Denver is like any city, some areas are nice, some are crime ridden. Boulder has less crime, for sure. I remember last summer there was a murder (some kids shot a guy who tried to stop them from stealing a car), but it was the 1st one in 4-5 years.
I believe there is a web site where you can look up the crime rate for US cities, just can’t think of it now. I agree with what the GJ’ers are telling you as well, but I can also tell you that last time a oil boom hit the area, the town shriveled up afterwards. Of course, at the time it was more of a retirement community.
If you are looking to buy a house, the Boulder market is ALWAYS expensive, and the GJ market is way up right now also.
I would recommend taking a trip to CO, visiting both, and even hitting a few other areas to see what fits you the best.
Boulder is a lot closer to outdoor-type stuff, and it is a lot smaller, that’s true. I’m going to stereotype here, so if someone actually lives there, I don’t mean to offend. Boulder has a lot of money in it, and the majority of the people that live there are either trustifarians going to college, or yuppies. It’s VERY pricey to live there, and I noticed SOME of the people to be not quite as friendly as people from other areas. It has even been dubbed “The People’s Republic of Boulder”, because SOME of the people that live there think they are better than everyone else and don’t want to be associated with surrounding areas. Again, I’m just giving my observations from having lived in Denver for ten years and having spent a lot of time in Boulder. Anyway, there is still plenty of traffic and pollution to be had, and it seems like the area is growing at such a rapid pace that Denver and Boulder have pretty well combined themselves into one big city. That having been said, I’m sure anything is going to be an improvement over Washington DC. :lol You might just rent a place in Boulder to start, and then research other areas once you get out here. I have always been fond of Ft. Collins, personally. Golden is also very nice. As long as you get out here, that’s what really matters. The rest will work itself out. :flower
I moved to Denver last year and love it, but then I like big cities (and it’s not that big compared to Chicago or the Bay Area where I lived before). Crime is low compared to other cities; I walk at night without worry. Pollution is minor IMHO. I don’t plan on moving any time soon.
Boulder is $$$. I make good money and can’t afford Boulder. It is where I first looked, but the housing prices are whacked. If you going for a town that size on the Front Range think about Ft Collins. It’s more laid back and cheaper the Boulder.
There are also plenty of nice small towns that are only 1 hour or so away from Denver. Of course I need to be close to a good music scene, which is why I am in Denver.
Exactly. Check out Jambase to get an idea of the music scene in Colorado, if that’s what you are interested in.
FYI. I just signed another lease in Boulder, a 1800 sf 3 bedroom, 3 bath for just under $1000. That’s what you’d be looking at. And as far as friendliness, I’d have to disagree. I’ve met tons of friendly folks, some of whom are even moderators of this board…
My .02, from living in Gunbarrel outside Boulder for over the past 2 years. You could always live in a town nearby Boulder and pay cheaper for housing, such as Lyons, Niwot or the “suburbia” area of Louisville & Superior.
As for the crime factor, it’s actually worse in Longmont than Boulder; but it’s of the minor types – i.e., vandalism, etc. – but there are some gangs in Longmont, believe it or not. That’s also because Longmont – sorry, for those who live there, but…-- has almost no night life. In fact, in many ways, Longmont is the opposite of Boulder: While most of Longmont is certainly solid enough to live there, the lack of night life, the overall conservative attitudes and the growth by mostly bringing in chains caused me to leave Longmont after my first two years of living in CO.
Put it this way: I can leave the Boulder Theater after a show at 1:30 pm, and feel perfectly safe hanging around downtown. However, I’m a street-smart person who has lived in some cities or around (Boston, Syracuse, Rochester), and where crime is much higher than the beautiful state I live in now.
my take, form someone who moved to Telluride from NYC, moved to the beach, and considered moving to Denver for business.
