Please help me think through a major life decision, moving to Denver from DC

Having formerly lived in DC, I will tell you that there is no other city in the US like it, so moving away from there means a big change no matter where you go. Not only is DC diverse in just about all ways, it is filled with highly-educated people that you just will not find in so concentrated a way in any other city. So, if moving away from DC, you have to accept as a given that your life will be very different.

If I were you, I would really investigate what cities would be best for a 24-year-old single heterosexual male. I did a quick search, and I DID see Denver on some top 20 lists in that category. Other cities that were common: Austin, TX; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; San Jose, CA; Las Vegas, NV; several coastal cities in FL; Nashville, TN; Asheville, NC; Colorado Springs, CO

Good luck!

This is BS. There are lots of similar cities to DC in terms of demographics, housing prices, level of education, historical relevance and so forth. Have you ever been to Boston Flagpole?

Regarding the OP... never lived in Denver but have spent many months there professionally over the last decade. It has gotten worse and worse year after year IMHO. There is good accessible outdoor space which is a big benefit but I think you’ll find that skiing happens less than you think it will.

Can’t speak to the data scene but people seem generally fit and so forth. I’d pull the trigger all-in-all. You are young and having a few different cities under your belt gives you more diverse life experiences.

DC is one of the worst places on earth. It is a cesspool filled with human garbage. You should be sprinting away as fast as you can.

Denver is a suburbia nightmare these days.

Come and join the traffic jam into the mountains on weekends.

Denver looks good on paper. I would recommend that you do your research or better visit for a week before you decide to move.

I've heard Denver is somewhat overrated when it comes to outdoor activities. The trails near the city are packed on the weekends, skiing involves constantly dodging other people, development everywhere. Too many people in general. I haven't lived there so this is just what I've heard from friends and read online. I would move to a smaller city (Boise, SLC, Colorado Springs, Missoula) if I wanted to live in a city with great outdoor activities that still felt like I'm in the outdoors and not the city with a bunch of trees if that makes sense.

I wouldn't worry about dating. Plenty of opportunities for that in any city.

I moved from DC metro (lived there 2 years post college after growing up a little further north) to Denver for grad school in 2010 at age 24 myself. I love it here, and have settled down in the burbs. That being said, it sounds like you are looking for different things than I was at that age. I definitely prefer to slower pace of life here.

You are right to think that you will be taking a huge diversity hit. Every time I head back to the east coast I am reminded of how white Colorado is. However, if you are looking at downtown Denver or nearby it would be a little more diverse than the suburbs. And it is a lot more diverse than the other poster’s recommendations of Colorado Springs or SLC.

I loved the DC running scene when I was there, and Denver also has a lot of solid aspects as well. Love the parks and the highline is great for long runs. All your other interests are options here too. Anyone who complains about traffic here has never had a beltway commute. Ski traffic can pretty terrible in the winter, but if you can travel in off times it’s not too bad.

You can’t beat the 300+ days of sunshine, and I will take Denver winters over the dc and northeast. The snow melts much quicker with the sun and random 60 degree winter days we get.

Not sure if you have a time frame in mind, but you should come out in early summer for a long weekend or week and see what you think.

If you love outdoor activities there are way better cities than Denver. Denver is pretty vanilla and if you live in the city you will have a long drive to get to trails, skiing, lakes, etc. Also, Denver itself is flat. You should do a lot more research if that is one of your key criteria.

I would not leave if I were you. The diversity in DC is unmatched, just look at their voting records. Diversity is highly underrated. Stay home.

I moved to Denver from Philadelphia in 2015 when I was 28.

You are probably 45 minutes away from outdoor stuff, more like 90 minutes+ from what people think of when they think of Colorado. Traffic is terrible, people don't know how to drive, and the roads weren't designed for the influx of people that flocked there over the last several years.

There are way more dudes than females. There is very little culture compared to New York, Chicago, Boston etc. But I personally think DC is a vapid soulless city but I digress.

