How to get a feel for Denver (Boulder, Longmont: where to stay, neighborhoods)

[amelch05]

My wife and I are very interested in moving to Denver or the surrounding area. We currently live on the east coast (outside of Washington DC) and are very interested in moving away. I have only been to Denver for a couple days and my wife has never been. We are planning on visiting for a week in March and would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on where to stay or go and what to do to get a feel for the area. We are not necessarily sold on Denver so anything in the surrounding are would be appreciated as well. Thanks for any help!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

There are quite a few people on this forum who have moved from the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, so you've come to the right spot. I moved here over 30 years ago because I wanted to be a ski bum (which I did for three years in Steamboat -- great memories!).

Living in Colorado and the western US is very different from the east coast, both in climate and in mindset. First thing I suggest you do is look at WHY you are considering moving to Denver, especially if you've only been once for a couple of days and your wife has never been. Is there something that you've read or heard about Colorado that has your interest, or are you just looking for something new and different? Are you ready for a total change in lifestyle to pursue a dream, or are you just unhappy where you are now?

[80skeys]

Stay near downtown and check out the 16th street mall, both during the day and at night, so you can get an idea of nightlife, clubs, etc.

Check out the bars and nightclubs along Colfax ave. so you can get an idea of what that's like.

Visit the Rocky mountains.

Visit the art district on Santa Fe Drive.

Hang around the neighborhoods you are interested in, talk to people and see what their opinions are about living there.

Check out the theme parks (6 flags, elitch) if you're into that sort of thing.

Check out Washington Park - the actual park itself - so you can get an idea of what outdoor/city/park things are offered in the summertime.

[eon-krate32]

Do all of the above as well as check the suburbs to the north. Go along Highway 36 through Broomfield and into Boulder and check out the scenes in both cities. Then take 157 in Boulder north or 287 in Broomfield north to Longmont and check that city out. Broomfield is big on high-tech/commercial venues right now, Boulder has a flavor all its own, and Longmont is a residential city with a taste for high-tech companies. All are relatively cheap and all have top notch schools, hospitals, etc and all have decent median household incomes ($51k/year in Longmont and Broomfield last i checked, a little higher in Boulder). But the only real way to get a feel as you say is to travel out and visit each and every one of these places firsthand. the west is largely a different experience from the east coast (in just about every meaning of the word), plus the climate is a lot dryer than the coast so be prepared for that. But Denver in general is a hot pick for people coming from the eastern states (especially the DC area) so there's something about it that works. Let's hope it works for you.

[5280milehiguy]

I lived in the DC area 8 years and find Denver a breath of fresh air.
I have family in Colorado, so it was easy to come out several times a year for the past 3 or 4 years and try to get a feel for the city. I stayed in different areas of town and walked different neighborhoods, like cherry creek, Cap Hill, Congress Park, Baker, LoHi, etc.

For the most part, Denver doesn't have the Smithsonian, but it pretty much has everything you'd find in DC but on a smaller scale. I also prefer to live close in the city to avoid any type of commute, I really wasn't into the commuting thingy in DC. I find the people are friendlier, and I find the nightlife adequate, but not over the top. The biggest advantage then for me is access to my family. People are very active in Colorado in general, and Denver has some nice bike trails, which I am looking forward to take advantage of in the warmer months ahead. I do not miss the horrendous DC area traffic! The weather is dry but I don't miss the horrid humidity of mid July and August.

Good luck if you decide it's for you.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by 5280milehiguy

I lived in the DC area 8 years and find Denver a breath of fresh air.

Literally.

For the most part, Denver doesn't have the Smithsonian, but it pretty much has everything you'd find in DC but on a smaller scale.

Yes and no. Music scene isn't as good in Denver.
Art scene is not particularly good in either place.

I also prefer to live close in the city to avoid any type of commute, I really wasn't into the commuting thingy in DC.

Well, no transportation system in the country is better than D.C. except maybe NYC. .... But yeah, commuting every day on a subway car packed with 100 people, standing room only gets annoying after a while.

I find the people are friendlier, and I find the nightlife adequate, but not over the top.

I'll vouch for both of those. D.C. people are real wrapped up in their careers and don't have time for anything else.

Now I wouldn't say Denver people are "real" friendly, but they're more laid-back, slower pace which means they're you're more likely to strike up a good conversation with someone in a coffee shop.

Denver is "adequate" nightlife. It lacks compared to D.C. which has much bigger clubs and more variety. For example, my Colombian girlfriend at the time took me to a latin nightclub on the Maryland side once, and this place had like maybe 300 people (all latinos, no americans) dancing salsa and merengue. Clubs in D.C. are open til dawn.

People are very active in Colorado in general, and Denver has some nice bike trails, which I am looking forward to take advantage of in the warmer months ahead.

When it comes to the outdoors, Colorado people know their stuff, that's for damn sure.

I do not miss the horrendous DC area traffic!

I did not own a car the entire five years I lived there.


80skeys

[Katarina Witt]

Just to play Devil's Advocate (disclaimer: I have lived here in Colorado for 30 years now); I have had two friends who moved here from the DC area who went back. I don't know all the details of course, and I think some of it was careerr related, but I do knowthat both returns were voluntary. Both spoke of the "culture shock". So be prepared for that. As someone upthread said, it's a different lifestyle, and you may find you liked your old lifestyle better.

[formercalifornian]

My family lived in Maryland (between Baltimore and D.C.) for two years, and I loved it there. I would go back in a hot second! We came to Colorado to be near family when a job opportunity arose for my spouse here in Denver. We're very content here in the Centennial State, but I still wish we'd had more time in the mid-Atlantic.

As far as culture shock, I think that depends entirely on where you live now and where you end up in Colorado. If you live in D.C, not one of the surrounding exurbs, and you end up in Evergreen, well, yeah, you'll have quite the adjustment. But, if you live in Columbia and you end up in Parker, I think you'll find the pace of life very similar.

But, onto specifics, what kind of lifestyle are you currently living? Do you want a similar lifestyle here, or are you open to change? Are you DINKs, empty nesters, a young family? What are your interests? Without knowing a little more about you, it's difficult to suggest places you might enjoy during your visit.

[2bindenver]

I was born in DC and raised in Montgomery County. The graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland before getting a job at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre. I was there a year when I was hired at the Shakespeare Festival at UC Santa Cruz. Met a guy, married a guy, moved to CO.

The quality of life is better here. I can go visit there.

There are plenty of DC to Denver threads.

Bring crabs!

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Bring crabs!

Oh, yes, please do!