Professional African-American Female & Denver (rentals, credit, employment)

[westcoastbabe]

Looking to get a more recent/fresh perspective on life in Denver for an African-American female. Single, just turned 41 yr. old with no kids. How is the social scene there? I realize that we are few in numbers there, and at this point in life Im fine with it. Been in the south my whole life(Charlotte, NC) and have just grown tired of it. It's really true what they say, "you can outgrow a city". Just need a change of scenery/way of life from the South. NC will always be home...but right now really feeling I need to spread my wings and plant some new roots.

[ALStafford]

Hi, WCB, as a fellow NC transplant, I just sent you a DM.

[downtownnola]

Hi Westcoastbabe.

I just moved from Denver to Chicago last month. I moved here with no job, but things are falling into place. I had been in Denver for 9 years and loved it there, but needed a change so I can completely relate to where you are coming from!

I am a white gay guy in my late 20s, but my best friend is a black woman in her early 30s who lives in Chicago (I am staying with her until I get a job), so perhaps I can provide a little perspective. My friend used to visit me often and loved Denver. You are correct that there are far fewer African Americans in Denver than in Charlotte or Chicago, but it's not a completely non-diverse city, either. There are plenty of minorities in Denver, including many AA's. One thing that I can say about Denver is, there is much less racial tension than in many places, so I doubt most people will even notice or care that you're an African American. Denver is a great city with plenty of cultural amenities, so you won't get bored.

If you need a change and want to move west, go for it! I just made a big change in my life, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. The way I look at it is this... if I don't feel like Chicago's a fit, or down the road want to go back, that's always an option. But, in the mean while, I'm enjoying this adventure called life. Sure, leaving all you know behind is scary and takes some risk, but who wants to live in one place for their entire life? I've seen some of your posts over the years and I know this is not a spur-of-the moment idea... you've been thinking about a change for a while. I say, take the risk and go for it! Good luck girl

[westcoastbabe]

[quote=downtownnola;31747351]Hi Westcoastbabe.

I just moved from Denver to Chicago last month. I moved here with no job, but things are falling into place. I had been in Denver for 9 years and loved it there, but needed a change so I can completely relate to where you are coming from!

I am a white gay guy in my late 20s, but my best friend is a black woman in her early 30s who lives in Chicago (I am staying with her until I get a job), so perhaps I can provide a little perspective. My friend used to visit me often and loved Denver. You are correct that there are far fewer African Americans in Denver than in Charlotte or Chicago, but it's not a completely non-diverse city, either. There are plenty of minorities in Denver, including many AA's. One thing that I can say about Denver is, there is much less racial tension than in many places, so I doubt most people will even notice or care that you're an African American. Denver is a great city with plenty of cultural amenities, so you won't get bored.

If you need a change and want to move west, go for it! I just made a big change in my life, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. The way I look at it is this... if I don't feel like Chicago's a fit, or down the road want to go back, that's always an option. But, in the mean while, I'm enjoying this adventure called life. Sure, leaving all you know behind is scary and takes some risk, but who wants to live in one place for their entire life? I've seen some of your posts over the years and I know this is not a spur-of-the moment idea... you've been thinking about a change for a while. I say, take the risk and go for it! Good luck girl [/quote

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[Usrname]

OP, I'm about the same age as you, no family. When I was younger I had moved all over the US and lived in all biggest cities and a few smaller and rural areas (and I grew up outside US)
I can say from experience: if you want to move somewhere, you need to spend a couple of months first just staying there to see how you feel. One #1 factor is what kind of employment you can obtain--would it be as good as NC job--and would have to wait a long time to find a position in your field and then depend on your employer (won't be able to leave if you don't like it due to bad situation for your profession locally). One way to deal with it to make a resume with local city on it and local cell phone # and send it out to see the responses. (this may turn into you interviewing and actually landing a job and hasty move--but you can always quit the process if you're not ready to make the move yet). It's hard to move without having a job first, but now employers (including Denver ones) only want to interview those who do not need to relocate, for the most part.
Another big factor is would you feel isolation and feel "different"/"stand out". I found it to be the biggest limiting factor for me. It's important to have a community where you can create social ties right away. Perhaps, a sport, if you're into it, as in Denver area a lot of people are into outdoor activities and sports. You can joint meetup groups, etc, or meet people in the gym. (I can only speak for sport as my life is about it, pretty much).
Housing options are important and you want to see what is the trend in rentals locally, by looking on cragislist (do they all require long-term leases right away or are there monthly rentals, what are the credit/references/# of months prepay requirements, etc) Housing stress is the biggest one when you're moving, and you don't want surprised in this area.
From now on, personally, I feel that if I move again, I'll take 2 years of spending vacations in that locale, first, this is the only way to know if you feel comfortable in a new place...