#and there are tons of warehouse jobs available which i have years of experience in!!

[deklo]

i think i’ve already hit art burnout DANG IT

[cherryrogers]

➸ eye candy

pairing: bucky barnes x reader | office au

warnings: swearing, mostly fluff.

word count: 3.7k

synopsis: Being Tony Stark’s receptionist was hard. Working alongside the most gorgeous salesman you’d ever seen was even harder. Actually talking to said salesman? Well, that was just insane.

a/n: so this is sorta based of the show ‘the office’,,, we love a good office romance :) please enjoy and feedback is always appreciated !!

“Good morning, (Y/N). All of these papers need photocopied, signed and posted to all of our clients by twelve o’clock, sharp.”

Tony Stark was going to be the death of you.

Hesitant eyes landed on the enormous pile of paperwork that your boss had just slapped on your desk. There was no way all of that was getting done in the next two hours.

“I’m a receptionist, Tony. Not a miracle worker.” You shrugged, looking up to meet his eyes. “I can’t get all of this finished by lunch on my own. Can’t you help me out?”

“You see,” The man sighed. “These papers are now on your desk. That means the responsibility of them has been passed on to you. Not my problem anymore. I’m sure you can find yourself another happy helper.”

He started to walk away, causing you to lean over your desk and try to grab back his attention. “But Tony-”

“Can’t hear you, already walking away.” Tony called behind him, quickly pacing towards his office. “And now I’m opening the door to my office, and now I’m entering...”

The man’s voice faded as he swiftly closed the door to his office, leaving the headache-inducing pile of paperwork to sit hauntingly on the edge of your desk. Sitting back in your leather chair, you let out a quiet huff.

This was going to be a long day.

Becoming a receptionist hadn’t always been the plan. The plan was to work your ass off after you graduated high school so that you had enough money to go travelling around the globe, gaining work experience in different countries and making memories along the way. Maybe even not returning back to America, but going on to live a quiet life in the South of France or maintaining the busy work life in Japan.

However, it’d been a while since graduation, and you still hadn’t stepped foot out of the state of New York.

Working for Stark Industries was only meant to last a few months, it was only meant to be a temporary job until you found something that paid a little better. For some reason, however, you were still handling everything at the reception desk a year later.

Stark Industries was a small tech company developed by the man himself, Tony Stark. He’d had high hopes for the company, insisting that as soon as clients started rolling in, the company would be worth six figures in no time. You weren’t exactly sure what his definition of ‘no time’ was, but it’d been kind of a long time since the company was up and running.

You had to hand it to the guy, though. Tony built every piece of tech he sold himself from scratch. While there were workers in the warehouse who eventually aided in the development of the products, it all started with Stark. There was a part of you that deeply hoped Stark Industries would take off, finally fulfilling Tony’s dream.

But when the guy decided to hand you a ton of paperwork to do in an impossible amount of time, that hope was soon retracted out of frustration.

The main door to the office clicking open caught your attention, and a grin immediately made its way onto your lips.

“Hey, Sam.” You greeted your co-worker as he walked past your desk.

Turning his head to you, he quirked a questioning brow. “You seem weirdly smiley for a Monday morning. D’you want somethin’?”

“Well, since you asked...” You let out a laugh, patting your hand on top of the pile of paperwork you had yet to move. “All of this needs copied and signed and-”

“Nope, no way.” Sam shook his head. “I’m already behind on sales. Stark will have my head if I don’t make some today, and you know how much I love avoiding that guy at all costs.”

The grin fell off your lips easily. “But I can’t do it all myself!”

“Ain’t my problem, girl.” The man shrugged, beginning to try and get away from your desk, and your pleading.

“You sound just like Tony.” You called after him, resulting in him turning around and giving you a glare.

“How dare you.”

After that encounter, Sam stayed glued to his computer all morning, trying to sell as many products to clients as he could. Meanwhile, you were still stuck with a bunch of work that you hadn’t started yet.

Your eyes scanned the office. It was rather small, the only rooms being Tony’s office, the kitchen, the break room, and the main office area.

Natasha and Clint sat in the far corner of the room, usually never doing what they were meant to. You weren’t quite sure how they still had their jobs, considering you never saw either of them pick up a phone or touch their computer mouse. The redhead was currently grasping a bag of Hershey’s Kisses in one hand, and throwing them over her monitor in an attempt to make one land in Clint’s mouth with the other.

Through the glass of the door leading to the kitchen, you could see a tall blond taking his sweet time making himself a coffee. Steve hated working here, anyone with eyes could tell he’d rather always be anywhere else. He wanted something more than just a nine-to-five office job. Steve wanted to make an impact on the world, and he wasn’t so sure he could do that from a run down office building just outside the city.

Maybe you could convince him to help you.

Within thirty seconds, you had pushed yourself out of your desk chair and hurried over to the kitchen, giving Steve an innocent smile as you entered the small room.

“Hey, blondie. You’re not busy, are you?”

“If you’re asking on behalf of Stark, then yes, I’m incredibly busy.”

“Certainly looks like it.” You motioned towards the coffee he’d been stirring for the past five minutes. “Must be one hell of a coffee if it took you ten whole minutes to make.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at you. “Making coffee is an art. I would expect you to understand.”

“I understand that you’re not being at all productive right now, and I could really use some help with all the paperwork that needs sent out to clients-”

“Oh my god.” The blond groaned. “Did you come in here just to ask me to do work? I’m just tryin’ to make coffee here-”

“Steeeeve.” His name came out in a whine. “I’m desperate here.”

