Anyone have any input for a possible future resident? Considering a job move up there. Areas to live (office will be downtown), things to do, etc?

I loved it, I was there all summer interning. I lived in south Denver (Lone Tree), which is a really new/nice part of town. Very well kept and lots of restaurants, etc in the area. As far as downtown, it has a pretty good bar scene and a good amount of places to eat and such. Lots of outdoor activities and you have all of the major pro sports represented. Boulder is an interesting place (just go in expecting it to be Austin weirdness times 10). Still cool to check out though, and of course A&M basketball/football will be coming through town every so often.

Overall I loved it up there and would seriously considering going back when I graduate, at least for a few years. The #1 thing I missed about Texas was the Mexican food though. There are some ok places up there, but you have to look a lot harder to find them.

As far as my favorite thing, I'd probably say the perfect summer weather. It couldn't be any better. I've even heard that the winters there aren't as horrible as you'd think.

[This message has been edited by TexasAggie008 (edited 8/18/2008 10:22a).]

I have been here since graduation and love it! I have lived in south Denver and close to downtown and both are good with lots of shopping, eating, and entertainment. If you will be working downtown you can live in several different areas and have a fairly easy commute, and the lightrail is a snap to use. The areas you can look at are Cherry Creek, The Highlands, Wash Park, Stapleton, Lowery, Edgewater, DU area, and the list goes on.... There are a lot of Aggies here already and they have a set place for game watch parties and they try to stay active for both the singles and the families. Honestly you can't go wrong with the weather here...300 days of sunshine is awesome! Good luck on your decision!

[This message has been edited by ColoAg05 (edited 8/18/2008 10:10a).]

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If you will be working downtown you can live in several different areas and have a fairly easy commute, and the lightrail is a snap to use.

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Can't stress this enough. Light rail is the way to go. It opens up a pretty good chunk of town to you. Don't feel you have to tether yourself close to downtown...the real estate around there can get pretty pricey and you might find better (and less expensive) neighborhoods farther away from downtown but really convenient to light rail.

I would suggest a long weekend (3-4 days) to take in the whole area, as well as a day trip up to the mountains. I have never lived in Denver, but I hope that changes within the next six months or so. I almost moved there a while back, but we had a death in the family basically right when it was decision time. I was bummed and thought we would be in Houston for at least 2-3 more years, but my wife has recently said it is cool if we move soon.

I visited 3 times in the past year, and I've enjoyed it more every time. I have done a lot of research and talked to over a hundred people from Denver (including many helpful, cool Aggies). Here are some things that I've observed, been told, or read about:

-Places to live: ColoAg95 listed good places, and I am sure he knows a lot more than me. I really liked Cherry Creek: 3 miles from downtown, great shopping, nice scenery. If you PM me, I can give you the name of a guy that helped me out and drove me around the areas I was interested in. He hangs with lots of Aggies. If you want to live in the suburbs, I love Highlands Ranch.

-Jobs: It sounds like you have one lined up, which is great. It sounds like a lot of people go to Denver with out a job & just line one up when they get there. Lots of people want to move there, so many employers seem hesitant to talk to you if you don't have a Denver area address.

-People: Probably not as upfront and warm as Texans (which could be a good thing for some), but they are generally very nice. They tend to be laid back, love the outdoors, less materialistic than Texans, and not as much importance is placed on what you do and how much you make.

Things to do: There is a ton to do, as the mountains are very close and provide many activities depending on the season. I am looking forward to skiing my tail off for 4-5 months out of the year, and playing golf/hiking/rafting/biking/exploring the mountains the rest of the time. I think downtown Denver is great, with a lot of good bars, restaurants, and brew pubs. 16th Street Mall is nice, and there are free buses running up and down the street. All the pro sports' facilities are in, or close to, downtown. I second Boulder being a cool place with some very "interesting" people.

-The quality of life is great. There is a ton do, the weather is very nice, you get all four seasons, it is an outdoor paradise, and so on. It costs a little more than Texas, but it is still affordable.

Things that Texans miss: Whataburger, Mexican food, Blue Bell, friends and family.

[This message has been edited by proudaggie02 (edited 8/18/2008 2:05p).]

