Post by thedenverpost on Apr 26, 2020 13:37:07 GMT
6 Answers
Stephen Tenbrink
Stephen Tenbrink
Updated Jul 1, 2017
I've lived in both (well, Tacoma actually, not Seattle) and can bring a different perspective to this question. I was born and raised in Denver, left after college (DU) graduation in 1970, lived in small towns until last year when we moved to Tacoma but have friends and family still in Denver so I've been back there a lot. Here are my observations:
1. Both have grown tremendously over the past 20 or so years and both have healthy job opportunities (tech and otherwise). Both have somewhat easy access to recreational areas but you have to drive further now to avoid crowds. It never was a problem when I lived in Denver but I was shocked how bad it has gotten. Same here in the Seattle area.
2. Traffic is horrendous in both cities during rush hour. The rest of the time it's not as bad but still hectic. I miss the "smallish" Denver of my youth but that's all gone now. The big difference is that Denver has room to grow (eastward), Seattle doesn't because of the Sound and mountains. So while Denver can easily accommodate growth with urban sprawl, Seattle doesn't have that option so it feels a bit more congested there.
3. Weather: If you like the sun all year round you will prefer Denver. If you like rain you'll prefer Seattle (in the winter, anyway). Both can have wonderful sunny warm summers with more rain in Denver during the summer than Seattle (my impression, anyway). Denver can get a lot hotter (over 100 F) in the summer and a lot colder (below freezing, even near zero at times) than Seattle. Both places have lots of snow in the mountains in winter with Denver getting snow as well (Seattle rarely gets snow) but the snow in the mountains near Seattle is wet and heavy, not the light powder snow you can get in the Rockies. When I lived in Denver I welcomed the dark cloudy days because it was such a nice change from the mostly sunny days. Not so in Seattle in the winter. You can have cloudy grey days for weeks at a time but the sun does peak through every once in a while which is really nice. Not having snow in Seattle is a plus if you don't like driving/walking in snow although it can snow there. Seattle is more hilly than Denver so when it does snow it is a real mess but, as I said, it doesn't happen very often (once every 5 or 10 years).
4. Social life: I think both are about the same although Denver has a more transitory population and so people may be more friendly. Here near Seattle nearly everyone we've met was born in the area or have been here over 20 years and they already have their set of friends so I can see where the "Seattle freeze" comment comes from. Beyond that the arts/culture scene is about the same as far as number of things to do. There is also a wider diversity of people living in the Seattle area compared to Denver.
5. Recreation: As I said earlier, both places have growing populations so the congestion at recreation areas is getting worse in both places. However, Seattle has Denver beat as far as diversity of things to do goes. Denver has the mountains. Seattle has mountains, water (Puget Sound), closeness to Canada (Vancouver, Victoria, more mountains). Denver is closer to New Mexico (Hispanic culture) and Wyoming (cowboy culture, Yellowstone).
6. Housing is getting more expensive in both areas. Mountain views in Denver and Sound/lake views in Seattle will increase the price. But both have areas where the cost is more reasonable if you want to commute. I think Seattle is a bit more expensive due to the lack of areas to grow (see #2 above) but the areas north (Everett) and south (Tacoma) offer reasonably priced houses and mass transit from both areas is pretty good.
7. Other considerations: Medical care, government services, etc., in both areas are about the same. Mass transit is improving in both areas with buses being the most common but Seattle does have some commuter train service. Seattle is relative close to Vancouver, BC, (140 miles) and Portland OR (173 miles). By comparison the closest large city to Denver is Albuquerque, NM, (440 miles) with Salt Lake City, UT (517 miles) the next closest. Kansas City, MO, is 600 miles away. Taxes seem higher in Seattle even though there is not income tax in the state. Sales and property taxes are definitely higher and may offset any gains by not having a state income tax.
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Greg Lindsay
Greg Lindsay, Ph.D. Pharmacology, East Tennessee State University
Answered Apr 5, 2014 · Author has 824 answers and 611.9k answer views
Lived in Denver suburbs 13y. Lived in Seattle suburbs 8y. Denver is my preference. Denver wins on weather, people, culture, traffic, skiing, mountains and shopping. Seattle wins on ocean & trees. The two cities are probably tied in terms of jobs/career, but it depends on your profession. Overall I was much happier living in Denver. The rain and traffic in Seattle is depressing. I love the ocean, but I don't see much of it in Seattle, whereas it was pretty easy to escape to the mountains in Denver. Places to go from Denver include Boulder, Estes Park, Aspen, Leadville, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Park Meadows Mall, Garden of the Gods, Glenwood Springs, Vail, Black Hawk, the Royal Gorge, and several ski areas like Winter Park, Keystone, Copper Mtn, etc. In Seattle you can go to Pikes Peak Market or Lake Washington with longer trips to the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula. I've done all of these things and although Washington has been fun it just doesn't compare in terms of the variety, culture, fun and excitement of Denver.
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Kathleen Grace
Kathleen Grace, artist photographer reader researcher top writer 2015-2018
Answered May 4, 2014 · Author has 14.9k answers and 20.7m answer views
I looked at both areas to relocate to, Denver was a little intimidating to me, I wanted a bit slower pace of life. I chose Seattle because it was a lot slower pace than Los Angeles. And I loved being where there was green and rain, having spent my whole life with sun sun sun and a little rain here and there.
There were definitely aspects of living in Seattle that were wonderful, particularly being able to get outdoors without being beaten by the intense and unrelenting sun. And being so close to so many parks and waterways. The rain wasn't bad, everyone makes a big deal about it but it's the same amount of rain as New York, it just comes most often as drizzle, with grey skies. So, yes it is grey - in the winter. And I didn't mind that either, it was refreshing and nourishing because of where I came from. But what I hadn't expected was that the darkness in winter got to me. Eight hours of daylight, so much less than what I knew - and I had embraced that at first because it was a relief but it became painful. Now, contrast with summer, which has light for about 18 hours in the day. And it's sunny and exquisitely beautiful, in shockingly stark contrast to winter. You need to see both before you decide.
There is quite a lot to do in Seattle, I was out and about every single weekend, there are lots of events, lots of excursions you can take, lots of water activities, lots of drives you can take. There are a lot of neighborhoods with their own personalities, there are museums, and weekend markets around the city. For me though as much as I loved elements of being there it wasn't right, and I all but got forced out of the area, couldn't sleep anymore.
Now, I gave this information to create a balance. People who live there, it's ideal for them, and that's because it IS ideal for them, it suits their way of life. You have to consider those things in seeking a new home, does that suit you is the question to ask. Comparing Denver and Seattle is a very hard thing. They are stark contrasts. I turned off Denver because of snow, I really didn't want snow. And I was sick of sun, so it held less interest for me. But the lack of sun in Seattle was what got to me - who'd a thunk. Seattle has to be right for you, it's not just a city, it's a culture and way of living. Much like Denver would be. It's a mindset.
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Francisco Flores
Francisco Flores, lives in Denver, CO
Answered May 10, 2018
Denver. I have been a 32 year resident. Public transportation run an average of 22 hours a day and 365 days a year. All major sports, warm winter's, ski resorts within one hour drive, walkable city. Unfortunately, a lot of homeless people milling about downtown. Plenty of bars, and hundreds of street performers litter downtown all day long, even in winter. Diversity and high degree of tolerance, (black cowboys with his white cowgirl and vice versa. Second to none gay scene with people generally being very accepting and respectful. Good marijuana and hardly any police interference if you are smoking pot in the streets.
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Larry Pranger
Larry Pranger, lives in Denver, CO (1989-present)
Answered Apr 28, 2018
With 28 years in Denver, sick for 28 years, sinus problems, altitude would be your main concern. Denver is a fabulous place to live. If altitude would not bother you in the least , Denver is a wonderful place. Climate, people, culture. San Diego. Ocean. Sea air. My 2nd choice. Love Denver. Moved 5 months ago. Lower altitude. Health care is the BEST. Top doctors want to live in Denver area. National Jewish. best lung facility in America. If God would lower Denver down to 1,000 feet, i’ll Be back in one second!!!
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Shari Lee Gilbert
Shari Lee Gilbert, lives in Denver, CO (2014-present)
Answered Jan 6, 2017
I had this same question 2 years ago when I was looking for a place to move. I looked into both cities and found them comparable in real estate, jobs, and entertainment. Where they differed and what made my decision was the amount of days the sun shines and the ease of outdoor activities. Coming from Wyoming I simply could not imagine giving up the almost constant sunshine.
I have heard from people who lived in both that Denver is more athletic and Seattle is more artistic. I think it would come down to where you want to be and the climate you can live with.
10.9k views · View 5 Upvoters · Answer requested by Wily Bhoel
Stephen Tenbrink
Stephen Tenbrink
Updated Jul 1, 2017
I've lived in both (well, Tacoma actually, not Seattle) and can bring a different perspective to this question. I was born and raised in Denver, left after college (DU) graduation in 1970, lived in small towns until last year when we moved to Tacoma but have friends and family still in Denver so I've been back there a lot. Here are my observations:
1. Both have grown tremendously over the past 20 or so years and both have healthy job opportunities (tech and otherwise). Both have somewhat easy access to recreational areas but you have to drive further now to avoid crowds. It never was a problem when I lived in Denver but I was shocked how bad it has gotten. Same here in the Seattle area.
2. Traffic is horrendous in both cities during rush hour. The rest of the time it's not as bad but still hectic. I miss the "smallish" Denver of my youth but that's all gone now. The big difference is that Denver has room to grow (eastward), Seattle doesn't because of the Sound and mountains. So while Denver can easily accommodate growth with urban sprawl, Seattle doesn't have that option so it feels a bit more congested there.
3. Weather: If you like the sun all year round you will prefer Denver. If you like rain you'll prefer Seattle (in the winter, anyway). Both can have wonderful sunny warm summers with more rain in Denver during the summer than Seattle (my impression, anyway). Denver can get a lot hotter (over 100 F) in the summer and a lot colder (below freezing, even near zero at times) than Seattle. Both places have lots of snow in the mountains in winter with Denver getting snow as well (Seattle rarely gets snow) but the snow in the mountains near Seattle is wet and heavy, not the light powder snow you can get in the Rockies. When I lived in Denver I welcomed the dark cloudy days because it was such a nice change from the mostly sunny days. Not so in Seattle in the winter. You can have cloudy grey days for weeks at a time but the sun does peak through every once in a while which is really nice. Not having snow in Seattle is a plus if you don't like driving/walking in snow although it can snow there. Seattle is more hilly than Denver so when it does snow it is a real mess but, as I said, it doesn't happen very often (once every 5 or 10 years).
4. Social life: I think both are about the same although Denver has a more transitory population and so people may be more friendly. Here near Seattle nearly everyone we've met was born in the area or have been here over 20 years and they already have their set of friends so I can see where the "Seattle freeze" comment comes from. Beyond that the arts/culture scene is about the same as far as number of things to do. There is also a wider diversity of people living in the Seattle area compared to Denver.
5. Recreation: As I said earlier, both places have growing populations so the congestion at recreation areas is getting worse in both places. However, Seattle has Denver beat as far as diversity of things to do goes. Denver has the mountains. Seattle has mountains, water (Puget Sound), closeness to Canada (Vancouver, Victoria, more mountains). Denver is closer to New Mexico (Hispanic culture) and Wyoming (cowboy culture, Yellowstone).
6. Housing is getting more expensive in both areas. Mountain views in Denver and Sound/lake views in Seattle will increase the price. But both have areas where the cost is more reasonable if you want to commute. I think Seattle is a bit more expensive due to the lack of areas to grow (see #2 above) but the areas north (Everett) and south (Tacoma) offer reasonably priced houses and mass transit from both areas is pretty good.
7. Other considerations: Medical care, government services, etc., in both areas are about the same. Mass transit is improving in both areas with buses being the most common but Seattle does have some commuter train service. Seattle is relative close to Vancouver, BC, (140 miles) and Portland OR (173 miles). By comparison the closest large city to Denver is Albuquerque, NM, (440 miles) with Salt Lake City, UT (517 miles) the next closest. Kansas City, MO, is 600 miles away. Taxes seem higher in Seattle even though there is not income tax in the state. Sales and property taxes are definitely higher and may offset any gains by not having a state income tax.
41.3k views · View 51 Upvoters
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Greg Lindsay
Greg Lindsay, Ph.D. Pharmacology, East Tennessee State University
Answered Apr 5, 2014 · Author has 824 answers and 611.9k answer views
Lived in Denver suburbs 13y. Lived in Seattle suburbs 8y. Denver is my preference. Denver wins on weather, people, culture, traffic, skiing, mountains and shopping. Seattle wins on ocean & trees. The two cities are probably tied in terms of jobs/career, but it depends on your profession. Overall I was much happier living in Denver. The rain and traffic in Seattle is depressing. I love the ocean, but I don't see much of it in Seattle, whereas it was pretty easy to escape to the mountains in Denver. Places to go from Denver include Boulder, Estes Park, Aspen, Leadville, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Park Meadows Mall, Garden of the Gods, Glenwood Springs, Vail, Black Hawk, the Royal Gorge, and several ski areas like Winter Park, Keystone, Copper Mtn, etc. In Seattle you can go to Pikes Peak Market or Lake Washington with longer trips to the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula. I've done all of these things and although Washington has been fun it just doesn't compare in terms of the variety, culture, fun and excitement of Denver.
25.6k views · View 23 Upvoters
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Kathleen Grace
Kathleen Grace, artist photographer reader researcher top writer 2015-2018
Answered May 4, 2014 · Author has 14.9k answers and 20.7m answer views
I looked at both areas to relocate to, Denver was a little intimidating to me, I wanted a bit slower pace of life. I chose Seattle because it was a lot slower pace than Los Angeles. And I loved being where there was green and rain, having spent my whole life with sun sun sun and a little rain here and there.
There were definitely aspects of living in Seattle that were wonderful, particularly being able to get outdoors without being beaten by the intense and unrelenting sun. And being so close to so many parks and waterways. The rain wasn't bad, everyone makes a big deal about it but it's the same amount of rain as New York, it just comes most often as drizzle, with grey skies. So, yes it is grey - in the winter. And I didn't mind that either, it was refreshing and nourishing because of where I came from. But what I hadn't expected was that the darkness in winter got to me. Eight hours of daylight, so much less than what I knew - and I had embraced that at first because it was a relief but it became painful. Now, contrast with summer, which has light for about 18 hours in the day. And it's sunny and exquisitely beautiful, in shockingly stark contrast to winter. You need to see both before you decide.
There is quite a lot to do in Seattle, I was out and about every single weekend, there are lots of events, lots of excursions you can take, lots of water activities, lots of drives you can take. There are a lot of neighborhoods with their own personalities, there are museums, and weekend markets around the city. For me though as much as I loved elements of being there it wasn't right, and I all but got forced out of the area, couldn't sleep anymore.
Now, I gave this information to create a balance. People who live there, it's ideal for them, and that's because it IS ideal for them, it suits their way of life. You have to consider those things in seeking a new home, does that suit you is the question to ask. Comparing Denver and Seattle is a very hard thing. They are stark contrasts. I turned off Denver because of snow, I really didn't want snow. And I was sick of sun, so it held less interest for me. But the lack of sun in Seattle was what got to me - who'd a thunk. Seattle has to be right for you, it's not just a city, it's a culture and way of living. Much like Denver would be. It's a mindset.
26.5k views · View 20 Upvoters
Francisco Flores
Francisco Flores, lives in Denver, CO
Answered May 10, 2018
Denver. I have been a 32 year resident. Public transportation run an average of 22 hours a day and 365 days a year. All major sports, warm winter's, ski resorts within one hour drive, walkable city. Unfortunately, a lot of homeless people milling about downtown. Plenty of bars, and hundreds of street performers litter downtown all day long, even in winter. Diversity and high degree of tolerance, (black cowboys with his white cowgirl and vice versa. Second to none gay scene with people generally being very accepting and respectful. Good marijuana and hardly any police interference if you are smoking pot in the streets.
5.5k views · View 2 Upvoters
Related Questions
More Answers Below
Which is the best city to make a fresh start: Denver or Seattle?
What does it really cost to live in Seattle in 2020?
We are considering a move from Austin, TX to the Denver, Colorado area. If you've made a similar move, what was your decision process?
How is gay life in Seattle?
Why should I move to Seattle?
Larry Pranger
Larry Pranger, lives in Denver, CO (1989-present)
Answered Apr 28, 2018
With 28 years in Denver, sick for 28 years, sinus problems, altitude would be your main concern. Denver is a fabulous place to live. If altitude would not bother you in the least , Denver is a wonderful place. Climate, people, culture. San Diego. Ocean. Sea air. My 2nd choice. Love Denver. Moved 5 months ago. Lower altitude. Health care is the BEST. Top doctors want to live in Denver area. National Jewish. best lung facility in America. If God would lower Denver down to 1,000 feet, i’ll Be back in one second!!!
5.2k views · View 3 Upvoters
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Shari Lee Gilbert
Shari Lee Gilbert, lives in Denver, CO (2014-present)
Answered Jan 6, 2017
I had this same question 2 years ago when I was looking for a place to move. I looked into both cities and found them comparable in real estate, jobs, and entertainment. Where they differed and what made my decision was the amount of days the sun shines and the ease of outdoor activities. Coming from Wyoming I simply could not imagine giving up the almost constant sunshine.
I have heard from people who lived in both that Denver is more athletic and Seattle is more artistic. I think it would come down to where you want to be and the climate you can live with.
10.9k views · View 5 Upvoters · Answer requested by Wily Bhoel