“Can’t you ask Sam to help?”

“Already did.”

“Natasha?”

“Too busy pelting Clint with candy.”

“What about Bucky?” At the mention of his friend’s name, a blush rose in your cheeks. Oh, fuck. Steve instantly smirked. “Aw, you don’t wanna ask him, do you? Does he make you nervous?”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. “Stop it; I- I haven’t seen him this morning. Haven’t had the chance to ask him.”

“Well, he’s at his desk now. Doesn’t look occupied.” Steve nudged your arm with his elbow. “I’m sure Buck will help you out.”

“You think?”

“Oh, he will.” He let out a laugh, causing you to raise your brow at him curiously. How could he be so sure?

Steve noticed you eyeing him. “What?”

“How do you know that he’ll help me?”

“Just do.”

“If you and Sam won’t help, what makes you think Bucky will?”

“Nothing. Go ask him.”

“But you seemed so sure-”

“He knows that you have a crush on him.”

“He- he what?” You gaped, confused as to why Steve was acting so casual about it. Bucky knew? Oh no, oh god. Your life was officially over.

Since you started at the company, you’d always had an eye for the salesman that was directly in your line of sight from your seat behind the reception desk. Originally, Bucky was just good eye candy for when you got bored in the middle of any work you were supposed to be finishing. That was going great. You didn’t mind that you’d never had a conversation with the guy before, because if he turned out to be perfect inside and out, you knew there’d be an issue.

So when he first made conversation with you one morning when the both of you were early to work, you came to the conclusion that you were fucked. He complimented your hair that morning, offered to make you coffee, shot you a cheeky wink before strolling over to his desk. After that came the issue. The issue that you’d developed this stupid crush on him which he probably didn’t reciprocate.

Steve obviously noticed - how could he not notice the receptionist practically drooling over his best friend every time he looked up from his desk? When he actually sat down and did his work, of course.

“Did you tell him?” You pouted up at the blond, who found amusement in your panic. “I swear, Steven Grant, if you told him-”

“Calm down, woman.” He raised his hands in defense. “I didn’t tell him anything... except that you’re single and that you have a thing for man-buns.”

“Oh my- I’m gonna have to quit. This is your fault, Steve. I’ve quitting my job and changing my name.”

“C’mon, (Y/N) - you’re being dramatic.”

“That’s not my name anymore.” You shook your head, putting your hands on your hips. “I’m now going by... Anastasia.”

“Why Anastasia?”

“This sort of thing would never happen to a girl called Anastasia.”

Steve scoffed, leaning his back against the counter and finally sipping his coffee. “I don’t get what you’re freaking out about. You want him to know you’re available, right?”

“Available, yes. Not specifically desperate for men that can tie their hair up in a bun, of which there’s only one of in this building, and that’s him, Steve. That one man is Bucky, and now he’s gonna think I’m weird.”

“(Y/N)-”

“We discussed this, Steve. It’s Anastasia now. Oh yeah, I’ve gotta go and tell Tony I’m resigning and that (Y/N) not longer exists-”

“He likes you too, okay?” Steve suddenly raised his voice, before pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “God, you two are the worst.”

There’s a short silence between you and the blond. Bucky... liked you back? Uh, what? This was seriously news to you. Holy- what if you were his eye candy too? Never mind, scrap the quitting idea. If Bucky liked you back, this was your time to shine. The ball was in your court now. Hell yeah.

“Bucky likes me?” You asked quietly.

“Mhm.” Steve replied reluctantly, his lips against the edge of his coffee cup.

“So... I should go and ask him to help me with the paperwork?”

“Yup.”

“And he won’t mind because he likes me?”

“No, he won’t.”

A satisfied smile crept onto your lips, and you resisted the urge to just grab Steve and pull him into a victory hug. Instead, you opted for a friendly pat on the chest.

“Blondie, you should’ve just led with that.”

“For the love of- just... go get your man, Anastasia.”

You caught the corner of his lips upturning before you spun around, heading for the door that lead back into the main area.

“Screw that Anastasia girl. This is (Y/N)’s time to thrive.”

Steve only rolled his eyes as you exited the kitchen, a new, confident glow radiating off you as your eyes landed on your favorite bun-wearing tech salesman. Not that you knew many tech salesmen that wore buns in their hair, but you know.

He was slowly tapping away at his keyboard, tired eyes glancing around his computer screen and you couldn’t help but swoon. God, he was the epitome of perfection. How could such a man be working alongside you for a super small tech company? Shouldn’t he be a model or something? A swimwear model, fuck; that would be a sight-

“(Y/N)?”

It was at the sound of your name being called that you realized you were standing completely still in the middle of the room, staring Bucky down like an utter weirdo. The man smiled softly at you as you let out a nervous laugh, trying to hide your blatant embarrassment.

That glowing confidence? Definitely gone. You were not thriving anymore... and that would sure never have happened to Anastasia. Never. Maybe changing your name was still on the cards.

However, in that moment, you were you. And Bucky was sitting only a meter away from you, probably wondering what the hell was wrong with you.

“Uh, hi.” You finally mustered out, approaching his desk. Uh, hi? Uh, hi?! Oh, lord...

“Hey.” He chuckled. “You alright?”

“I’m great!” You answered, perching yourself on the side of his desk. “I, uh, I like your bun.”

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck-

“Thanks.” Bucky tilted his head to the side, leaning back in his seat. “Steve told me you liked man-buns.”

You were definitely going to have to talk to Steve about his wing-man skills after this was over. “Is that why you’re wearing one today?”

“Maybe.”