You can still get Blue Bell at Russel Stover in pints/quarts and apparantly off a menu at a few other places.

proudaggie, you are starting to sound like a local...ha.

to the original poster...it would be beneficial if you'd share a little more detail about your situation (are you single? looking to rent/buy? what type of housing are you looking for? etc. etc.) lots of good information here so far, but you could probably rule out a lot of these suggestions if you'd tell a little more.

and i could be wrong, but i believe the ags will be playing football up here TWICE next year! (once at c.u. and once at air force academy)...i could swear i saw that somewhere a while back...

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm single and expecting to be in the mix of things!

Just planning on renting for now. I'm open and not sure which route I want to go as far as housing - apartments/townhouse/home. I do have a 4-wheeler that I will bring with me, so a garage would be nice, but I am fine with just keeping in storage like I am right now here in Dallas.

Another Ag here considering a move to Denver. I appreciate the info so far in this thread.

I'm interested in hearing more about where to live. Married, will be starting a family in Denver if we move. I visited on a house hunting trip and checked out the following areas and would very much appreciate hearing some Denver Ags chime in with their thoughts. I will be working downtown.

Wash Park: Nice area near downtown. For $500k-$600 you should be able to get a decent 3/2 older home. Lots of yuppies and kids. Not a lot of house for the money. Could ride light rail into downtown which is a big plus.

Cherry Creek: Beautiful area but out of our price range.

Stapleton, a little creepy. Great concept and neat houses, but it seemed like I was in the middle of the Truman Show when I walked around. Lots of young families and gays. Close to town.

Arvada: Suburb with a pretty neat little oldtown area. Houses generally seemed '60's-70's ish and many were run down. Lots of strip malls. Decent commute to downtown.

Golden: 20 minute commute without traffic. Charming old downtown area, somewhat removed from the rest of the western Denver suburbs. Lots of college kids and the real estate is generally expensive for an area that isn't particularly close to downtown. Easy access to the mountains.

Observation on traffic - I work long hours so I'm not really worried about the traffic- Denver seems to have a true "rush hour" and as long as I'm downtown between 7am and 6pm I don't think I'll be hitting significant traffic. Please correct me if I'm wrong! I have been watching traffic on google and this seems to be true on every major road in Denver except I-25. Because of this, I'm avoiding anything off I-25 except for areas right near downtown.

Where else should I have looked? We are looking for a minimum 2500 sq ft 3/2 house with a 2 car garage. Don't want to spend more than $550k.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. It's great to hear there are many Ags in Denver!

Gig em

When I was looking to buy last year, I found this on the Denver Post website that kind of narrowed things down a little and gave me a better idea of where I could live vs. where I could afford.

http://www.denverpost.com/graphics/ci_6797508

I do agree with you, some of the areas are a bit "Truman Show" for my tastes, especially the outer suburbs. Parker (southeast of Denver) is like that. It's just...a bit unsettling, I think.

Thanks super, very helpful.

Any thoughts on the traffic?

It pales in comparison to Houston/Dallas/Austin IMO...I-25 and 225 will have traffic at times, but usually it is predictable. Watch out on 225 though...55 MPH speed limit and cops that hand out tickets....doh

About traffic...I live in Southeast Denver, and I work in the tech center area, so I don't get up and down I-25 too much. What I do know is that around the tech center, I-25 is a parking lot from 4:30pm (maybe earlier) till at least 6:30pm. I-225 is hit or miss (the spur that goes from from I-25 through Aurora to I-70) till about 6pm or so. I cross both of those on my way home and it's always bad in the afternoon. I work slightly off hours and the afternoon seems to be bad, but in the mid/late morning it looks OK.

The first few times I tried to go downtown via I-25 it was ridiculous...trying to get to a Nuggets or an Avalanche game and leaving at a reasonable time (an hour before) wouldn't work either. Any time I go downtown, I take light rail. Saves me the hassle of driving and looking for parking, and LoDo's easy enough to get around on foot.

