Gay Life in Seattle, WA versus Denver, CO?-People, Jobs, Economy, Weather

[Sockeye66]

I'm not gay but Seattle has a very strong accepted and active gay population. Used to be the Capital Hill neighborhood was known best for the gay community but have put roots throughout the city. Also, Seattle is far more politically progressive than Denver, sexuality and gender identity are protected class re: employment and housing laws.

Denver is beautiful and I've enjoyed the times I've been there but can't speak much more of it than that.

[fastsix]

Originally Posted by nF88

I can only comment on half of your issues, but I moved to Seattle in December from Philadelphia and as for transients: we're EVERYWHERE. I can say, easily, more than half the people I meet are from somewhere else. Make of that what you will.

Weather wise, I excepted rain, clouds and cooler temperatures... Check our weather: http://www.weather.com/weather/5day/l/USWA0395:1:US It's so dry and most of the grass you see is straw colored unless it's a public park, but even then you might see dry patches. Today when I went to brunch and it drizzled for five minutes and workers and patrons alike started to cheer and clap their hands. What's worse is most apartments/homes aren't equipped with AC because apparently in the past they never had to deal with such heat. We can't even put an AC in any of our apartment windows because they're not designed to hold one. The windows are large and close horizontally.

While this year (and last) are drier than average, you can generally count on dry, sunny weather for a good portion of the summer around here. Our summers are beautiful, but don't let it fool you, eventually you'll be wishing it was sunny and wondering how you ever thought our summer weather was the norm. There's a reason when you Google Juneuary, Seattle is the most prominent result.

Take a mental picture of the sunshine and store it for later, because some time in February when you haven't seen the sun in a week, it'll be the closest you'll get to actually seeing it.

btw...moved here from Florida 20 years ago or so. The weather takes some adjustment. Spring and early summer are a killer...you keep waiting for it to warm up, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Even when it's finally summer, it can still be quite cold, esp. at night. The other thing that still gets to me is the length of days, very short in the winter, very long in the Summer. Not really a fan of either extreme, but the short winter days combined with the endless clouds can be a bit tough.

[AmFest]

Originally Posted by fastsix

While this year (and last) are drier than average, you can generally count on dry, sunny weather for a good portion of the summer around here. Our summers are beautiful, but don't let it fool you, eventually you'll be wishing it was sunny and wondering how you ever thought our summer weather was the norm. There's a reason when you Google Juneuary, Seattle is the most prominent result.

Take a mental picture of the sunshine and store it for later, because some time in February when you haven't seen the sun in a week, it'll be the closest you'll get to actually seeing it.

btw...moved here from Florida 20 years ago or so. The weather takes some adjustment. Spring and early summer are a killer...you keep waiting for it to warm up, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Even when it's finally summer, it can still be quite cold, esp. at night. The other thing that still gets to me is the length of days, very short in the winter, very long in the Summer. Not really a fan of either extreme, but the short winter days combined with the endless clouds can be a bit tough.

I cannot have said it better.

[nF88]

Originally Posted by fastsix

Take a mental picture of the sunshine and store it for later, because some time in February when you haven't seen the sun in a week, it'll be the closest you'll get to actually seeing it.

... The other thing that still gets to me is the length of days, very short in the winter, very long in the Summer. Not really a fan of either extreme, but the short winter days combined with the endless clouds can be a bit tough.

I moved here in October 2014, so I was here for February. A week's worth of cloudy weather isn't exactly always uplifting, but it's very comparable to Pennsylvania and what I imagine many East Coast states experience - it is winter after all. The nice thing about winter here is that unlike PA it stays relatively comfortable here, only hitting the 30s on occasion, which I understand is due to the new warmer winters.

And are you kidding me with the short winter days and long summer days? lol that happens literally almost everywhere all over the country, it's not a Washington thing.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by nF88

I moved here in October 2014, so I was here for February. A week's worth of cloudy weather isn't exactly always uplifting, but it's very comparable to Pennsylvania and what I imagine many East Coast states experience - it is winter after all. The nice thing about winter here is that unlike PA it stays relatively comfortable here, only hitting the 30s on occasion, which I understand is due to the new warmer winters.

