We broke up with Denver for logistical reasons and logistical reasons alone. We’d like to keep in touch with Denver and maybe when the timing is right we can try dating Denver again. If she’ll have us.
Denver was our third stop (after Durango and Boulder). Believe it or not, even with our pre-departure list of 150 places we were going to stop, Denver wasn’t on the list. It wasn’t until we were in Boulder that Cas said, nonchalantly, “You know, if we were to live anywhere in Colorado, I’d bet it would be Denver”. It was at that moment that we made the decision to leave Boulder early (Boulder was not our type and we realized it after day one) and head for Denver.
We loved it. We enjoyed the tension of being in a blue city in a puple-ish state. Colorado is a fascinating place to be right now–with lots of vocal activists and a huge portion of state income coming from solar, for example. We also enjoyed seeing how Denver is growing and how they are grappling with that growth. Cas, in particular, appreciates how much of the boom is related to technology–birds of a feather, you know? We do worry about the rising cost of housing in Denver and a lack of affordable housing with all of this population growth. The median apartment is $1500 a month! Ouch.
In the pro column, we also loved all of the spaces that encourage people to hang out and chat with their neighbors: food halls, breweries, dog parks, and coffee shops abound. We loved how walkable it was and how people were keen to strike up a conversation. And the outdoors, the great outdoors, at our fingertips! There are hiking, biking, swimming, camping options aplenty all of which would make for a great place to live.
In the con column, in addition to how expensive it is, is around its lack of diversity. Almost 77% of the city is white. We appreciate, as we’ve mentioned, diversity–it is what makes this country great.
We also left feeling like we didn’t even cover a fraction of what Denver has to offer. We didn’t make it to Red Rocks, we didn’t go to Larimer Square or see the Art Museum, or go take a sniff at the Botanic Gardens. All things on our to-do list!
So, why did we leave? Well, we got a too-good-to-pass-up house sitting job in Colorado Springs and had to mosey a little further south. For now, Denver is Number 1 on our list of places we’d like to live. We might just come back!
City o’ City
I’ve missed vegetarian restaurants. Really, really missed them. We had a tough time finding healthy foods while eating out in Gallup–with an abundance of fried foods, meat-heavy foods, and New […]
Denver’s Coffee Shop Review
One of the joys of working from “home” is being able to work from coffee shops. At coffee shops, we are able to put our fingers on the pulse of […]
Great Divide Barrel Bar
They won us over with the Sasquatch at the entrance. We knew that we’d like this brewery before we even entered. The Great Divide opened up their RiNo location a […]
Denver Bar Review
We spent a lot of time exploring neighborhoods that we thought we’d end up living in if we lived in Denver. So, you will see that in this round-up style […]
Denver: Community + Food
We love spots within a community where a wide variety of foods are offered and all walks of life can be found. Denver did not disappoint! We discovered three places […]
Truffle Table
Denver’s Cheese Bar, a quaint bar featuring an extensive wine list & flights paired with tapas, fine cheeses & charcuterie. Did I say cheese?
Established 1893. The Buckhorn Exchange
On our quest to Date America, we decided to be sure that we try the signature dishes in each state we visit (sorry Kansas–not coming your way). One of Colorado’s […]
Nocture
Denver is entertaining us! Maybe it is time to go live in the Mile High City? Tucked away in the alley behind Denver Central Market, you will find Noble Riot […]
Noble Riot
Home Grown. Hand Made. Honest. The owners of Nocture, the jazz club, opened a wine bar next door, called the Noble Riot. If you love good food, honest wines, genuine […]
Hudson Hill a Coffee Shop & Craft Cocktail Bar
Hudson Hill Denver is a Coffee Shop and Craft Cocktail Bar in one, they claim to serve “The Finest Coffee, Cocktails, Wine, and Beer in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.” Do […]