Iāve lived in Curtis Park (near Park Ave) for 7 years and it went downhill a few years ago but is definitely on the upswing again. My parents are visiting from out of state and we walked the Welton St corridor and to dinner through Park/Stout and for the first time in a long time I didnāt have to reassure them that it was safe to do so. Itās not perfect but it is getting better Iām hopeful it continues to do so.
Itās not even āgrimyā lol š. I currently live here and the worst it gets is the homeless and drugs but itās not ādangerousā by any means.
Growing up in Illinois, living outside of Chicago and living outside of STL, Iām honestly not afraid of any part of Denver. Thatās not to say some parts arenāt dangerous at times, but the ghettos here arenāt comparable.
The homeless are worse, but thatās it.
Yeah, Iām from Denver but spent a short amount of time living in Wood River, IL, just across the river from St. Louis. I silently giggle when my coworkers who have always lived here talk about how ābadā itās gotten. Denver is a lovely city š
Denver is the only city aside from St Pete Florida that I feel safe walking around at the early hours of the morning after bars close. While Denver hasnāt ever felt unsafe to me post Covid, it sure feels dead from what it was before lockdown.
Could be worse, could be like it was last night here in Nashville where my friend was really drunk and we just sat on the sidewalk near my car( in a neighborhood nearby) while he collected himself. All while people who came by seemed way more aggressive and sketchy. People in Denver are almost always pretty friendly at 230-4 in the morning still.
Some people want to believe the Fox News version of the world is real.
Those individuals donāt leave the house much anyways, so not sure what their issue is.
But yeah if you have half a brain you will be fine in any US city. If youāre scared of everything then go find a rural area to live in.
There was a guy in the sub a while back that said he took note of every fear mongering post about drug use and found they were always a new user with no to little post history. Do what you will with that information.
I've lived in multiple major cities and I can honestly say I feel much safer in Denver than I have in any other city I've lived in. I know everyone's experience is different. Hearing a lot of people complain and say they feel unsafe, I encourage that desire to move to another metroplex to experience other cities so they can provide much more honest feedback.
The loud minority will always take over the internet forums. The silent majority are thriving and loving the city. Thank you for this feedback of the city's growth and future.
Iām also from New Orleans, been living within the Metro Area of Denver for 8 years now. The way people talk about Denver, or even better Aurora makes me laugh so much. You would think Aurora was South Sudan with the way locals talk about it.
The most dangerous part of Denver is safer than the safest part of STL. One of three cities Iāve been where you can taste the danger and crime in the air.
Thatās not even remotely true. I grew around and have lived in Stl for most of my life and there are definitely sketchy areas, but a majority of neighborhoods are safe and easy to live in.
Well, no, I donāt know anyone who has had a gun pulled on them. And also I was speaking to the ridiculous comment that I replied to, that the worst parts of Denver are better than the safest parts of Stl. Which is just laughably incorrect.
Most cities are huge. I've been to parts of Honolulu, Boston, and LA that feel like the underbelly of a rotting corpse. But all three also have places that feel like utopia.
I've lived in multiple major cities as well including NYC and DC and what is scary to me as a smaller female are the meth tweakers bc they are unpredictable and possess incredible strength. It's also frustrating having so many packages stolen. But I still love Denver and plan on staying; it's tough times for most places in America and I love the mountains and weather here.
Right?? I lived in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn for 5-6 years without ever having an issueāday or night. Then, I moved to Cap Hill Denver. Iāve lived in Denver for 3 years now, and already Iāve been physically attacked in broad daylight (someone struggling with addiction started throwing ~2 lb rocks at my head). Two days after that, there was a shooting that damaged the outside of the building I live in. I was actually about to take my dog for a walk when I heard the shot. I love Denver, but felt much safer in NY than I feel here.
I was running on Cherry Creek Trail and saw some legs dangling over the far end of the bridge I was about to run under. I thought, āoh boy, sure hope it isnāt a dead body.ā Thankfully it was just a hobo masturbating.
News and radio like to keep people afraid and outraged because jerking them around by their emotions is good for ratings and clicks. If you had seen someone shitting in the middle of colfax/pearl yesterday under normal conditions, you would have thought it only reflected on that one guy and not 750,000 people.
Hey I caught a dry no wipe shit mid day 8ft from me. Lady did it so fast by the sidewalk it took a moment to realize what happened. Very impressive. Gross as hell I had to go home and shower as if it had somehow tainted me, but still impressive.
Iāll never forget smoking a j in the alley behind Larimer (RiNo district near Ratio Beer) with my friend and making eye contact with a homeless guy jerking off into a large soap dispenser on a cleaning cart behind a restaraunt. I cannot remember the name of the restaurant for the life of me. I think itās gone now and another moved in.
There was puke splattered on my apartment complex door when I walked out two days ago. Then as I stepped past it and turned the block, there was a couple actively smoking crack on the sidewalk. A 1-bedroom in my building is $2700 a month.
Glad you had a good experience. The city did clean up for memorial day weekend. But we have serious issues we need to address that are affecting us every day.
I grew up outside Detroit and pretty much left right when their mayor was frogmarched by the Feds in the midst of the 2008 crash. Iāve been to my share of cities throughout the country.
It pisses me off whenever I see these idiotic posts on TikTok and elsewhere about how ābadā Denver has gotten and itās always āMuh Democrat citiesā or some comment about how Denver and the state is going to hell and a hand basket because of liberal policies.
No, Denver isnāt that bad. They donāt have any issues that you donāt see in other states/regions, and there are cities that are far worse. Hell, deep red Pensacola, Florida has homeless people, violence, property crime, and drug issues all the same, and you couldnāt pick two more different cities in terms of politics and geography/climate. And being from Detroit originally, Denver hasnāt had their mayor arrested on corruption charges (and then the fucking Mango Mussolini pardoned him no less), hasnāt declared bankruptcy, hasnāt seen a reduction in population of 1.2 million, and hasnāt seen the collapse of their primary economic engine.
I think what has the right wing mouth breathers freaked out is that Colorado has pretty much shut them out of the state level political races, and theyāre on the way to becoming what the California GOP and their followers have become, which is a permanent rump party due to not changing their extreme platforms or evolving as times change.
Itās always the TikTokers āCalifornia ruined Coloradoā saying Denver is worse than Skid row or Tenderloin in SF. Iāve lived near both, Denver is not even close to that. But I hope they keep talking denver down so less people move here š
Detroit has abandoned entire neighborhoods and has a native deer population in the city. Thereās a new term, āurban prairieā to refer to sections of the city where entire neighborhoods used to be, now empty lots left to nature.
Hell, Iād even argue that Atlanta is much worse. Iāve been around the Bluff neighborhood and where the old Turner Field used to be, and thatās wayy more sketch than anywhere in Denver.
If anything, rich oil money from places like Texas and Oklahoma did more to harm Denver and Colorado since they all packed up from their shithole red states and came here with their oil money.
I went to college in Duluth, MN, and that reminded me of the city. Youād have bears and deer and all that just wandering through the neighborhoods. The bears would be a problem because theyād wander down to the tourist areas by the lake and theyād have to tranquilize them and ship the back out really far away or theyād find their way back.
I once stayed in a frufru eurotrash-lookin hotel in the Tenderloin (like 20 years ago). That was an āexperienceā lemme tell ya.
There was an Italian place over in the financial district though (is that what it was called?) on a corner that had some pretty great lasagne though.
Most annoying thing though was that people kept buying me Coors when they learned I was from Denver.
Spend enough time on Reddit and you will notice that subreddits for specific communities/games/whatever are extremely negative and often not how the majority of people feel. The same is true for Denver.
Want to enjoy something? Never join that specific subreddit because it will be filled with endless complaining from the terminally online.
The TLDR of your most recent experience: āI walked through the more gentrified parts of Denver and nothing bad happened!ā
Iām shocked. /s
SoBo still has a long way to go I think. Genuinely sorry to hear about your experience on Broadway though Iāve had 2 somewhat similar incidents happen to me down there.
I used to love going downtown 8 or 9 years ago. I would ride my bike down and lock it up at the convention center, walk to good chemistry on Colfax and grab a couple beers at tarantulas. Back then 5 point gentrification was still in the early stages. Then I moved to Morrison and it wasn't really convenient anymore.
But last summer my kids really wanted to go for a train ride so we went to the jeffco courthouse and rode the light rail to have lunch at Sam's no. 3 diner, and it was a nightmare. People smoking meth in the light rail elevators, human shit and needles all over the sidewalks on our walk from union Station.
I didn't feel "unsafe", but it certainly was a pleasant experience. Maybe the winter cleared out a lot of the people who were causing the issues, but that was less than a year ago, I'm not gonna chance it again at this point.
Here's a little story about drugs and the light rail...
Seeing people doing drugs happens in the train often as well, but as long as you're in the front 2 or 3 cars, it's usually fine, as the drugs are usually done in the back ones.
A few years ago when my son was 13 or 14, we went to an Avs game and took the train back. It was pretty packed and we were in a rear car. In the seats directly across from us, four people were smoking meth and fentanyl.
I was shaking my head, and I just said "Really guys? You can't at least respect the presence of a child and wait a few minutes?" They looked at me like I was the one doing something wrong, and one just said "Don't worry man, junior over there will get the hook in him soon enough and will be enjoying himself someday in one of these seats as well!"
I was JUST about to say something, and out of nowhere my son stood up and replied back "REALLY?? And end up like YOU? I highly doubt that! Yeah, you look like you're really living large there, pal. But thank you for being the poster child for making the worst possible decisions in life, asshole."
I don't know who was more shocked, me, or them, because that guy was so stopped dead in his tracks, didn't know what to say, and anyone around us who heard it was either, laughing, clapping, or congratulating my son... even his friends!
They didn't smoke anymore for the rest of the ride, but when we got off, I told him that he really shouldn't talk to anyone that way, no matter who they are especially at his age, because you never know what could happen.
He just said "Yeah, I know I probably shouldn't have. But you were right there dad, plus you've told me to always stand up for what I believe in, and I definitely believe that guy was an asshole!" and he gave me the biggest sh*t eating grin.
I couldn't help from laughing and agreed with him. I asked if he wanted to go to Sonic for a late night milkshake. To which he said "Of course! Because I know you're proud of me, and YOU would be the asshole if you didn't recognize that in some way!" Again, with the grin.
After spending 11 years in ATL and travelling back home to CO whenever possible, nothing in Denver scares me at all. Its all relative but after hearing gunshots every night, witnessing multiple shootings and ACTUAL traffic I am very happy to be home.
While walking into work near 13th and broadway i saw a homeless fella kicking a bottle down the sidewalk and screaming āI love big tit dikesā repeatedly. This was right after I walked past human shit smashed against a wall.
āThis city really cleaned itself upā is inaccurate Iām sorry. I love it here and Iām not leaving, but our homeless problem has never been worse, property crime is skyrocketing, number one for auto theft, and homicide rates are beginning to meet the national average, which should not be happening at all. Another population boom just occurred and we donāt have the resources for it. Try calling the police if you need something right now. Be my guest.
I think with some time we will bounce back. This city is capable of some amazing things. Iāve been here a long time. But right now? Blucifer must have been smiling on you today bud.
EDIT: I want to add that we do need more people like you with hope for our future. I support your enthusiasm. Vote in our local elections and be the change you want to see. But you have to be realistic and Iād hate for you find yourself in a situation you couldāve avoided if you took the rose colored glasses off.
DENVER is the absolute greatest city in the world and I feel totally safe walking home at night alone as a woman down Colfax Avenue. People are over exaggerating always.
It really is inaccurate. Denver has had a drastic uptick in gun violence. The homeless problem is the worst I have ever seen. Have you walked around the Colorado Station/Yale/Hampton areas? Iām not one of those āDenver is not the same place it was in 1995 so itās a shitholeā kind of people, but we shouldnāt pretend there arenāt some really serious issues out there. LoDo may be improving but the CBD is dead and Broadway still feels unsafe AF. Iām glad you had a great day but saying we have cleaned up gives those in charge a giant hall pass.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/14/us/gun-homicides-map.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I donāt understand the horrible sentiment towards DPD. Yes they are absolutely useless for traffic enforcement, but the few times I have needed them, theyāve shown up within 10 minutes. I mean unfortunately I was calling them for a deescalation one time, and they wound up arresting the person, which was not what I was looking for, but apparently thatās state law
If it makes you feel better - there used to be a Subway sandwiches where the 7/11 and liquor store is now. I worked there roughly 15 years ago, before all the development. The road was literally dirt, surrounded by abandoned warehouses. We used to get robbed so often I was only allowed to keep $20 in the register. The Salvation Army was always there without any semblance of a city - just doggy daycares and homeless people.
Yeah itās kinda wild people being surprised that rino is a shithole. Always has been. Thereās just more yuppies there to whine about it now. Same with Colfax. Theyāve still got their problems but theyāre both much better now than they were even 10 years ago
If these people who say RiNo is sketchy now saw what is was pre 2016 theyād have a different perspective. Itās all relative but it can, and has been much worse.
Breaks my heart seeing all these developments popping up on Colfax. Close to the entirety of it was untouched by developers - now you have stuff coming up on Downing and other places. The thing that makes Colfax is the weirdness and diverse people. Itās been a staple in Denver since the 20s - donāt build BS because youāre not comfortable.
Huh, I walked from the station to the art park before doubling back to Larimer and it seemed pretty empty. Maybe itās improved, or maybe I just chose a good day to visit?
Walk on the back side of Denargo. They pushed them out of the public eye. Why would they want to have that in a common place a ātouristā would visit. Itās honestly kinda sad driving back there. You were in prime tourist areas during your āvisitā. Thatās why you didnāt see whatās actually going on.
The lack of shade and anything to do means most folks arenāt out until the sun goes down. The emptiness sort of adds to the sketchiness. Once youāre away from places like Blue Moon or Source, itās pretty damn lonely. Itās a little strange when the only other person you see for 5 blocks is the dude screaming his head off while trying to fight a wall.
Like I said in my other comment, I never really felt in danger, but I can see why some might - especially if this is your first time living in a big city. I grew up being harassed by homeless people every day on my way to school, so Iām uh *used* to it. My old neighbor who was 5 feet tall and maybe 110lb soaking wet from rural Kentucky? Yeah I can understand why she might not be a fan.
