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Not to discourage you, but I would advise you NOT to move to Denver. I'm a native and I'm trying to get out of here. Everything here has changed in the last 10 years: The roads are bumper to bumper everywhere you go all time, finding a job is nearly impossible because of all the people/competition, and rents have sky-rocketed. I did not grow up this way and I hate it. This WAS a great place to live and grow up, but it's not anymore.
I could say more, but I'm sure you understand what I'm saying.
Ronald - I was a 'transplant' over 32 years ago and it has changed ... I've given up looking for any type of job due to all the competition (am disabled and 66 - social security and medicare are both jokes) .. stopped driving on any highways about 15 years ago, and value of my house has skyrocketed (so my property taxes keep going up) .. just glad I 'bought' my house because I would never be able to afford the rent now ... wish i could move back to were I came from and be closer to family ... (and for any who would tell me to just go - please donate to my going home fund )
Ronald - I was a 'transplant' over 32 years ago and it has changed ... I've given up looking for any type of job due to all the competition (am disabled and 66 - social security and medicare are both jokes) .. stopped driving on any highways about 15 years ago, and value of my house has skyrocketed (so my property taxes keep going up) .. just glad I 'bought' my house because I would never be able to afford the rent now ... wish i could move back to were I came from and be closer to family ... (and for any who would tell me to just go - please donate to my going home fund )
Totally agree with you.
I try to stay off I-25 and I-70 at all costs, except late at night when all the lunatics seem to be asleep. I-25 during rush hour is like being in an amusement park on the bumper car ride. I'm not a big skier, so I could care less about I-70 traffic on weekends, but I just laugh at all the cars stacked up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If I want to go to Breck to hang out, I can do the 285 route and stop in Fairplay for a great meal.
My property taxes are not that bad for being in Jeffco, especially with the land I have.
Job competition is absurd. You have people applying for jobs they are not qualified for and over-qualified people applying for anything to make rent so they can live here.
The crimes rates in the metro have risen due to the population increase and there are some parts of Aurora that over the past 10 years have become a 3rd world country with social services being stretched beyond the breaking point. Street thugs are becoming more brazen more than ever (witness the robberies in the DU area last week). On some days, the Arapahoe County courthouse in Centennial is a community center for street gangs. Some are so stupid they even appear in court flying colors.
You are scaring me.....where do you suggest one moves then to find a place like Denver 10 years ago?
I'm a 5th generation Coloradan and 4th generation native. This place has mostly gotten better every year I have lived here. Especially the past 10 years. Some people always want things to stay as they were. Mostly they get sentimental and remember only the good and forget the bad. Sure more people means more traffic, but that's why you figure out how to live near where you work.
I took a huge gamble moving out here, and it hasn't panned out so far. **** happens and I am not going to bash a place because of my misfortune to this point. I am only pointing out the way that I see things out here. I am really torn by this place.
-The weather is better than the Midwest, but it isn't paradise like coastal southern and central California or Hawaii.
-The mountains are beautiful, but I am beginning to not like being land locked.
-There is a lot of outdoor recreation, but it is quite a drive and or overcrowded. In the winter the mountains are useless for us non-skiers/snowboards.
-The unemployment stats are misleading. The economy appears to be strong, but the only high paying and abundant jobs are in technology. Every other sector is extremely competitive and or low paying (<$40k). Most of the jobs are low paying (<$15 per hour) hourly jobs. These wages would be fine in Texas or other areas of the South where housing isn't an arm and a leg, but it isn't enough out here.
-Home prices are reaching West Coast/Northeast prices and rent is not far behind.
-The drivers here are terrible. Most drivers are passive and lackadaisical. Most people drive like they are stoned.
-I love the natural beauty, but making a living here is difficult. I don't hate it, but I am ready to move on if things don't get better soon. It is economic, not personal.
I have come to terms with the fact that more than likely I will be forced to work in retail and will be heading back to Chicago once my lease is up. If my car didn't crap out on me, I could probably string it out another 6-9 months after my first lease with a full time and a part time job or two-three part time jobs, but I have too many expenses and there is no point living here if I cannot enjoy the outdoors. Moving back used to bother me, but I know back in Chicagoland I have a much better chance for a career in logistics with pay that is better than out here, and I can save money by living with friends or a family member until I get a job.
To be 100% honest if I could go back in time I would have stayed in Chicago and taken a lot of trips out here, or I would have signed a 6 or 9 month lease.
I took a huge gamble moving out here, and it hasn't panned out so far. **** happens and I am not going to bash a place because of my misfortune to this point. I am only pointing out the way that I see things out here. I am really torn by this place.
-The weather is better than the Midwest, but it isn't paradise like coastal southern and central California or Hawaii.
-The mountains are beautiful, but I am beginning to not like being land locked.
-There is a lot of outdoor recreation, but it is quite a drive and or overcrowded. In the winter the mountains are useless for us non-skiers/snowboards.
-The unemployment stats are misleading. The economy appears to be strong, but the only high paying and abundant jobs are in technology. Every other sector is extremely competitive and or low paying (<$40k). Most of the jobs are low paying (<$15 per hour) hourly jobs. These wages would be fine in Texas or other areas of the South where housing isn't an arm and a leg, but it isn't enough out here.
