Who’s YOUR City? Blog

I live in Denver, a lovely city with lots to offer. Lots of young people, parks, amazing mountains and climate, great variety of restaurants, culture, etc. What I can’t figure out is why the media voice in Denver is constantly berating the city. I wish I had a dollar for every time Denver gets called a Cowtown. It’s been a very long time since we resembled anything close to a cowtown, and yet the name remains, and it’s never used fondly.

On the creative side, there’s a site for local “creatives” called The Denver Egotist. Their tagline: Attempting to Help Denver Suck Less Daily. I hear the same kinds of sentiments from people who go snowboarding here all winter, go to tons of great shows in the spring, camp and hike all summer, interspersed with a vibrant downtown, awesome restaurants, lots of counter culture, I could go on and on.

So Denver is cool, at least for now. Its success may end up being its downfall. The city has changed so fast you can barely get a handle on it. Skyrocketing rents have altered the fabric of our coolest neighborhoods, pushing out the mom and pops and forcing out lower income folks, mostly hispanic and asian. The great little breakfast place you could walk to from my house got the boot after 30 years in the same location, told they had to move because the new landlord could now get 3x the rent. Too bad the new guys had terrible food and closed in less than a year. Also pushed out have been the convenience store, the mini grocers, the plant store, the cheap but awesome pizza place, the really great mexican place. Now we have a chocolatier, a parfumier, a mini spa, an exotic tea shop, and cutesy gift shops galore. Gone is the diversity of age and race and income. Now nearly everyone you see walking down the street is white, 25 to 35, and pushing a stroller. Of course all these folks will move to the burbs as soon as the kids are school age, the newest form of transience. Some call it white flight. Is it misguided to also see it, while they’re here, as white blight? Every time I hear of someone wanting to leave Denver, they seem to have the same issues. Can’t say I blame them, either.

Sent by Rigby from Denver

I currently live in Huntington, WV, a college town, but still on the small side.

I had lived in New York city for almost 9 years, but moved back when I had my son. I am finishing up school, and am wanting to move to another city. My two choices are Austin, TX or St. Petersburg, FL.

I am looking for employment as a medical coder/health information management. Also, I am into healthy living - organic foods, yoga, holistic medicine, and am environmentally conscious. I want to live in an environment that is diverse on all levels. I need somewhere that is affordable. And finally, I want to live in a place that has good schools for my son. Does Austin or St. Petersburg live up to this?, or should i look elsewhere?

Sent by Jill from Huntington, WV

Except for money, there are very few reasons why I can understand a Canadian moving to the U.S.

I was brought to Chicago from Toronto by my “American” husband. After many years I got so sickened by the racial friction in Chicago that I picked up and moved across the continent. I didn’t return to Canada because I did not believe I could afford to live in Ontario again, but I am more and more sickened by the “Americans” in general and willing to economise to improve the quality of my life.

“Ameroicans” are so convinced of their superiority in every way while being quite ignorant of what is being accomplished in the rest of the world. I am frequently made proud of what Canada and Canadians have accomplished.

I came to the Northwest to what I thought was a beautiful land, but the rule seems to be “if it moves - shoot it, if it is growing, cut it down”. The U.S. is a violent country. Canada is not. The cowboy mentality, the imperialist government have worn me down. I think I will take this old body back to the land of my birth where the quality of life is something you cannot buy with a gun.

Sent by Marilyn from Vancouver, WA

Hi there, I thought it was coincidental that I heard a review of this book on NPR just hours before I interviewed for a position in Auckland. Louisville, KY is my hometown, but I’ve lived in Nantucket, Taos, and Hawaii. I’m considering a move to New Zealand and would love to hear about the experiences of other Americans or Canadians that have relocated there.

Sent by Ginny from Louisville, KY

My wife met in Cincinnati, OH and have lived here for too long. We have some family here and a lot of friends but we are still very unhappy in this city. The climate is bad and I have horrible allergies to almost every tree in the Mid-West.

I am a social worker and my wife is finishing up graduate school soon. We are hoping to move somewhere in Colorado in the next year or two, but we are not quite sure where. We have been there three times and enjoy the open space, green technology, historic downtowns, and clean/dry air.

My wife will soon have her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and I would like to open my own vintage shop at some point. Are there any suggestions (especially from those of you in Colorado) where we should look further into? Even if it is not Colorado, we just need some advice… and we NEED to leave the Mid-West!

Sent by Jim from Cincinnati

I am a young female, married for two years and in love with the west more specifically Colorado.

My husband and I are outdoor adventurers and have taken yearly trips out to Colorado (Boulder area, Durango, Fort Collins) and we are in love with it. I currently reside in Syracuse,NY where my husband and I moved to further his career. My question to all who reside in Colorado, is am I giving Colorado too much credit? Is it really as wonderful as I imagine it to be?

Sent by Katie from Syracuse, NY

I have to give my plug for Muskegon, MI.

While it always seems like Muskegon is struggling economically and has a pretty poor reputation for being a blue collar town, Muskegon has really great things going on. There are great natural resources with nearly unlimited access to water. Four distinct seasons mean you won’t get burned out.

You would be hard pressed to find a city Muskegon’s size that has the cultural assets that Muskegon does wit h a symphony and an art museum with the third largest art collection in the Midwest behind only Chicago and Detroit. There are a ton of festivals and community gatherings. Not to mention a rich history. In fact at one time during the lumber era, Muskegon was home to more millionaires than any other place in the country.

So anyway, come and visit, you might want to stay a while.

Sent by Jonathan Witmer from Muskegon, MI

I have lived in Miami, Boston and the Washington DC area. I would not leave the Cleveland area for any of the above. The downtown area is a short destination for most folks and has grown. The Arts are as good as or better than the other cities I lived in (DC withstanding). Medically we are one of the best in the country and/or world (heart specialist). Most important to me, the race relations are great. I love the decision we made to move here and I look forward to raising my young children here.

Sent by Bill Holden from Cleveland, Ohio

I have always thought I would end up somewhere different and not just stay where I grew up. I would like to consider moving out of the Midwest and taking our two children to see other parts of the world. I would really like to move to Europe. I speak some French (though it’s been a while since I studied it).

But I struggle with the adjustment for the kids and how we would cope as a family. My husband doesn’t really speak any other languages. I also wonder about employment - his degree is in business, which is pretty general. How do you go about uprooting your family, finding a job and moving to another country?

Sent by Natalie from Louisville