What's it like living in Denver/Aurora, & where to stay while visiting?
December 30, 2017 8:00 AM Subscribe
I have a job interview in Aurora in March. I'm interested in finding out more about what it would be like to live there, and also want to know where I should stay and what I should see/ do during my brief visit there.
I've read a couple prior AskMe's about living Denver which were sort of helpful but I'm particularly interested in knowing what the area is like these days, that is, in Trump's Horrible America, and also now that marijuana's been legalized for a while. Although the job is in Aurora, my understanding is that lots of people who work there live in Denver and it's not too far. So I'm interested in hearing about both Aurora and Denver I guess (and surrounding areas if there are any other cool places, I think I could tolerate a driving commute of 20-30 min). I'll be visiting soon for my interview and hope to get a sense of what the area's like before I go. That way I can maybe get an Airbnb in a neighborhood that I'd be most likely to end up living in so I can get a taste of it.
About me: 30's, coupled, no kids yet but plan to start working on that soon hopefully. Democrat/ socially liberal. Interested in living in a cute neighborhood that's walking distance to bars, restaurants and other stuff, but doesn't need to be smack downtown. Hopefully not the most expensive neighborhood of all time (1-2 bedroom for under 1500/mo would be great, but could grudgingly afford more if necessary.) Something more residential-ish and dog friendly. By comparison, I used to live in Bucktown/Logan Square in Chicago and I liked that balance of being sort of off the beaten path, affordable, but still within walking distance of lots of cool stuff. (It's been several years since I lived there though, so those descriptors may not necessarily apply to it's current state which I assume is a lot more trendy and expensive than even just 5-10 years ago.) We will have cars, so not everything needs to be in walking distance, it would just be nice to be able to do SOME entertaining things without driving. On that note, parking that's not a nightmare would be great. I also love outdoorsy natural beauty and nice views so living in a place where I could have a deck/ balcony and/or see a mountain or something out my window would be sweet. I realize I'd have to be willing to pay more for that.
So my specific questions are:
- Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
- How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.) Neighborhoods with a train stop would be excellent.
- How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
- How's the political climate these days? Is there a lot of protesting/volunteering/etc going on?
- How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
- Recommendations for places to check out while I'm visiting? (cool bars, restaurants, etc?)
- Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
- Whatever else you think I might need to know.
I know this is kind of all over the place and open ended. I appreciate any and all insight you have to offer!
I've read a couple prior AskMe's about living Denver which were sort of helpful but I'm particularly interested in knowing what the area is like these days, that is, in Trump's Horrible America, and also now that marijuana's been legalized for a while. Although the job is in Aurora, my understanding is that lots of people who work there live in Denver and it's not too far. So I'm interested in hearing about both Aurora and Denver I guess (and surrounding areas if there are any other cool places, I think I could tolerate a driving commute of 20-30 min). I'll be visiting soon for my interview and hope to get a sense of what the area's like before I go. That way I can maybe get an Airbnb in a neighborhood that I'd be most likely to end up living in so I can get a taste of it.
About me: 30's, coupled, no kids yet but plan to start working on that soon hopefully. Democrat/ socially liberal. Interested in living in a cute neighborhood that's walking distance to bars, restaurants and other stuff, but doesn't need to be smack downtown. Hopefully not the most expensive neighborhood of all time (1-2 bedroom for under 1500/mo would be great, but could grudgingly afford more if necessary.) Something more residential-ish and dog friendly. By comparison, I used to live in Bucktown/Logan Square in Chicago and I liked that balance of being sort of off the beaten path, affordable, but still within walking distance of lots of cool stuff. (It's been several years since I lived there though, so those descriptors may not necessarily apply to it's current state which I assume is a lot more trendy and expensive than even just 5-10 years ago.) We will have cars, so not everything needs to be in walking distance, it would just be nice to be able to do SOME entertaining things without driving. On that note, parking that's not a nightmare would be great. I also love outdoorsy natural beauty and nice views so living in a place where I could have a deck/ balcony and/or see a mountain or something out my window would be sweet. I realize I'd have to be willing to pay more for that.
So my specific questions are:
- Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
- How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.) Neighborhoods with a train stop would be excellent.