Oh, you weren’t expecting him to actually respond to that. Fuck, this was actually going kind of well.

Bucky had his bottom lip between his teeth, watching as you fumbled for any sort of words to leave your mouth. Any would do.

“It suits you. Not that I don’t like your hair down as well. I think it looks great either way, honestly. I’m sure even if you had short hair, you’d be able to pull that off too...”

Heavens above, please stop me from rambling and sounding like a complete idiot, you thought to yourself.

Bucky didn’t look phased, as his gorgeous smile only widened. “I guess that’s something we have in common then.”

“What?”

“Lookin’ good all of the time.”

Shit. Your cheeks were definitely tomato red after his comment. Why did he have to be so damn charming?

“So, did you come over here just to give me a confidence boost?” Bucky teased. “If being a receptionist doesn’t work out, you’d be a pretty good motivational speaker.”

You playfully glared at him. “Being a receptionist wasn’t my ultimate career goal, you know.”

“What was it then?”

“I mean, I don’t really know. Something to do with travelling, though - where I could see the world and everything it has to offer.” You let out a sigh. “I just don’t wanna be cooped up in an office forever, you know?”

You worried that you’d started rambling again, but by the interested expression on Bucky’s face, it seemed like he was listening intently. “Yeah, I get it. Salesman wasn’t always my goal either.”

The corner of your mouth upturned. “Can I guess what yours was?”

“You can try.”

As you furrowed your brows in thought, Bucky couldn’t help but skim his eyes over your features. Your eyes slightly squinted in focus, soft lips pursed, jaw locked. Despite his outgoing demeanor, he’d always been nervous to just start up a conversation with you in the office. He saw you five days a week, for eight hours a day, and he still got butterflies whenever you walked his way.

“A firefighter.” Your voice snapped him out of his daze.

“Nope.”

“A college professor?”

“No.”

“Hmm... a hair stylist?”

“No, funnily enough.”

“It’s a swimwear model, isn’t it?”

“(Y/N), that couldn’t be more far from the right answer.”

You sighed internally. It was worth a shot.

“Alright, what was it?” You chuckled.

“A chef.”

A chef, huh? You probably would’ve never guessed that. You didn’t know a lot about Bucky, so you didn’t realize that he even had an interest in cooking. It did explain why he always brought his own lunch, though, rather than slumming it with the rest of the office who just grabbed some chips from the vending machine and whatever fruit was left in the kitchen.

“You like to cook?”

“I love to cook.” He grinned, making your heart ache at how pretty his smile was. “Have done since I was a kid. I’ve been told I make a mean beef bourguignon.”

“Sounds fancy; I’d like to try it.”

“Maybe I can make it for you some time.”

Talking to Bucky became easier with every minute you were sat on his desk, trying not to get lost in his blue eyes as he spoke passionately about his ambitions. He told you about how he’d always wanted to open his own restaurant, but he’d never had the money to do so. His favorite dish to eat was admittedly a classic cheese and tomato pizza, but a homemade one that wasn’t doused in oil and salt, which was fair enough... even though you secretly lived for the Domino’s pizza you ordered every couple of weeks to treat yourself.

And after falling into a long, comfortable conversation with the man you used to barely be able to utter out a ‘hello’ to, the realization later hit you at eleven fifty-nine, that the work that was meant to be finished in one minute still hadn’t been completed.

After the whole conversation with Steve about asking Bucky for help, you didn’t even do the one thing that you were planning to do.

In a panic, you darted your eyes towards the area on your desk where Tony had slammed the stack of papers on your desk, confused as to why the large stack wasn’t actually still sitting there.

Before you could come up with a logical explanation, your boss flung open the door of his office, quickly making a beeline over to where you were still sat next to the monitor on Bucky’s desk.

“(Y/N), my number one receptionist.” He greeted you.

“I’m sure I’m the only receptionist you know, Tony, but I guess I’ll take the compliment.”

The man slapped his hands together enthusiastically. “So, did you get all the paperwork posted? I know it was a lot, but it’s important that our clients get those forms.”

You quickly glanced back to your desk, making sure that the paperwork really wasn’t there anymore and that you weren’t just seeing things. Where could it have disappeared to? Unless some form of higher power knew how pissed Tony would be if it wasn’t done and somehow did it all for you, you were pretty slumped for a rational explanation.

“Uhh...”

“Yep, (Y/N) got the paperwork all posted. Just like you asked.” You heard the voice of a certain blond next to you. “Sam and I gave her a hand.”

Sam and Steve gave you a hand? But how- wait.

“Fantastic.” Tony beamed, pointing a finger towards you. “I knew I could count on you, kid. Keep doing what you’re doing, and I might give you a raise.”

As the receptionist, you knew Stark Industries wasn’t yet making enough money for anyone to earn a raise. But you didn’t want to ruin the guy’s moment.

After sending him a thankful smile, you watched as Tony walked away, and once he was out of sight, you slowly turned your attention to Steve.

“You,” You gave him a warning look, before turning to Sam who had also decided to make an appearance. “And you, Sam. This was all planned, wasn’t it?”

The two men nodded proudly, as if they’d just pulled off the greatest scheme of the century. They were idiots. Smart, but still idiots. Did there really need to be a whole plan to bring you and Bucky together?

“Sam and I are dedicated wing-men, you know.” Steve shrugged. “We’re not complete assholes - we would’ve helped you with the paperwork when you asked, but we thought that this could be a good opportunity to get you two to actually converse.”

“Yeah, Bucky sure needed the push. Poor dude gets nervous from just looking at you.”

