Visiting Denver in 2 weeks to decide if I want to move there....need advice on where to get the spirit of Denver! (Colorado Springs: transplants)

[kingteamhtmk]

My boyfriend and I (both 26 years old) will be moving to Denver in 1-2 months! Looking for any advice from you about which neighborhood to live in, nightlife, restaurants, etc. My boyfriend has been there before, but I havent yet....I'm going to visit for a few days in July....any suggestions for me to definitely see when I visit that would be decision makers on whether to make the final move?? I need advice on which places to see (good or bad) that are influential and very local and "Denver-ish" that would help me make a final decision.

I grew up in South NJ, right outside Philadelphia, and now I live in SW Florida in Fort Myers for the past 5 years....Im definitely missing the suburb/city life, but Im really going to miss the beach! My boyfriend's brother lives in Colorado Springs (right outside Denver?)...curious about your opinions of that neighborhood as well! Do you think this will be an easy move for me?

Thanks for your advice and suggestions!!!!!!!!
Heather

[Katarina Witt]

Where to live in Denver is a pretty broad question. The answer of course is, "it depends". It depends on what you're looking for: city v suburb; inner ring suburb v. exurb; how much you want to spend, what you like to do, etc. You mention nightlife, so I'd guess you want to live somewhere that you'd be near bars, clubs, etc.

Colorado Springs is not a "neighborhood"; it is a city of >300,000 people with a metro of > 600,000.

[choosing78]

Hi, some suggestions, hit up a few bars/restaurants in Lodo before catching a rockies game, head out to red rocks for a show, spend a day rafting/kayaking/hiking, check out the art district, musum of science, see a show at the performing arts center, go shopping, walk 16th st.

[OneMoreMove]

Go to City Park on Sunday evening for the Jazz concert. You'll see lots of people being very mellow, and tons of bicycles and barbecues. Then add in local sports and anything related to 'going to the mountains' and you've pretty much got the Denver sprint!

[cowboyxjon]

I like the idea of a rafting trip -- while it won't give you a feel for Denver itself, it will give you an idea of how close activities like this are to the city. I agree with the other comments re: LoDo, City Park, a Rockies Game (Coors Field is very nice and even though I don't follow baseball as much as my friends do, I always have a good time at the games), but I would also recommend checking out: Cherry Creek North, DU area, downtown Golden, downtown Boulder and maybe something like Chautauqua Park in Boulder or one of the many open space parks in the western Denver suburbs (Roxborough?).

As far as Colorado Springs goes, it's not really that close to Denver. It's about 50 miles south of Denver. If you go down to the Springs, you might want to check out Garden of the Gods. It's a neat park. Lots of red rocks.

Oh, as far as a specific LoDo bar/restaurant, I like the Rio Grande near 16th and Blake. It's in an old building and they serve strong margaritas. Most of the food is decent too.

[Davros]

Try the "beach" at Cherry Creek Reservoir.

No, really. Trading beach for mountains. It'll be interesting. Many have done it and liked it. Others missed the beach too much and eventually moved back. Looking over the flat plains from atop of a foothill is kind of like looking over the ocean. Kind of. They're both flat.

Colorado Springs is not "just outside" of Denver unless you consider Baltimore to be "just outside" of Philadelphia. As Katiana said, it's a completely different metro area.

Actually Cherry Creek reservoir is very local and "Denver-ish," to be honest with you. You might check it out . Washington Park is another place where lots of locals get their exercise, depending on where in Denver they live. Yeah, any local park will kind of get a feel for Denver lifestyle. People do like to exercise. Also lots of locals go up to the foothills to get their excercise in mountain parks like White Ranch Park (Jefferson County).

If you like the humidity of Fla and Philly, you'll miss that. Denver is very dry. But most people hate that stuff.

[denverian]

Just do anything outdoors and you'll fall in love with Denver. It's not humid and you won't lose a pint of blood to mosquitoes every 10 minutes In the evenings, it's usually as comfortable outdoors as indoors.

But check out Downtown, Cherry Creek shopping district, LoDo, South Broadway, and if you can, head out to Boulder to the Pearl St. Mall. All fun places, lots of walking outdoors, and great people watching.

[OneMoreMove]

Originally Posted by denverian

Just do anything outdoors and you'll fall in love with Denver. It's not humid and you won't lose a pint of blood to mosquitoes every 10 minutes In the evenings, it's usually as comfortable outdoors as indoors.

That's pretty much the spirit of Denver. Love the outdoor activities that are available here, and love the weather in Denver.

[ucdenver2010]

Originally Posted by kingteamhtmk

....Im really going to miss the beach!

the secluded beaches of the central coast is what i will probably miss most about California....at the same time, i rarely do go to the beach because i am way too busy. just the simple pleasures of bonfires and camping near the beaches or just strolling down is what i will miss most.

[Ziasforever]

Originally Posted by kingteamhtmk

My boyfriend and I (both 26 years old) will be moving to Denver in 1-2 months! Looking for any advice from you about which neighborhood to live in, nightlife, restaurants, etc. My boyfriend has been there before, but I havent yet....I'm going to visit for a few days in July....any suggestions for me to definitely see when I visit that would be decision makers on whether to make the final move?? I need advice on which places to see (good or bad) that are influential and very local and "Denver-ish" that would help me make a final decision.

I grew up in South NJ, right outside Philadelphia, and now I live in SW Florida in Fort Myers for the past 5 years....Im definitely missing the suburb/city life, but Im really going to miss the beach! My boyfriend's brother lives in Colorado Springs (right outside Denver?)...curious about your opinions of that neighborhood as well! Do you think this will be an easy move for me?

Thanks for your advice and suggestions!!!!!!!!
Heather

Do you have a job lined up? You will find competition for them in Colorado quite fierce. Even high demand nurses don't get picked-up right away as there is an excellent choice for hospitals and doctors to choose from. Guess what that does to wages? Also, be prepared to make sacrifices of one thing or another to live in Colorado.

If you don't need to make money then it's a whole different story. You can buy a lot of home in the Denver metro area for $300K. Traffic is another issue.

As for nightlife, I think there are a lot of choices especially in downtown Denver or Boulder. Good microbrewies in the metro area. Counterbalancing that; Colorado has some really tough drunk driving laws so beware and as the RP above me who probably inappropriately expressed his frustration with transplants, being from the East Coast might not endear you to thier hearts.

Good luck!