If airport ease is a primary consideration, then somewhere close to DIA will be in the mix. For music, the Denver/Boulder region is second to none. Pretty much all national tours route through Denver. And, there’s Red Rocks, need I say more? For outdoor activities, the western slope wins hands down for reasons stated above by Hooch and Daniela. Boulder is expensive to live in, suburbs such as Westminster may make things a bit more affordable, or you could go in the other direction and live up in Nederland. Traffic will be about the same as driving in and around the disctict.
additionally, as mentioned above, get out there to really check it out. use your vacation to do some research and get a good look around.
Daniela commented: It has even been dubbed “The People’s Republic of Boulder”, because SOME of the people that live there think they are better than everyone else and don’t want to be associated with surrounding areas.
I have seen little of this attitude in Boulder in my 4+ years. Guess I don’t hang
around the “ritzy” part, but as somebody who grew up in upstate NY and has
spent time in every major city in the northeast US, I’ve found that you’ll find
those attitudes almost everywhere you go in life. I’ve seen plenty as
such in New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston.
However, I’ve certainly seen the attitudes from some locals in downtown
Telluride, though.
Hello dear friends I wish to make!:wave
Colorado is a large state, don’t forget the little jewel that is southwest Colorado.
Quality of life can’t be beat for those who love the desert and mountains where outdoor activities abound.
Music venues are more limited and often of lesser caliber than Denver, I’m sure.
However, this year we have seen Natalie McMaster and David Grisman @ Fort Lewis College in Durango - The Fabulous StringDusters came through town but we missed that show. Durnago BLuegrass Meltdown in April is great fun and The FOur COrners FOlkFest in Pagosa on Labor Day wknd is a favorite event of ours. I’m am 70 miles south of Telluride, 50 miles west of durango which would likely be the biggest airport around. Silverton, Ouray, Dolores, Mancos, Durango are all on the the San Juan Loop. Some of the most beautiful country you will ever see. High concentration of 13, 000 and 14,000 foot peaks. Mesa Verde. Slow relaxed pace of life. Good luck in your search! :wave
I’m just glad I had my jeans on the night that big rock jumped out and tripped me.
Confession to Daniela…
I’m low maintenance but I do clean up pretty well :thumbsup and remember, it was only my first year at TBF. I think I could come up with something a little different for our next meeting! You set the tone at TBF with all that tye-dye and looked great!
Thanks for the compliment… Sugar! :lol
Auntie Hope :pickin
Oh… back on topic…
Billy, can you transfer with your current company? If so then check out the open job listings AND GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR MAN! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR… TWO YEARS??? BAH HUMBUG - DO IT TOMORROW!
I am still working out those details (transferring with my company) - if not, there is something called “vesting” and two more years of it will be really nice (we just went public). Plus I got to sell my place. I know, details, details…blah blah blah - as Jen would say as well “Just go man, go!”
Hey now! We’re still having a good ol’ time here in DC. And there is nothing wrong with a little more change in one’s pocket - those ski lifts ain’t free…
The case against me is purely circumstantial and my attorney has already outlined an iron-clad defense.
While it is true that I like group hugs, high altitude, and fine wine, on June 16th around the time the incident was taking place in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of DC, I was giggling my face off with Punchy and Bagger, due to the equivalent of a certain Telluride marinara sauce, at The Pub’s patio in Boulder.
I’m new here to the board and have only been out in CO for a little over a year after moving here from the Chicago burbs. Right now, we’re out near DIA to accomodate my gf’s job as a flight attendant, but are also thinking about moving. I’ve gotten a decent feel for a lot of the surrounding areas – it’s just a REALLY tough decision. Lately, Golden has been looking really appealing. We’re trying to find something closer to the mountains, but avoid being cut off from the rest of the world when both of us have jobs (and school) that would take some driving to get to!
So, yeah. That’s about all I got.
Just wanted to chime in and thank you all for adding a little more info to our ever growing sea of recommendations and experiences on areas we’ve been eyeing up! :cheers
Please, friends, someone must know of an opportunity like this!