Fresh Place Friday: Moving from Los Angeles to Denver
On the Move from Way out West
This week’s Fresh Place Friday is dedicated to one of our most popular moves: moving from California to Colorado. There are many differences between these two sunshiny places and many compelling reasons to live in them both. But at Exodus, we are happy to help you move to Colorado from California or the other way around.
Los Angeles is a seaside center of entertainment. Once a destination for millions east of the Rockies, L.A. has been hit hard during the economic downturn, and many are leaving to seek better opportunities elsewhere. Many of these people are moving to Colorado.
You can watch television or visit a movie theater just about anywhere in the world, and eventually you will see the familiar images of Los Angeles: the beaches, the Hollywood sign, Sunset Blvd, and so on. You are only seeing pictures of a fraction of this sprawling metropolis.
What separates Los Angeles from almost every other city is how spread out it is. It was not built around a center (although there is a downtown) that serves as the economic and political hub. Instead there are several centers laid out across 30 or so square miles that make up Greater Los Angeles. From older cities like Pasadena to expansion burgs in the San Fernando Valley to the elite, iconic vistas of Malibu, Los Angeles is a diverse passage through time and culture. Everyone complains about the inadequate public transportation, but the fact is that in most cases, public transportation simply isn’t practical. Yes, the first and possibly greatest difference from Los Angeles life to Denver life is the time you will spend in the car. Don’t get us wrong, Denver has its share of traffic jams, but they are like a horse and buggy country ride compared to the 405 freeway. An Angelino can count on getting at least two hours a day back after moving to Colorado.
Another huge difference is the scenery. Los Angeles has a little of everything, but just a small helping of each. You are a short distance away from an ocean, a desert, the San Gabriel Mountains, and the Angeles National Forest. For a couple months of the year, there might even be snow just an afternoon drive away. In Denver you are limited to the prairies and the Rockies, but these are the premium versions. In Colorado, you know how expansive an open space really is and how towering mountains really can be. Finally, while the air quality in Los Angeles has improved dramatically in the last twenty years, it simply cannot compare to the cool, refreshing mountain air of Denver. An Angelino who exits his car for the first time after arriving will find it tough to get back in and close the doors.
Needless to say, the weather differences are dramatic, as there are roughly two seasons in Los Angeles to the four you will experience in Denver. In L.A. there is hot, warm, and chilly. Both places get about the same amount of rain (yes, it does rain in L.A.), but anyone who is moving to Colorado should also be prepared to shovel snow and wear thick clothes. There is quite a difference in magnitude between Los Angeles cold and Colorado cold, and any Angelino should expect to take a couple of winters to adjust.
