Should I move to Denver from Jacksonville? (Aurora, Fort Collins: apartment, rent)

[nep321]

Hi everyone. I'm 36, male, gay, single and have been living in Jacksonville, FL for over 3 years now. It's a decent place to live, but the ONLY reason I moved here is because I found a job here after being unemployed long term and was desperate back in 2017. The job and company is great and I settled in and bought a house in 2019. The house has appreciated like crazy and will continue to do so (most likely). I am considering a move to the Denver area in 2022 because I have dreamed of living in Colorado for a while now. I have been to Denver but it was back in 2012. I'm sure a lot has changed since then.

I would really prefer to be in a very small metro area like Grand Junction or maybe Pueblo, since I don't like crowds, traffic or fast paced lifestyle. However, I am realistic and based on my research there are virtually no jobs in my field anywhere in Colorado outside of the Denver area, so I'll settle for Denver.

I am in the accounting field, specifically non-income taxes. I have 12 years of experience with a master's in accounting, and based on my research, I would be making around $90K in Denver. I would be able to afford rent very easily...up to $2,400 a month. And after a year of renting, be able to buy a decent house, hopefully for $500-570K. I would have over $100K in cash saved up after I sell my FL house in 2022, move and rent for a year in Denver. Trust my calculations. I'm an accountant lol.

I just love the vast spaces, mountains and scenery in Colorado and don't mind some cold. I'm originally from Connecticut, so I know all about cold, winter and snow. I don't care about the ocean AT ALL. But I'll admit, I prefer the climate of Jacksonville over Denver. Just hate the humidity though, while doing yard work.

The gay community in Jacksonville is rather atrocious. Everyone is hooked on drugs and uneducated and out of shape. It's depressing and I'm the opposite of those characteristics. Jacksonville metro is also a conservative leaning metro, which is disappointing, since I'm a staunch progressive.

Accounting related jobs are abundant in the Denver area, so I think it is possible to get something. I would absolutely NOT relocate unless I have a job secured. Then I would immediately put my FL house on the market and vacate and move and hope it sells fast. Or, maybe it's better to sell the house first, then rent an apartment in Jacksonville, then relocate, so I don't have to worry about selling a house. I'm not sure how people do these things, as this is my first ever house.

I would be doing this in 2022 at the age of 37, if I do it. I just want to stay at my current job a little longer and build more equity in my home.

I don't have any family or friends in the Denver area. But I don't have any friends or family here in Jacksonville anyway. I hate how employers want to know reasons for me wanting to relocate for a job and if they find out you don't have family in the area, they tend to withdraw your candidacy. So stupid.

What do you think? Is my heart in the right place? Can this be done realistically?

[prairiestate]

Yes

[annie_himself]

You could easily do it. Just gotta do it. You will have about 4500% more money than I had when moving here. I'm not gay but I'm also from the south and Denver seems to be teeming with a great gay community.

We can't answer if you're heart is in the right place.

[Gaylord_Focker]

I would leave Jax for Denver, but definitely not Pueblo or GJ.

[himain]

I agree. Go from Jville to Denver-not GJ or Pueblo

[Westerner92]

I say yes. I'm a gay guy originally from Texas who moved here without any good connections, and I have 0 regrets.

Colorado hiring managers do tend to heavily favor locals, but there's a still shortage of most kinds of white collar professionals here, so they're likely quite willing to entertain relocation, especially for those with a lot of experience like you. I was just starting my career at the time and going for a couple of specific competitive positions, so the way I did it was that I used the address of a college buddy going to grad school here on my resume. I didn't have a house full of stuff, so I didn't really care about moving expenses. I just told the interviewers that even though I wasn't completely finished moving and crashing on a couch, this was home and where I wanted to be. Basically, the more initiative you take to show you're serious about the move, the less you have to justify it to them.

Also, the gay community here is much more aligned with your lifestyle. The Front Range is among the healthiest and most educated populaces in the nation, and the gay community is no exception.

The Denver metro is a very manageable city for its size, so it likely won't overwhelm you, but for smaller cities, I'd focus on the Boulder to Fort Collins corridor. Grand Junction and Pueblo would unlikely be good fits.

[bluescreen73]

I'd go for it without hesitation, but, then again, I'd never, under any circumstance, voluntarily live in Florida. It's a flat, hot, muggy, vermin-infested sandbar. There's literally more elevation gain in my Aurora neighborhood than there is in most of Florida.

Can you handle living in an area that isn't lush and green for most of the year? The native shortgrass prairie is brown from July 'til March/April. If you're good with that and you enjoy outdoor recreation that doesn't revolve around large bodies of water, you might like it here.

Here are a few hiking pics I've taken over the last few years. I tend to post more on social media than here.

I'll echo what others have said. I grew up on the Western Slope. The Western Slope is extremely socially conservative, and it's not at all diverse. Grand Junction is ok, but if I were gay I wouldn't live there. The locals/natives on the Western Slope can be cliquish, and I imagine the gay scene in Grand Junction is nearly non-existent. The resort areas (Steamboat, Aspen, Durango, Glenwood Springs, and Telluride) tend to be more (limousine) liberal, but they're also prohibitively expensive.

Pueblo is a different beast. It's Colorado's version of a Rust Belt town. The city is slow-growing, very industrial, and it's not as scenic as the other metros along the I-25 corridor. It's had a long-running stigma with poverty, gangs, and violent crime.

Check out Fort Collins if you're looking for less hustle and bustle.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

but, then again, I'd never, under any circumstance, voluntarily live in Florida. It's a flat, hot, muggy, vermin-infested sandbar.

You forgot to mention that it was on the losing side of the War of Northern Aggression.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Denver has a great vibe for all. People tend to be accepting and relatively warm. I'd live there no questions asked. And, love the civic pride!!

You'll get stabbed in Pueblo

[nep321]

The funny thing though is that it's 70 degrees right now here in Jacksonville while it's 27 in Denver right now. Ouch. Not gonna lie, but I'd much rather prefer 70 instead of 27!

Denver outdoor activities are much more interesting than any outdoor activities in Florida. However, the weather in Jacksonville permits for about 6 months per year of comfortable outdoor weather. To me, comfortable is 70s and 80s. If it's under 70, I'm not going outside, period. If it's over 90, I might go outside, but would prefer not to. Denver seems to only offer about 4 months of 70s and 80s. So that's a significant drawback compared to Jacksonville.

Jacksonville is also way too big of a metro area for my tastes. But Denver metro is double the size! I really hope you guys are right that it's manageable and not overwhelming. I like the slow pace of Jacksonville.

I am introverted. I don't care much for bars, breweries, festivals or things like that. I just like having a few good friends to hang out with occasionally.

One thing I remember about Denver and the West in general is that the men are all tall. It was shockingly visible, being from the Northeast. Lol I'm short and Italian. No big deal though. I'd have to get used to it though.

Another thing is that I would have to make time and spend money to visit parents in CT a couple times a year. They have five kids and I doubt they'll make regular trips out to CO just for me. Right now, I'm able to see them about every 2 months here in Jacksonville because they have a second home about an hour south of me here in FL. It's convenient.

Sometimes I wonder if pursuing another big move at the age of 37 would be irresponsible or immature. A late 30-something should be settled down in life, right?