Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm partial to Denver because I live about 4 hours away from it and I visit it often. I would say that Denver and San Diego have WAY more to offer in recreation than Austin. They both have a higher population and more diversity too. Austin is overrated.
San Diego is beautiful, but there are too many Hispanics and Orientals taking over. Like I said, I'm biased, but Denver is by far my favorite American city and it has so much flavor. It has kind of an "Old West" meets Aspen vibe and it's a cheap city to live in too.
Pray tell. How are these Hispanics and Orientals (called Asians for the past 150 years) taking over??
There is a very high influx of Asians and Hispanics migrating into the San Diego area and Southern California. Much higher than the rest of the country.
but there are too many Hispanics and Orientals taking over. Like I said, I'm biased, but Denver is by far my favorite American city and it has so much flavor.
keep your opinions in South Dakota...where you can get away speaking like that. In most other places you'll be eaten alive (and not by the mountain lions or bears that probably live in your backyard)...even by people who are not visible minorities.
but back to the original question, both Denver & San Diego are great, but different vibes. Denver is more "rugged" & more economical to live in, versus the traditional "beach/ coastal" vibes of San Diego. Denver is a more regional big city so I think it has more job offerings than San Diego, which economically/ work force-wise will be in the shadows of LA, Orange County or the Bay Area.
Which city do you like best and why? Which city has better jobs, abundance of things to do outside, better vibe?
I have never lived in (or even been to) Austin, but I've lived in both San Diego and Denver and can comment on those two.
I am a huge sports fan, and Denver blows San Diego away in this category. Denver has all four of the major sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA) and they all play in or near downtown, making game day a lot of fun.
Denver teams tend to have pretty strong fan support. Even the Rockies had a pretty solid core fan base before their surprising World Series appearance in 2007. They've been in the top 1/3 in the league in attendance ever since then.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High is a better venue than Qualcomm, though "The Q" is still nice for its age. Coors Field is a better stadium than is Petco Park. Petco looks cool and trendy, it's run by a first-class staff, and is a great place to see and be seen. But if you are an actual baseball fan and go to SEE the game, Petco is one of the worst parks I've ever been to. Lots of obstructed views and awkward angles of the field. Coors Field is a much more "fan-friendly" ballpark.
I could comment all day about the sports culture of these two cities, but there are other topics to cover.
Outdoor activities are a wash. It really just matters what one's preference may be. Both cities have great outdoor activities available. Lot's of trails, parks, and nearby recreational opportunities. Denver benefits from having world class skiing nearby in the winter, San Diego has some pretty nice beaches. In terms of outdoor recreation, you have to decide what you like better. You really can't miss with either city.
Better "vibe" is sort of subjective. What I consider a vibe may not be what the next guy considers a vibe. With that said, both cities have nice downtown areas. San Diego has Horton Plaza with some pretty good department stores (Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's) anchoring; as well as the Gas Lamp District. Denver has 16th Street Mall (not as good as Horton Plaza) and LoDo (IMO better than the Gas Lamp District).
One thing that sort of gives Denver the edge is that it is a regional hub while San Diego (while similar in size to Denver) is sort of in the shadow of Los Angeles. Thus San Diego's regional influence is not as noticeable as Denver's.
OP: If you have any more questions, fire away. There may be some specific information or categories in addition to your original query? Let us know!
I am originally from Boston, spent ten years in San Diego (OB, Mission Valley and La Jolla), and now live in Austin.
The following are strictly my own opinions on SD and Austin (as I know nothing about Denver):
San Diego
Very expensive. One and a half (?) bedroom townhouse in Mission Valley with a postage stamp yard for $485K. Ticket for driving in carpool lane, $431. Although utilities, priceless, as I never had to turn on my heat or AC once in ten years!
Weather--as mentioned, perfect.
Aesthetics--the architecture is not my cup of tea (I prefer the Capes, Brownstones, Victorians etc. of Boston to the Spanish Mission style). Don't get me started on popcorn ceilings! But the cliffs, beach front, tide pools, flowers/plants, etc. are beautiful! The people tend to be a good looking bunch as well.
With several military bases in and near SD there are obviously a large number of (mostly) young, male service members. I didn't mind this but many who live there do, which is why I mention it.
Plan to do a good amount of driving. Unless you live and work downtown there is a great deal of "sprawl".
I found the people (for the most part) to be quite friendly, albeit superficial. (Keep in mind that whole, "this is my opinion" thing) Especially when I lived in OB where it seemed as though people between the ages of 16 and dead are required to be perpetually intoxicated on some substance or another.
Austin
Ok, this is where you really, really have to remember the "opinion" thing.
I find Austin to be a town that thinks it's a city. It seems as though it has had so much smoke blown up its ass in recent years that it has begun to believe the hype. I find it to be overrated.
Yes, there are many parks, trails, rivers and lakes, however it is so ungodly hot in the summer that you can barely be outside to enjoy it.
Yes, there are many food trucks and restaurants, but adding chipotle sauce to my duck (Hudson's) does not make it better.
Yes, there are a number of "keep Austin weird" pot-smoking hippies but, there are an = or > number of very conservative, very religious, gun-toting rednecks right outside the pearly gates of Austin city limits. (The use of the terms "hippies" and "rednecks" has been done without malice or aforethought)
The cost of living is wonderfully inexpensive.
There are a high number of tech. jobs.
If Dell, Samsung, National Instrument, South X Southwest, flat land, brown houses with brown landscapes, and a metric ass-ton of bars and live music sounds like heaven, then you will love it here!
For the past three years I have lived in Austin, while my parents have lived in the San Diego area (El Cajon and Oceanside), so I have a decent amount of experience with both. I agree 100% with tankgirll's assessment!
Austin is definitely over-hyped, but there are A LOT of tech jobs here and it is growing fast. The ethnic food here is, in my opinion, terrible. California style Mexican food is replaced by bland Tex-mex, Chinese food is equally poor in comparison. Really the only food that is great is obviously, BBQ. If you can stand the heat and humidity, it is worth considering. I can't, which is why I'm planning to move.
San Diego is fantastic by comparison, but you pay a premium for being near the coast. If that is important, it can be worth the price. Also, consider that San Diego is vastly more densely populated. Austin claims to have a 700k+ pop, but downtown is actually pretty small and it is more of a commuter town than it might seem. The suburb cities of Austin (Round Rock, Barton Creek, etc.) pale in comparison to the nearby cities of SD (El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, etc.).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ticket for driving in carpool lane, $431. 
Although utilities, priceless, as I never had to turn on my heat or AC once in ten years! 
