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I’m getting to this thread late and have not read many replies but of the 3 cities mentioned, I found Denver to be the least welcoming/most standoffish to me when I lived in California and they found that out. Same thing with locals in Aspen (but not Boulder). Not sure if that qualifies as snobbish or anything else, but stood out even though I enjoyed my visits nonetheless.
SLC were the most friendly and down to earth.
In Denver, it's seemingly dependent on the neighborhood. I go to establishments in my part of town (Sunnyside) and the service is super mellow and friendly. However when I go down to RiNo, the "hot" and touristy part of town these days, I've experienced way more of a dickish attitude from the staff and patrons. Some suburbs like Arvada I find to be friendly, while Highlands Ranch is more stuffy/snobby. Hit or miss, I guess.
I had a similar experience in San Diego - away from the tourist hotspots and bougie areas like La Jolla, I found people to be generally cool...laid-back and friendly.
PHX was very friendly as I recall. I didn't spend much time in SLC, but I remember it feeling...weird...and kind of cold/removed. Shades of twilight zone. But my dad and I were there on a Sunday and all of downtown seemed empty, so maybe we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was also in 2010, so I should revisit & reassess - these western cities have changed a lot in the last decade.
Last edited by boomtown boi; 04-27-2021 at 12:58 PM..
Interesting. Seems like you've traveled all over the country. Is Colorado Springs also like Tucson or friendlier? I always imagined it was like Tucson because of its size. I figured Las Vegas was friendlier than Tucson.
Hearing all of this made me so happy I left Tucson. I used to compare Tucson to northeast cities and always thought it gave off a northeast vibe. Some people in Tucson even have New York accents too. Likely they are New York transplants. Never seen that in Phoenix. I did notice in Tucson a lot more northeast transplants than in Phoenix. That could also contribute to the rudeness. Phoenix has more Midwestern transplants.
Colorado Springs in general is much less unfriendly than Tucson and Denver.
Denverites sadly think the level of arrogance is normal. I have gone to locally owned restaurants that have few eating in them and the waitresses will provide service, but only to order, to plop the food on the table and then come for the bill.
Even a majority of the locally owned businesses in Denver treat many of their customers terribly, many of the locally owned businesses in Colorado Springs which they have many tend to be far nicer.
The fact that 6% of those responding to this poll voted Denver is friendliest between Phoenix and Salt Lake City is amazing. I was surprised it was that high but people have a variety of experiences, I guess.
There is not one personality trait of Denver I find appealing.
Colorado Springs is materialistic but not superficial.
Colorado Springs is much more polite, more extroverted these days than Denver or Tucson.
I actually think Colorado Springs residents have gotten a bit nicer over the last decade.
Phoenix has a huge percentage of transplants from all the Midwest. Over the years in metropolitan Phoenix there have been far more that I have known with Midwest roots compared to California.
I have not known many in Phoenix from the Northeastern states because they typical relocate to Florida.
I think Tucson tends to appeal to a certain personality type, very introverted compared to Phoenix appeals to Midwesterners.
Last edited by lovecrowds; 04-27-2021 at 01:22 PM..
lovecrowds, you are coming across as if you are The expert on so many cities. Have you lived in all of these cities you mention, or just visited on occasion?
Colorado Springs in general is much less unfriendly than Tucson and Denver.
Denverites sadly think the level of arrogance is normal. I have gone to locally owned restaurants that have few eating in them and the waitresses will provide service, but only to order, to plop the food on the table and then come for the bill.
Even a majority of the locally owned businesses in Denver treat many of their customers terribly, many of the locally owned businesses in Colorado Springs which they have many tend to be far nicer.
The fact that 6% of those responding to this poll voted Denver is friendliest between Phoenix and Salt Lake City is amazing. I was surprised it was that high but people have a variety of experiences, I guess.
There is not one personality trait of Denver I find appealing.
Colorado Springs is materialistic but not superficial.
Colorado Springs is much more polite, more extroverted these days than Denver or Tucson.
I actually think Colorado Springs residents have gotten a bit nicer over the last decade.
Phoenix has a huge percentage of transplants from all the Midwest. Over the years in metropolitan Phoenix there have been far more that I have known with Midwest roots compared to California.
I have not known many in Phoenix from the Northeastern states because they typical relocate to Florida.
I think Tucson tends to appeal to a certain personality type, very introverted compared to Phoenix appeals to Midwesterners.
So it appears Colorado Springs is in fact friendlier than Denver. Just hearing this makes me really want to take a trip to Colorado to experience both cities. I'd say Denver is probably prettier as a city because it's bigger and much more to do. Colorado Springs seems rather boring. I've only connected in both airports in the past. The Colorado Springs Airport is super small. It seemed a lot more localized than Denver Airport.
Phoenix does tend to have a more Midwestern lifestyle. Tucson has more of the Southern California lifestyle and the Northeast lifestyle. I'm going to Pennsylvania and Washington DC this summer, so I'll let you know how Allentown, Philadelphia, and Washington DC compare to Tucson. I have a good feeling Philadelphia will very much remind me of Tucson, but I could be wrong. I also have a feeling Allentown will be super down to earth too, but could also be wrong again. Never been to either. I've been to Washington DC, but that was back in 2006. I was barely a teenager at the time.
Phoenix does very much feel more midwestern than it does Californian. It feels like Minneapolis, but as if it were in the southwest.
I'm interested in hearing about these interactions with these groups of people.