- How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
- How's the political climate these days? Is there a lot of protesting/volunteering/etc going on?
- How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
- Recommendations for places to check out while I'm visiting? (cool bars, restaurants, etc?)
- Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
- Whatever else you think I might need to know.
I know this is kind of all over the place and open ended. I appreciate any and all insight you have to offer!
A good friend of mine works in Aurora and lives in Stapleton. I visited him while there for a conference; it seems like a decent community, with a central town square/shopping district. Close to the light rail line which goes to the airport and to downtown Denver, and to I-70 for more outdoorsy adventures. He and his wife and toddler seem to like it.
posted by basalganglia at 9:00 AM on December 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by basalganglia at 9:00 AM on December 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Hi! I live in Aurora and work in Denver. Feel free to send me a mail with any follow-ups. That said:
Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
The missing vector here is your rent/mortgage budget. For neighborhoods that have more walkable things, like a Logan Square, they're going to be pretty expensive in Denver proper and pretty hard to find in Aurora. That said: Cap Hill, Golden Triangle, Cheesman Park, Five Points, Highlands, University Park, and Wash Park are areas to consider. Most suburbs here have downtowns around public transit (or just on major streets). Aurora doesn't yet; there is a main drag along Colfax that is going to be closest to what you're thinking.
How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.)
It should be better than it is. Service isn't frequent enough to be like the L – it's more like a half-Metra, half-L blend. Ridership is low. If I could take the train to and from work easily, I would.
How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
Coming from Chicago? Not that bad. People complain about it, and it has gotten worse since I started visiting out here a decade ago, but you can expect commutes of 30-40 minutes one way in most Denver/Aurora areas. (If you're far out, commutes are longer.)
How's the political climate these days? Is there a lot of protesting/volunteering/etc going on?
Organizing, for sure. There is generally more happening in Denver than Aurora, I would say, but Aurora is also a place where one (I think) can make a bigger impact right away. You should look into the work that Bree Davies does – she points to and works with lots of other folks. The city is pretty blue, with red pockets here and there, and everything south and west is pretty red. (These are generalizations, caveat emptor.)
How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
Honestly, it's no big deal. There are weed shops and plenty of them! That's about it.
Recommendations for places to check out while I'm visiting? (cool bars, restaurants, etc?)
So many. Going up and down Colfax and Havana in Aurora will give you a good sense of what's here. (There's an awesome new Korean fried chicken place that opened up on Havana and Iliff; there are lots of karaoke places down Havana; tons of small strip malls with little markets to explore.) If you're more interested in a hipstery-Wicker Park vibe, anything in RiNo/Globeville will do. Stanley Marketplace in Aurora is also worth checking out. Do take time to go to a park or open space!
Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
The first time I visited here I got pretty sick from the elevation. Drink lots of water and moisturize, and GO SLOW. You will get used to it.
The weather is completely 100% more tolerable for me than Chicago. Way more mild. This past summer was atypically hot (welcome to global warming) – we had more days around 90-94 than I recall in the past. But winters are light or medium jacket weather until February, and then it gets cold for a few months. The sunshine is persistent and the opposite of Chicago. We've had a pretty dry 2017 too, unfortunately; this leads to water restrictions.
Whatever else you think I might need to know.
Pretty car-based culture out here, I'd say. More so than Chicago. But you know, Denver is pretty easy to get around and there are really interesting little nooks and crannies and places – you just have to actively seek them out more than you do in Chicago.
(Oh, and I personally wouldn't recommend Stapleton, but that's me. YMMV.)
posted by hijinx at 1:11 PM on December 30, 2017
Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
The missing vector here is your rent/mortgage budget. For neighborhoods that have more walkable things, like a Logan Square, they're going to be pretty expensive in Denver proper and pretty hard to find in Aurora. That said: Cap Hill, Golden Triangle, Cheesman Park, Five Points, Highlands, University Park, and Wash Park are areas to consider. Most suburbs here have downtowns around public transit (or just on major streets). Aurora doesn't yet; there is a main drag along Colfax that is going to be closest to what you're thinking.
How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.)
