Anyone from NJ in Highlands Ranch? (Denver, Center: fit in, transplants, apartment)

[dtnach]

Hello, if you moved from NJ to Highlands Ranch, was it a big culture shock to you, or was it a smooth move? I know the cost of living is cheaper and the scenery is much more beautiful, but what other differences are there? did you feel like you fit in right away, or did you feel like an outsider? what about the hospitals/medical care, are they top-notch like here? are the winters actually better than NJ's winters? How was pumping your own gas for the first time?! (heehee) Any input from former New Jersians would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by dtnach

Hello, if you moved from NJ to Highlands Ranch, was it a big culture shock to you, or was it a smooth move? I know the cost of living is cheaper and the scenery is much more beautiful, but what other differences are there? did you feel like you fit in right away, or did you feel like an outsider? what about the hospitals/medical care, are they top-notch like here? are the winters actually better than NJ's winters? How was pumping your own gas for the first time?! (heehee) Any input from former New Jersians would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

I'm not from NJ but CT, kind of close. If we talk tri-state, then definitely I fit the bill.

I moved to Denver last week on a new job. My job was about to disappear in NY and I had to flee before I was part of the half a million pink slippers of february or march. You could actually hear of me in the news, lol, as part of a huge statistic.

So basically, a month ago, I was going around our offices in manhattan, westchester county etc., and I lived in Stamford, CT. Mine was a long commute to work, but I loved every moment of it. Even the traffic jams on I-95 were fun

I checked out highlands ranch, but no apartment worked for me. It was neat, clean and beautiful. I have found a place in greenwood village, it's in the vicinity.

The weather is a welcome change. No more jackets/gloves for me. But it's way too dry. I have my nose bleeding often.

It's damn cheap over here. I have a cool apartment for just 725. I paid 1250 for just a single room and a shared bathroom and no kitchen in Stamford.

But I still feel like a misfit. The wild life of hanging out till 1am and getting home with still considerable traffic on the road is a thing of the past. It will take some time to get used to this new environment. It's bizarrely quiet everywhere

But I can deal with this. Once the economy picks up I hope to get back to NYC. This is just a one year assignment I have on here, which I can escape from any time

But it's just been a week. Hoping for the best

[dtnach]

hello, i just wanted to thank you for your reply. i really do appreciate your input since you are from this area. i hope you find some exciting nightlife there soon! maybe if you do you may end up liking it more. i hope so, and if not, back to good ol' nyc! thank you again for your response!

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Colossus_Antonis

I'm not from NJ but CT, kind of close. If we talk tri-state, then definitely I fit the bill.

I moved to Denver last week on a new job. My job was about to disappear in NY and I had to flee before I was part of the half a million pink slippers of february or march. You could actually hear of me in the news, lol, as part of a huge statistic.

So basically, a month ago, I was going around our offices in manhattan, westchester county etc., and I lived in Stamford, CT. Mine was a long commute to work, but I loved every moment of it. Even the traffic jams on I-95 were fun

I checked out highlands ranch, but no apartment worked for me. It was neat, clean and beautiful. I have found a place in greenwood village, it's in the vicinity.

The weather is a welcome change. No more jackets/gloves for me. But it's way too dry. I have my nose bleeding often.

It's damn cheap over here. I have a cool apartment for just 725. I paid 1250 for just a single room and a shared bathroom and no kitchen in Stamford.

But I still feel like a misfit. The wild life of hanging out till 1am and getting home with still considerable traffic on the road is a thing of the past. It will take some time to get used to this new environment. It's bizarrely quiet everywhere

But I can deal with this. Once the economy picks up I hope to get back to NYC. This is just a one year assignment I have on here, which I can escape from any time

But it's just been a week. Hoping for the best

Why didn't you move into the actual city of Denver, or even further north along I-25 by a light rail stop? Then you'd have easy access to the nightlife in Denver. If I were single, I'd find GV to be boring.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by dtnach

hello, i just wanted to thank you for your reply. i really do appreciate your input since you are from this area. i hope you find some exciting nightlife there soon! maybe if you do you may end up liking it more. i hope so, and if not, back to good ol' nyc! thank you again for your response!

Denver isn't NYC, but it does have a lively downtown and decent nightlife. Highlands Ranch is way out in the 'burbs and feels more like suburban southern California. I'd say HR is good for families with parens who work in the Denver Tech Center. For single people who want an urban enviroment, Central Denver would be more fitting. Light rail runs between downtown and the DTC if you happen to work there.

