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Well even Northeastern suburbs, Chicagoland, Tampa, the OC, and San Antonio all have long roads stringed with PF Changs/Hampton Inn/Best Buy kind of commerce so I don't see your point there. Also that type of commercial and residential sprawl is easily found in at least half of America's metro areas, if not more.
Differences between Denver and Phoenix, I see big differences in their economy, architectural style, year round climate, politics, demographics, the types of transplants they attract, even the mountains are different...VERY different. Phoenix has the Sonoran desert scenery with a much different ecosystem and desert vegetation, Denver has high alpine peaks and forests not far away descending into high plains. Arizona and Colorado are just very different in topography.
Phoenix doesn't have the hometown sports culture and fanfare that Denver does. Denver doesn't have the golfing scene or large scale resort development around the city like Phoenix or Scottsdale. Phoenix doesn't have any early 20th century bungalow neighborhoods like Denver's Washington Park, historic areas like Capital Hill, or college towns Boulder around it. Denver's core has a much more palpable sense of history and vibrancy around it and it's the focal point of the city something Phoenix lacks. You can minimize that I guess because it pales compared to Philly or wherever else back East but it certainly sets it apart from Phoenix in a big way in my opinion.
Phoenix has a closer kinship to SoCal, where Denver is more or less it's own vibe with an REI type outdoor culture.
I agree Denver feels more like the Midwest to me if anything. The weather is cold and snowy in the winter, homes have basements, it's green, people are very passionate about their local sports like people in the Midwest. Denver and Phoenix really are nothing alike. Phoenix is much more similar to SoCal then it is to Denver.
I agree Denver feels more like the Midwest to me if anything. The weather is cold and snowy in the winter, homes have basements, it's green, people are very passionate about their local sports like people in the Midwest. Denver and Phoenix really are nothing alike. Phoenix is much more similar to SoCal then it is to Denver.
This X 7.
Driving or flying into Denver the topography of the plains is much more evident than those of the Rockies. I feel like I am in Nebraska or Kansas when in metro Denver. The city itself is laid out in a more Midwestern/Eastern fashion than say the grid like strip-mall, car oriented blvds of say a Phoenix, Albuquerque, or Las Vegas. There is hardly any Mediterranean/Spanish type architecture that is more typical in sunbelt cities. Also, there is a noticeable black presence in many neighborhoods throughout Denver that are more typical of Eastern and Midwestern cities, than other cities in the interior Southwest.
In referencing the original question, if your looking for a city similar to Phoenix, AZ but slightly colder in temp., wouldn't someplace like Albuquerque, NM be the obvious answer?
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Originally Posted by santafe400
In referencing the original question, if your looking for a city similar to Phoenix, AZ but slightly colder in temp., wouldn't someplace like Albuquerque, NM be the obvious answer?
Well...kinda but not really. Albuquerque is just so much smaller than Phoenix and not nearly as prosperous. Phoenix uses lot more water and irrigation on its landscape. I think Albuquerque is more like Tucson with a higher elevation and cooler weather, that would be more apples to apples.
Again, SoCal (including the Inland Empire) is not really colder than Phoenix. Sure, in summer, but winters are a bit warmer than Phoenix.
The weather in Phoenix and So Cal couldn't be more different in the summer but are remarkably similar in winter. The same winter storms that hit So Cal usually hit Phoenix the next day. It is a little warmer in So Cal but you are greatly exaggerating the temp differences. Maybe 2-3 degrees warmer during the day and maybe 5 at night. Now Vegas is a different story. They can have significantly colder temps in winter than So Cal and Phoenix.
It seems the answer in the Inland Empire. Not very exciting, but oh well.
Exciting or not I agree with you and you could make an argument for Vegas too. The OKC comparison to me was out of left field. Other than sprawl I see very few similarities. Some will say both are conservative but they have very different kinds of conservatives.
Again, SoCal (including the Inland Empire) is not really colder than Phoenix. Sure, in summer, but winters are a bit warmer than Phoenix.
The Inland Empire is a degree warmer than Phoenix in terms of daytime highs in December; Phoenix being warmer, in the daytime, the other eleven months.
In terms of overnight lows, the Inland Empire is cooler than Phoenix 12 months out of the year.
San Bernardino, Redlands, Riverside...that whole area.
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