As far as other ways to get downtown, I did try to sneak around I-25 and get to downtown via surface roads but that was even worse. Colorado Boulevard (CO-2) has never not been insanely crowded, and I've also tried Parker Road/Leetsdale (CO-83) and that's really hit or miss. Honestly though, once I decided to just light rail it I haven't bothered.

Take this next bit of info with a grain of salt, but from what I've gathered, north of I-70 (like Commerce City, Thornton, Westminster) is considered kind of slummy, but keep on going through that and it gets nicer? I've heard nice things about Broomfield. Lakewood is hit-or-miss..I've heard from some that it's considered slightly slummy, but around Morrison (where Red Rocks is) and Golden, the scenery in the foothills is pretty nice, and there seems to be nice new development out there. The upscale areas of town are definitely Glendale/Cherry Creek (from what I'm told that's definitely old money) and of course most of Littleton, Columbine and Greenwood Village. Highlands Ranch is pretty moneyed but I've heard it's also quite a bit Stepford wives/Truman Show out there. Castle Rock kind of has that reputation as well. I don't know much about Lone Tree, and Aurora has a bad ghetto reputation. To tell the truth though, I live really close to the Denver-Aurora border and have ventured in Aurora many, many times and it doesn't seem that bad to me. Maybe it depends on the neighborhood but I haven't seen many really slummy neighborhoods in Aurora. Perhaps I'm not looking hard enough. North Aurora (closest to DIA, and around Colfax it looks pretty bad. Urban blight with crappy houses and seedy looking strip centers and all that. However, they just opened a brand new hospital/branch of CU's med school at Colfax and I-225, so I'm guessing that area will improve. North of I-70 and out towards the airport...bad news. I've heard really good things about South Aurora (anything south of Buckley AFB) and it's supposedly very affordable. The downside to that is that if you're going to be working downtown, that'd be a bit of a drive. Maybe I've heard good things about it because I work in the tech center and it's an easy 20-25 minute drive to south Aurora.

Sorry if this was a bit long. It's about 2/3 observation and 1/3 hearsay, so take that as you will.

[This message has been edited by superunknown (edited 8/24/2008 5:18p).]

Just got back from a cruise, and the TV was set to local Denver stations. I envy you guys that get to enjoy the weather there. Next week looked sunny with lows in the upper 40s and highs in the mid 60s.

High Life - some good areas to look:

- Bonnie Brae has some nice houses and isn't too far from downtown

- The Highlands is an up and coming neighborhood...it will soon be a lot like Wash Park is now

- North of Alameda, South of Colfax, West of Monaco and East of Colorado...That encompasses a few neighborhoods (Hilltop, Crestmore, Mayfair) but there are some great houses in there as well

mts, if you want to be in the mix of things socially, I strongly recommend living downtown, or just off downtown like in the "riverfront" area -- an apt locator will know what you're talking about. I would not go any more than bout 10 minutes from downtown, cuz that still keeps you in "cabbing" distance if you're too drunk to drive. Living close to light rail is huge plus for same reason. Wash Park, Platte Park, all good places, though the rental market is kind of tight right now.

High Life, if you consider yourself a city couple, then Wash Park is fine, tho as you say, not a lotta house for the money. Schools are questionable too.

I'm a big fan of Highlands Ranch and smaller suburbs around that -- houses relatively new, big, lot for the money, good schools, -- and they have some really nice high end stuff. You can also take the light rail from HR, though you might have to drive a mile or two to get to the light rail station. Typical new money suburb, but that's not necessarily bad.

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mts, if you want to be in the mix of things socially, I strongly recommend living downtown, or just off downtown like in the "riverfront" area -- an apt locator will know what you're talking about. I would not go any more than bout 10 minutes from downtown, cuz that still keeps you in "cabbing" distance if you're too drunk to drive. Living close to light rail is huge plus for same reason. Wash Park, Platte Park, all good places, though the rental market is kind of tight right now.

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Or Highlands, Congress Park, Uptown, Cherry Creek...all neighborhoods that are ust fine social and close enough to cab it from down town...

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We are looking to move in 4-5 months. We will probably rent for about 6 months, and then buy a house in/around Highlands Ranch. During the time we rent, I really want to enjoy the night life. Thus, it would be nice to be a close cab ride away or close to the light rail.