-Home prices are reaching West Coast/Northeast prices and rent is not far behind.
-The drivers here are terrible. Most drivers are passive and lackadaisical. Most people drive like they are stoned.
-I love the natural beauty, but making a living here is difficult. I don't hate it, but I am ready to move on if things don't get better soon. It is economic, not personal.
I have come to terms with the fact that more than likely I will be forced to work in retail and will be heading back to Chicago once my lease is up. If my car didn't crap out on me, I could probably string it out another 6-9 months after my first lease with a full time and a part time job or two-three part time jobs, but I have too many expenses and there is no point living here if I cannot enjoy the outdoors. Moving back used to bother me, but I know back in Chicagoland I have a much better chance for a career in logistics with pay that is better than out here, and I can save money by living with friends or a family member until I get a job.
To be 100% honest if I could go back in time I would have stayed in Chicago and taken a lot of trips out here, or I would have signed a 6 or 9 month lease.
Ronald - I was a 'transplant' over 32 years ago and it has changed ... I've given up looking for any type of job due to all the competition (am disabled and 66 - social security and medicare are both jokes) .. stopped driving on any highways about 15 years ago, and value of my house has skyrocketed (so my property taxes keep going up) .. just glad I 'bought' my house because I would never be able to afford the rent now ... wish i could move back to were I came from and be closer to family ... (and for any who would tell me to just go - please donate to my going home fund )
So What? You would be disabled anywhere you go. You would use Social Security and Medicare anywhere you go. House values would rise and taxes alongside in most places. Or you can move to distressed cities like Buffalo where the house value will fall but the taxes stay very high and still go up. Traffic increases in all booming cities but if you like distressed cities, again like Buffalo, then the traffic goes down as the population flee because it is less desirable with less jobs; services decline and everything from roads to recreational facilities go into disrepair.
What? you never heard of property tax exemption for those over 65 and been in their house for 10 years.
I am in my 60s and been here for 36 years and I had my share of bad luck. However, I love it here. I do not need to work so why do you? Since I do not work and you do not, why worry about the traffic--you do not need to drive during rush hour. I also do not get on the highway because I am never in a hurry and there is greater accident and death risk on the highway but that is everywhere. If fact, I do need to drive as the Denver area has one of the best public transit in the nation with the great expansive over the years and the extensive huge expansion under Fastracks that is well, coming fast.
Yea, go to these distressed areas with few people, little traffic, cheap housing but what you will find is much diminished services that you will need especially healthcare as you age. If you have not figured it out, the best expansive services for healthcare with many Medicare choices is in the larger area. That is the place where doctors want to practice. So move to a dead area and you will have to drive miles, on the highway, to get to specialist and clinical care. You are disabled and so am I. In I am a veteran and Denver has all the care I need.
Leave and you will find where you go, there you are! For your problems, may be you, yourself, where there is no escape.
I have seen this area change over many decades and it is much improved with the arts, recreational pursuits, services and the exciting new intelligent and professional people that I enjoy meeting which are streaming into this area. They bring the creativity and the progress that melds well with what Denver is; and makes Denver a better future place.
Denver still has aspects of the old; people and places that exist side by side with the new. You just have to be willing to explore the area and know the people and know what there is to see. I made it a mission when I got here to appreciate the native traditions of place and history. I learned to engaged the natives and the long term residents instead of residing in a place or in my mind as an outsider. I know this area better than most people. I can find relaxing places to spend my time; it is my home and it does have the comfort of place. I can easily say I am native for what I know about this area and the years of effort I made to belong.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 11-21-2014 at 05:45 PM..
Not to discourage you, but I would advise you NOT to move to Denver. I'm a native and I'm trying to get out of here. Everything here has changed in the last 10 years: The roads are bumper to bumper everywhere you go all time, finding a job is nearly impossible because of all the people/competition, and rents have sky-rocketed. I did not grow up this way and I hate it. This WAS a great place to live and grow up, but it's not anymore.
I could say more, but I'm sure you understand what I'm saying.
Well if you expedite your leaving the city it may open opportunity for others so by all means.
Spend about 4 hours just reading previous posts here and it will help you a lot in terms of winnowing your possible locations.
Dave has a point here. Mods : can you please close the forum to any sorts of question at all please?
As Dave points out here the forum base of questions is now large enough now that any question can be answered in just roughly four hours of searching. There really is no point to all this, you know, human interaction stuff is there really?
So mods please close down the forum and just post a sticky at the top would you saying something like, "Please search for four hours and all your questions will be answered, Thanks - Mods"
I moved to Denver 24 years ago from Boston so have seen the changes firsthand.
Essentially Denver has changed into a large sprawling metropolitan area with tons of traffic and congestion. The city has one major highway that runs north and south named I-25. The highway is substantially over capacity and to do a short commute of 12 miles into or out of the city during rush hour is an easy hour. With snow double or triple the commute times. In Denver, ANY type of weather related change creates a HUGE traffic mess like you've never seen before. Bottom line is you want to live close to your work or take the light rail into downtown. Colorado itself is beautiful including the moutains and scenery but Denver is just a rat race like any other major urban area. I'm in the process of planning my escape at least out of Denver metro area in the next couple years. If you are retired or work odd hours that would be a huge plus since you could avoid much of the traffic etc..
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Senior tax exemption