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by dtnach

hello, i just wanted to thank you for your reply. i really do appreciate your input since you are from this area. i hope you find some exciting nightlife there soon! maybe if you do you may end up liking it more. i hope so, and if not, back to good ol' nyc! thank you again for your response!

How do you like highlands ranch? I was driving through it and was amazed at the amount of empty/open space all around. It looks quite like a space-abundant area. No signs of congestion at all.

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by denverian

Why didn't you move into the actual city of Denver, or even further north along I-25 by a light rail stop? Then you'd have easy access to the nightlife in Denver. If I were single, I'd find GV to be boring.

The "primary" reason I zoned in on this apartment is the deal I got.

It's ridiculous that they have various layers of payment like multi-layered birthday cakes.

Let's see, they have a security deposit, admin fee, application fee, processing fee. Then there's the lease. Appreciable rent on a longer lease. Say six months and they draw their fancy calculators out and post a rent as high as 900, which isn't a big deal, but a bit off the rocker for Denver.

The worst part with the lease is the 60day notice and the 2 months rent penalty. It's simply ridiculous. I am not even sure if I would be in Denver for 5 months. For two weeks ago, I didnt even have the wildest dreams of typing in colorado.

These guys let me in on a month-month. And I can leave whenever I want, which is just great.

[mczabe]

Me, me!!!! I moved from NJ to Highlands Ranch this summer.

was it a big culture shock to you, or was it a smooth move?Culture shock? Yes - but in a very, very good way for us. So it was both a big change and very smooth!

I know the cost of living is cheaper and the scenery is much more beautiful, but what other differences are there? I know you know this but it is just unbelievable to see what our property taxes are after NJ. So many differences. The scenery is amazing, but it is odd to see so much sky. I do miss tons of big ol' shade trees everywhere you turn, but it's a fair trade off for that blue expanse

did you feel like you fit in right away, or did you feel like an outsider? In HR, there are so many transplants, I felt like I was part of a club right away -which I know kills the true CO natives. (sorry!)

what about the hospitals/medical care, are they top-notch like here? I've been very pleased with the medical care we've needed so far. And you won't believe the waiting rooms!!! They are empty - appointments occur at the scheduled time! Unless you've waited for a doctor in NJ, you don't know waiting. It's like heaven!!!

are the winters actually better than NJ's winters?This winter sure was - I got a new heavy duty coat for Christmas and I've gotten to wear it twice. And the snow is different. NJ's snow is SO heavy - you want a snow blower for 2 inches. Here you can almost run the shovel down the walk with your pinky to clear it. I'm sure it gets worse on occasion, but the drier snow really is so much more manageable.

How was pumping your own gas for the first time?! Well, I have traveled out of state before so that wasn't a new concept for me, but it's fine(heehee) Any input from former New Jersians would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

The other thing I will mention - because we didn't know to even expect this - but if you have kids, you aren't even going to believe what "family-friendly" means here compared to NJ. For example...let's take swimming. Where I lived in NJ, in order to join a pool, you usually had to pay some enormous bond to enter, then $$$ each season to continue. If you wanted an indoor pool, you could join the Y - which cost quite a bit each year - and you'd get access to a lane pool and an open pool with three diving boards at the deep end. Here in HR, included in our HOA fee of $60 per month is access to something like 10 different indoor pools - with full playgrounds in the pool, lazy rivers, giant multi-story water slides - and 6 more outdoor pools during the summer. It's incredible! Other classes/activities/events tend to have fees similar to NJ Y rates, but there are soooo many to chose from.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions. I was really nervous about making the move out west - and it's turned out to be the best move of our lives!

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Colossus_Antonis

The "primary" reason I zoned in on this apartment is the deal I got.

It's ridiculous that they have various layers of payment like multi-layered birthday cakes.

Let's see, they have a security deposit, admin fee, application fee, processing fee. Then there's the lease. Appreciable rent on a longer lease. Say six months and they draw their fancy calculators out and post a rent as high as 900, which isn't a big deal, but a bit off the rocker for Denver.

The worst part with the lease is the 60day notice and the 2 months rent penalty. It's simply ridiculous. I am not even sure if I would be in Denver for 5 months. For two weeks ago, I didnt even have the wildest dreams of typing in colorado.

These guys let me in on a month-month. And I can leave whenever I want, which is just great.

Did you get the undercoating with that?

[dtnach]

wow, thank you sooooo very much for your reply!!!! your reply has helped to ease our nerves a bit. were you from bergen county by any chance? yes, we do have 3 kids, so your input about the rec centers was amazing. i didnt realize there were that many pools! everything you said were the answers were hoping for. maybe when we go out there we can meet for coffee. thanks so much again!