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  1. #1
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    Seattle VS Denver - Best City For The Life

    Been pondering dropping Seattle and heading to Denver.

    Then I visited the I-70 bitch thread and saw that fucking Vail lift line and now I don't know what to do.

    Let's face it Seattle and Denver are the only real major metro areas with skiing accessibility.

    Seattle has the ocean, skiing close, but very congested and the infrastructure wasn't built for the sheer numbers of people that live here. Plus the lowland winter rain doldrums when you can't hit the mountains.

    The fact that I can hit Alpental in under an hour, ski a few hours and be home for lunch is awesome.

    Denver, "the sunshine state" seems less congested but that I-70 shit show looks like hell. Seattle has 3 ski areas in 3 different directions all within a 2hr or less drive.

    Washing cement
    Colorado pow pow

    Both have legal weed.

    Anyone lived both places? What's best for weekend warrior losers like myself?

  2. #2
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    What about SLC?

    I have lived in both Seattle and Denver (but Seattle was a LONG time ago), and I don't have an answer for you. Seattle was bursting at the seams when I lived there 25 years ago, I can only imagine what it's like now. Denver has a ways to go before it is that, but there is the 70 shitshow and that will get way worse before it gets better. That said, I need sun, and while I like Seattle, I need sun. And I to date have managed the shitshow. Haven't driven in the type of traffic that thread discusses in quite some time.

    Also, if you ski a lot of backcountry, don't forget that there's an insane difference between continental vs maritime snowpack.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  3. #3
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    The sun thing is a big deal for my wife, a native Arizonan, I'm from south Western PA so no sun doesn't bother me as much.

    SLC? Hmm. Forgot about that place.

  4. #4
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    If you can have any flexibility, you can avoid most of the I70 shitshow. I love the sun here and every season is amazing in its own way. And Denver has really grown into itself as a fun city.

  5. #5
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    The amount of recreation within 2 hrs of Denver that doesn't require I-70 is more than enough for mere mortals.
    Last edited by hatchgreenchile; 02-01-2016 at 02:44 PM.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    What about SLC?

    I have lived in both Seattle and Denver (but Seattle was a LONG time ago), and I don't have an answer for you. Seattle was bursting at the seams when I lived there 25 years ago, I can only imagine what it's like now. Denver has a ways to go before it is that, but there is the 70 shitshow and that will get way worse before it gets better. That said, I need sun, and while I like Seattle, I need sun. And I to date have managed the shitshow. Haven't driven in the type of traffic that thread discusses in quite some time.

    Also, if you ski a lot of backcountry, don't forget that there's an insane difference between continental vs maritime snowpack.
    I've lived in the CO front range, Boston metro and now Salt Lake. I'm only familiar with Seattle from visiting.

    The thing that gets me with the Seattle area is the cost of real estate and property taxes, in addition to the traffic. I would move there, but I would need to get a fat raise to buy property in a place with good public schools and sane commutes to work and recreation.

    I know me and I know that if I have to drive 2 hours+ each way to ski, I won't go very often for day trips. But if I had the coin in a place like Denver, I would probably buy a cabin or a condo or something up in the hills. If you sell your place in Seattle, could you pull that trick off? The I 70 shitshow would sting a lot less if you're not doing it 4x per weekend.

    Why not just move to the mountains? Do you need a big city for work?

  7. #7
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    In my opinion, the notion of a single weekend ski day is not very plausible in the front range (unless you are doing backcountry away from I-70 or Eldora). You simply run too much risk of getting caught in gnarly traffic or have to leave insanely early and ski a half day. If you're a weekend warrior as you say, you simply have to figure out how to have a place in the mountains (either rent or buy). And you have to have the flexibility to use that place to avoid the traffic. If you can swing that, life as a weekend warrior can be pretty good. But if you're hoping to catch a mid-winter Saturday here or there, and you want to ski resorts, you're going to be posting some bitches on the regular.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sirshredalot View Post
    .

    Why not just move to the mountains? Do you need a big city for work?
    That's be awesome but my job usually resides in a company's corporate office which there aren't many in the mountains.

    And my crazy wife wants to be around "other things to do" than ski and hike/MTB. I have a 1 yr old so good school district is important.


    How's SLC?

  9. #9
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    I don't know what you do for work but Wenatchee is nice and skiing is 15-20 minutes from town. Not a big city but it's got stuff going on and cost of living is cheap.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by AK47bp View Post
    The sun thing is a big deal for my wife, a native Arizonan, I'm from south Western PA so no sun doesn't bother me as much.

    SLC? Hmm. Forgot about that place.
    Do not underestimate the grey of the PNW. It might work for a while but if your wife needs sun, she might go insane. Mine did
    Education must be the answer, we've tried ignorance and it doesn't work!

  11. #11
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    I love Wenatchee. I manage employee benefit programs and my wife works for a bank in risk management. Both our jobs are available in Denver, not Wenatchee or Kalispell.

