Miguelangel

Well I'm negotiating a job offer in the Denver area (job is in the city of Parker)... I will go to finish my negotiations there in about a month if everything works out... it seems they are really interested.. so ..it will be up to me.... I never been to Denver... I read lots of your posts and it seems is very bike friendly... but... could you guys (and ladies) tell me more??? Cost of living? hows job situation for my wife (she works in higher education research area)??? What dont you like?? Whats so awsome about it??? and yes we are outdor people.... Can you buy a decent house for 300K ??? Any comments welcome...

snowy

Welcome to our friendly town!! Yes, you can buy a nice home for 300K. Just depends what areas your looking for. Cost of living is the norm I guess, but depends where your coming from. Less expensive then New York I've lived here my whole life, so I'm very bias with anything else. Your making a great choice if you decided to move here. Great weather, people, mountains, food, etc.

If your into to riding alot I would suggest staying west of I-25. HEE HEE

Snowy

efrobert

I moved here from Rhode Island in April. Cost of living is about the same. There's a lot more to do here. Hiking, biking, sports... The weather's usually nicer.
I'm actually working in Parker this week. I do kitchen and bath remodeling for a big home improvement company. I live about ten miles away from Parker. We bought a nice 3 bed 2.5 bath house back in August for well under 300k.

celticfrost

I grew up in the country (upstate NY), but have lived in Boston, Providence (RI) and LA and have traveled all through the states via the Army and my current job. And although I've only been in Denver for about 1.5 years it and San Francisco (too expensive for my blood) are about the only 2 cities I can say that I really like alot. The downtown is lively and full of museums, parks, trails, nightlife, cool architecture, etc.. And, of course, the mountains aren't too bad either. Climate/ weather is usually pretty great too.

For a medium sized city, I'd say cost of living is pretty average and you should find some good homes closer to Parker for around 300k.

Where are you coming from?

Miguelangel

I will be moving out of Puerto Rico

celticfrost

That sounds like a pretty big move. If possible, I would try to stay in the Denver/ Parker area for a good week or 2 before making any decisions.

valygrl

Good advice. Make sure you think about winter, there is real winter here, don't let anyone tell you something else.

DataJunkie

Yes, it is real but a tad on the wimpy side most of the time. My company is based north of Milwaukee. Now that is a real winter with actual weather.
My coworkers asked how I would ride all year long if I lived there. My response was I won't live here. End of discussion.

celticfrost

No kidding, I was so glad when a work project in Milwaukee for February and March was canceled --- even if it means I lose out on about 2 or 3 weeks of pay. Even places further south in the midwest (ie, Chicago and Iowa) are tooooo brutal in the winter.

It's all relative. Winter here is so much better than most of the midwest and isn't the depressing cloudy, and grey type winters in Seattle or worse yet the cloudy, grey AND cold winters in the northeast.

But since the OP is coming from PR...

Miguelangel

Well this willl sound incredible but I hate PR weather 6 months of the year.... Awfully warm and humid to the point that you can only be active early in the morning or at sundown. I hate the heat..lived many years in DC/MD and I really miss the change of seasons and the winter... I am under the impression that denver is kind of Dry and it has many clear nites during winter ..at least more than NE...My wife is from Denmark..and thats a whole diferent story...so putting aside the weather my biggest worry is what the city offers. i dont expect it to be DC/MD/VA area in the amount of entertaiment (in PR there is nothing apart from beach) but hopefully not boring....

climbhoser

We just bought a home in Parker, a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath built in 2003 overlooking open space and the Cherry Creek Trail for $250K.

I grew up here, so I am bias, but I like that Parker is a clean town with good folks, and Denver right here with tons of cultural amenities. The skiing isn't half bad, either, and with over 300 days of sunshine you can't complain.

What I don't like is the lack of greenery and water. Few lakes, few big rivers and about one month, maybe two, where things seem semi-lush. The beetle kill in the mountains kills the aesthetic there, too, but it isn't everywhere.

The riding is amazing, with so many big, scenic rides you'll never get your fill. Jobs aplenty, school system in Parker is great, but your wife will probably be travelling if she wants to keep working. UCCS (CU-Colorado Springs) wouldn't actually be that bad a commute from S. Parker, or if you chose to live in the S. Denver Metro area she could do CU Aurauria or DU or Regis or a host of others.

If you do make it this way let me know, I'd be happy to grab a cuppacoffee and chat about what we've got to offer here in CO! Maybe even go for a ride

ColoradoB5

Well I can give you some perspective on the winter. I moved here from Atlanta 10 years ago. The first few winters took getting used to, but I came to realize that they are pretty nice, especially since they are very sunny for the most part. That really helped. I just spent about 22 months in North CT and that is a cold dark winter. Brrrr!

Colorado is much milder than the NE. Most of the time, even in the winter is not too bad either. Since it is so sunny, the snow doesn't stay on the ground too long in the metro area, so I commute all year round by bike.

Up in the mountains is a different story, so if you are interested in picking up some winter sports, there is some serious snow up in the mountains.

Good luck!