It should be better than it is. Service isn't frequent enough to be like the L – it's more like a half-Metra, half-L blend. Ridership is low. If I could take the train to and from work easily, I would.
How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
Coming from Chicago? Not that bad. People complain about it, and it has gotten worse since I started visiting out here a decade ago, but you can expect commutes of 30-40 minutes one way in most Denver/Aurora areas. (If you're far out, commutes are longer.)
How's the political climate these days? Is there a lot of protesting/volunteering/etc going on?
Organizing, for sure. There is generally more happening in Denver than Aurora, I would say, but Aurora is also a place where one (I think) can make a bigger impact right away. You should look into the work that Bree Davies does – she points to and works with lots of other folks. The city is pretty blue, with red pockets here and there, and everything south and west is pretty red. (These are generalizations, caveat emptor.)
How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
Honestly, it's no big deal. There are weed shops and plenty of them! That's about it.
Recommendations for places to check out while I'm visiting? (cool bars, restaurants, etc?)
So many. Going up and down Colfax and Havana in Aurora will give you a good sense of what's here. (There's an awesome new Korean fried chicken place that opened up on Havana and Iliff; there are lots of karaoke places down Havana; tons of small strip malls with little markets to explore.) If you're more interested in a hipstery-Wicker Park vibe, anything in RiNo/Globeville will do. Stanley Marketplace in Aurora is also worth checking out. Do take time to go to a park or open space!
Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
The first time I visited here I got pretty sick from the elevation. Drink lots of water and moisturize, and GO SLOW. You will get used to it.
The weather is completely 100% more tolerable for me than Chicago. Way more mild. This past summer was atypically hot (welcome to global warming) – we had more days around 90-94 than I recall in the past. But winters are light or medium jacket weather until February, and then it gets cold for a few months. The sunshine is persistent and the opposite of Chicago. We've had a pretty dry 2017 too, unfortunately; this leads to water restrictions.
Whatever else you think I might need to know.
Pretty car-based culture out here, I'd say. More so than Chicago. But you know, Denver is pretty easy to get around and there are really interesting little nooks and crannies and places – you just have to actively seek them out more than you do in Chicago.
(Oh, and I personally wouldn't recommend Stapleton, but that's me. YMMV.)
posted by hijinx at 1:11 PM on December 30, 2017
I've lived in Denver only, not Aurora, so my recommendations are based only on that.
- Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
We rented a 1BR in Capital Hill last year for around $1300/month, and that was in a mid-level managed building -- I think you could probably do better or get something bigger if you rented from a small-time landlord. Highly walkable, but I would guess probably a longer commute than you want. I would guess that getting a commute down to 20-30 minutes will mean living in Aurora or at least the parts of Denver closest to it (also depends a lot on where in Aurora your office is located).
There are also a LOT of luxury apartment buildings with insanely high rent in Denver, and often those are the ones that pop up first in online searches. There are definitely apartments to be had for less than $3000/month! Highly recommend renting at first so you can get to know different neighborhoods before you buy.
- How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.) Neighborhoods with a train stop would be excellent.
Not awesome -- you have to get sort of lucky with both your work and your home locations. We did not personally love the neighborhoods that were both affordable and train-friendly. This also depends on your office being walkable from the train, which is a matter of luck. I would also be wary about trying to do something with transfers -- the trains don't really come often enough to make it practical on a day-to-day basis, in my experience. Some stations do have good park-and-ride options, so you could combine car+train commuting. Anyway -- people definitely make public transit work, but personally I find Denver much more car-culture-y than other cities I've lived.
- How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
Bad, but depends on your baseline. I certainly find it much improved over Boston (where I lived previously). If you're able during your trip, you could try doing your possible commute *during commute hours* for various possible neighborhoods. For example, my husband's commute can be 45 minutes to an hour during commute times, even though it would be only 20 minutes on the weekend. But my commute really only increases by 5 minutes during commuting times, unless there's a car wreck, serious weather, etc. So it can depend a lot on specific routes.
- How's the political climate these days? Is there a lot of protesting/volunteering/etc going on?
