I wouldn't tout Denver's public transit system as an upside of living here. It's just marginally better than the awful road system, so it gets the benefit of looking better by comparison.
Really? I live like half a mile from a light rail station and I'm right next to a bus stop and I'm super happy with our public transportation. In addition my walk score is through the roof. Also our roads are fantastic even if 25 can be a bit of a bear. I think it's all about perspective. I'm from Chicago originally where it was an hour + commute.
When your only means of travel is bad, your whole system is bad.
I'm glad that you've found a solution that works for you. I've had the misfortune to be subjected to public transport as a daily necessity, so I'm not as enthusiastic as you are about it.
Also, I work just off of 70, and my wife works in DTC. So there really aren't any good compromises for living that give us both decent commute time.
I understand that the whole vibe in the metro is built for the more hipster-ish living style. I just don't really fit into that, so what fundamentally matters to me is not great, and that colors my perceptions I guess.
>It's just marginally better than the awful road system
I go to CO for vacation semi-regularly, what am I missing as a tourist? Because I actually praise the roads in CO and their road crews frequently.
From what I've seen, they are several magnitudes better compared to most other places that I've been to or lived in... and I'm from a military brat family and a road tripper.
Anywhere you go as a tourist, you're not getting the rush-hour experience. While this is significant, the worst thing about the Denver road system is the unwillingness to plan.
There are essentially only two (!) real roadways: I-70 and I-25. If you're willing to pay the few hundred $/mo, you can also drive on 470 to bypass the traffic. Once you get away from these two (three), it's a mire of unconnected and unplanned roads.
On top of this - especially highlighted by the snow this past weekend - there is no regular maintenance of the roads other than 25 and 70.
At the end of January I was in a car accident and am waiting for repairs, so I've gotten a glimpse of the public transportation system also. What used to take me ~20 mins to drive now takes over an hour, and unless your complete list of destinations is along the I-25 corridor, that's pretty typical.
Now, maybe I just have a sour taste for CO. I am definitely looking to GTFO - that's why I was looking in this thread in the first place - but this has been my experience with the city/state for the last ~5 years. Take it how you will.
Denver is a midsized metro area of 2.5M, how many Interstates do you expect? And how far are you driving that only an Interstate highway counts as a 'real roadway'?
