What do you dislike about Denver? (Aurora, Greeley: place to live, to move, land)

[5thIndian]

Ya know, I don't think Denver is that bad. Some streets are lined with trees and some of the neighborhoods in and around it are quite quaint - unique older homes of all sizes and shapes with different landscaping, some green, some not. The parks are nice too and those I have seen are kept pretty clean. And it never hurts to be strolling around in one, such as Sloan Lake, and have a view of the lake and the mountains in the background. Not too shabby compared with a stroll in Central Park.
But I will also note that, I, like you, am used to the 365 lush east and have found that what bothers me in CO is when you are on the road driving from A to B along a long "planned" road and all you see is brown and tumbleweeds for miles of straight boring road. Roads in the northeast are very interesting in comparison, old and winding, flat and hilly, wildflowers, bushes, trees everywhere, making driving even on some of our heavily traveled roads pleasing to the eye. I am very close to moving to CO and have been prepping myself mentally for the switch from green to brown, drinking in all the cool roads here and trying to come to terms with the tumbleweeds and the color brown.
I actually felt less brown phobic on my last visit because I concentrated on the idea of living in Denver; I feel I can justify more of the "ugly" if I also get the benefits of city living, plus, like I said, I was really impressed with some of the neighborhoods asthetically. Living in towns where you need to be in the car all the time will make the brown be in your face maybe too much for us easterners.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by buffalobirdie

My husband and I are attracted to Denver for the climate and for activities but I've heard that its topography is super dry, brown and ugly. Is that true? Don't laugh: Are there trees? I live in Manhattan now and love Central Park. I just envision Denver being one giant tumble weed. I was there for a couple days but didn't get to see much.

I just got back from a whirlwind week out west, two days in Denver and five in New Mexico.
Denver was beautiful the days I was there, very green, everything blooming.
Everyone kept saying how grim the winter had been, and now I see that snow is expected again. This can maim/kill trees and wreak a lot of other havoc. I once spent a late May weekend without any electricity.
However, looks like Denver will just be wet and cool, maybe no snow--just more moisture to keep things green.
9 counties are now under advisories, watches, or severe weather warnings.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by 5thIndian

365 lush east ...

The Northeast is not lush from November to March. If you want 365 days of lush vegetation per year, you need to go to the western Pacific NW or the South.

[5thIndian]

Good point, xeric.
It is not "lush" here(NE) in those months. Here, it does seem "brown" in the winter months, with the decidious trees and bushes losing their leaves, but, it still doesn't seem as brown as it does in some of the areas I have visited in CO in the summer! Cause the OP is from NY, I figured they would know what I meant but good to be clear for anyone wanting info on the NE...it is not all flowers and green 365, go south. My son lives in NC and they have flower beds all year long.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by 5thIndian

Good point, xeric.
It is not "lush" here(NE) in those months. Here, it does seem "brown" in the winter months, with the decidious trees and bushes losing their leaves, but, it still doesn't seem as brown as it does in some of the areas I have visited in CO in the summer! Cause the OP is from NY, I figured they would know what I meant but good to be clear for anyone wanting info on the NE...it is not all flowers and green 365, go south. My son lives in NC and they have flower beds all year long.

Yes, I'm sure the OP knows. I just think it's kind of interesting how people in snowy climates tend to de-emphasize what cold dormancy makes the area look like. Of course we get the same thing here in CO, so that's probably not a factor for the OP.

[wanneroo]

I wish people would accept the fact that Denver is high elevation prairie that gets 15 inches of precip a year rather than trying to impose some eastern USA 65 inches of rain a year horticulture on the place.

If you don't like brown and dry then don't come to Colorado I can tell you in the positive because Colorado has plenty of both. I don't consider it ugly, just different.

[Foreverking]

Originally Posted by buffalobirdie

My husband and I are attracted to Denver for the climate and for activities but I've heard that its topography is super dry, brown and ugly. Is that true? Don't laugh: Are there trees? I live in Manhattan now and love Central Park. I just envision Denver being one giant tumble weed. I was there for a couple days but didn't get to see much.

yep, except for the tumble weeds, any trees you see, someone felt a need to put one there. It is brown and uuuuuuuggggglllllleeee...but I suppose that just me. Living in the beautiful desert of Arizona part of the year and green western Washington State the other, I have the best of the best. The Rocky Mountain highs, are....in the Rocky Mountains. I wouldnt equate Denver with anything to do with them except for a nice back drop..and only if you are facing west. The plains look like a gigantic brown golf course. Check out New Mexico instead...much more beauty.

[treedonkey]

I dislike that the Rockies keep giving up all their close games.

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by treedonkey

I dislike that the Rockies keep giving up all their close games.

Treedonkey shoots! He scores! Nothing but net!

Come to think of it, the Denver Nuggets kinda went kaput as well!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

I just got back from a whirlwind week out west, two days in Denver and five in New Mexico.
Denver was beautiful the days I was there, very green, everything blooming.
Everyone kept saying how grim the winter had been, and now I see that snow is expected again. This can maim/kill trees and wreak a lot of other havoc. I once spent a late May weekend without any electricity.
However, looks like Denver will just be wet and cool, maybe no snow--just more moisture to keep things green.
9 counties are now under advisories, watches, or severe weather warnings.

It's been snowing in Louisville for a few hours now.