Reviews & Comments
Denver, CO
Transition from cowtown to urbanity has spoiled it -
12/8/2018Retired last summer and decided to pack it up and move out of state after living a lifetime of 60 years around the Denver metro corridor. Change is a beneficial thing, except when growth is poorly planned with respect to infrastructure, environmental impact and quality of life. Years ago, Gov. Roy Romer (D) basically promised he would throw the doors wide open and boy, did he ever.
Pros:
1. Climate is wonderful. You never know what you are going to get. The weather forecasters get it wrong quite a bit. Expect a period of blast furnace heat in summer (100+ degrees F) and a bit of bitter, squeaky-snow cold in winter(- 0 degrees F) aka Stock Show weather in January. Air is very dry and people tend to suffer extended cold symptoms, bloody noses and headaches after moving in. Staying hydrated will help all that. Snow doesn’t stay around long on the flats, but expect 9+ months of winter if you go higher up. In metro area expect wind to the west and north of town, more snow south and east. Wind is not uncommon either. Expect to dust your house often. In addition Colorado is the booger capital of the country.
2. The “real” Colorado still exists and is fairly untouched by the human hordes flocking to the state. Not giving away that little secret, sorry.
3. Lots of sunshine. There are days when the sun shines brightly in a beautiful blue Colorado sky, but it can easily be -5 degrees F at the same time. Enjoy!
4. People outside of the urban areas are friendly and approachable. This has been the case for my entire lifetime there and I think still is. Denver and Boulder harbor aggressive homeless populations that have multiplied enough to become a recognized problem.
5. Outdoor lifestyle abounds. Lots of things to do outside, but carefully measure what and when you go out is important (weekends are ridiculous). It isn’t easy to get off by yourself in the back country, go boating or paddling, or even ride on the city’s bike trails anymore without getting in each other’s way.
6. Great sellers’ market. Sold my house after a crazy one-day bidding war; ending in an insane over-asking price tag.
Cons:
1. Gray. Brown. Dead. Eight-plus months of dormant landscape. It is so dry that if you don’t keep your trees and shrubs regularly watered during dry periods (any time of year) they will die.
2. Unbelievable traffic. Now not just in the urban areas but expanded into the mountains. We used to call it “ski traffic” now it is “up the mountain” traffic because it is difficult to avoid year around unless you have your weekdays free.
3. Humanity everywhere. What finally took it over the top and made me realize Colorado was no longer a quality place to live, was during a recent hike on Jones Pass; where some imbecile deliberately steered a large-tired vehicle through the fragile alpine tundra, causing damage that will take years for the land to recover from (if ever).
4. Drought considerations. The entire Front Range is completely overdeveloped and when the next bonafide drought hits… and it will again… count on getting by with very little water.
5. Politics. From my neutral political point of view, Colorado has mostly been a conservative state with sensible, intelligent social leanings. The recently-arrived Denver/Boulder corridor transplants tend to lean liberal left, meaning the rest of the state has little to no say in many issues that impact them.
6. Crappy buyer’s market. The entitled hipster transplant from CA that bought my house on an acreage gave me enough cash to buy a beautiful waterfront home, expensive boat with enough left over to buy a VRBO rental income property so I can come back and visit my CO family any time I feel like it; without being trapped in a primary residence while the state circles the drain in the coming years. Heh, thanks!
7. Air quality. “Brown Cloud” temp inversions occur often in winter when the colder air slips under the warmer layer trapping dust and nitrogen dioxide gas meaning everyone in the valley is breathing some really dirty air. Even dirtier than Beijing some days (yes true, Google it). Throw in smoke from all the fires burning west and north of the parched Divide and you’re good to go (choke, gag).
Overall Colorado will always be home to me despite the increasing problems and growing pains. I left because I believe the quality of life has dropped dramatically. Not sure it will come back anywhere close to where it was growing up but have kept connected to it… just in case.