There was a serious housing shortage back then. Exorbitant rents and low vacancies.

Homeless population is a big problem as well as meth. Meth isn't endemic on the east coast as it is in other parts of the country. Being accosted by a meth head is a different ballgame than the sleepy east coast dope fiend.

Go visit, maybe for a few weeks rather than just a long weekend.

highhoppingworm wrote:

This is BS. There are lots of similar cities to DC in terms of demographics, housing prices, level of education, historical relevance and so forth. Have you ever been to Boston Flagpole?

Not true. DC is unique among all cities in the US regarding EDUCATION...that is the only point I was making, so your other things in the list have no bearing on what I said. Yes I've been to Boston. ALL cities have educated people, but DC has more and more with advanced degrees. Just not comparable to any city in the country in that regard.

Flagpole wrote:

highhoppingworm wrote:

This is BS. There are lots of similar cities to DC in terms of demographics, housing prices, level of education, historical relevance and so forth. Have you ever been to Boston Flagpole?

Not true. DC is unique among all cities in the US regarding EDUCATION...that is the only point I was making, so your other things in the list have no bearing on what I said. Yes I've been to Boston. ALL cities have educated people, but DC has more and more with advanced degrees. Just not comparable to any city in the country in that regard.

In DC they have advanced degrees in law and political science so they can f**k you over. They are power hungry. I'd rather be friends with a truck driver than a lawyer or a politician.

Ultra Runner Chick wrote:

If you love outdoor activities there are way better cities than Denver. Denver is pretty vanilla and if you live in the city you will have a long drive to get to trails, skiing, lakes, etc. Also, Denver itself is flat. You should do a lot more research if that is one of your key criteria.

No kidding 20 min is a such a long drive. Remember to o bring snacks!

Move to Vermont for the things you want.

What's Denver doing there? All those people moved into the mountains for the terrible weather, and no ocean nearby, to do what? Do they have mines, farms, a big port on a major river? Slaughterhouses like Chicago?

They do have that big airport, maybe that's it. Busy stopover for transcontinental flights.

Of the midwest cities, denver is closest to the mountains. That's all I'm gonna say.

The snow melts quicker than the snow in DC? What snow is this?

Both have good and bad...Im a DC area guy but lived in CO as a kid and visit regularly..

I like DC better. The traffic shocks me everytime I go to CO. I'm not saying it's worse than here, but it's much worse than you'd think.

Still, plenty of worse places than CO.

Year 1: Worked in Denver, lived in Boulder

Year 2: Worked outside of Boulder and live there now

GMaps says only 27 miles from Boulder to downtown Denver but there is so much traffic and parking a hassle. It takes maybe an hour on average to make that trek each way. As a result I didnt have much energy for the mountains in Year 1. It was my learning year while stabilizing. But by and large, Denver sucks.

Year 2 I changed to a better job and I have been to the Rockies a lot of weekends. Getting to the mountains is somewhat of a discipline though. Going through Estes Park would be a Tourist Trap and getting past Idaho Springs to the Valley or Winter Park can take hours both to and from. You have to make the right moves early or be prepared for traffic delays. I have thousands of dollars of gear and a reliable vehicle I bought specifically for the mountains with after market winter tires. I am packed by mid week and I have a system down to bring and store my own quality food up to cut other costs.

Trails in Denver and Boulder are otherwise overcrowded as someone said. I find it difficult to run or even bike near these cities. The frequency of vehicle-pedestrian accidents is another major concern for road running. People do not drive safely. They are ignorant and rude. Those same bad things from the road carryover to the trails too. I often say it out loud that the amount of people here ruins it. It is true. So dont create some illusion in your head that Boulder is something else. It is very full.

I lived on the west coast for the first 45 years of my life and will always feel that the west is the best. Its more wide open, not only physically but with any possibilities for a young person. The big change has been growth and homeless populations in any reasonably populated area. I wouldn't worry about relationships as that will happen anywhere. My best advice would be to pray about it.