Denver, Colorado

JonM313
Living in Denver
6mo ago
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Yes, Denver is a good place to live. Contrary to popular belief, winters are actually pretty mild. Yes, it snows a lot, from October to May, and the temperature does drop a lot at night, but by the afternoon the temperature is usually in the mid-40s, and days reaching or going above 60 are fairly common. It's also very sunny despite the snow, so snow won't be on the ground for long. There's also no humidity so even when it is cold it won't be exacerbated by humidity. People know humidity for making hot weather feel hotter, but it can also have the opposite effect when it's cold.

Bluescreen73
Living in Denver
6mo ago
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I wouldn't move here if you're not into the outdoors. People do, but you'll get more enjoyment for the COL if you are outdoorsy. For the record, I've lived in Colorado over half my life, and I've never been downhill skiing or snowboarding. I am not a fan of cross-country skiing, either, but I do own snowshoes and microspikes. Winter is actually the best time for hiking.

Our winters are technically mild, but they will absolutely be an adjustment from El Paso. Summers will, too. It's every bit as dry as El Paso, but the days aren't quite as hot, and the nights are a little cooler.

Denver and Aurora have the most diversity, and the latter is where you'll find good hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

We enjoy the comforts of urban living, knowing that the mountains are just a short drive away that offer urban dwellers a brief respite from the congestion of the city. The scenic beauty of the mountains, coupled with the wide variety of things to do in Denver offer a comfortable mix of business and pleasure.

Denver has a vibrant economy, and is on the cutting edge of technology in R&D, and if you're in the tech industry, job prospects and growth are major draws for employment in the Metro area.

Are you planning on living in Denver/Denver Metro long term?
GobblesMcButterball
Living in Denver
Updated 2yr
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I like this question. My partner and I moved here from Atlanta in 2011; bought a home in 2013 because we saw ourselves being here long term. Now I'm not so sure. Although I enjoy many of the things Denver has to offer, I catch myself whining like a lot of the "natives" because of insane traffic, crowded trails, and…many of the things Denver has to offer. I think I just have to remember that I'm part of the problem (although Denver still needs to adjust to the rapid growth, because from what I've seen it's not slowing down). I've adjusted my hobbies over the last several years: less snowboarding, no more hiking 14ers, more gardening, and have really gotten into birding, and have noticed a difference in my mental health. I'm ashamed at how many times I was already angry by the time I got to the Copper parking lot on a Saturday. I keep thinking I can outlast the people who moved here in the last five years, since they all say it's unsustainable, but I'm not sure if I care anymore. I still quite like it here, and if we ever move away, it'll only be if we can substantially increase our income while drastically reducing our housing costs (hello FIRE), and even then we're pretty picky about where we want to end up, geographically speaking.

vNerdNeck
Living in Denver
6mo ago
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Don't worry too much about the winters, the sun is always shining in Colorado. 30 degrees, isn't the same with and without sun. On days that's its 30 or higher all it takes is a fleece shirt and a light jacket (if that) to be comfortable… it's probably closer to what you get in El Paso (love that city) when it's ~50.

The one thing that is going to be weird is diversity. Moving from Texas to Colorado (just did this) you get hit face first with this. This state isn't diverse, and it's fucking weird and takes a while to come to terms with.

Food wise, you are correct. Coloradoans are confused on what food is suppose to be. There are pockets of okay food, but not like you are used to or would expect. It's no Houston or Dallas.

However, all that being said. This state is amazing if you like the outdoor life. The mountains, the scenery / etc are just hands down amazing. You also can actually go outside in the summers and not fucking melt.

As for taxes, it can be a bit of a wash. The property taxes in texas are insane, and there are about a 1/4 or 1/5 of that in colorado… but they make it up in other taxes.. so it comes out about even just more smaller bills than one big one.

Moving to Denver | What is Living in Denver Colorado Like