Just wanted to toss the Colorado Front Range (esp. Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs) into the hat, since I have a hunch this list might get referenced a lot in future conversations. I don’t think we’re the best choice for primary hub, but I think we are a very attractive destination for rationalists looking to relocate out of Berkeley and/or for a secondary hub.
Pros: -We have an existing rationality community, with regular meetups in Denver and Boulder (I host the latter). I know there’s local EA meetups as well, though I’m not plugged into that scene.
-There are lots of STEM jobs in the area. We have several National Labs, lots of Aerospace contracting (Ball and Lockheed, Northrup, Boeing, Raytheon), plenty of big-name software companies (Google and Amazon both present, Microsoft in nearby Fort Collins), as well as innumerable smaller and growing ones. Also startup-friendly: Boulder County has the USA’s highest VC investment per-capita.
-Outdoor culture means it’s easy to stay healthy while enjoying yourself. Biking is big and growing; bike paths and bike-friendly roads are common. Mountains are always in sight and make hiking, skiing, etc. all easy. We have reliable sunshine year round, and winter frequently sees days/weeks warm enough for comfortable outdoor recreation. I think this is all huge for quality of life, even if it was not all included in the considerations.
-Cost of living is very cheap by major metro standards, though not in absolute terms. Median home prices are 450k in Denver, 800k in Boulder, and 350k in Colorado Springs. Everyone complains about the price of housing because it’s increased dramatically in the past decade, but salaries still go much farther here than elsewhere. Even Boulder, known locally for high prices, is 40% cheaper than the disaster that is Berkeley.
-Misc: We’ve got really good craft beer, farmer’s markets, a growing foodie scene, and vegan / Gluten-free options are everywhere. Politics are not completely crazy here. The cities are growing so (except in Boulder) development is happening and often welcome; new urbanism is popular, though no one seems to know how to make it happen. Crime is low, schools are good. People are friendly and don’t hate each other as much as I’ve seen elsewhere.
Cons: -Denver is not a global metropolis. It’s the cultural and economic hub of the mountain west, which makes it more significant than you might expect based on population and location. And it has an international airport for easy travel. But some people really want the amenities of a top-20 world city, and Denver isn’t.
-You’ll want a car. You won’t absolutely need one, if you live in Boulder or Denver, but you’ll want one, especially for outdoor recreating. Distances are often too large to cover practically on bike. Public transit gets you everywhere you need to go (and lets you take your bike with you) but it’s inconvenient. This is true of basically everywhere in the US outside of small areas in the downtowns of a few major cities though.
-Misc: Seafood is not excellent, as we’re 1,000 miles away from the nearest coastline. High elevation makes sunburn more likely, and may be mysteriously associated with depression, (though the constant sunshine’s got to help on that front). Wildfires make for a week of bad air quality in a typical summer, though hellscapes like Berkeley is used to are rare. Likely other negatives I don’t see since I really like it here.
Depends on your preferences: -Very hot and very cold weather exists here, and the climate is dry. We are a politically moderate state overall, but the most walkable/transit-friendly areas of Denver and Boulder lean hard left.
A minor note: One of the greatest things here quality-of-life wise is the culture, but the culture has been disrupted a bit by recent immigration from other parts of the US (“transplants”). That makes me slightly trepidatious about posting something like this. If you think about moving to Colorado, please do it with the intent to coexist with the local culture, rather than to reform it.
Just wanted to toss the Colorado Front Range (esp. Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs) into the hat, since I have a hunch this list might get referenced a lot in future conversations. I don’t think we’re the best choice for primary hub, but I think we are a very attractive destination for rationalists looking to relocate out of Berkeley and/or for a secondary hub.
Pros:
-We have an existing rationality community, with regular meetups in Denver and Boulder (I host the latter). I know there’s local EA meetups as well, though I’m not plugged into that scene.
-There are lots of STEM jobs in the area. We have several National Labs, lots of Aerospace contracting (Ball and Lockheed, Northrup, Boeing, Raytheon), plenty of big-name software companies (Google and Amazon both present, Microsoft in nearby Fort Collins), as well as innumerable smaller and growing ones. Also startup-friendly: Boulder County has the USA’s highest VC investment per-capita.
-Outdoor culture means it’s easy to stay healthy while enjoying yourself. Biking is big and growing; bike paths and bike-friendly roads are common. Mountains are always in sight and make hiking, skiing, etc. all easy. We have reliable sunshine year round, and winter frequently sees days/weeks warm enough for comfortable outdoor recreation. I think this is all huge for quality of life, even if it was not all included in the considerations.
-Cost of living is very cheap by major metro standards, though not in absolute terms. Median home prices are 450k in Denver, 800k in Boulder, and 350k in Colorado Springs. Everyone complains about the price of housing because it’s increased dramatically in the past decade, but salaries still go much farther here than elsewhere. Even Boulder, known locally for high prices, is 40% cheaper than the disaster that is Berkeley.
-Misc: We’ve got really good craft beer, farmer’s markets, a growing foodie scene, and vegan / Gluten-free options are everywhere. Politics are not completely crazy here. The cities are growing so (except in Boulder) development is happening and often welcome; new urbanism is popular, though no one seems to know how to make it happen. Crime is low, schools are good. People are friendly and don’t hate each other as much as I’ve seen elsewhere.
Cons:
-Denver is not a global metropolis. It’s the cultural and economic hub of the mountain west, which makes it more significant than you might expect based on population and location. And it has an international airport for easy travel. But some people really want the amenities of a top-20 world city, and Denver isn’t.
-You’ll want a car. You won’t absolutely need one, if you live in Boulder or Denver, but you’ll want one, especially for outdoor recreating. Distances are often too large to cover practically on bike. Public transit gets you everywhere you need to go (and lets you take your bike with you) but it’s inconvenient. This is true of basically everywhere in the US outside of small areas in the downtowns of a few major cities though.
-Misc: Seafood is not excellent, as we’re 1,000 miles away from the nearest coastline. High elevation makes sunburn more likely, and may be mysteriously associated with depression, (though the constant sunshine’s got to help on that front). Wildfires make for a week of bad air quality in a typical summer, though hellscapes like Berkeley is used to are rare. Likely other negatives I don’t see since I really like it here.
Depends on your preferences:
-Very hot and very cold weather exists here, and the climate is dry. We are a politically moderate state overall, but the most walkable/transit-friendly areas of Denver and Boulder lean hard left.
A minor note: One of the greatest things here quality-of-life wise is the culture, but the culture has been disrupted a bit by recent immigration from other parts of the US (“transplants”). That makes me slightly trepidatious about posting something like this. If you think about moving to Colorado, please do it with the intent to coexist with the local culture, rather than to reform it.