"Why Is Everyone Moving to Denver?": Yelp Users on Earlier Stage of Current Trend

Plenty of longtime Denver residents undoubtedly feel as if the flood of people moving to Denver has been going on forever.

But a Yelp thread from just shy of five years ago — the first comment was posted on October 24, 2010 — puts that feeling in perspective.

Entitled "Why Is Everyone Moving to Denver?," the conversation begins with the premise that only a select few people have noticed how many folks have started to relocate to the Mile High City and sets out to discover what's drawing them here. That prompts a series of theories based on a lot of the great things about living in the area.

Some commenters were already worried about possible overcrowding due to the arrival of so many newcomers — and there are a few traffic complaints, too. But such concerns hadn't become universal yet, as demonstrated by the last response below — one that doesn't exactly foresee how big the influx would become.

Below, check out the way the chat got underway, followed by ten of the most memorable responses.

The conversation starter:
I thought the awesomeness of Denver was more or less like a secret that nobody dare tell, but it seems more and more are moving here, what's the deal? Who let the cat out of the bag?

Response 1:
I don't know, but it's getting quite crowded here....

Response 2:
I had no idea about Denver until I took a job that required that I be out west (but not as far as California). I think the secret is still well kept because my friends back east have no idea.

Response 3:
Some general thoughts:

1. Low crime rate.
2. Lots of sunshine.
3. Varied economic base.
4. Big enough to have some good things, but still small enough to avoid some of the big city problems, like; traffic, high density living or slums.
5. The city is young compared to the ages of other cities in the US - this is true of much of the west.
6. Limited natural disasters - the occasional tornado is about it and yes, every ten years it snows like mad.
7. Skiing, the mountains in general, the outdoors lifestyle, etc.

Oh, the cat's out of the bag alright. It's OK, I say let 'em come, we can take it.

Response 4:
No!!!!!! I say don't let them come. Ok I know it's not the nicest attitude to have, but come on, we are on our way to becoming another congested city like in California.

Response 5:
[Response 3] pretty well nailed it. I moved here about 6 weeks ago with my girlfriend for all those reasons. I live in Detroit and was tired of the negativity and needed something new. I love it here. I just need to find a job.

Response 6:
I just moved here from San Diego two weeks ago for work. It sounds like there are a lot of people moving here for work. Seems like a pretty decent town, 'cept the hipsters are a few years behind the scene.


Response 7:
Traffic? I was born and raised here, but have lived in San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago and the traffic here is way worse than ANYWHERE else I've every lived. It's the only thing that makes me want to move. : )

Response 8:
Nonsense. The traffic at it's worst here still moves forward. I've been in jams on the 5 in LA that didn't even move for 45 minutes. Chicago? Please. You can see the city and think "oh it's like 30 minutes away." Wrong, three hours later.... NYC they WILL ticket you for gridlocking - I've never seen that happen here. Denver traffic is a walk in the park. Sure it has changed since more people have moved here and the "tone" of driving is different than it was, say in the 1980's, but bad is a matter of degrees. Respectfully I beg to differ.

Response 9:
People move to Denver for 2 reasons:

1. Better quality of life: People who move for better weather, more outdoor options, more culture, better economy than their previous homes. To me, Denver is one of the best western cities. Phoenix and Vegas are both too hot and culturally fucked. LA is full of superficial douche-nozzles hoping to be on reality TV shows. San Fran is nice, but too far from skiing for me. Portland and Seattle are nice, but too much rain. All in all, Denver's just a good choice: close to skiing, good weather, people are nice enough.

OR

2. People move to Denver for financial reasons: People move from places like LA because Denver is cheaper. These people tend to suck and treat Denver like it's their personal low-class outlet mall.

Response 10:
People move here because it's amazing, not overly huge, lots of outdoor stuff to do, economy is better then other places, somewhat centrally located, cost of living is low to average, and the amount of sunshine is ridiculously awesome. That said...I've lived in Seattle (miserable hell of a place), and I must say the traffic here is 5 times worse then there and any major city I've visited (I've heard this from lots of people too). Hoping that eases even more once the DIA/Downtown light rail is completed. Denver is a great place, and I don't think it will every be a massive city, as people come and go. I think the burbs will grow a bit faster. I am not a native, as I was born in Montana, but I have no problem sharing my city with others.

I enjoy Denver and the amazing weather, however eventually I will probably move south (Austin) or east (more stuff to do/see). I think Denver will continue to grow at a modest pace.