In the Dallas area my interactions with Asians, Indians and Muslims have been extremely negative. I like many types of ethnic food and whenever I go a restaurant and I am served by someone from these groups they always ignore me and they are very cold, rude and disrespectful toward me. I have NEVER received a hi, hello, how are you doing, thank you or have a nice day from any of them. They make me wait at least 30 mins for my food while the White customers get their food within 10-15 mins. They overcharge me and throw my credit card back at me after I pay. Also, a lot of times the Chinese people angrily raise their voice at me when I go in to order food from their restaurants. Once when I tried to order something from a menu at an expensive Chinese place this Chinese waitress yelled at me saying that I am not supposed to eat that.
I once went to a middle eastern type restaurant in 2018 right next to the apt bldg where I live in Richardson, TX because a co-worker told me their food is real good and that I need to try it. When I went inside I smelled cigarette smoke and saw a large group of people sitting on the floor while smoking. Then a Pakistani employee rudely told me people are allowed to smoke in there and to go wait outside. I ordered food, waited outside for a long time since no one told me my food is ready. When I went in to get my food another Pakistani guy threw my food at me, did not say one word and walked away. That was the last time I set food in that establishment.
I have been discriminated a lot when trying to get a good job in the Dallas area and it is even worse if the interviewer is either Asian or Indian. I applied for a position at a pharmacy in Frisco, TX recently and this Indian woman who interviewed me looked at me in way that was racist and judgmental. I already had a strong feeling that I would not get that position and I was correct.
In my apt community all of my neighbors who are from Pakistan or Bangladesh totally ignore me whenever I say hello to them just to be friendly. There is a White family from West Texas who lives in one of the apartments below me and they were the only ones who said hello.
I am planning to relocate someplace soon where I be far away from all this and the snobby, racist attitudes in the Dallas area {either to a different part of TX or someplace out west (like AZ, NV, CO, UT)}.
lovecrowds, you are coming across as if you are The expert on so many cities. Have you lived in all of these cities you mention, or just visited on occasion?
Just more silly anecdotal opinions that don't hold water.
Just more silly anecdotal opinions that don't hold water.
Seems like I am in the vast majority, only 6% in this poll think Denver has the friendliest population.
It's very entertaining to go on the web and read all the reviews about opinions of the "non-friendliness of the people of Denver"
I can see why they are considered so unfriendly compared to Valley of the Sun. While, Denverites were slipping on ice and shoveling the sidewalk many, many times last month, the residents of Phoenix were outside in the mild morning sun followed by that warm Arizona afternoon sunshine.
94% of those responding did not vote for Denver.
Of course they are in ancedotal opinions, but many have the same anecdotal opinion of Denver.
There are hundreds and hundreds of reviews that I have read through the years and many agree with me.
So it appears Colorado Springs is in fact friendlier than Denver. Just hearing this makes me really want to take a trip to Colorado to experience both cities. I'd say Denver is probably prettier as a city because it's bigger and much more to do. Colorado Springs seems rather boring. I've only connected in both airports in the past. The Colorado Springs Airport is super small. It seemed a lot more localized than Denver Airport.
Phoenix does tend to have a more Midwestern lifestyle. Tucson has more of the Southern California lifestyle and the Northeast lifestyle. I'm going to Pennsylvania and Washington DC this summer, so I'll let you know how Allentown, Philadelphia, and Washington DC compare to Tucson. I have a good feeling Philadelphia will very much remind me of Tucson, but I could be wrong. I also have a feeling Allentown will be super down to earth too, but could also be wrong again. Never been to either. I've been to Washington DC, but that was back in 2006. I was barely a teenager at the time.
Phoenix does very much feel more midwestern than it does Californian. It feels like Minneapolis, but as if it were in the southwest.
Colorado Springs has very good prices on non-stop flights these days from Phoenix and the nicer areas are not from far from the airport.
In regards to Colorado: Grand Junction and Colorado Springs are the least "unfriendly" cities. I don't think Pueblo is friendly but it is down to earth and huble.
Fort Collins wasn't friendly nor rude. Boulder isn't friendly but it's extremely pretentious.
The airport is about 5 miles or so from downtown. A vast majority of toursity places that are very nice in Colorado Springs are less than 10 miles from the airport.
Colorado Springs has been improving on entertainment options. The recreational opportunities with-in 30 minutes in Colorado Springs are on a whole different level from Denver which is mainly flat and far less trees and lushness.
Colorado Springs has a tremendous amount of locally-owned stores that have nice owners for a city of it's size.
It seems as though many who have moved to Colorado Springs are much nicer than the residents who move to Denver.
Metro Phoenix feels nothing like California at all. In my opinion, it's like a mix of Midwesters who wanted warm to hot weather year-round and moved to Phoenix.
Many of the Californians who relocate to Phoenix are those who have a tremendous amount of home equity and move to luxurious enclaves like Sun Lakes, Far North Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Arcadia in Phoenix.
Seems like Tempe, Gilbert there are far more with Midwestern roots than California ones.
A vast majority of Californians who move to Phoenix tend to be retirees. Seems like a majority of those in their 20s and 30s in Phoenix are either Midwesterners or their families moved to Phoenix from the Midwest a generation ago.
Seems like I am in the vast majority, only 6% in this poll think Denver has the friendliest population.
It's very entertaining to go on the web and read all the reviews about opinions of the "non-friendliness of the people of Denver"
I can see why they are considered so unfriendly compared to Valley of the Sun. While, Denverites were slipping on ice and shoveling the sidewalk many, many times last month, the residents of Phoenix were outside in the mild morning sun followed by that warm Arizona afternoon sunshine.
94% of those responding did not vote for Denver.
Of course they are in ancedotal opinions, but many have the same anecdotal opinion of Denver.
There are hundreds and hundreds of reviews that I have read through the years and many agree with me.
City-Data threads aren't a poll to seriously consider. Neither are hundreds of reviews read by a guy on City-Data.
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