And are you kidding me with the short winter days and long summer days? lol that happens literally almost everywhere all over the country, it's not a Washington thing.

True, but because of how far north we are, it's get light later in the morning, in the winter, than most parts of the U.S. And stays lighter a little longer in the summer for the same reason.
And some people are particularly sensitive to the dark, cloudy weather.
It doesn't bother me. Denver's too dry. I'm not familiar with Denver, otherwise. Seattle has a very large Gay community, and one of the biggest and best Pride parades in the country.

[Cecilia M]

I've been living in Seattle for a little over a decade and the gay community seems very strong here. I am not a part of that community but even in your average, everyday suburban neighborhood nowhere near Capitol Hill, people are accepting of gay people... I can't promise there are no bigots, because they are everywhere, but the majority here is accepting of gay people, or at least knows they can't openly express discriminatory remarks about gay people. I think that's the biggest thing I noticed, being from the Midwest because back home you had to be in a more gay friendly neighborhood to see a gay couple openly holding hands or whatever.

Being in a liberal bubble doesn't necessarily mean individual human compassion, though. People here can be quite cold and it's hard to break into social circles, especially if you are over 30, which it sounds like you are?

It's not exactly "humid" here. The moisture tends to be more in the winter when it creates quite a chill. The summer months are dry. We do have the problem with not having AC but you can always buy a window or portable AC if you want one. It's just very Seattle to do a lot of hand-wringing about it haha.

[fastsix]

Originally Posted by nF88

I moved here in October 2014, so I was here for February. A week's worth of cloudy weather isn't exactly always uplifting, but it's very comparable to Pennsylvania and what I imagine many East Coast states experience - it is winter after all. The nice thing about winter here is that unlike PA it stays relatively comfortable here, only hitting the 30s on occasion, which I understand is due to the new warmer winters.

And are you kidding me with the short winter days and long summer days? lol that happens literally almost everywhere all over the country, it's not a Washington thing.

Sunny Days Per year
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Sunset/Sunrise, June 29, 2015
5:14am/9:11pm - Seattle
6:32am/8:16pm - Miami

I don't know what to tell you except if you live here long enough, you'll eventually understand why our weather has the reputation that it does. You might find our winter more comfortable than PA, but you won't find it to be more sunny. As for the length of days, remember he's moving here from Florida, not Pennsylvania. Civil twilight (basically light enough to be useful) this time of year is crazy.

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by fastsix

Sunny Days Per year
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Sunset/Sunrise, June 29, 2015
5:14am/9:11pm - Seattle
6:32am/8:16pm - Miami

I don't know what to tell you except if you live here long enough, you'll eventually understand why our weather has the reputation that it does. You might find our winter more comfortable than PA, but you won't find it to be more sunny. As for the length of days, remember he's moving here from Florida, not Pennsylvania. Civil twilight (basically light enough to be useful) this time of year is crazy.

I understand what you're saying, though it should be pointed out that Philly has substantially milder weather than almost all of PA. My wife is from near Erie, which averages 157 sunny days per year but also about 60 days of snow and over 100 inches per winter. We just moved here in October 2014, too, and there's no way even on a bad year that it is worse in Western Washington. Even on a rainy year, the scenery here is far superior and it's a huge bonus that all the foliage around you is not dead.

As to the gay scene- well, I'm not gay but several of my friends are, and out of those friends a few have actually moved from Denver. I think that it's safe to conclude that Seattle has a much bigger "city" feel and is very accepting, though there is definitely more overall warmth to the people in Colorado. They all seem to be in a good mood much of the time. The common thread to my friends, though, (both gay and straight) and myself as a transplant is that Denver is isolated and eventually becomes boring. Things are changing, but Denver is much more a basecamp for heading into the mountains and Seattle has a lot more people content living and enjoying the city itself.

They're both big changes from Miami. As a former Floridian myself, I can say that CO's altitude and dryness were shocking, though I did like the climate and had no allergy problems. Ultimately, though, the climate can also be harsh and we've found Washington to be much more livable- milder temps, the blues and greens of trees and water compared to the browns and reds of the high semi-desert in CO.

The OP's assessment was pretty accurate, though I just noticed that he hasn't posted in nearly two years. I wish more people would follow up and contribute to conversation in these forums after their initial questions.....