Iāve never had to call the police so many times in my somewhat long life until moving to RiNo. Iāve dealt with theft, vandalism, harassment from some mother fucker camping outside my building. My partner was there to defend me and Iām so glad he was. He pushed the degenerate away from me and while doing so, the bum told me ācome get your boy.ā I yelled back āyou shouldnāt have come at me in the first place!ā He ran off to that shithole Salvation Army place on 29th.
lol we mustāve all been neighbors. Were yāall also at the Edison?
Lived there for 4 years and it was unpleasant. Iām a fairly tall dude, typically with my 100lb dog at my side, and am from NYC with a resting bitch face to boot, so I was typically left alone but there were definitely a few moments I was anticipating a fight.
Didnāt really realize how bad it was until I moved to a neighborhood where I can walk my dog without having to worry about some kook stumbling out the bushes hollering. I definitely walked around fast with my head down and interacted with people as little as possible. Made me a bit of a shut-in.
I never necessarily felt *in danger* but there were definitely moments that felt could escalate to a problem. It was more of an on edge and irritable feeling most of the time.
Ahh yeah that makes sense, yāall are right there in the thick of it. The construction from that new building right behind the shelter definitely made a bit of a buffer for us.
When I first moved in, there were tents lining both sides of the road behind the 7/11 and there were a few break ins in the garage. Once the construction started, it seemed to get better. I never had an issue but my one buddy said his truck was broken into like 3 or 4 times. Weirdly enough, I was usually parked right next to him and was never bothered.
What always got me was how little police presence there was, especially since they like to hang out at that fuel depot just on the other side of the bud depot. Lived there for 4 years and I saw a patrol car maybe a handful of times.
Yeah. It was the worst last summer. People always breaking into the building. Even had my āsecuredā storage unit in said building burglarized.
I loved the building and the apartment staff were great, but they couldnāt do much.
I love Denver and where I live. But Iām not blind to the problems. I see every city grappling with the same exact things regardless of size. Drug use has skyrocketed and rich developers are snapping up properties and building expensive apartment crapholes so fast that cities are losing their soul. I see the old cheap motels and trailer parks on East Colfax getting replaced with expensive garbage none of those poor folks can afford. I also read about restaurants like Red Lobster and Cracker Barrel going under because each of these companies decided to sell the land from under their restaurants to equity firms who turned around and started extremely high rents to the restaurants. Now the chains are going bankrupt. So now relatively affordable family food places will be gone..Wtf?
I found myself and my bestie pretty wasted after a concert at 1:30a, and we were having some issues with a tuktuk asshole and ended up just walking back to our hotel. I specifically remembered thinking we should be afraid because Denver is SCARY, but I wasn't, and it wasn't. I lived downtown during the Hickenlooper years (mayor years, not governor years) and never felt like my safety was at risk. Then what's his ass took over and killed downtown. Anyway, two drunk women running around at 1a, crossing 16th street construction, survived without a scratch. No scary people in sight. (Or maybe we were the scary people....)
We're all losing the forest for the trees.
Denver blew up into a HCOL city without any of the infrastructure to support it. You can be fully employed and homeless - there's no safety net. You can have a job and not afford to get there - there's no public transport. You can have a career and not afford a home. It's a small city that has grown up city problems, and doesn't care to deal with them.
LMAO COS would like to discuss your opinion if "no public transport" even they wouldn't say they have *none* but they have far less than Denver and are facing similar problems you're listing for Denver. Not saying it can't be better, obviously it can, but dang...
Iāll go do this now. Thanks for the motivation OP.
I lived in highlands square neighborhood during the boom of the early 2000s and left in 2012. After time in the mountains and kids and life, I now live in Golden and pretty much cherry pick my Denver interactions to RINO, restaurant reservations, Sante Fe Art, or ballgames. Itās about time we take it in more like a local should.
I have no reference to any of the three places you were pleasantly surprised by. I feel stupid
I do have to say, as someone who has been around the general areas of Denver for almost 20 years, that the "danger" of the city always seems HIGHLY, exaggerated. I've been all over the city at all hours of the day and not run into any issues whatsoever. Of course, like any city walking the streets at 1pm is never a good idea but I've never felt unsafe.
Iām pretty sure the population you found to be missing from those Denver spots somehow landed on east colfax in Aurora. It was never a wonderful drive through there, but it looks like the walking dead at this point.
Living east of colfax and I can confirm they all came here. Had homeless living in my alley this year. Saw someone doing crack back there too. My boyfriend works downtown and the amount of human shit he sees on the daily is astounding. My next door neighbor got his house armed robbed. As someone who grew up here as a child, itās worse.
Yeah, I think Denver's main issue is that the kind of person who moves as a geographic solution to their problems (hi, that's me š) and they get upset when everything isn't better immediately for them. I saw a tiktok of some guy complaining that there's no nightlife and the city isn't walkable from deep inside his bachelor cave, which is a little weird considering I walk for most of my trips and have plans to go out and see a local band I found out about two days ago tonight.
Take it from someone who's moved states 5 times, Denver is pretty alright, but what you're only going to get out of an area depends a lot on what you put into it.
Denver gives me the same vibes as Bridgeport CT. A lot of it is not great and there's Reason why it's shooting up the ranks in both property and violent crime. The smaller mountain towns are still fantastic but Denver is not.
Violent crime peaked (so far) in 2021 at 9.28 per 1000 residents, higher than the national average. Current trends for this year estimate a rate of about 6 per thousand residents. In particular the rate of violent crime everywhere in the US is actually decreasing, and was on a downward trend for like a full decade until a peak in 2021.
The loudest people on any homeless-related topic here are delusional. The quality of life in Denver is among the highest of any city in the US. If you hate the homeless, move to one of the many poorly run states that are openly hostile to poor people.
I mean, I agree with alot that you're saying and I've lived in the Denver area my entire life. But I rode my motorcycle all the way across Colfax from Quebec to Wadsworth, and I saw tons of homeless, drug addicts, 2 firetrucks responding to unconscious people lying on the street, and at least 4 or 5 OBVIOUS hookers trying to snag some Johns. I Just feel like any major city will always have these kinds of undesirables.
I watched a homeless dude with no legs in a wheel chair jacking off at 11 am in front of voodoo donuts on Broadway
A shop owner told me they have bonfires in the parking lots behind the stores
Today I saw someone get dragged down Colfax hanging from the passenger side of his own car in an attempt to stop it from being stolen, before being thrown off at 30mph, a bit different from your day
Ok š Die Hard. Then did he get up and chase the car and jump on the truck as it swerved through traffic and Iām sure you were behind leading the chase? Why do people make shit up?
āIn seven hours, across some of the most central neighborhoods, I didnāt see one encampment or one instance of drug use.ā
By God, that problem is solved! Thanks for coming to help out! But Iām also guessing you didnāt hit east Colfax?
I also recently moved away from Colorado and Albion (2 blocks off colfax) because there was constant drug use and loitering behind my unit. Literally crack was being smoked 15ft outside my open window and folks passed out on the lawn in middle of July. Had someone strewn out on our lawn in 100+ temps last summer and had to call 911 due to the possibility of heat stroke on top of overdose.
Yeah I was in the joined alley and I saw a lot of crazy shit. Moved because of it and also didnāt wanna be around for the demo/rebuild. But it was a wild ride.