“Alright, Sam.” Bucky glared at his friend. “I think the joke’s on you guys, though - considering we got to have a nice conversation and you were left with all the paperwork.”

“Like I said,” Steve replied nonchalantly. “Dedicated wing-men.”

Before you could ask any more questions, a stern cough stopped your from doing so. “I’m sorry to interrupt your mothers’ meeting, but I’m trying to run a business here, guys. Wilson, you’re behind on sales, and don’t think I don’t notice you hiding out in the kitchen every morning, Rogers.”

Steve sighed. He really thought that was working for him.

“Barnes, you’re doing great.” Tony patted his shoulder reassuringly, making the salesman smile smugly up at his two frustrated friends. “(Y/N), I need some papers organised, and could you use those pastel highlighters to color-coordinate them? You know I love those highlighters - they really liven up the boring work, you know?”

“Sure thing, boss.” You nodded as Sam and Steve began to make their way back to their desks, leaving you and Bucky alone again after Tony returned to his office.

“I guess I’ve got some color-coordinating to do.” You pushed yourself off Bucky’s desk, standing up straight.

“Wait,” Bucky stopped you from straying any further from his desk. “Would you... wanna do somethin’ tonight? After work?”

A smirk played on your lips. Bucky fucking Barnes was asking you out. Once again, screw that Anastasia girl. Would Bucky Barnes ever ask her out? Nope, because he was asking you out. Okay, stop talking to yourself. The guy needs an answer.

“Sure, I’d like that. You gonna make some of your beef bargain john for me?”

“Bourguignon, sweetheart.” The man let out a hearty laugh. “If you can pronounce it right, I’ll make it for you.”

You scoffed. “That’s just mean... bourg- bourg-on... crap.”

“S’not really close enough, sorry.” Bucky shrugged, knowing that he’d end up making it for you anyway.

“Whatever.” You muttered, slowly walking back over to your desk only a few feet away from Bucky’s. You could see the guy biting back a smile as he pretended to return to his work. Fuck, you really did like him. And you were going on a date with him. That night. Perhaps that higher power really was on your side.

“Bourg-a-non!”

“Not quite.”

“Dammit.”

Maybe the office wasn’t so bad after all.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Millions of hungry Americans turn to food banks for 1st time (AP) Hunger is a harsh reality in the richest country in the world. Even during times of prosperity, schools hand out millions of hot meals a day to children, and desperate elderly Americans are sometimes forced to choose between medicine and food. Now, in the pandemic of 2020, with illness, job loss and business closures, millions more Americans are worried about empty refrigerators and barren cupboards. Food banks are doling out meals at a rapid pace and an Associated Press data analysis found a sharp rise in the amount of food distributed compared with last year. Meanwhile, some folks are skipping meals so their children can eat and others are depending on cheap food that lacks nutrition. Those fighting hunger say they’ve never seen anything like this in America, even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The first place many Americans are finding relief is a neighborhood food pantry, most connected to vast networks of nonprofits. Tons of food move each day from grocery store discards and government handouts to warehouse distribution centers, and then to the neighborhood charity. An AP analysis of Feeding America data from 181 food banks in its network found the organization has distributed nearly 57 percent more food in the third quarter of the year, compared with the same period in 2019.

Covid Nomads (WSJ) Alan Frei lives the life of a backpacker. That is, all 62 of his belongings fit into a single backpack, which he carries with him as he travels and lives in different cities around the world—a total of 53 countries over the past three years. The 38-year-old Swiss entrepreneur in October got rid of his apartment near Zurich and all his furniture. Items he kept include his watch, a toothbrush, seven pairs of underwear, and sunglasses. Mr. Frei is an extreme version of a digital nomad, a person with no fixed address, who lives and works while traveling the globe. Today, their ranks are small, but they could become more common in the years ahead. “There will definitely be more digital nomads,” says Nicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Before the pandemic, only about 2% of Americans worked from home full-time, Mr. Bloom says, but he expects that will rise to about 8% to 10% of workers. If just 10% of them travel and work remotely, that will still be enormous, he says. Scott Cohen, a professor at the University of Surrey’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, expects more countries will cater visa and tourism programs to digital nomads, as they seek an alternative to the standard business travel market. Chekitan S. Dev, a professor at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, School of Hotel Administration, says the trend was first driven by millennials; now older millennials are taking their families with them when they move around. By normalizing remote work and school, the pandemic has supercharged a trend. In the future, digital nomads may be middle-aged, rent or own homes for less time, want to go to more exotic destinations and move more quickly between destinations.

California Water Futures Begin Trading Amid Fear of Scarcity (Bloomberg) Water joined gold, oil and other commodities traded on Wall Street, highlighting worries that the life-sustaining natural resource may become scarce across more of the world. Farmers, hedge funds and municipalities alike are now able to hedge against—or bet on—future water availability in California, the biggest U.S. agriculture market and world’s fifth-largest economy. The contracts, a first of their kind in the U.S., were announced in September as heat and wildfires ravaged the U.S. West Coast and as California was emerging from an eight-year drought. They are meant to serve both as a hedge for big water consumers, such as almond farmers and electric utilities, against water prices fluctuations as well a scarcity gauge for investors worldwide. “Climate change, droughts, population growth, and pollution are likely to make water scarcity issues and pricing a hot topic for years to come,” said RBC Capital Markets managing director and analyst Deane Dray.

