Thoughts on potential relocation - Chicago to Denver

In My Humble Opinion
1

My employer just posted an opening in Denver. I currently work in a suburb of Chicago, with a 6 minute commute, working at home 2 days/week. I’m considering applying for the position. Would welcome any thoughts of yours.

-The job is entirely a lateral move, same salary w/ some possible locality adjustment.
-Wife and I are in our late 50s. Empty nesters, all 3 kids out of house, employed, and in long-term relationships.
-Of the 3 kids, 1 lives 10 minutes from us in the Chicago burbs, 1 lives in Denver, 1 lives in Orange County.
-The kid near us is the only 1 w/ kids. 1 granddtr is 4.75 yrs old, another due in 2 months. (In my mind, this might be the ONLY factor against moving.)
-Money really isn’t an option. I’m not rich, but I could sell my home and buy a similar one, and have plenty to cover any moving costs.
-I have 1 sister who lives close to me whom I like. I ride bikes with her regularly. Wife and I each have some extended family - cousins - in Denver.
-I play golf and acoustic music regularly. While I enjoy my friends, I could meet golfers/pickers in Denver.

I was born and raised in Chicago. I’ve never lived more than 150 miles from Chicago. Similar for my wife. The Midwest is a fine place, but I’m sure there are other fine places out there.

Wife and I are quite liberal politically. We live a very comfortable, predictable life. We wonder if change might “keep us young.” Living near O’Hare allows us to visit our other kids as frequently as we want, but Denver certainly has a huge airport of its own, and is between Chicago and LA. Our favorite leisure activities together are gardening and hiking w/ our dog.

Like i said, the biggest drawback would be missing my granddaughter. We currently see her for lunch weekly, and she and I really have a special bond. But I suspect that as she goes to school this fall, our bond will gradually lessen. Of course, there is a new kid on the way… We don’t provide ongoing childcare other than the occasional date-night.

I’m eligible to retire right now. I’m only sticking with it a few more years to make my retirement more comfortable. So I could move to Denver, retire in 4-5 years, and either stay there, or move back to Chicago - or anywhere else!

So - WWDD? (What Would Dopers Do?)

2

I’ve lived in Chicago, and agree it’s a fine area. I prefer Denver Where I haven’t lived). But…the issue for me would be “try something new.” You’ve lived in one area your whole life. Denver isn’t completely different, but it will be a change. Change is good. I definitely get the granddaughter thing. It would cause my wife to veto the idea.

3

I’ve lived in Denver now for about 4 years, having moved from Florida.

I love Colorado; it tends toward bright and sunny, and with the low humidity it never gets really too cold (especially compared to someplace like Chicago). Snow melts quickly. Because it’s a big city, you get the usual cultural stuff, like concerts. It hosts all the major sports, too. The politics tend toward the liberal side (our governor is openly gay, Denver’s mayor is a black man). The people seem generally friendly and there is a culture of being outdoors and active. There is a pedestrian mall in the heart of downtown full of stores and plenty of good, high-end shopping local to the area. While weed is legal (which can be a bonus, depending on your proclivities) and stores with green crosses on their sign are plentiful, marijuana is not so pervasive that you’ll be inundated with the smell or with annoying stoners. The economy is quite healthy, too, with lots and lots of cranes dotting the downtown landscape. In just a short drive, you can get out to wide open spaces or mountain hikes; it’s truly gorgeous country.

Having said all that…
Denver is quite expensive, especially as real estate prices go.

It can’t compare to Chicago for restaurants/food, especially if you like ethnic or exotic meals (Vietnamese Pho is popular here, and there are a lot of farm to table places that use locally sourced ingredients, but it’s not a particularly ‘foodie’ city; in fact, New Mexico taunts Colorado overs its chili (weird, I know)

If you live downtown, like me, you’ll notice the homeless people camping out and roaming around - this is hardly unique to Denver, but it is worth noting any time a city is being considered.

Traffic is pretty bad; locals definitely note the influx of out-of-towners, especially from California, and often gripe about how many more cars are out there these days. Also, because the sun tends to melt accumulated snow, the city often gets criticized for dragging its feet with regard to the use of plows.
…
I’m certainly not trying to dissuade you. As I mentioned, I love Denver, and any negatives don’t really weigh against moving, provided you have the resources to afford it.

4

I’m pretty familiar w/ Denver - like I said, my kid lives there, and I’ve visited several times in recent years. Yes, the weather is much better than Chicago.

Yeah - we were pretty stricken by the homeless situation last time we were there and staying downtown. And I sure would avoid ever getting on that damned 25 anywhere near a rush hour! We’ve got legal pot here now as well - my pot (and drinking) days are behind me.

My wife and I are not big on eating out. And I’m not even sure how much of the museums/concert type things we need. We don’t even go into Chicago all that often, and it is 25 minutes away. No interest in sports.

My emphasis would be on finding a quiet neighborhood with an acceptable commute - and then easy access to get the hell away from people! :wink: Yeah - and I’d be scoping out places to play music. The acoustic/bluegrass scene in Denver is pretty great.

A quick look shows that houses are quite pricey, and move quite quickly. I’m thinking someplace on the east/southeast side would be an easy commute, with quick access to the airport. My kid and relatives are near Westminster. Further west gets you closer to the mountains, but makes the commute tougher.

Both wife and I - and my kid - enjoy skiing.

Yeah - the grandkid is a huge issue. But does that outweigh everything else? And what if THEY decide to move? Or if my Denver - or CA kids decide to have kids…?

Like I said, I think I’ll apply, and give it more thought. Application is not due for 2 weeks. I can easily re-work some previous materials. Hell, they probly won’t pick me anyway. And if they do, I can always say no.

I wonder what it would be like, living somewhere where the politicians weren’t all crooks, the state wasn’t bankrupt, and taxes weren’t as high as mine?

5

From a gardening standpoint, I’d be energized at the thought of moving from Chicago to Denver.

Lots of interesting natives/perennials to grow, with some challenges i.e. low water requirements.

I hear there’s a really good botanic garden in Denver.

6

As tempting as Denver may be, the grandkid(s) would absolutely keep me from any thoughts of moving away. I wouldn’t even consider it.
mmm

7

Not that many of you were hanging on every development - :stuck_out_tongue: - but we decided against my even applying for the position.

Given all of the factors we decided we were - at best - ambivalent about the move. The tipping factor was that the position was in management. I really do not understand or respect the direction my organizations management is going, and I don’t want the stress of either being a part of that, or trying to resist/subvert it. So we will continue our very comfortable - tho predictable - life here, and travel when we want to.