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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We left Denver to move to Northern Virginia. Yes, it was jobs but our family is in the area and while there are a lot of great things about Denver our salaries tripled when we moved here. Jobs pay less there because of the quality of life, but housing is crazy. There is a shortage and honestly looking at Stapleton our budget was basically the same as in Fairfax 650K.

I actually enjoyed the weather and outdoors, but I found people in Denver to be very, very flaky and self-involved. People are definitely into their hobbies and stuff, but we didn't make good friends. It was very surface experience.

I lived right by Cheesman Park. We miss it and the gardens, but it's so much better being closer to family. My mother helps us out and my in-laws come down as well.
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I grew up and Denver and still visit at least once a year but have been in DC for 20 years now.

With the explosive growth in Denver the last few years traffic has really worsened and some of the coarseness and frustration that dominate public discourse here has started to creep in there - nowhere close to what we have here but it is starting to happen.

I also agree with the comment about not making good friends - people in CO are very outwardly friendly but also much more guarded and private.  I find it is really hard to get into interesting conversations with people when I visit about much beyond the Broncos (and the Broncos dominate local sports in a way that is hard to describe if you live out here) because people are just guarded about talking about things but here it is never hard to find smart and well read people who will engage.  But it is also nice that people don't immediately talk about their jobs.

If you are into the urban experience and like diversity, walkability, and livable neighborhoods and otherwise engaging with people DC is head and shoulders a better place to live but if you are going to live in a generic suburb Denver has nicer weather and is more affordable and less stressful.

But on the stuff to do metric it just isn't even close - DC has tons more culture and stuff to do and there are also so many more places you can reach quickly from DC or even half a days drive away.  Even on the outdoors stuff there really isn't that much more to do in and around Denver - the skiing and hiking/backpacking are better but there really are no things to do on the water and DC has better urban options in terms of parks and hiking/biking than Denver.

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PP here. You hit the nail on the head about Colorado. I feel way more connected and engaged with people in my boring Fairfax suburban community than I did living in the Denver proper.

Also, the suburbs are definitely cheaper in Denver (though not the Cherry Creek School district), but I found the schools to be super lacking. We thought seriously about moving to Stapleton, but it's such a mess because the development grew so quickly that the schools and infrastructure couldn't keep up. You weren't guaranteed a spot in a specific elementary school, but rather one spot in one of the many schools scattered through Stapleton. My friends have kids who are bussed across the neighborhood even though they live across the street from a school. It's bonkers.

And the job market thing was the biggest killer. Employers pay way less than market because it's a desirable location. But housing costs have risen, traffic is worse, and I found myself wondering why bother. So, we moved to DC, tripled our income, live modest but comfortable lives and are perfectly happy.[/quote]

Another Denver native here, been in DC about ten years but visit family in Colorado 2-3x per year. These posts nailed it for me. Nobody ever believes me when I say this irl but Denver is pretty boring, on a lot of levels. The mountains are beautiful but realistically due to traffic and cost I only ever got up there once a month or so, and now I still go a couple times a year plus I do road trips around DC constantly. Overall my quality of life here is loads better. It's all just personality though I guess. People here are my people. [/quote]

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