I find Denver to be fairly liberal; there have been numerous protests since the election and it has felt pretty easy to get plugged into these things. I know less about Aurora. But, I will say that I anticipated Denver would feel more "purple" than it actually does, at least for the circles I'm in. Like anywhere, I'm sure it depends on who you know, but I don't think you'd have any trouble plugging into progressive groups.
- How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
I don't feel like it affects things very much, except that there are pot shops and pot advertisements around. If you're not into it, it's very easy to just...not be into it. I think we went to a pot shop once just out of curiosity but have otherwise basically ignored it, and that hasn't felt like a weird or difficult choice. There are a few parks where people will smoke outside if that's something that bothers you, but I don't find it to be everywhere/overwhelming. I'm sure if you want to connect with other people who are super into weed, there are ways to do that too. But I find it pretty easy to ignore if not. (Caveat: if seeing pot shops on street corners will bother you, they are a thing that exists! But you'll figure that out pretty quickly when you visit if that's the case.)
- Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
I love love love the weather. You get "real" seasons, but also lots of sun. There's snow in the winter, but it comes and then melts usually within a week. You don't get the grey/black snow that sticks around for months. And, the really cold weather is usually mixed up with days in the 40s and 50s, or even higher -- we were all out in short sleeves over Thanksgiving. Also, it's easy to get up to snow in the mountains whenever you want. The one downside is that the weather is super unpredictable -- you may end up with a snowstorm in October or at Mother's Day! But then it gets warm again. I like the variation, and also the fact that endless weeks of grey skies are not a thing.
One weird thing is that because the snow typically melts relatively quickly, Denver doesn't really seem to "do" snow plows except on major roads (and even then, slowly and poorly). So you can expect traffic to be extremely unpleasant (and you may want to work from home if possible) after major storms. But, this is rare enough -- a few days a year -- that I don't consider it a big deal.
On elevation -- you do have to get used to it, but once you do, it's pretty much a non-issue. I think it took me a couple of weeks to feel normal? I do continue to drink WAY more water than I would other places, but I'm not sure if that's the elevation or just how dry it is (or both). For your trip, bring lots of Chapstick and hand cream, and be sure to drink lots of water. Be careful about alcohol consumption -- until you get used to the elevation, your alcohol tolerance may be way down -- especially important to know if you have any business-related dinners, etc.!
posted by rainbowbrite at 3:32 PM on December 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
- Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
We rented a 1BR in Capital Hill last year for around $1300/month, and that was in a mid-level managed building -- I think you could probably do better or get something bigger if you rented from a small-time landlord. Highly walkable, but I would guess probably a longer commute than you want. I would guess that getting a commute down to 20-30 minutes will mean living in Aurora or at least the parts of Denver closest to it (also depends a lot on where in Aurora your office is located).
There are also a LOT of luxury apartment buildings with insanely high rent in Denver, and often those are the ones that pop up first in online searches. There are definitely apartments to be had for less than $3000/month! Highly recommend renting at first so you can get to know different neighborhoods before you buy.
- How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.) Neighborhoods with a train stop would be excellent.
Not awesome -- you have to get sort of lucky with both your work and your home locations. We did not personally love the neighborhoods that were both affordable and train-friendly. This also depends on your office being walkable from the train, which is a matter of luck. I would also be wary about trying to do something with transfers -- the trains don't really come often enough to make it practical on a day-to-day basis, in my experience. Some stations do have good park-and-ride options, so you could combine car+train commuting. Anyway -- people definitely make public transit work, but personally I find Denver much more car-culture-y than other cities I've lived.
- How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
Bad, but depends on your baseline. I certainly find it much improved over Boston (where I lived previously). If you're able during your trip, you could try doing your possible commute *during commute hours* for various possible neighborhoods. For example, my husband's commute can be 45 minutes to an hour during commute times, even though it would be only 20 minutes on the weekend. But my commute really only increases by 5 minutes during commuting times, unless there's a car wreck, serious weather, etc. So it can depend a lot on specific routes.
- How's the political climate these days? Is there a lot of protesting/volunteering/etc going on?
I find Denver to be fairly liberal; there have been numerous protests since the election and it has felt pretty easy to get plugged into these things. I know less about Aurora. But, I will say that I anticipated Denver would feel more "purple" than it actually does, at least for the circles I'm in. Like anywhere, I'm sure it depends on who you know, but I don't think you'd have any trouble plugging into progressive groups.
- How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
I don't feel like it affects things very much, except that there are pot shops and pot advertisements around. If you're not into it, it's very easy to just...not be into it. I think we went to a pot shop once just out of curiosity but have otherwise basically ignored it, and that hasn't felt like a weird or difficult choice. There are a few parks where people will smoke outside if that's something that bothers you, but I don't find it to be everywhere/overwhelming. I'm sure if you want to connect with other people who are super into weed, there are ways to do that too. But I find it pretty easy to ignore if not. (Caveat: if seeing pot shops on street corners will bother you, they are a thing that exists! But you'll figure that out pretty quickly when you visit if that's the case.)
- Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
I love love love the weather. You get "real" seasons, but also lots of sun. There's snow in the winter, but it comes and then melts usually within a week. You don't get the grey/black snow that sticks around for months. And, the really cold weather is usually mixed up with days in the 40s and 50s, or even higher -- we were all out in short sleeves over Thanksgiving. Also, it's easy to get up to snow in the mountains whenever you want. The one downside is that the weather is super unpredictable -- you may end up with a snowstorm in October or at Mother's Day! But then it gets warm again. I like the variation, and also the fact that endless weeks of grey skies are not a thing.
One weird thing is that because the snow typically melts relatively quickly, Denver doesn't really seem to "do" snow plows except on major roads (and even then, slowly and poorly). So you can expect traffic to be extremely unpleasant (and you may want to work from home if possible) after major storms. But, this is rare enough -- a few days a year -- that I don't consider it a big deal.
On elevation -- you do have to get used to it, but once you do, it's pretty much a non-issue. I think it took me a couple of weeks to feel normal? I do continue to drink WAY more water than I would other places, but I'm not sure if that's the elevation or just how dry it is (or both). For your trip, bring lots of Chapstick and hand cream, and be sure to drink lots of water. Be careful about alcohol consumption -- until you get used to the elevation, your alcohol tolerance may be way down -- especially important to know if you have any business-related dinners, etc.!
posted by rainbowbrite at 3:32 PM on December 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
- Based on the above, what neighborhoods do you recommend, both in Aurora and Denver?
- How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.) Neighborhoods with a train stop would be excellent.
I really enjoy living in the West Washington Park neighborhood (near downtown Denver) and taking the light rail to work in the Tech Center (DTC, on the South side of town). I walk 2 blocks from the light rail on both ends. The main light rail lines that serve Aurora run mostly along I-225; you'd be less likely to find a place so conveniently close to a light rail stop, and I'd be shocked if it was in the kind of walkable neighborhood you described. However, you'd have better luck in the Washington Park, Platt Park, Baker, DU (though this is a college-kids area) and parts of University Park neighborhoods; these all pretty much fit your description of the kind of neighborhood you're looking for.
- How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
Depending on your location, it could be fairly annoying or not a problem. I'd avoid living on the opposite side of the city from your job. My 9-mile commute, which is mostly on I-25, takes 20-30 minutes during the worst part of rush hour (I drive to work about half the time). With the boom of folks moving here over the last 5 years, surface street traffic is noticeably worse. If the commute time is a big deal for you, I'd check it out on google maps, which tends to be pretty spot-on around here.
- How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
I mostly agree with hijinx on this. It's easy to get, but not a big deal, and in my opinion pretty well-controlled. A close friend had a high pedestrian step out into traffic in front of his motorcycle which was a mess, but that could have happened in many other non-legalized places as well. On the plus side, it HAS meant a ton more $$$ in the state's coffers.
- Recommendations for places to check out while I'm visiting? (cool bars, restaurants, etc?)
Denver has a LOT going on, so it's hard to answer this without knowing what areas you'll be checking out or what you're into. Aurora borders Denver directly, but it's a lot more suburban than Denver is. The East Colfax area is technically Denver but kind of in-between the two, and there's a lot to check out there. Happy to answer this and any other questions more completely in a follow-up or memail if you like.
- Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
The winters can get cold, but not like Chicago. Very little wind. In my experience, snow rarely sticks around more than a day or so. We have a crazy-high number of sunny days every year, and it usually melts off pretty quickly in Denver proper. Summer has lots of short rainstorms (rarely thunderstorms, which I miss a ton). It is very dry here, and it's no joke for people who aren't used to it, though that effects people differently. I'd plan to drink more water and probably use more lotion.
posted by hootenatty at 5:21 PM on January 2, 2018
- How's public transit? (Buses make me motion sick so I'm specifically referring to the light rail system.) Neighborhoods with a train stop would be excellent.
I really enjoy living in the West Washington Park neighborhood (near downtown Denver) and taking the light rail to work in the Tech Center (DTC, on the South side of town). I walk 2 blocks from the light rail on both ends. The main light rail lines that serve Aurora run mostly along I-225; you'd be less likely to find a place so conveniently close to a light rail stop, and I'd be shocked if it was in the kind of walkable neighborhood you described. However, you'd have better luck in the Washington Park, Platt Park, Baker, DU (though this is a college-kids area) and parts of University Park neighborhoods; these all pretty much fit your description of the kind of neighborhood you're looking for.
- How's traffic? I hate it but know some is unavoidable. I'd like to avoid having the Worst Possible Commute though.
Depending on your location, it could be fairly annoying or not a problem. I'd avoid living on the opposite side of the city from your job. My 9-mile commute, which is mostly on I-25, takes 20-30 minutes during the worst part of rush hour (I drive to work about half the time). With the boom of folks moving here over the last 5 years, surface street traffic is noticeably worse. If the commute time is a big deal for you, I'd check it out on google maps, which tends to be pretty spot-on around here.
- How has weed culture affected life here? (I don't have any more specific question than that, just generally curious whether it's something I need to be thinking about.)
I mostly agree with hijinx on this. It's easy to get, but not a big deal, and in my opinion pretty well-controlled. A close friend had a high pedestrian step out into traffic in front of his motorcycle which was a mess, but that could have happened in many other non-legalized places as well. On the plus side, it HAS meant a ton more $$$ in the state's coffers.
- Recommendations for places to check out while I'm visiting? (cool bars, restaurants, etc?)
Denver has a LOT going on, so it's hard to answer this without knowing what areas you'll be checking out or what you're into. Aurora borders Denver directly, but it's a lot more suburban than Denver is. The East Colfax area is technically Denver but kind of in-between the two, and there's a lot to check out there. Happy to answer this and any other questions more completely in a follow-up or memail if you like.
- Any additional commentary on weather/climate? (Here's my understanding: Sunny a lot, really dry but with thunderstorms a lot, stays pretty mild in winter, you have to get used to the elevation.)
The winters can get cold, but not like Chicago. Very little wind. In my experience, snow rarely sticks around more than a day or so. We have a crazy-high number of sunny days every year, and it usually melts off pretty quickly in Denver proper. Summer has lots of short rainstorms (rarely thunderstorms, which I miss a ton). It is very dry here, and it's no joke for people who aren't used to it, though that effects people differently. I'd plan to drink more water and probably use more lotion.
posted by hootenatty at 5:21 PM on January 2, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
* Traffic is awful. Was bad in mid-2000s, can't imagine it's much better now - though some of the construction is (I think) finally finished. Many, many transplants in Denver cannot drive in snow but think their 4x4 makes them an expert. It doesn't.
* Commentary on weather: Rain yes, proper thunderstorms not so much. IIRC most of the summer you'll get an afternoon shower that lasts about an hour. Be prepared for snow, and a lot of it, from about October to April. Have seen a few feet in an afternoon. One really nice thing about Denver is that it can be hot, but not muggy, and the temperature drops enough at night to be comfortable after the Sun goes down. Your car will be an oven if not in the shade, but otherwise it's a pretty decent area to be in the summer months.
My recollection was that Denver was very sporty / outdoorsy, and if that's your jam you'll dig it. If not, you may have a bit of trouble finding a group of friends. More libertarians and conservatives than I cared for, fewer liberals/progressives than I hoped.
posted by jzb at 8:35 AM on December 30, 2017