The Vibe: Denver Is The Mile High Crunchy Heart Of Colorful Colorado
Ranked as the most active state in the country,
Colorado is an outdoor lover’s dream come true where cars and SUVs are topped with roof racks, locked and loaded for the next adventure waiting on the horizon. And set one mile higher than the rest of the country,
Denver is in the heart of it all.
Along with the rocky and unmistakable landscape and a massive amount of green space with the high number of parks, the Mile High City’s counterculture vibe and progressive attitudes and politics have helped Denver in replacing
San Francisco as the counterculture capital of the US. But because it doesn’t have as big of a name as San Francisco, it still manages to remain one of the best kept secrets in the country.
Local Flavor: This Is Brew Town
You don’t have to love beer to live in Denver but it sure would be a waste of a good thing if you didn’t. Denver is spilling over with 14 breweries, microbreweries, 100 brew pubs, multiple bars, taverns, and festivals. Even its stadium, Coors Field, is named after beer. Oh, and John Hickenlooper, Denver’s mayor, owned the city’s first brewpub which also gives out the area’s highly coveted award for “Beer Drinker of the Year.”
The Great American Beer Festival gets the city hopping (get it?) every year and is the largest beer festival in the country. And the Denver Beer Trail is available for anyone who wants to take the beer scene super serious can hit the Denver Beer Trail to explore all 14 breweries with their taste buds.
Cuisine: Denver Likes Its Chili Green And Its Food Delicious
Green chiles are a not-so rare delicacy throughout Colorado. And that’s why you’ll find that everything from the salsa to the chili is colored green here instead of red. That’s a good thing to keep in mind when you inevitably make your first trip to the famous hot dog cart of Biker Jim.
Everyone in the area is sure to give the recommendation two thumbs us with awesome and unique selections including Alaskan caribou, pheasant, wild boar, and the famous elk jalapeno cheddar dog. Top any of them off with roasted cactus or that signature tomatillo green salsa for that Denver spin I was talking about.
Nightlife: The Same Night Life As Everywhere Else Only Better
The thing about Denver is that it has the same nightlife as anywhere else—trendy restaurants, posh lounges, comedy clubs, music venues, nightclubs—but the city manages to put a unique spin on everything which makes it all feel so uniquely Denver. For instance, you can catch a live band in every major city. But you can only do it in the middle of a grandiose granite rock formation outdoors in Denver. Red Rock Amphitheater is one of the best outdoor music venues around as well as one of the best experiences Denver has to offer.
Elsewhere, there is a variety of things to do when the sun goes down in Denver. Try your hand at the Chicken Lips and World Humor Organization are an improvisational comedy club. Dive bars, cocktail lounges, and burlesque shows are just a few more ways to enjoy the Denver nightlife.
Weather: The Snow Doesn’t Send Anyone In Denver Indoors
Denver sees all four seasons blow through town and the people here know how to make the best out of every shift in temperature. When the July summers hit highs of 88 degrees, people come out in droves to go hiking and mountain climbing through the rocky terrain, kayaking, or visiting the Denver Zoo and amusement parks. And when the winters bring lows of 17 degrees and 53 inches of snow, the Rocky Mountains transform into a giant, icy sliding board.
Safety & Crime: Denver’s Metro Gets Two Thumbs Up
The crime rate for Denver proper isn’t as good as the city would like it to be, but that’s any city. Knowing where to go in Denver and in the surrounding area makes a huge difference in safety, though. Neighborhoods like
Lodo, Cherry Creek, and Washington Park all boast crime rates that are 60 percent lower than the Denver average.
And the surrounding city of Columbine Valley is one of the most highly-desirable places to live in Colorado and has a super-safe crime rate that is 82 percent lower than the Colorado average. Other places like
Bow Mar,
Louisville,
Cherry Hills Village,
Erie,
Parker,
Broomfield, and
Firestone are comparably safe, too.
Commute: Denver Likes Bikes
Driving around Denver is better than the usual city commute. The daily average in the Mile High City averages approximately 24 minutes each way, which falls below the national average of 25 minutes. That probably has something to do with just how bike-friendly Denver is. Even though the Walk Score of Denver only gets a 56, the Bike Score for the overall city is a fairly high 71.
That number jumps even more significantly, though, when you look in the heart of town. Downtown boasts a Walk Score of 91 and a Bike Score of 93, Capitol Hill’s Walk Score is 91 and the Bike Score is 90, and Baker has a Walk Score and Bike Score of 88. So no matter where you live in the city, you can get around by bicycle with relative ease. But if you’re in the more concentrated areas, you can get around by bike and foot in a breeze.
Cost Of Living: Denver Makes Sure Residents Get What They’re Paying For
Denver doesn’t come with the cheapest price tag. But overall, the city isn’t really that much more expensive than other cities. With a Cost of Living index of 107, the Mile High City is only 7 points higher than the national average. And since groceries, healthcare, and utilities are all relatively on par with the national average, it’s the notoriously high housing market that sets the index higher than average.
With a median home value of $246,300, the homes here are 24 percent higher than the national median home value. But the market is desirable and homes sell relatively quickly, so seeing a return on investment in your property is easier than many other places.
The People Of Denver Bleed Orange And Blue
The Denver Broncos are the heart of Denver sports. Don’t get me wrong, the Rockies are highly beloved, too. But the Broncos bring out a certain Denver loyalty in the people here that most other cities would turn chili green with envy for. Come game day, the city is blanketed in orange and blue and some serious Broncos pride for the team that have won seven AFC Championships and given the sports world four players in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.
Denver Is As Artsy As It Is High
I mean Mile High, of course. But since marijuana is legal in Denver, it could technically be both. Anyway, Denver is super artsy and it doesn’t stop at the Denver Art Museum. The list goes on but includes events like the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver Film Festival, Denver Underground Film Festival, High Plains, Comedy Festival, People’s Fair, Pride Fest, Starfest, and World Science Fiction Convention, along with places like the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Elitch Theatre, Home to the Lamon School of Music, Opera Colorado, Rainbow Music Hall, Red Rock Amphitheatre, Radio Avenue, and Robert and Judi Newman Center for Performing Arts. You get the idea.
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