‘It’s a free-for-all’: how hi-tech spyware ends up in the hands of Mexico’s cartels (The Guardian) Corrupt Mexican officials have helped drug cartels in the country obtain state-of-the-art spyware which can be used to hack mobile phones, according to a senior DEA official. As many as 25 private companies—including the Israeli company NSO Group and the Italian firm Hacking Team—have sold surveillance software to Mexican federal and state police forces, but there is little or no regulation of the sector—and no way to control where the spyware ends up, said the officials. “It’s a free-for-all,” the official told the Cartel Project, an initiative coordinated by Forbidden Stories, a global network of investigative journalists whose mission is to continue the work of reporters who are threatened, censored or killed. “The police who have the technology would just sell it to the cartels.” [And then the cartels would use it against their enemies or those investigating them.] The nexus between state and criminal forces has fuelled a wave of targeted violence which have made Mexico the most dangerous country for journalists in the world, outside a war zone. At least 119 media workers have been killed in Mexico since 2000, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the inevitable fear for reporters is that surveillance could lead to more tangible dangers.

Pope makes surprise early morning prayer visit in rainy Rome (AP) Pope Francis on Tuesday made a surprise early morning visit to the Spanish Steps in Rome to pray for people worldwide struggling in the pandemic. With rain falling and dawn breaking, Francis popped up in the square at the foot of the Spanish Steps at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT), two hours after the end of Italy’s overnight curfew. Before heading back to Vatican City, where he resides in a hotel, Francis stopped to pray some more and celebrate Mass in St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. Early in the pandemic, Francis made a similar pop-up visit to a little-frequented church in the heart of downtown Rome to pray, startling the few Romans who were in the area during exceptionally tight lockdown measures. In separate, written comments, Francis stressed the need for all to have employment when the world emerges from the pandemic. “How can we speak of human dignity without working to ensure that everyone is able to earn a decent living?” the pope wrote. He urged people to “find ways to express our firm conviction that no person, no person at all, no family should be without work.” As he has previously during the pandemic, the pope praised what he called the “ordinary people” who have kept the world functioning as it reels under the strain of the global pandemic. He cited those providing essential services—health care workers and shopkeepers, cleaners and caregivers and “so very many others.”

The Kremlin Is Offering Russians Free Vaccines, but Will They Take Them? (NYT) Aleksei Zakharov, a Moscow economics professor, got the Russian coronavirus vaccine injected into his upper arm over the weekend. Getting the shot was an easy decision, he said—not because the Russian government said it was safe, but because scores of Russians have shared their experience with it on social media. “I trust the grass roots collection of information far more, of course, than what the state says, at least before the testing results are available and published in a medical journal,” Mr. Zakharov, 44, said in a telephone interview Monday, already clear of a mild fever—a side-effect of the vaccine. Russia made its coronavirus vaccine available for free in recent days to teachers, medical workers and social-service employees younger than 61 in Moscow. But even more than in the West, a lack of trust is hobbling Russia’s rollout of a vaccine: the country’s scientists may well have made great strides in battling the pandemic, but many Russians are not ready to believe it. That distrust looms large as Russia races to roll out the vaccine while facing the fiercest onslaught of the pandemic yet, with some 500 deaths per day.

Mt Everest grows by nearly a metre to new height (BBC) The world’s highest mountain Mount Everest is 0.86m higher than had been previously officially calculated, Nepal and China have jointly announced. Until now the countries differed over whether to add the snow cap on top. The new height is 8,848.86m (29,032 ft). Everest stands on the border between China and Nepal and mountaineers climb it from both sides. Officials at Nepal’s foreign ministry and department of survey said surveyors from both countries had co-ordinated to agree on the new height.

China condemns new US Hong Kong sanctions, Taiwan arms sale (AP) China on Tuesday lashed out at the U.S. over new sanctions against Chinese officials and the sale of more military equipment to Taiwan. The U.S. actions are part of what critics see as an effort by the Trump administration to put in place high-pressure tactics toward Beijing that could make it more difficult for President-elect Joe Biden to steady relations. The Cabinet’s office for Hong Kong affairs expressed “strong outrage and condemnation” over the sanctions leveled against 14 members of the standing committee of China’s legislature, which passed a sweeping Hong Kong National Security Law earlier this year. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, meanwhile, demanded the U.S. cancel its latest arms sale to Taiwan and said China would make a “proper and necessary response.” President Donald Trump’s administration has incensed Beijing with 11 separate arms sales and closer military and political ties with the self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. China has stepped up military flights near the island and pledged to punish U.S. companies involved in the arms deals in response.

Libya’s east-based forces seize Turkish-owned vessel (AP) Forces of a Libyan commander who rules the eastern half of the country and who was behind a year-long military attempt to capture the capital, Tripoli, have seized a Turkish vessel heading to the western town of Misrata. The development by Khalifa Hifter’s forces could escalate tensions in the conflict-stricken Libya, since Turkey is the main foreign backer of Hifter’s rivals, the U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli, in western Libya. Hifter’s forces stopped the Jamaica-flagged cargo vessel, Mabrouka, on Monday off the eastern port town of Derna, said Ahmed al-Mosmari, the spokesman for Hifter’s forces. Al-Mosmari said the vessel entered a “no sail” zone and did not respond to calls from the naval forces. It’s the second Turkish-owned vessel seized by Hifter’s forces this year, according to Ambrey Intelligence, a British private maritime intelligence firm. In 2020, Hifter’s forces have seized at least six ships.

[falloutdialogue]

Codsworth Dialogue (Long Post

In the Chinese Submarine

[Doesn't like the idea of helping a Chinese Ghoul] Sir/Mum, I do hope you know what you're doing helping this... captain.

