like a roaring flood. But in the bad years a job search can be futile for many months. I was an engineer working in information technology in the late 1990s when the job market was booming. I started out at entry-level testing in 1998. I usually quit a job and got a major raise and promotion because the shortage was so bad. By late 2000 I was a manager with a great salary relative to the times and location.

But it crashed in 2001. By 2002 I was doing minimum wage labor to survive and moved to Florida out of desparation for a new job.

So, the first CON is that the job market can be unreliable over the span of ten years. In 1998-early 2000 the job market was excellent. By 2002 it had turned upside down and died. Many IT companies went out of business. There were huge layoffs, and the rare job opening had hundreds or even thousands of applicants (in engineering). It was horrible. Right now, the job market is back, but I don't trust it anymore.

The second CON comes from the minority perspective. Affirmative action is a major topic of divisiveness in the school systems of Colorado. There is a lot of racial tension because of it. You don't really see race riots or segregationists in the style of the segregated south of the 1950s, but the resentment towards that policy breeds modern "subtle racism" or "institional racism". The resentment against minority students in the law school or medical school (for example) is very bad.

The third CON comes in the gender ratio. It's bad for men. The place is called "Menver" because the men generally outnumber the women by far. There are women who revel in the attention and become serial daters with multiple dates lined up per week on apps such as Tinder. Normally, this CON against men would be a PRO for women in general. But for an African American and single mom, the mostly white male population of Denver would probably not be interested. From the minority perspective, I can tell you young blonde white women (unmarried wtihout children) are put on the pedestal in Colorado - especially Boulder. The few African American men are likely with white women. So, from the gender ratio perspective, I wouldn't think it's a good idea for an African American woman.

I would recommend looking around in detail for the cities of interest. I am kind of surprised you would want to leave Virginia. I went there for an FSU soccer game and was impressed with the state in general and the different cities and metro regions. I have been to DC, Maryland and nearby Arlington many times, so I thought the area was great for minorities and a career.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by grad_student200

Denver has pros and cons. I lived in Colorado for four years back in my youth and was a mountain trail runner. I loved it. I am also Native American, so the area was great for my outdoor lifestyle. But it's also great for many people of Colorado who center upon outdoor activities such as hiking, running, skiing, biking, etc. The weather is moderate. It does get cold in the winter with snow but not nearly as bad as Chicago. I know this because I went to college in the midwest as an undergraduate. The summer gets hot but not nearly as bad as Phoenix. I grew up in rural AZ.

The job market is tricky. During the good years, Denver seems perfect with many, many job opportunities - like a roaring flood. But in the bad years a job search can be futile for many months. I was an engineer working in information technology in the late 1990s when the job market was booming. I started out at entry-level testing in 1998. I usually quit a job and got a major raise and promotion because the shortage was so bad. By late 2000 I was a manager with a great salary relative to the times and location.

But it crashed in 2001. By 2002 I was doing minimum wage labor to survive and moved to Florida out of desparation for a new job.

So, the first CON is that the job market can be unreliable over the span of ten years. In 1998-early 2000 the job market was excellent. By 2002 it had turned upside down and died. Many IT companies went out of business. There were huge layoffs, and the rare job opening had hundreds or even thousands of applicants (in engineering). It was horrible. Right now, the job market is back, but I don't trust it anymore.

The second CON comes from the minority perspective. Affirmative action is a major topic of divisiveness in the school systems of Colorado. There is a lot of racial tension because of it. You don't really see race riots or segregationists in the style of the segregated south of the 1950s, but the resentment towards that policy breeds modern "subtle racism" or "institional racism". The resentment against minority students in the law school or medical school (for example) is very bad.

The third CON comes in the gender ratio. It's bad for men. The place is called "Menver" because the men generally outnumber the women by far. There are women who revel in the attention and become serial daters with multiple dates lined up per week on apps such as Tinder. Normally, this CON against men would be a PRO for women in general. But for an African American and single mom, the mostly white male population of Denver would probably not be interested. From the minority perspective, I can tell you young blonde white women (unmarried wtihout children) are put on the pedestal in Colorado - especially Boulder. The few African American men are likely with white women. So, from the gender ratio perspective, I wouldn't think it's a good idea for an African American woman.

I would recommend looking around in detail for the cities of interest. I am kind of surprised you would want to leave Virginia. I went there for an FSU soccer game and was impressed with the state in general and the different cities and metro regions. I have been to DC, Maryland and nearby Arlington many times, so I thought the area was great for minorities and a career.

Every time I read a post you make about Denver it’s more and more obvious that you haven’t been here in 20 years. I really do t know what the hell youre talking about. Affirmative Action issues???? The job market you are describing is the same as talking about the job market in 1928.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

The job market you are describing is the same as talking about the job market in 1928.

When our Mayor was a bit biased. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_F._Stapleton

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by COcheesehead

I ride my bike year round with just a few weekends when I can't get out. That should be a testament to just how little snow we get in reality and how long it stays.

Eh, that's not really true.

My work just offered $230 monthly if we'd give up our parking passes and alternate commute into work. You can only ride if there's no ice and it's above 32F. At 9 am and 5 pm, there's quite a few days (more often than not) in Nov - March where it's unridable. I'll have to have an alternate plan to get into work for the winter months.

[LostSailor4326]

Originally Posted by COcheesehead

I ride my bike year round with just a few weekends when I can't get out. That should be a testament to just how little snow we get in reality and how long it stays.

Originally Posted by Phil P

Eh, that's not really true.

My work just offered $230 monthly if we'd give up our parking passes and alternate commute into work. You can only ride if there's no ice and it's above 32F. At 9 am and 5 pm, there's quite a few days (more often than not) in Nov - March where it's unridable. I'll have to have an alternate plan to get into work for the winter months.

I ride my bike year round as well. In Boulder, the bike paths are cleared before the roads. They make bike tires for ice just like they do car tires for ice. Even so, ice is hardly ever an issue. Last Sunday I rode to work at 5am in shorts when it was 9 degrees out. Just need to dress properly and wear the right stuff. The only days I don't ride is when the winds are above 50mph.