Any suggestions on neighborhoods that would best fit what we're looking for? Cherry Creek is our favorite, but it's at the border of what we want to spend ($1600 or so). I've seen parts of the Highlands, and I didn't really like it. I would prefer a neighborhood without a ton of really old houses. Positives would be: neighborhood bars or restaurants, a park or lake within decent proximity, low crime, and reasonable parking situation.

[This message has been edited by proudaggie02 (edited 9/7/2008 2:09a).]

I appreciate all of the info guys. Instead of Denver now, I've been offered a new position here in Fort Worth that is actually a better job than Denver. I was really looking forward to Denver, but will take Fort Worth as a 2nd!!!

Denver >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ft. Worth

Not even a comparison!

^
Agree. And Fort Worth is one of my favorite cities in Texas.

I just got an offer from my internship to go on full time after graduation (so starting in January)...Definitely something I'll seriously consider! I miss it up there...But I'd also miss things about Texas and am weighing possibly doing the MRE program here at A&M. Job fair starts tomorrow at Mays so there's even MORE possibility. I guess it's good to have options, but I hate making choices like this!

Do it man. How does the RECM Master's at DU rank? I have a law degree but may eventually tack on a Master's in Real Estate if I go into development.

I am sure I will miss some little things about Texas, but off the top of my head: family and friends, absurdly low cost of living, year round golf (though 2/3 of the time it is really hot and humid), and BBQ & Mexican food. I am making a trip in 3 weeks and hope to land a couple of offers. I would love to be moved early enough to be there for the holidays and a near-full ski season.

How much more expensive is Denver, in reality? I mean I lived there for over 2 months, and I guess I noticed groceries costing a little more....But I had paid housing and bills (through the company) so I didn't really see that side of it.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html

How accurate is this?

[This message has been edited by TexasAggie008 (edited 9/23/2008 11:03p).]

Colorado's state income tax sucks. Matter of fact, state income taxes suck no matter where they are. The biggest difference I noticed was groceries. Any big city will have higher priced housing and such, so that's a push between similar sized cities.

I'm a Realtor here in Denver and would like the opportunity to earn your business. I have been in Denver for over 13 years (10 as a Realtor). Please let me know if I can help some fellow ags! matt.sadler@comcast.net

I wouldn't mind finding a job in Denver so I could move out there.

I'm probably going to get a job offer in Colorado Springs for when I graduate in December. Anybody have thoughts on living there?

I'm doing grad school at DU, and my biggest complaint is that Colorado drivers are slooooooooooooow. They also have a tendency to just sit in your blind spot.

Just wait for the first snow then the slow driver thing will make sense!

The best is watching them drive in the rain!

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ironically, the first snow is today!

Just wanted to put a plug in for Matt Sadler above. He's a good guy, is well known in the Denver A&M Club, and has helped several Aggies find homes in the Denver area.

[This message has been edited by qqchuck (edited 11/17/2008 4:33p).]

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http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html

How accurate is this?

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I would say it's pretty accurate. It shows that Denver is about 13% more expensive than Dallas, and it doesn't appear to include state income taxes in it's calculations. State income taxes currently are about 4.6% of your federal taxable income. Salaries are also probably a bit higher here, to accommodate for the cost of living differences. People also don't work as hard here as they do in TX... TRUST me on this.

The two biggest hits are state income tax and housing prices.

13% isn't too bad... I mean, for that... you get a view of the mountains, MUCH less traffic than big cities in TX, proximity to ski resorts, MUCH better weather, a city that is big enough but not gargantuan like the ones in TX, a vibrant art community (including the 2nd largest performing arts complex in the country), etc etc etc

The only things I really miss about TX are the great restaurants and family/friends. That's it. Everything else, IMO, is better here in Denver.



[This message has been edited by qqchuck (edited 11/17/2008 4:42p).]

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People also don't work as hard here as they do in TX... TRUST me on this.

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I moved here straight out of college so I have no frame of reference but a couple of my friends who have moved here since have said the same thing...of course the pay has been more to help offset the higher cost of living. So...more money, less work...sounds good to me!

Sooner, where are the other land thieves up here watching the game at?