[impressed, but not too happy about it] An impressive bit of machinery... for communist wankers.

Hmph. I suppose the red bastards deserve some credit for the state of this submarine.

Cleaning

I can hardly believe a place like this actually exists. I don't even feel the urge to clean.

Watch your step, sir/mum. So much dirt and debris. I can't imagine how long it'd take to sweep this place out.

[Seeing an office with chairs arranged in a circle] I've the most incredible urge to rearrange those chairs in a more perfect circle.

This room's a sight for sore sensors. I wonder who's been keeping it up all this time.

Can it be? A residence untouched by time?

Hubris Comics

Looking for the next issue of Grognak, sir/mum?

[excited at first. Then a little less impressed - Finding the Silver Shroud sound stage] Why, it's the Silver Shroud sound stage. My, but it's... low budget.

USS Constitution

[USS Constitution] This ship looks quite the mystery. Run aground on a bank and not a scratch on her!

Oh yes. Nothing to see here but a ship stuck in a skyscraper.

Trinity Towers/Height

[At the top] Please tell me we're heading back down.

[At the top] Oh my. Mum, please tell me we're heading back down.

[Looking up at a tall building] Please tell me we aren't going to the top. I can't imagine what the years have done to this building's stability.

[Quarry is drained to reveal it’s very deep] Oh my, that was really quite deep.

[Looking up at a tall building] Please don't tell me we're going all the way up there, sir/mum? I can already feel my acrophobia taking hold.

I do hope this overpass holds out long enough for us to get back down... safely, I should say.

Have I mentioned I'm afraid of heights? Especially ones with ramshackle crumbly bits?

Seeing the Player’s Dead Spouse

Sir/Mum, I'm... I'm so sorry.

[Worried at first... Then realizes it's the body of the player's spouse] Oh dear, is that... sir/mum?

Combat Zone

[Behind the scenes in the combat zone] Quite the theatrical set up back here. I can only imagine the elaborate plays that were performed here.

A cage? How uncivilized.

Gwinnet Brewery

[Disgusted] I'd be very dubious of the quality here. Sanitation looks to be at an all time low.

[Jokingly at first, trails off into a bit of worry at the end] Up for a tour of the ol' brewery, sir/mum? I can't imagine they charge... although I can't vouch for the safety either.

Miscellaneous Nervous/Disgusted/Cautioning

I can't imagine anything friendly is hiding down here.

Quite disturbing down here, is it not?

By Jove!

[Looking at a pool filled with radioactive waste and spewing up small geysers] That's an unfortunate water feature for you.

Sir/Mum, I'm picking up the sounds of a fairly... large creature taking a snooze. Best be on the quiet side.

I'm guessing we won't find a welcome mat here.

What is it about empty tourist attractions that can be so haunting?

Moments like this make me thankful I've no stomach.

Looks like the "mystery meat" mystery has been solved... Just goes to show, some things are better left unanswered.

I say, Vault-Tec really does enjoy crossing the line, don't they? Watching these poor souls like animals in a lab.

[concerned more for himself then the player, near water] Heading in, are we, sir? Just... try not to fall overboard.

Sir/Mum, I'm picking up dangerously high levels of radiation. Best not linger here if you value your health.

[Seeing a raider stronghold at the end of a tunnel] Oh, this is where we turn around, right, sir/mum? 

[Seeing a large crater] Watch your step, sir/mum. Don't want to topple in unexpectedly.

[Inside an old water turbine] Sir/Mum, I do hope you're certain this turbine is no longer functional. The implications if it were to turn on are... not good.

Quite a novel idea, building a ramshackle town on an overpass. Especially if you hate yard work.

[Hearing a voice from a fridge] Sir/Mum, I do believe that fridge requires your attention.

Sir/Mum, no matter what may befall us, I hope suicide is never an answer you seek.

Sarcastic/Joking

Ah, another fine mess of a parking garage. I wonder what awaits us this time. 

If I'm not mistaken, and my database says I'm not, that's a pyramid.

Just another welcoming and friendly neighborhood in the Commonwealth.

Are we going in there, sir/mum? You know how much I love water.

[In a hospital]  Look, sir/mum, no wait. Medical miracles do exist.

[Looking at a settlement built in a nuke crater] Ah yes, the moment I see a nuclear crater, I think, "Home, sweet home."

Ah yes, nothing like cozying up to a barrel of nuclear waste for the night.

This place is just full of charm, isn't it?

[In an old bowling alley] Fancy a game, sir/mum? Something tells me the bumpers are no longer available.

[Seeing a crane you could walk on to reach an above highway] Feel like taking the high road? It appears that crane can get us there.

[In a sniper’s nest after killing the sniper.] With a view like this, it's a wonder we're still alive. Either that or our late friend here shouldn't have quit his day job.

Ah nothing like the warm glow of a fusion reactor, wouldn't you agree, sir/mum?

[Watching raiders and synths fight in a subway] Never a dull moment in the subway stations.

[Finding a lighthouse lit up by glowing ones] That's one way to light up your lighthouse.

At least radio is still alive these days. I wonder if they'll ever manage to revive the telly.

[At the bottom of an irradiated crater filled with feral ghouls] And of course the crater comes with its own welcoming party of Feral Ghouls.

Looks like these Raiders became quite the Feral feast.

[In the storage room of a blood bank] This must be the clinic's storage. Bloody impressive, wouldn't you say, sir/mum.

An ideal spot for some light camping, I'd say. Minus the mirelurks, of course.