  12. #12
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    Bend, Oregon? Great weather, skiing near town, awesome biking, a few hours from the coast, and some militia idiots in Redmond just up the road.

  13. #13
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    Jun 2008
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    SLC is weird enough to keep the riff raff out. It's certainly not the 'coolest' place and the air can get nasty a few times a year, but houses are affordable, there's jobs, and the mtb/skiing/climbing/hiking is off the hook and very close.
    I like to say "The living is easy". I'm 10 minutes to downtown, 35 min to Alta, 30 min to Park City for riding in the summer. 3.5 hours to Moab, 4.5 to Jackson, 4.5 to St George/Zion,
    We don't have kids, so no info on that, but I've heard it can get a little weird in some area if non-LDS. If you live in SLC itself, not Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, etc; it's probably not much of an issue. Even w/out kids we prefer to live in SLC - heck, we just elected a lesbian Mayor! So progressive.
    This conversation always spirals out of control...and there is obviously lots of nuance and personal differences, but SLC works well for us. Definitely a compromise on politics and culture, for incredible outdoor access, but hey...the good news is we don't have any political advertising!

  14. #14
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    Sep 2010
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    Seattle VS Denver - Best City For The Life

    Lived in both in the past 5-7 years. The grey is what I disliked most about Seattle but being in a marine environment is cool. Denver is a bit more of a small town feel, lots of sun and if you tour lots of options. On the flip side, out side of A Basin and Loveland you'll pay resort prices and wait in resort lines of at a ski area.

    I'd chose Denver, the year round recreational opportunities are greater in my opinion but both cities are great and miss both of them.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by AK47bp View Post
    That's be awesome but my job usually resides in a company's corporate office which there aren't many in the mountains.

    And my crazy wife wants to be around "other things to do" than ski and hike/MTB. I have a 1 yr old so good school district is important.


    How's SLC?
    We like this area a lot. Good cost of living. Little in the way of traffic problems. SLC itself is more cosmopolitan than people think. I've actually had good Indian, Peruvian, and Vietnamese food. There are concerts, pro sports teams, the cultural amenities one would expect from the university, etc. etc. etc.

    My wife and I have a 10 month old. We live at the top of the pass on the way to pc to get out of the smog, have nice mtb access, and have strong public schools. I could see us living happily in any of the trendy-ish neighborhoods in Slc proper or in a few other close-in suburban neighborhoods around there.

    I actually know a bit about bank risk management. There is a ton of that in downtown SLC. I imagine you could find work, too. The local economy is strong.

    A lot is made of the lds influence, but it doesn't affect our day-to-day outside of the wacky liquor laws and lack of legal weed.

    The access to skiing and the cost of living both blow the doors off the other locations you listed, but salaries tend to be a little lower, too.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by AK47bp View Post
    I love Wenatchee. I manage employee benefit programs and my wife works for a bank in risk management. Both our jobs are available in Denver, not Wenatchee or Kalispell.
    I sorta figured as much.

  17. #17
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    I am in Denver now. This place is unlivable. Maybe 30 years ago. Average house price $500,000 and have your life run by traffic no way. I have not spent much time in Seattle recently so cannot compare how miserable the traffic is. I would say I would go to the Bay Area before Denver.
    off your knees Louie

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by BFD View Post
    I would say I would go to the Bay Area before Denver.
    I laughed.

  19. #19
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    Can a rabid anti-religious pothead with a penchant for buggery thrive in SLC?

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by hatchgreenchile View Post
    I laughed.
    Haha. Beat me too it.

    Quote Originally Posted by BFD View Post
    Average house price $500,000 and have your life run by traffic no way. I have not spent much time in Seattle recently so cannot compare how miserable the traffic is. I would say I would go to the Bay Area before Denver.
    WTF??

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by AK47bp View Post
    Can a rabid anti-religious pothead with a penchant for buggery thrive in SLC?

    Buggery should be ok, not sure about the rest.

  22. #22
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    Jan 2008
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    you see a tie dye disc in there?
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    born in Seattle and now live north of Denver. Been a long time since in Seattle but even I can remember how wet and cloudy it was. My wife and I need the sun and we love it out here in Denver. You can manage I70 traffic but it does take effort. If Denver try to get a house near work areas or you will hate the traffic. Before we moved here we did look at Portland, Phoenix, SLC, Seattle, and Denver. At the time better home value in Denver vs Portland/Seattle. Phoenix to friggin' hot and SLC, not my vibe.

  23. #23
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    Sep 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by hatchgreenchile View Post
    I laughed.
    x3
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by AK47bp View Post
    Can a rabid anti-religious pothead with a penchant for buggery thrive in SLC?
    Have you met Skifishbum?
    Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield: Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by teleee View Post
    Have you met Skifishbum?
    Can't understand a lick of what that guy writes. For all I know he's on the LDS payroll here to brainwash the heathens.

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