|
|
| *Travel Tips>>>Denver Travel Tips |
What is it like to live in Denver, CO? Weather? What are the best areas to buy a home in and around Denver? |
Travel Info My wife and I are exploring other cities/towns to live. We currently live in northern California and I work in the tech industry. I've heard good things about Denver and surrounding towns but I have never been there. I would appreciate any insight into life in Denver, areas to consider living, etc. Travel Tips Compared to CA, it has similar sunshine, but greater seasonal extremes in climate. Hot (but dry) summers. Cold winters. Fair amount of snow but it tends to dsappear fast, without days of East Coast style slush. Denver has very decent cultural stuff (museums, theatre, university events) although less than in LA/SF. Housing is substantially cheaper. Job market is about the same or a bit worse. The tech market in particular is pretty dead, because of some layoffs, like at Sun. I'd have a job before I moved, if I were in tech. Neighborhood is difficult to say without knowing your price range. The upper end is in Boulder (30 miles away) and SE of downtown. Close in SE (3rd-6th avenue) has multimillion dollar mansions. Further out SE has million dollar suburban homes. Tons of tract developments everywhere in the suburbs of course, at every price range. Older quaint stuff in the city, much in nice quiet neighborhoods (ex: Washington Park). 300-700K. Lotsa possibilities for getting a custom home built for you. I'd be happy to say more, if I knew more about what you're looking for. But you can find pretty near everything somewhere in the Denver area. Some traffic, but not as bad as CA. Public transportation was poor, but is improving. Bottom lines. If you're looking for better opportunties and more money, maybe not. If you're looking for a more relaxed lifestyle with great outdoor recreation, yes. If you need a job, check that out before going a lot further. Housing is not an issue for anyone from CA. Others I'd go for Castle Rock (about 30 miles south of Denver) or Fort Collins (about 60 miles north). Neither is as crowded as Denver, and the air is much cleaner. The weather on the "Front Range" (the eastern foothills of the Rockies) is very cold in winter, but there's still lots of sunshine; I've been outside many days with just a light jacket on, as long as there's not much wind, even when it's below freezing. Summers are mild and dry for the most part, except for afternoon showers in June and early July. In winter, the air gets very dry - sometimes the relative humidity is as low as the single digits. You'll need humidifiers (I like the whole-house type - much better distribution), and be sure to keep your skin healthy by keeping it moist. Snow is generally heavier in winter as you get further east of the mountains; towns that are right up against the foothills often don't get as much snow as the eastern third of the state, where true blizzards are fairly common. Always be aware of weather forecasts in winter, and it's not a bad idea to carry a winter survival kit with you - food, water, and a sleeping bag; likewise be sure your vehicle is in good shape any time you are traveling in winter. You will very likely see at least some snow as early as September, and as late as June and July in cities like Colorado Springs (the highest large city in the state at 6000+ feet). If you have a four-wheel- drive vehicle, they're very useful in winter, although not a substitute for careful driving. Mountain passes close in winter - the Colorado Department of Transportation web site is a good place for current travel information. Also be aware that the *lowest* point in Colorado is well over 3,000 feet in elevation, and the area around Denver is a mile above sea level or more; it will take about 6 months for you to have an intial adaptation to the thin air, presuming you're healthy, and about 18 months to fully adapt (you will actually grow more lung tissue). All in all, I enjoyed living there for seven years, and would highly recommend it. As others have said, we have extreme climates. Hot, dry summers and cold winters. But we get all 4 seasons. It doesn't snow as much as people think it does. Denver is a wonderful city. I live in the suburbs, but I've lived in all areas of the south metro area. North Denver has worse traffic trying to get into the city during rush hours. But the southern areas tend to get more snow. But otherwise, you can get to almost anywhere in the city within 20-30 minutes and with about 3 routes. We just finished a 5 year project to redo one of our major highway corridors, so it's great! But watch out for road rage issues. There is so much to do here. We have all types of professional sports teams, parks, museums, and the mountains. We also have a good downtown scene, bars and so forth. Its fairly safe as well. Again for housing, it depends on your spending limit. Littleton, is good for all classes. Highlands Ranch is more upper class. Aurora is diverse, but tends to have a reputation for being a gang area or lower class area. But it does have its good parts in the newer parts (its a big city). If you need more info let me know. I'm getting ready to move out of the state, but I grew up here and can tell you pros and cons to all areas. It's a great place. The weather is nice, mostly because of the dry climate. Even when it is hot or cold, it doesn't feel as hot/cold as it does in places where it's higher humidity like the midwest or the south. There's just enough snow to enjoy, but not enough to make life miserable. If you're settled on moving to the Denver area, the best places to look are south (Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, etc.) or east (Aurora, Centennial, etc.) Those are the fastest growing areas and have the better school districts. If you're open to other areas of Colorado, I would suggest Loveland, Ft. Collins or Colorado Springs. They are also rapidly growing, but currently the cost of housing is lower in those areas than in the Denver area. If you're open to other areas of the country, try the Seattle/Tacoma area. It's got great weather and every other person from California is moving here! Both the Colorado Front Range and the Washington I-5 corridor are good places for tech jobs. I grew up in Denver proper and I currently live in Tacoma, WA (and have for 21 years). Judging by the number of Californians here, everyone in California has heard good things about Colorado. Californians have ruined the housing market here. Tell everyone thanks for us. I've lived in the Denver area for 35 years and people have become increasingly less friendly and more rude (probably in self defense). Of course, for some it might still be a step up. |
| Tags |
| Boston Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Kansas City |
Travel Info Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |