big_j

FYI, as far as Denver goes, I find the high altitude plays hell with me. I found it very dehydrating and uncomfortable. You might be advised to visit before making a final decision to see if you or anyone in your family has similar discomforts.

Can't speak at all to anywhere else you list; I can only speak to north Texas.

joto

It does take a good 3-4 days, sometimes more to get used to the altitude. You have to drink lots of water to try and help counteract it, although you might also get a headache with being dehydrated at this altitude.

There are very few bugs up here to bother you which is a big plus in my book.

Denver is not as big or as busy as London, but much cleaner, although I haven't been to London for a number of years. The infrastructure, roads and bridge maintenance people seem to be on the ball for the most part. Yes, you do get some potholes after a hard, frosty winter, but they are dealt with pretty quickly.

The western line of the light rail will be opening next year and it goes to Golden (government center) not the center of town, which will make it easier to get into the city from some of the western suburbs.

In a nutshell, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, even back to the UK.

Anian

The altitude in Denver is such that you don't feel the heat or cold very much. Makes it feel like a much more consistent temperature throughout the year.

big_j

I never spent more than a few days there at a time, so perhaps I would've eventually acclimated. Denver is beautiful but too cold for my taste.

caleyjag

I'd pick Denver, with SF 2nd.

SF bumped to 2nd purely because the housing situation can be ridiculous. Otherwise it's fantastic.

If your company has an office in Seattle, I'd seriously give that a shot. The best city I've lived in here for sure.

Also a lot of people seem to like San Diego.

MadRad

I live in Colorado, about half an hour's drive from Denver. It's a great state, really nice climate - 300 days or so of sunshine but not humid. It can be below freezing in the winer yet you can still go out without a jacket. Cold in the winter, warm in the summer, spectacular afternoon thunderstorms around June, a proper autumn. If you're remotely outdoorsy the mountains are on the doorstep. Can't comment on housing costs within the city but the surrounding areas are pretty affordable and you can get a lot of space for your money. The lifestyle is pretty relaxed, and the winter sports are top notch.

mogmaster

Hi, I rarely post, but thought I would stick in my tuppenceworth.
I haven't been to any of the places listed, but DH and myself seriously looked at moving to Denver. I know a few people (via internet) who live in that area and it sounds lovely.
FWIW I have four very young children (3 and a half years, 2 year old twins and a four month.... cable is exepnsive, ya know?) and as a SAHM with the kids in Northern Virginia I find the heat, the humidity and the insects etc very difficult to deal with. I like to be outside with the kids, but it can be prohibitively hot in the South (does NoVA count as the South?)

westcombe

Thanks for all the replies, that certainly helps me figure out where to start!

There definitely seems to be a case for Denver, so that helps narrow down the choices somewhat. I still like the idea of SF, but given all the feedback (and consideration for the grandparents) I'm figuring we can always visit there ourselves. Charlotte is rated as a good office to work in and likely to be an easy switch, so I think that's currently my top 3 now.

A number of you have suggested it would be helpful to know more about budget and specifics - truth is, I don't know exactly what my wage & position might be after moving (depends on office), so I haven't got even a rough budget in mind yet. I know we don't want to increase our accommodation outgoings much regardless, so prob looking at between $1300 - $1800 a month in rent. Things we like are some culture, outdoor activities (e.g. hiking), good food etc - so from I gather Denver fits well.

Will keep you posted with how we get on and I expect I'll be back with more questions when we've moved things on a touch. Thanks so much for all your help so far!

Bob

That budget would realistically blow SF off your list then.

Leyther

Denver is very do-able on that budget, it just depends what you are looking for in a house-- size, bedrooms etc.

We only pay $1,375 and live in the Wash Park neighborhood-- commute to downtown takes 15-20min and if you don't want to drive then the light-rail can get you there in about 10min. So you are close enough to the city to enjoy all that a city has to offer, but far enough away that you don't need to live in the middle of it all.

I would take a look at the Wash Park, Platt Park and Highland neighborhoods if you consider Denver. Not sure what your living situation is, but if you don't mind apartment living then Capitol Hill is also a great place with a fun nightlife and walkable to downtown.

Just avoid the place around five-points/Cole/Whitter areas IMHO.

Other areas: Baker (not too bad, few iffy spots but great nightlife), Cheeseman Park (apartments), Congress Park & Park Hill are also worth a mention.

N1cky

You would need to double that budget as a minimum for SF

jackattack

If this is truly the case, I really wouldn't bother even considering SF/Bay Area in your consideration set. It would be a waste of your time since anything that you could get in this price range wouldn't be somewhere you would want to live.

Yesterday we went to a friend's new house on the SF Peninsula; they have a rental room in their house. It is a one room studio with bathroom plus a hot plate on the counter to cook. They receive $1750 per month in rent. Now this is in a very nice area, but seriously, $1300-$1800 per month will get you very very little.

dlake02

1600 sq ft townhome rental in Silicon Valley is around $3000/month. And that's an AVERAGE. You can go WAY beyond that.

Similar sized house on the market for $925k and sold for $945k in 1 day.

It's madness - totally unsustainable given that the US economy is actually in a much worse state than anyone will admit to (and most of what little infrastructure there is is in bad need of repair/replacement).

westcombe

Thanks to everyone who responded to the above thread. By way of an update, after a long drawn out process we've confirmed we'll be moving to Charlotte - in less than 2 weeks no less. Visa's are all approved, just waiting on them to come back from the embassy. I'll admit it's a bit daunting, but think we're looking forward to the change more than anything else now.

This forum has been a mine of useful, reassuring information without my needing to post many questions so thanks to all who've gone before us!

Sue

Congrats on your impending move to the Queen city