[In a hidden room where a bomb was being made] That's one "do it yourself" project I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

Up for a bit of sport, sir/mum? I could give you quite the run for your money.

[Looking up at a giant Mister Handy Statue] Ah General Atomics. Only the topmost quality in consumer robotics.

Ah a secret, underground base! Right out of the ol' spy novel, wouldn't you say, sir/mum?

[At an old car factory] Ah the Corvega. I like to think of it as a distant cousin.

[Encountering Super Mutants wearing sailor hats.] Who'd have thought Super Mutants fancied a bit of dress up.

Robot Racing

Ah the nerve center of this charade. Sir/Mum, I beg you to shut this place down.

I say! General Atomics' finest, reprogrammed as simple... race horses for bloody Raiders? Appalling!

[sandyabouthealthandbeauty]

The Best Making Money from Home in 2020 Ideas

One month down in 2020, 11 more to go. A lot of things can happen ahead and what could be more productive than creating another income source.

There are tons of ways you can earn but there are ways that are proven to make more money than others.

This article will discuss the current best ways of making money from home.

Perks of Making Money from Home

Many people would agree that quitting the 9-5 job is a great choice to make if there are other viable options to earn.

Others want to create their own business so that they can be their own boss. It gives more freedom to explore and travel anywhere you want.

More importantly, you can spend more time with your loved ones, eliminating the dull hours of commute and spending it in more essential events.

No matter the reason, you do not need to be an expert at anything immediately so that you can opt to make money from home.

In most cases, it would require a little startup, you will most likely need just a computer, an internet access and enthusiasm to explore and learn new ways.

You can even earn from doing what you are already good at that a 9-5 job don’t give you the freedom to do.

Whatever the case, to earn substantial income from home discipline is needed. A routine and schedule must be established. In the beginning you will need to set aside a portion of your day to work on its foundations.

The good thing is, you hold your time, and you can choose which time of the day you want to earn money.

Below are the best ideas you can do to make money this year.

Online Teaching

Online teaching is one of the most thriving ways to make money from home in recent years.

The essential equipment needed for this is a computer, an internet access, a webcam and microphone and some visual aids. Most students taught are young ones so visual aids are needed to keep their attention.

Generally the income range for online teaching is from $25,000-$100,000. That would depend on the complexity of the lesson and the number of teaching hours.

You can teach online in two ways. One is by becoming a tutor for a company and another is by creating your own course.

Just a quick search with Google and you can various companies that hire online teachers, one of them is 52Talk.

Mostly they will require you to sign up, do a sample teaching video, take a test and undergo an interview.

You can also opt to create your own course. If you have a subject you know most about then you can make an online course so that you can share knowledge and get paid for it.

An online course is one great resource of passive income. One Facebook advertising expert put together a course for newbies. In just a few weeks, he was able to make around $100,000 for his course made.

Flipping

Flipping is a business where you buy items for a cheap price and then sell them for more.

The essential equipment needed for this is a computer or even a smartphone will do and some storage space.

Flipping lets you make money of around $40,000-$100,000 depending on the items you will find and how you maximize your selling platforms.

With this you can make money from almost anything. You just have to have a knack for online shopping, to look for great bargains.

You just have to make a short, compelling ad for the item and be able to resell it. You can sell clothes, antiques, furniture, appliances, artworks or even toys.

A couple who started flipping was able to make $42,000 within a year working less than 15 hours per week.

They were able to buy an old radio of $15 and sell it for $200, a door handle of $8 and sell it for $200 and a patio set for $50 and sell it for $2,100.

Drop shipping

Drop shipping lets you sell a product without even letting you hold the item and without needing to invest a large amount of inventory.

What you do is work with a supplier who will be responsible for shipping the items from the warehouse to the customer.

You will only need to pay for a drop shipping fee when an item sells, and payment is received from the customer. This means starting a business with very little investment.

You can make money with this by selling a product to the public at a higher price from that of the drop shipping company.

With this you can earn from $20,000 to $100,000 per year.

The good thing about a drop shipping business is that it is easy to get started. It requires low setup and overhead cost. It offers a wide variety of products and it is simple to scale.

However, with this is the need to be mindful in choosing the appropriate products and also in choosing a niche that is not over saturated.

Over saturated niches mean low margins and an extra effort is needed to stand out in the market.

Drop shipping is good in flexibility. You can easily earn from home if you plan the business right and do research well. Drop shipping can be a very profitable business.

You can get started with drop shipping through platforms like WooCommerce, and Shopify and find a supplier like AliExpress.

Freelance Writing

If you have a knack for making creative and compelling articles, freelance writing might do well for you.

You will only need a computer, an internet access and a talent to express in words.

With this you can earn from $50,000 to as much as $85,000 depending on client rates, the volume of articles and the time frame to make an output.

Being a freelance writer lets you make money from home or anywhere else as long as you have your essentials with you.

There are tons of industries where a freelance writer can find projects. From online magazines, to websites up to companies who need content, blog posts, press releases and newsletters.

More experience means more money. You can even make your own blog to act as a portfolio for potential clients.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based business. Basically, this business means promoting another’s merchant’s products and getting a portion of the sale.

Like drop shipping, affiliate marketing requires low investment. You will only need a computer, an internet access and enthusiasm to learn how the business goes about.

The good thing is, you do not need to be an expert in marketing to start this business. You can learn the business dynamics along the way.

Affiliate marketing platforms are available that offer training from scratch. They teach you the very basics to the complex elements of the business.

There is a wide range of products to choose from.

You basically start by assessing what you are interested in and select a niche based on that. Then you sign up for affiliate marketing programs that offer products in the chosen niche.