Dub

telenick

I grew up in DC and then moved to CO in 85. You're right - it's not fair to compare the depth of "cultural" activities between the two cities. However, Denver has plenty for my tastes. There's major and minor league sports in every flavor - the Denver Center for Performing Arts (DCPA) does a great job - the music scene is fair for both small and large venues and the cusine options basically suck. Okay that was a little harsh about the food. Regardless, I prefer to cook and eat at home.

IMO, the crown jewel aspects to Front Range living are friendly people (although with a growing population this aspects has already started to wane) and access to the CO Rocky Mountains and the UT Canyonlands. Just an hour west by car and you'll have Skiing that rocks and cycling that rolls.

Welcome to the Rockies

climbhoser

Seriously? Have you been up in Dillon for the last 23 years or something? I've had sushi here that rivals that found in Seattle, Portland and San Fran (because I've eaten those places, too). Japanese dining so authentic you feel like you're in Tokyo (yep, been there, too). There are a few authentic Thai restaurants that have some of the best curries in the world (never been to Thailand, but I'm a Thai freak and I've eaten Thai from NY to Michigan to California!).

I could go on with the cuisine from around the world, and forget to mention the great steakhouses and BBQ, but I really want to get to the Mexican. While it may be easier to find Mexican of high quality in Pueblo or Colorado Springs there are some MExican restaurants in Denver that are up there with some of the best. Having grown up in C-Springs and spent much time in New Mexico, Mexico (my godparents own a villa there), Texas (good rock climbing outside of El Paso) and SoCal (Tahquitz? Suicide Rock?) I feel I have a good basis. Mexican is one of my weaknesses. Sometimes all I want is good huevos con chorizo or a nice bowl of pork green chile. Denver's got 'em!

When I lived in Michigan I lacked good Mexican and it was rough. Back in Denver I have my heart's content!

You just can't dis our cuisine selection because it really is good. If you don't think so you're choosing bad places to go.

Oh yeah, we have fine dining galore. We have a Ruth's Criss if you like knowing ahead of time what to expect. The Brown Palace has a unique experience. Del Fresco's Double Eage is really nice. The list could just go on and on...

n_r_child

sorry for the bit of a threadjack:
Where in Michigan? I just moved to Denver from Detroit.

That being said, the cuisine in Denver is fine. There are some good Mexican joints (I'm originally from southern New Mexico, so if you like flavorful and spicy Mexican food, you'll agree with me), and quite a bit of variety. I'm sure DC is a bit more ecclectic, but I don't see any glaring gaps in the culinary experience in Denver.

To the original poster specifically, I took 2 years to move to Denver. I like the cold, but more importantly, I like the cold to end. In Detroit, it would get cold in October and never really warm up until May (a few days here and there). Denver is a bit harder to plan for, but the days offer a nice variety. They are sunny for the most part, so even when it is really cold, it is rarely dreary. I think the lack of sun would be the biggest issue moving away from PR to other locations (grey skies tend to make people pretty depressed, particularly if they grew up with lots of sun exposure), so you shouldn't have too many issues.

climbhoser

Marquette, up in da UP, eh, just a bit north of where you were

No jobs in da UP or really anywhere in Michigan. Denver's got what I need...

bvfrompc

Except for maybe, say, last year

Cuisine? If you can't find a decent Thai, Indian, Ethiopean, Italian, French, or any other style restaurant, then you just ain't looking or your not leaving the suburbs.

I moved here for a year of skiing, that was in 94.

n_r_child

Cool. I did a fair amount of winter testing up in da UP. Good place for it.

PunctualAlex

Hey all
I'm moving to Denver this summer from central Mass to start grad school at UC Denver. I was a little nervous at first but I'm getting more and more excited about it. I commute on a fixed-gear but I've been riding road for about a year and I started getting into mountain biking two or three times before the snows hit last fall. I also wrench on my own bikes and I've been getting curious about framebuilding.
So... how's Denver? Any good mountain biking around? I know that's a stupid question, but I guess I'm looking for recommendations. How are drivers in the city in terms of not killing me? I know fixed-gear riders have a jackass reputation but I think I can play pretty nice. Are there any framebuilders or freak bike aficionados in the area? I'll be out there in July or August sometime looking for riding buddies, I guess I'll be seeing you folks soon!

DataJunkie

I don't mountain bike but intend to try it this year. There is plenty of riding to be had in the mountains and some rides in various counties open space parks. So, yes.

Drivers are alright. Nothing amazing. The city of denver tends to be better than the burbs. However, I think that may be more due to narrow streets with plenty of stop signs and stop lights. Given the correct situation these drivers are equally as horrible as suburban drivers. Heck, many of them live in the burbs.
I do not know about the last question. Sorry.
I would expect that would be a yes due to how popular cycling is around here. I have seen a couple tall bikes.

climbhoser

Lots of fixie riders here. I was downtown at 11th and Galapago at an animal shelter the other day, and in the 45 min. I was there I saw 6 cyclists go by, all of them on fixies!

The MTB here is phenomenal. Denver has some good stuff, but I think Colorado Springs has it ten times better. The access to the mountains is great, too, where you can get into some really epic rides.

Couldn't tell you about drivers since I don't drive, but they all seem very used to cyclists and don't usually hassle us much.

Some framebuilders...dunno about specifics, but I know there's a famous framebuilding school in Rifle, about 4 hours west of here. Google it. Welcome!