Barnaby

has written 5 SperlingViews. Currently, Barnaby is living in Englewood, CO and has a little something to say:

re: I am so loving Denver - 10/24/2011 Posted On: 7/5/2012 11:12:40 AM

Update from previous review - I have been in Denver for almost a year now, and I still think it's a great place to live. Winter was a little long, but I enjoyed all the snow. I remember one day getting in my car and it was -2 degrees, the coldest temperature I have ever experienced. But as the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes. Toward the end of the winter I was really looking forward to spring, and I wasn't disappointed when it arrived. Now that it's summer we have had some really hot weather, in the 90's and even 100's a couple days. But there's not a lot of humidity so it doesn't feel bad. I used to live in Phoenix, so I know hot weather. It's not quite Phoenix. I think where I live makes a difference. I moved here without knowing the area, and I randomly picked a home in the Englewood/Cherry Hills Village area, which happens to be a really great place to live. I have driven out to some of the suburbs and I didn't think they were places I could comfortably live; lots of brownish scenery, strip malls, and a little bland. It seems like you don't have to drive far to reach the "middle of nowhere" in Denver. I went to a meeting that was 15 miles from my house one day and I found myself out in a really rural, undeveloped prairie with an office building in the middle of it. Kind of cool actually. I still think the people are quite friendly and polite, and I do not want to move from here, I'm quite happy. I have lived in "world class cities" including San Francisco and Seattle, and experienced all that has to offer, but as I am getting older, I like the slightly quieter pace of Denver.

I am so loving Denver Posted On: 10/24/2011 10:44:22 PM

I have only lived in Denver for a couple of months, and so far I really feel like I made the right choice by moving here. I don't regret anything about my move. I came from Seattle, and I have noticed so many pleasing differences that I consider to be improvements in quality of life. First of all, the weather has been great. The sun basically has shined every day since I've been here. I can't say that happens in Seattle, where it is generally gray (completely 100% cloudy and quite dark) for about 9 months out of the year. Also, the humidity is quite low, so it doesn't have that clammy wet sticky cool feeling you get in Seattle where the humidity is always in the 90+% range. In Seattle it feels like it's raining even when it's not. Also, the people I have encountered in Denver are amazingly, shockingly friendly compared to Seattle. It's like a genuine friendliness that just doesn't happen in Seattle, especially from strangers. It is so amazing how many people will just say hello when I am walking my dog in the park, or will talk to you even if they don't know you, like when you're buying something in a store. In Seattle, if you pass someone on the sidewalk and say hello, they will look at you like you just fell out of the sky from a spaceship, and completely ignore you. I know winter is coming up, so I will have to see what that's like, but so far I really like Denver very much, way more than my years in Seattle.

re: San Leandro Needs You - 5/30/2008 Posted On: 6/7/2011 9:58:52 PM

When I had to relocate to the Bay Area to work at a company in Oakland, and I moved to San Leandro, all my new co-workers would ask me where I lived, and I would say San Leandro, and they would look at me like I was crazy, like why in the world would I live there. But when I was looking for a place to live, I found it to be quaint, affordable, conveniently located, and the climate was superior to what I could find across the bay, and cheaper to what I could find in gentrified parts of Oakland. It's not for everyone, but it was great for me. The biggest downside, I lived really close to the Ghirardelli chocolate factory, and you would think chocolate would smell good, but when they are making it (maybe it's the dark chocolate) it doesn't smell that good - maybe that's because they are making giant huge batches and the smell is overwhelming.

Dont' Drive...The Speed Limit??? Posted On: 3/20/2011 9:57:35 PM

I have lived in several other cities, and have traveled quite a bit as well too, so I think what I am saying is true. It's funny, people in Seattle drive freaking slow. I have never driven in a city where people actually drive SLOWER than the speed limit on the freeway, and for NO REASON! It's like they took a bunch of sleeping pills washed down by some warm milk then decided to jump into their Subaru Outbacks and head to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's to buy some organic something or other. Also, I have read a lot about how people here are not as friendly, are kind of stand-off-ish, and I thought that would not apply to me, I am rather friendly and outgoing. I take my dog to the dog park daily, always try to be friendly, it's amazing how many people will talk to my dog (who doesn't TALK BY THE WAY) but will completely ignore my presence. What is wrong with people around here.

Also, does everyone in Seattle feel that wearing anything but grey or black is a sin? Or does your recycled microfiber artificial fabric clothing from REI not come in any other color but earth or tree or pavement or abyss or emptiness?

Yes, Seattle beautiful in the summer (what day will it fall on this year?) or all other times if you like green mold growing on the pavement, sidewalks, side of your house, stairways, walkways, or black mold growing on the inside of your windowsills, etc.

But seriously...there are some great companies here to work for, and some smart people here. It might be a good place to live/work, for you. Very diverse, there are good reasons to live here. Just not if you like a fast pace, a warm climate, fashion, style, or friendliness.

Sunshine and Warm Weather Posted On: 4/9/2009 7:47:29 PM

Moved to Phoenix 3 years ago because I absolutely love the climate. Sunshine is my thing, and I can take the heat, no problem. If that's your thing, you will probably like it too. I came from a really rainy, damp climate (Seattle), which while culturally, socially, economically environmentally and in every other way vastly superior to Phoenix, I decided to make the desert my home. Phoenix in general in comparison is lacking in refinement, intelligence, civility, economic development, all the jobs pay horribly low wages (think call center), the houses are cheap and ugly, and virtually worthless, for the most part, although there are some decent neighborhoods. It's generally flat, brown and dusty everywhere, but there are cool locations not too far away if you want to get out of town. I'm just comparing this to what I know (Seattle and San Francisco) where I've lived before. If you come from like Detroit or some other type of city, you will probably think Phoenix is kind of cool.

The central and downtown areas area under development and it's one area where they get the idea, that you build upon historical buildings and maintain culture, whereas most of Phoenix has the mindset of everything is disposable, and you tear down a building if it is 10 years old and build another disposable cheap building. There are some neat urban developments happening in the central corridor. There's a lot of sprawl in Phoenix metro area, that's of course because the desert expands forever, and people built out and out, for cheap land/housing when the boom was big, with no restraint or nothing to reel it in, realizing that reining in development would help control property values from falling too much. Oh well. I think Phoenix has a great future, and in 20 or 30 years, it will be a cool city. For now it's a great place to get some sun. Or a low paying job or a cheap house.