After signing up for an affiliate program which is usually for free, you can start learning from the training. Advance training is available for a price.

The best thing with affiliate programs is that they help in establishing a website where you promote your products.

This website must be filled with compelling content to attract high traffic and for the ads to get noticed.

Other marketers opt to use YouTube and create content there. Others maximize social media platforms to promote products.

When a visitor clicks on the promotion and purchases an item, the affiliate marketer earns a commission.

Affiliate marketing programs also have a community of like-minded people who are available to help with any concerns. Aside from that, is the availability of professional technical support provided by the programs.

More to that, product services are not in your area of responsibility, but of the merchant which means less work for you.

The good thing about affiliate marketing is the low overhead cost, no need to produce your own physical products and the flexibility to work anytime and anywhere.

If you have a day job and not ready to let it go yet, affiliate marketing is great as a supplemental income which you could scale along the way until it able to sustain as a primary source of income.

To be a successful marketer, you have to know your partners and build trust, have a brand but also use a variety of ads, know the needed legal requirements, and monitor traffic and earnings.

Conclusion

You can always choose which of the choices above suits you, whatever floats your boat as it were. However, I would recommend affiliate marketing, it lets you earn even while you are asleep. The revenue keeps coming in as long as you’ve established compelling content that drives leads to sales.

Added to that, the range of products to choose from is very large. Affiliate marketing is a thriving industry, if one program doesn’t work; you always have other programs as options.

If a niche isn’t profitable, you can always change niches.

It may require some effort to establish the business, but once the foundation is laid out, things will get easier.

You get to earn from home and be able to spend your time more wisely than you could if you were in a 9-5 job.

Visit bestofmakemoneyonline.com for more ideas about making money online.

[buckygirl-fanfiction]

Sparks Chapter 16

Pairing: Bucky(POV) X Reader(POV) ft. other characters from the avengers team

Word Count: 5.1K

Summary: Bucky helps y/n put together her new dresser. y/n begins to experience the stress of the job. Bucky finally begins to move on from his feelings for y/n.

A/N: This is a story about two people building a great friendship and then slowly falling in love. y/n is a strong, independent, and smart scientist. She meets Bucky when she wakes him up from cryo sleep and they become friends. This is going to have all the angst / best friends falling in love / fluff / drama / & eventual smut ;) that I can possibly fit in it. This fic is going to be looong! So far my document is like 50,000 words. So editing is hard If you catch any grammatical or formatting errors let me know.

January 13, 2016

y/n’s POV

I was drowning into the dark abyss of what could only be an ocean. Around me the water was a deep hue of green almost black, if my lungs hadn’t been burning with the salt water that was filling them, I would think it beautiful. I felt the seaweed intertwine with my legs and crawl up my thighs tightening its grip on me and pulling me further down into the void. I wasn’t fighting it, I don’t know why, I just let myself be pulled down into the pit of the sea. I wasn’t afraid, maybe that’s why I didn’t try to swim up towards air. Fear keeps you alive and I am not afraid. 

I woke up to something soft brushing against my face and opened one eye. It was Igor, my neighbors cat, rubbing his cheek against mine. I’d just returned him today morning but somehow he always manages to sneak in back where he doesn’t belong. I free my hands from the confines of my covers and gently stroke his adorable little face. The room is dark except for the faint light radiating from my window, a combination of streetlights and moonlight. Other than that the only light in my room is the white cat’s fluffy face. I yawn and look at the clock and see 3:46am flash back at me in red numerals. Tomorrow is Wednesday, well today now, and I have to be up for work in a couple hours. I grab my phone off of the nightstand and contemplate texting Bucky to cancel our usual morning run. I haven’t been sleeping well lately and I could use the extra hour before I had to be up again. I yawn again and shoot him a quick text message saying, ‘can’t run today, too sleepy.’ I place my phone back on the night stand after setting my alarm for an hour later. I try to close my eyes again and drift off to sleep, but everytime I try I’m confronted by that dream once again. I’ve been having it for the last two weeks and now it’s gotten to a point of constantly haunting my nights. I open my eyes again when my phone dings and lean over to look at the screen. It’s a text from Bucky that reads, ‘No problem. Why are you up so early? Having trouble sleeping?’ I reach over to answer it and rethink my reply. I don’t need people worrying about me. Plus it’s probably nothing. I might just be having an off week… or two…

I toss my covers to the side and walk over to my dresser and pull open the bottom draw and pull out a bottle of sleeping pills.  I’ve slowly started to become dependant on these for the last couple days. I look over at the clock again and it reads 4:15. I sight and put the bottle back into the draw. Too late now, I have to be up in a couple hours anyways, might as week get up now. I push the draw shut and halfway in something blocks its path. I try again, this time pushing a little harder, and i’m met with a loud noise and a now half open jammed draw.

“UGH!” I moan in frustration.

I spend the next 20 minutes trying to unjam my draw until I finally give up and resort to lying down on the floor looking up at the ceiling. My fucking dresser is falling apart just like my ability to sleep. I walk over to the living room and turn on my computer. This is what it’s come to then, online furniture shopping at 4 in the morning, huh.

6am

I’m walking through the park towards the tower still yawning every 5 minutes when I spot a familiar figure running towards me. I stop and wait for him. It’s cold out, the weather’s finally beginning to drop into the low 20s. It still hasn’t snowed, well not majorly, maybe a couple flurries to dust the tops of trees and form a thin white film on the pavement.City winters don’t usually get bad until around february and i’m dreading it. