So far, you haven't said anything to scare these Texans away - hiking, biking, access to good schools - what's not to like? There's got to be another side to the story, and it sounds like there may be some interest in a meetup. We'll figure out our travel arrangements for Labor Day weekend and then post in the Meetup section of the Forum to see if a solid plan can be formed. We appreciate all the input.
Nothing. Honestly speaking, Denver is amazing and Texas fucking sucks. This coming from someone who lived his whole life in Dallas before involuntarily being moved to Denver.
The only negative is housing and rent prices, which have skyrocketed to the point that I can't find a 1 bedroom, 800 square foot condo for any cheaper than $250K close to where I work (these same condos were $200K when I moved here two years ago). Another friend moved here 3 years ago, bought an old $200K house that was just appraised at $275K. My 1 bedroom apartment raised rents from $850 a month to $1,100 a month in two years.
I don't know why everyone doesn't live in Denver. Strictly speaking in terms of weather, activities, beauty, livability, etc. it is the nicest place in the country outside of Southern California. The secret is out though, and home prices are reflecting it. The only negative to both places are the people. California has naive idiots and Denver has dirty stoners.
Some miscellaneous thoughts:
-Weather: It's amazing. Sunny almost every single day, even in the winter. When it snows it's almost always melted and sunny by the afternoon. Denver's 40 degrees feels about 10-20 degrees warmer than Dallas's 40 degrees due to the dry air and high elevation (stronger sun). Summers are ridiculously tame compared to Dallas. 85-95, with zero humidity is about as bad as it gets.
-Traffic: Nothing compared to downtown Dallas but it sucks. They don't have the infrastructure and the city's growth obviously outpaced traffic planning. There's basically only one highway that gets downtown, and the one highway into the mountains is a nightmare during the winter. Driving in the snow can be a mess around the city but at least there is skiing to look forward to.
-Beauty: The mountains are amazing.
-Activities: If you can't find something to do outdoors it's your problem. Obviously there is world class skiing, but Denver has 800 miles of bike trails throughout the city with hundreds of breathtaking day hikes within a 30 minute drive. And unlike Dallas, the weather allows you to actually go outside. Denver is big enough to have all the city attractions you would want (sports, restaurants, etc.)
I'm moving out of the state in 2 months, and I will miss it horribly. I won't miss the rent though.