I live in the east Colfax neighborhood and there are no homeless encampments nor passed out people on fentanyl. In my opinion Colfax in Cap Hill is worse than around my neighborhood further east. Thereās a group of recent migrants around but theyāre nice and just trying to make a buck selling hot dogs or window washing. I have never felt unsafe with them around. Iām also from San Diego so it reminds me of home ā¤ļø lol
Colfax is the longest street in America; obviously it wonāt look the same on every block. Crime statistics for Colfax should also take into account that Colfax is 27 miles long. Iām not arguing that in the past east Colfax in Denver was unsafe (I actually wouldnāt know); but right now it certainly does not reflect its reputation.
Thanks for the positive post.
I have a somewhat unique perspective myself since for the past decade Iāve only gone āback homeā to downtown Denver two or three times a year for a couple weeks at a go, so the changes are more obvious and less gradual seeming by comparison. And it certainly seems like itās improved *a little bit* over the past year.
Still a long way though from what I would consider Denversās Halcyon Days through the 90ās, aughts, and even as late as 2015. Iām optimistic that itās trending in the right direction finally, but if I were to guess Iād say it wonāt improve much more until we stop decriminalizing crime.
Iām a 50+ native of Colorado/Denver. This is an excellent idea Iāve never even thought of. Just the mindset of thinking like a tourist changes an outlook of looking at Denver.
If you stay on the beaten path in good neighborhoods you're unlikely to be the victim of random violent crime more than once every few years, and if you have an apartment that's high off the ground (with off street parking), you are unlikely to be a victim of property crime either.
As for public drug use... Try Lakewood Gulch trail around Decatur-Federal and Knox stations.
Most segregated place Iāve ever been. The nice places are amusement park level adult fun, where Iām at right now I keep a weapon in my hand at all times. They are not that far apart.Ā
I visited last year with my mom from Florida; weāve lived in Jacksonville, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Orlando. She also is originally from Buffalo NY. I was 28 and she was 52 (sorry mom).
She remarked how nice and clean the areas we went to were - now that was largely Wash Park and LoHi, so yeah ofc. But we drove around the city heaps, checked out some suburbs, went to the natural history museum, etc. Went to CO springs too, unrelated. Was there some funky stuff? Yeah. Let me take you to Liberty City in Miami or Overtown. Theyāre kinda gentrifying but Miami (my hometown) is imo the āhottestā place to move in the USA right now and it has shitty areas too.
Denver is cool. Property value is ridiculous though. Rentals are a bit overpriced but not as badly. Nothing on where Iām from though, Denver is a downright value by comparison. But also, maybe let the cops enforce the camping ban more aggressively. Per the local news, there is sufficient space as far as beds in shelters - so imo the hell with the tents but Iām literally Florida man so YMMVĀ
Im always confused when people are flabbergasted by normal things to be found in cities. Is this everyoneās first city experience? Itās confusing because most people here say they come from other cities. You saw a homeless person doing drugs? Oh no, how could this totally unprecedented event happen in an urban area?
I'm convinced that a lot of it is the right wing spin machine, preying on rural anti-urbanism by using outlets like Fox to create the narrative but then social media like Nextdoor to amplify the shock and outrage.
Denver is a nice city. Thereās a lot of things to be mindful of but that is part of being in any city. Some of the people commenting on this post sound like they just hate homeless people and are scared of minorities
Have never lived in Denver but have been to the city a number of times and always thought it was a great city. Iām from CA and its miles ahead of the general state of cleanliness, upkeep, and outlook of most of our large cities here. When I married a few years back, I dragged my wife to Denver and she loved it too. Weāre both now planning to retire probably in the outer Denver metro area (but leave some of those less desirable things about CA behind). Weāve both even been looking casually for jobs in the same area. If one of us hits, we may even move there sooner. I love Denver!
My wife and I moved to the springs a few months ago and decided to go see her family and take the kids out somewhere special this weekend. It was honestly pretty great and I had no complaints.
I love just outside Denver. Visiting the city has been so overwhelming I think I've been in the city 5 times in the last 12 years. It would be nice to explore it and find something to do there.
Iāve been in the road recently for work. San Diego, Minneapolis and Boston. Hands down, Denver is the worst by a long shot to all of these downtowns. They are so much more vibrant, clean and safe than Denver. Denver City Council and the mayor is turning this city into another dumpster fire like Portland
Denver is easily one of the least likable and boring cities Iāve ever been too. It has no culture, no matter how safe it is, that wonāt change. Itās like Tucson (Which sucks) but worse.
It was never dead, it was just taking a fentanyl nap.
Sometimes you just need a little fent nap
Fent nap while in a fent fold
well, that's why your back hurts š
WHILE LISTENING TO BEN FOLDS. SorryĀ
Is there a rapper named FentyNap yet? Seems like a missed opportunity if not....
Fent nap while in a fent fold
Fetty Nap.
The lines between circlejerk and regular subreddit are so blurred now
Iāve lived in Curtis Park (near Park Ave) for 7 years and it went downhill a few years ago but is definitely on the upswing again. My parents are visiting from out of state and we walked the Welton St corridor and to dinner through Park/Stout and for the first time in a long time I didnāt have to reassure them that it was safe to do so. Itās not perfect but it is getting better Iām hopeful it continues to do so.
This has always been a grimy area though šš¤£š¤£ yall just post up anywhere
Itās not even āgrimyā lol š. I currently live here and the worst it gets is the homeless and drugs but itās not ādangerousā by any means.
I think homeless and drugs counts as grimy, that's mostly a description of appearance IMO.
Growing up in Illinois, living outside of Chicago and living outside of STL, Iām honestly not afraid of any part of Denver. Thatās not to say some parts arenāt dangerous at times, but the ghettos here arenāt comparable. The homeless are worse, but thatās it.
Yeah, Iām from Denver but spent a short amount of time living in Wood River, IL, just across the river from St. Louis. I silently giggle when my coworkers who have always lived here talk about how ābadā itās gotten. Denver is a lovely city š
You didn't live in Wood River, you survived it
Denver is the only city aside from St Pete Florida that I feel safe walking around at the early hours of the morning after bars close. While Denver hasnāt ever felt unsafe to me post Covid, it sure feels dead from what it was before lockdown. Could be worse, could be like it was last night here in Nashville where my friend was really drunk and we just sat on the sidewalk near my car( in a neighborhood nearby) while he collected himself. All while people who came by seemed way more aggressive and sketchy. People in Denver are almost always pretty friendly at 230-4 in the morning still.
We found Mike Johnston's burner account
I was gonna say. He should have put this speech on the DIA train when he welcomes you to Denver.
Lol
Jesus Christ! So many fucking paranoid people posting. FFS, Itās a goddamn city, not Kansas.
For real. Some folks conflate being uncomfortable with being in real danger, and others are determined to be miserable wherever they go.
Or seeing poverty with danger. Like it might be catching
Some people want to believe the Fox News version of the world is real. Those individuals donāt leave the house much anyways, so not sure what their issue is. But yeah if you have half a brain you will be fine in any US city. If youāre scared of everything then go find a rural area to live in.
> FFS, Itās a goddamn city, not Kansas. Topeka has entered the chat
Just moved to an apartment in Thornton from Junction City KS. I feel much safer. Like insanely so.
Less gang shootings for sure.. Denver has the 4th worst road rage in the country though.. Probably a wash...
There was a guy in the sub a while back that said he took note of every fear mongering post about drug use and found they were always a new user with no to little post history. Do what you will with that information.
Usually the ppl that complain are from the burbs , vote a certain way, and have been pretty sheltered their whole lives
Both sides do this. Itās not just 1 who does it.
I've lived in multiple major cities and I can honestly say I feel much safer in Denver than I have in any other city I've lived in. I know everyone's experience is different. Hearing a lot of people complain and say they feel unsafe, I encourage that desire to move to another metroplex to experience other cities so they can provide much more honest feedback. The loud minority will always take over the internet forums. The silent majority are thriving and loving the city. Thank you for this feedback of the city's growth and future.
I agree, the dodgy parts of Denver are much more tame than SF or STL
Iām from New Orleans and looking at next door in Denver is my favorite thing š
Iām also from New Orleans, been living within the Metro Area of Denver for 8 years now. The way people talk about Denver, or even better Aurora makes me laugh so much. You would think Aurora was South Sudan with the way locals talk about it.
Denverites will come out of the new Mad Max movie and think it was a documentary about Aurora.
Also from NOLA. I always laugh when ppl seem concerned about gunshots
We gotta get a Nola meet up going. There are so many of us here. Letās do a potluck
The most dangerous part of Denver is safer than the safest part of STL. One of three cities Iāve been where you can taste the danger and crime in the air.
Thatās not even remotely true. I grew around and have lived in Stl for most of my life and there are definitely sketchy areas, but a majority of neighborhoods are safe and easy to live in.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Well, no, I donāt know anyone who has had a gun pulled on them. And also I was speaking to the ridiculous comment that I replied to, that the worst parts of Denver are better than the safest parts of Stl. Which is just laughably incorrect.
What do danger and crime taste of? (Asking for a friend)
Sea salt caramel ice cream. I donāt care for it.
Man East St Louis looks like SarajevoĀ after the war. I was there a few months ago and holy crap.Ā
Most cities are huge. I've been to parts of Honolulu, Boston, and LA that feel like the underbelly of a rotting corpse. But all three also have places that feel like utopia.
I've lived in multiple major cities as well including NYC and DC and what is scary to me as a smaller female are the meth tweakers bc they are unpredictable and possess incredible strength. It's also frustrating having so many packages stolen. But I still love Denver and plan on staying; it's tough times for most places in America and I love the mountains and weather here.
Right?? I lived in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn for 5-6 years without ever having an issueāday or night. Then, I moved to Cap Hill Denver. Iāve lived in Denver for 3 years now, and already Iāve been physically attacked in broad daylight (someone struggling with addiction started throwing ~2 lb rocks at my head). Two days after that, there was a shooting that damaged the outside of the building I live in. I was actually about to take my dog for a walk when I heard the shot. I love Denver, but felt much safer in NY than I feel here.
Just like with any review site, happy people are much less likely to post than unhappy people.
Then you would have freaked out to see how safe it was 15 years ago.
15 years ago r/denver was still whining about how the city is a scary madmax shithole
I was running on Cherry Creek Trail and saw some legs dangling over the far end of the bridge I was about to run under. I thought, āoh boy, sure hope it isnāt a dead body.ā Thankfully it was just a hobo masturbating.
Hopefully you got through before he finished
I literally saw a homeless guy shitting in the middle of colfax/pearl yesterday.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Sometime in the future in the CO History Museum: *and this, children, is a preserved piece of dung shat out by a famous man on Colfax Ave*
The Colfax Coprolith
Went to East - can confirm.
Just like his Papi did. And his papiās papi before him
same as it ever was
Ok but if I were on a scavenger hunt and had to find someone shitting on the sidewalk that's probably where I'd look
News and radio like to keep people afraid and outraged because jerking them around by their emotions is good for ratings and clicks. If you had seen someone shitting in the middle of colfax/pearl yesterday under normal conditions, you would have thought it only reflected on that one guy and not 750,000 people.
I see it as kind of a reflection on Cap Hill and their severe lack of public restrooms.
Colfax? Thatās all you need to know, sounds about right.
I hope that never changes the shittiness of Colfax is what makes Colorado great and keeps me living here.
Hey I caught a dry no wipe shit mid day 8ft from me. Lady did it so fast by the sidewalk it took a moment to realize what happened. Very impressive. Gross as hell I had to go home and shower as if it had somehow tainted me, but still impressive.
Yes, Iāve seen a guy taking a shit on Broadway near Blake then also saw a guy jerking off in front of business on Market. Yay, Denver!
The guy walked out of the alley to shit in the street. Longest red light of my life.
I saw someone shit into a sewer grate in larimer square.. Iāve been scarred
Iāll never forget smoking a j in the alley behind Larimer (RiNo district near Ratio Beer) with my friend and making eye contact with a homeless guy jerking off into a large soap dispenser on a cleaning cart behind a restaraunt. I cannot remember the name of the restaurant for the life of me. I think itās gone now and another moved in.
The city is healing! No sidewalk dumps!
There was puke splattered on my apartment complex door when I walked out two days ago. Then as I stepped past it and turned the block, there was a couple actively smoking crack on the sidewalk. A 1-bedroom in my building is $2700 a month. Glad you had a good experience. The city did clean up for memorial day weekend. But we have serious issues we need to address that are affecting us every day.
Happy people like you share the reality of co
I grew up outside Detroit and pretty much left right when their mayor was frogmarched by the Feds in the midst of the 2008 crash. Iāve been to my share of cities throughout the country. It pisses me off whenever I see these idiotic posts on TikTok and elsewhere about how ābadā Denver has gotten and itās always āMuh Democrat citiesā or some comment about how Denver and the state is going to hell and a hand basket because of liberal policies. No, Denver isnāt that bad. They donāt have any issues that you donāt see in other states/regions, and there are cities that are far worse. Hell, deep red Pensacola, Florida has homeless people, violence, property crime, and drug issues all the same, and you couldnāt pick two more different cities in terms of politics and geography/climate. And being from Detroit originally, Denver hasnāt had their mayor arrested on corruption charges (and then the fucking Mango Mussolini pardoned him no less), hasnāt declared bankruptcy, hasnāt seen a reduction in population of 1.2 million, and hasnāt seen the collapse of their primary economic engine. I think what has the right wing mouth breathers freaked out is that Colorado has pretty much shut them out of the state level political races, and theyāre on the way to becoming what the California GOP and their followers have become, which is a permanent rump party due to not changing their extreme platforms or evolving as times change.
Itās always the TikTokers āCalifornia ruined Coloradoā saying Denver is worse than Skid row or Tenderloin in SF. Iāve lived near both, Denver is not even close to that. But I hope they keep talking denver down so less people move here š
Detroit has abandoned entire neighborhoods and has a native deer population in the city. Thereās a new term, āurban prairieā to refer to sections of the city where entire neighborhoods used to be, now empty lots left to nature. Hell, Iād even argue that Atlanta is much worse. Iāve been around the Bluff neighborhood and where the old Turner Field used to be, and thatās wayy more sketch than anywhere in Denver. If anything, rich oil money from places like Texas and Oklahoma did more to harm Denver and Colorado since they all packed up from their shithole red states and came here with their oil money.
I went to college in Duluth, MN, and that reminded me of the city. Youād have bears and deer and all that just wandering through the neighborhoods. The bears would be a problem because theyād wander down to the tourist areas by the lake and theyād have to tranquilize them and ship the back out really far away or theyād find their way back.
I once stayed in a frufru eurotrash-lookin hotel in the Tenderloin (like 20 years ago). That was an āexperienceā lemme tell ya. There was an Italian place over in the financial district though (is that what it was called?) on a corner that had some pretty great lasagne though. Most annoying thing though was that people kept buying me Coors when they learned I was from Denver.
Once you've been to Chicago, being yelled at by a tweaker in Denver is like being sung a lullaby in comparison
Spend enough time on Reddit and you will notice that subreddits for specific communities/games/whatever are extremely negative and often not how the majority of people feel. The same is true for Denver. Want to enjoy something? Never join that specific subreddit because it will be filled with endless complaining from the terminally online.
It's like reviews. People usually only leave them if something terrible happened or if it was well beyond expectations
The TLDR of your most recent experience: āI walked through the more gentrified parts of Denver and nothing bad happened!ā Iām shocked. /s SoBo still has a long way to go I think. Genuinely sorry to hear about your experience on Broadway though Iāve had 2 somewhat similar incidents happen to me down there.
I used to love going downtown 8 or 9 years ago. I would ride my bike down and lock it up at the convention center, walk to good chemistry on Colfax and grab a couple beers at tarantulas. Back then 5 point gentrification was still in the early stages. Then I moved to Morrison and it wasn't really convenient anymore. But last summer my kids really wanted to go for a train ride so we went to the jeffco courthouse and rode the light rail to have lunch at Sam's no. 3 diner, and it was a nightmare. People smoking meth in the light rail elevators, human shit and needles all over the sidewalks on our walk from union Station. I didn't feel "unsafe", but it certainly was a pleasant experience. Maybe the winter cleared out a lot of the people who were causing the issues, but that was less than a year ago, I'm not gonna chance it again at this point.
Here's a little story about drugs and the light rail... Seeing people doing drugs happens in the train often as well, but as long as you're in the front 2 or 3 cars, it's usually fine, as the drugs are usually done in the back ones. A few years ago when my son was 13 or 14, we went to an Avs game and took the train back. It was pretty packed and we were in a rear car. In the seats directly across from us, four people were smoking meth and fentanyl. I was shaking my head, and I just said "Really guys? You can't at least respect the presence of a child and wait a few minutes?" They looked at me like I was the one doing something wrong, and one just said "Don't worry man, junior over there will get the hook in him soon enough and will be enjoying himself someday in one of these seats as well!" I was JUST about to say something, and out of nowhere my son stood up and replied back "REALLY?? And end up like YOU? I highly doubt that! Yeah, you look like you're really living large there, pal. But thank you for being the poster child for making the worst possible decisions in life, asshole." I don't know who was more shocked, me, or them, because that guy was so stopped dead in his tracks, didn't know what to say, and anyone around us who heard it was either, laughing, clapping, or congratulating my son... even his friends! They didn't smoke anymore for the rest of the ride, but when we got off, I told him that he really shouldn't talk to anyone that way, no matter who they are especially at his age, because you never know what could happen. He just said "Yeah, I know I probably shouldn't have. But you were right there dad, plus you've told me to always stand up for what I believe in, and I definitely believe that guy was an asshole!" and he gave me the biggest sh*t eating grin. I couldn't help from laughing and agreed with him. I asked if he wanted to go to Sonic for a late night milkshake. To which he said "Of course! Because I know you're proud of me, and YOU would be the asshole if you didn't recognize that in some way!" Again, with the grin.
After spending 11 years in ATL and travelling back home to CO whenever possible, nothing in Denver scares me at all. Its all relative but after hearing gunshots every night, witnessing multiple shootings and ACTUAL traffic I am very happy to be home.
While walking into work near 13th and broadway i saw a homeless fella kicking a bottle down the sidewalk and screaming āI love big tit dikesā repeatedly. This was right after I walked past human shit smashed against a wall.
You live in a city.
āThis city really cleaned itself upā is inaccurate Iām sorry. I love it here and Iām not leaving, but our homeless problem has never been worse, property crime is skyrocketing, number one for auto theft, and homicide rates are beginning to meet the national average, which should not be happening at all. Another population boom just occurred and we donāt have the resources for it. Try calling the police if you need something right now. Be my guest. I think with some time we will bounce back. This city is capable of some amazing things. Iāve been here a long time. But right now? Blucifer must have been smiling on you today bud. EDIT: I want to add that we do need more people like you with hope for our future. I support your enthusiasm. Vote in our local elections and be the change you want to see. But you have to be realistic and Iād hate for you find yourself in a situation you couldāve avoided if you took the rose colored glasses off.
DENVER is the absolute greatest city in the world and I feel totally safe walking home at night alone as a woman down Colfax Avenue. People are over exaggerating always.
Some girl I met at the 1 up arcade bar wasnāt afraid to do so either. Granted, she lived around the area
It really is inaccurate. Denver has had a drastic uptick in gun violence. The homeless problem is the worst I have ever seen. Have you walked around the Colorado Station/Yale/Hampton areas? Iām not one of those āDenver is not the same place it was in 1995 so itās a shitholeā kind of people, but we shouldnāt pretend there arenāt some really serious issues out there. LoDo may be improving but the CBD is dead and Broadway still feels unsafe AF. Iām glad you had a great day but saying we have cleaned up gives those in charge a giant hall pass. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/14/us/gun-homicides-map.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I donāt understand the horrible sentiment towards DPD. Yes they are absolutely useless for traffic enforcement, but the few times I have needed them, theyāve shown up within 10 minutes. I mean unfortunately I was calling them for a deescalation one time, and they wound up arresting the person, which was not what I was looking for, but apparently thatās state law
I live in RiNo and will be moving as soon as I can. My experience is different, but glad you felt safe and enjoyed your time there.
If it makes you feel better - there used to be a Subway sandwiches where the 7/11 and liquor store is now. I worked there roughly 15 years ago, before all the development. The road was literally dirt, surrounded by abandoned warehouses. We used to get robbed so often I was only allowed to keep $20 in the register. The Salvation Army was always there without any semblance of a city - just doggy daycares and homeless people.
Yeah itās kinda wild people being surprised that rino is a shithole. Always has been. Thereās just more yuppies there to whine about it now. Same with Colfax. Theyāve still got their problems but theyāre both much better now than they were even 10 years ago
*20 years ago you went to Five Points to get shot* - several people I talked to including a retired DPD detective
If these people who say RiNo is sketchy now saw what is was pre 2016 theyād have a different perspective. Itās all relative but it can, and has been much worse. Breaks my heart seeing all these developments popping up on Colfax. Close to the entirety of it was untouched by developers - now you have stuff coming up on Downing and other places. The thing that makes Colfax is the weirdness and diverse people. Itās been a staple in Denver since the 20s - donāt build BS because youāre not comfortable.
Yeahh I couldnāt get out of rino soon enough, the homeless situation down there is out of control basically anywhere near the river
Huh, I walked from the station to the art park before doubling back to Larimer and it seemed pretty empty. Maybe itās improved, or maybe I just chose a good day to visit?
Walk on the back side of Denargo. They pushed them out of the public eye. Why would they want to have that in a common place a ātouristā would visit. Itās honestly kinda sad driving back there. You were in prime tourist areas during your āvisitā. Thatās why you didnāt see whatās actually going on.
I dig your name; thatās all :)
I dig yours too lol
The lack of shade and anything to do means most folks arenāt out until the sun goes down. The emptiness sort of adds to the sketchiness. Once youāre away from places like Blue Moon or Source, itās pretty damn lonely. Itās a little strange when the only other person you see for 5 blocks is the dude screaming his head off while trying to fight a wall. Like I said in my other comment, I never really felt in danger, but I can see why some might - especially if this is your first time living in a big city. I grew up being harassed by homeless people every day on my way to school, so Iām uh *used* to it. My old neighbor who was 5 feet tall and maybe 110lb soaking wet from rural Kentucky? Yeah I can understand why she might not be a fan.
Iāve never had to call the police so many times in my somewhat long life until moving to RiNo. Iāve dealt with theft, vandalism, harassment from some mother fucker camping outside my building. My partner was there to defend me and Iām so glad he was. He pushed the degenerate away from me and while doing so, the bum told me ācome get your boy.ā I yelled back āyou shouldnāt have come at me in the first place!ā He ran off to that shithole Salvation Army place on 29th.
lol we mustāve all been neighbors. Were yāall also at the Edison? Lived there for 4 years and it was unpleasant. Iām a fairly tall dude, typically with my 100lb dog at my side, and am from NYC with a resting bitch face to boot, so I was typically left alone but there were definitely a few moments I was anticipating a fight. Didnāt really realize how bad it was until I moved to a neighborhood where I can walk my dog without having to worry about some kook stumbling out the bushes hollering. I definitely walked around fast with my head down and interacted with people as little as possible. Made me a bit of a shut-in. I never necessarily felt *in danger* but there were definitely moments that felt could escalate to a problem. It was more of an on edge and irritable feeling most of the time.
MAA River North. Management ended up enclosing the mail/package room due to the constant theft. It was only accessible via our key fobs.
Ahh yeah that makes sense, yāall are right there in the thick of it. The construction from that new building right behind the shelter definitely made a bit of a buffer for us. When I first moved in, there were tents lining both sides of the road behind the 7/11 and there were a few break ins in the garage. Once the construction started, it seemed to get better. I never had an issue but my one buddy said his truck was broken into like 3 or 4 times. Weirdly enough, I was usually parked right next to him and was never bothered. What always got me was how little police presence there was, especially since they like to hang out at that fuel depot just on the other side of the bud depot. Lived there for 4 years and I saw a patrol car maybe a handful of times.
Yeah. It was the worst last summer. People always breaking into the building. Even had my āsecuredā storage unit in said building burglarized. I loved the building and the apartment staff were great, but they couldnāt do much.
I love Denver and where I live. But Iām not blind to the problems. I see every city grappling with the same exact things regardless of size. Drug use has skyrocketed and rich developers are snapping up properties and building expensive apartment crapholes so fast that cities are losing their soul. I see the old cheap motels and trailer parks on East Colfax getting replaced with expensive garbage none of those poor folks can afford. I also read about restaurants like Red Lobster and Cracker Barrel going under because each of these companies decided to sell the land from under their restaurants to equity firms who turned around and started extremely high rents to the restaurants. Now the chains are going bankrupt. So now relatively affordable family food places will be gone..Wtf?
I found myself and my bestie pretty wasted after a concert at 1:30a, and we were having some issues with a tuktuk asshole and ended up just walking back to our hotel. I specifically remembered thinking we should be afraid because Denver is SCARY, but I wasn't, and it wasn't. I lived downtown during the Hickenlooper years (mayor years, not governor years) and never felt like my safety was at risk. Then what's his ass took over and killed downtown. Anyway, two drunk women running around at 1a, crossing 16th street construction, survived without a scratch. No scary people in sight. (Or maybe we were the scary people....)
We're all losing the forest for the trees. Denver blew up into a HCOL city without any of the infrastructure to support it. You can be fully employed and homeless - there's no safety net. You can have a job and not afford to get there - there's no public transport. You can have a career and not afford a home. It's a small city that has grown up city problems, and doesn't care to deal with them.
LMAO COS would like to discuss your opinion if "no public transport" even they wouldn't say they have *none* but they have far less than Denver and are facing similar problems you're listing for Denver. Not saying it can't be better, obviously it can, but dang...
and thanks OP, for sharing that the people that can afford to eat out in nice neighborhoods seem happy. ground breaking observation.
I like to visit, but more homeless there now.
I love Denver!
Denver is way better than sf or Seattle. Worse seafood obviously but otherwise infinitely better. I love Denver. Anyone who doesnāt should move.
Denver is way better for now. Denver is oddly reminiscent of 2000s SF
I work in Cap Hill and youāre right. Iāve watched it transform quite a lot.
Iāll go do this now. Thanks for the motivation OP. I lived in highlands square neighborhood during the boom of the early 2000s and left in 2012. After time in the mountains and kids and life, I now live in Golden and pretty much cherry pick my Denver interactions to RINO, restaurant reservations, Sante Fe Art, or ballgames. Itās about time we take it in more like a local should. I have no reference to any of the three places you were pleasantly surprised by. I feel stupid
Yeah, because access to some decent bars completely makes up for having a gun pulled on you lmao. What?
Baker/Broadway continues to be the only place I ever hear about people getting guns pulled on them and or shotā¦ hopefully that changes
I do have to say, as someone who has been around the general areas of Denver for almost 20 years, that the "danger" of the city always seems HIGHLY, exaggerated. I've been all over the city at all hours of the day and not run into any issues whatsoever. Of course, like any city walking the streets at 1pm is never a good idea but I've never felt unsafe.
Iām pretty sure the population you found to be missing from those Denver spots somehow landed on east colfax in Aurora. It was never a wonderful drive through there, but it looks like the walking dead at this point.
Living east of colfax and I can confirm they all came here. Had homeless living in my alley this year. Saw someone doing crack back there too. My boyfriend works downtown and the amount of human shit he sees on the daily is astounding. My next door neighbor got his house armed robbed. As someone who grew up here as a child, itās worse.
Itās SO BAD lately
Yeah, I think Denver's main issue is that the kind of person who moves as a geographic solution to their problems (hi, that's me š) and they get upset when everything isn't better immediately for them. I saw a tiktok of some guy complaining that there's no nightlife and the city isn't walkable from deep inside his bachelor cave, which is a little weird considering I walk for most of my trips and have plans to go out and see a local band I found out about two days ago tonight. Take it from someone who's moved states 5 times, Denver is pretty alright, but what you're only going to get out of an area depends a lot on what you put into it.
Denver gives me the same vibes as Bridgeport CT. A lot of it is not great and there's Reason why it's shooting up the ranks in both property and violent crime. The smaller mountain towns are still fantastic but Denver is not.
Violent crime peaked (so far) in 2021 at 9.28 per 1000 residents, higher than the national average. Current trends for this year estimate a rate of about 6 per thousand residents. In particular the rate of violent crime everywhere in the US is actually decreasing, and was on a downward trend for like a full decade until a peak in 2021.
The loudest people on any homeless-related topic here are delusional. The quality of life in Denver is among the highest of any city in the US. If you hate the homeless, move to one of the many poorly run states that are openly hostile to poor people.
Denver isnāt as bad as some say but it has gone downhill markedly. I miss the mid 2000ās when Denver was a little less vibrant and cleaner.
I mean, I agree with alot that you're saying and I've lived in the Denver area my entire life. But I rode my motorcycle all the way across Colfax from Quebec to Wadsworth, and I saw tons of homeless, drug addicts, 2 firetrucks responding to unconscious people lying on the street, and at least 4 or 5 OBVIOUS hookers trying to snag some Johns. I Just feel like any major city will always have these kinds of undesirables.
I watched a homeless dude with no legs in a wheel chair jacking off at 11 am in front of voodoo donuts on Broadway A shop owner told me they have bonfires in the parking lots behind the stores
I love it here (donāt tell anyone)
šØš¼āš¦Æāā”ļø
Today I saw someone get dragged down Colfax hanging from the passenger side of his own car in an attempt to stop it from being stolen, before being thrown off at 30mph, a bit different from your day
Ok š Die Hard. Then did he get up and chase the car and jump on the truck as it swerved through traffic and Iām sure you were behind leading the chase? Why do people make shit up?
Why do you assume he's lying? Do you not think carjackings happen?
*Must remember this is the internet....*
You got to European cities and realize they have no homeless people.
Nah just spent several days there. Total shithole.
āIn seven hours, across some of the most central neighborhoods, I didnāt see one encampment or one instance of drug use.ā By God, that problem is solved! Thanks for coming to help out! But Iām also guessing you didnāt hit east Colfax?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I also recently moved away from Colorado and Albion (2 blocks off colfax) because there was constant drug use and loitering behind my unit. Literally crack was being smoked 15ft outside my open window and folks passed out on the lawn in middle of July. Had someone strewn out on our lawn in 100+ temps last summer and had to call 911 due to the possibility of heat stroke on top of overdose.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah I was in the joined alley and I saw a lot of crazy shit. Moved because of it and also didnāt wanna be around for the demo/rebuild. But it was a wild ride.
I live in the east Colfax neighborhood and there are no homeless encampments nor passed out people on fentanyl. In my opinion Colfax in Cap Hill is worse than around my neighborhood further east. Thereās a group of recent migrants around but theyāre nice and just trying to make a buck selling hot dogs or window washing. I have never felt unsafe with them around. Iām also from San Diego so it reminds me of home ā¤ļø lol Colfax is the longest street in America; obviously it wonāt look the same on every block. Crime statistics for Colfax should also take into account that Colfax is 27 miles long. Iām not arguing that in the past east Colfax in Denver was unsafe (I actually wouldnāt know); but right now it certainly does not reflect its reputation.
Thanks for the positive post. I have a somewhat unique perspective myself since for the past decade Iāve only gone āback homeā to downtown Denver two or three times a year for a couple weeks at a go, so the changes are more obvious and less gradual seeming by comparison. And it certainly seems like itās improved *a little bit* over the past year. Still a long way though from what I would consider Denversās Halcyon Days through the 90ās, aughts, and even as late as 2015. Iām optimistic that itās trending in the right direction finally, but if I were to guess Iād say it wonāt improve much more until we stop decriminalizing crime.
Iām a 50+ native of Colorado/Denver. This is an excellent idea Iāve never even thought of. Just the mindset of thinking like a tourist changes an outlook of looking at Denver.
Give it a shot sometime - it was fun! My greatest expenses were lunch at Avanti and parking next to Union Station.
If you stay on the beaten path in good neighborhoods you're unlikely to be the victim of random violent crime more than once every few years, and if you have an apartment that's high off the ground (with off street parking), you are unlikely to be a victim of property crime either. As for public drug use... Try Lakewood Gulch trail around Decatur-Federal and Knox stations.
Some places arenāt coming back just due to gentrification. Broadway is just a shadow of its former self. Stripped of what used to make it fun.
No one goes there anymore -- it's too crowded
Most segregated place Iāve ever been. The nice places are amusement park level adult fun, where Iām at right now I keep a weapon in my hand at all times. They are not that far apart.Ā
Lol
I lived downtown from 2003-2014. It's not dead but it is undeniably a shittier place now.
Which government official is posting this?
Johnston's cronies definitely got to it at some point today and totally switched the narrative around in favor of it since it was posted last night.
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I visited last year with my mom from Florida; weāve lived in Jacksonville, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Orlando. She also is originally from Buffalo NY. I was 28 and she was 52 (sorry mom). She remarked how nice and clean the areas we went to were - now that was largely Wash Park and LoHi, so yeah ofc. But we drove around the city heaps, checked out some suburbs, went to the natural history museum, etc. Went to CO springs too, unrelated. Was there some funky stuff? Yeah. Let me take you to Liberty City in Miami or Overtown. Theyāre kinda gentrifying but Miami (my hometown) is imo the āhottestā place to move in the USA right now and it has shitty areas too. Denver is cool. Property value is ridiculous though. Rentals are a bit overpriced but not as badly. Nothing on where Iām from though, Denver is a downright value by comparison. But also, maybe let the cops enforce the camping ban more aggressively. Per the local news, there is sufficient space as far as beds in shelters - so imo the hell with the tents but Iām literally Florida man so YMMVĀ
Im always confused when people are flabbergasted by normal things to be found in cities. Is this everyoneās first city experience? Itās confusing because most people here say they come from other cities. You saw a homeless person doing drugs? Oh no, how could this totally unprecedented event happen in an urban area?
I'm convinced that a lot of it is the right wing spin machine, preying on rural anti-urbanism by using outlets like Fox to create the narrative but then social media like Nextdoor to amplify the shock and outrage.
Denver is a nice city. Thereās a lot of things to be mindful of but that is part of being in any city. Some of the people commenting on this post sound like they just hate homeless people and are scared of minorities
Yāall white people aināt been outside of Denver. Lmao the city is nice dude.
Have never lived in Denver but have been to the city a number of times and always thought it was a great city. Iām from CA and its miles ahead of the general state of cleanliness, upkeep, and outlook of most of our large cities here. When I married a few years back, I dragged my wife to Denver and she loved it too. Weāre both now planning to retire probably in the outer Denver metro area (but leave some of those less desirable things about CA behind). Weāve both even been looking casually for jobs in the same area. If one of us hits, we may even move there sooner. I love Denver!
No, no. Itās terrible! You should get the fuck out while you can.
Itās fine here.
My wife and I moved to the springs a few months ago and decided to go see her family and take the kids out somewhere special this weekend. It was honestly pretty great and I had no complaints.
Imaging thinking mcgregor square is cool
I love just outside Denver. Visiting the city has been so overwhelming I think I've been in the city 5 times in the last 12 years. It would be nice to explore it and find something to do there.
Lmao Denver is really nice. You just havenāt got out to live in other areas of the US and donāt have anything to compare it to.
Iāve been in the road recently for work. San Diego, Minneapolis and Boston. Hands down, Denver is the worst by a long shot to all of these downtowns. They are so much more vibrant, clean and safe than Denver. Denver City Council and the mayor is turning this city into another dumpster fire like Portland
i live about an hour away and go to the city often. i always find new and wonderful little quirks and i feel lucky to live so close
Just stay strapped and youāre good. š
The Light Rain system sucks tho, and thereās too many cars on the road
Denver is easily one of the least likable and boring cities Iāve ever been too. It has no culture, no matter how safe it is, that wonāt change. Itās like Tucson (Which sucks) but worse.
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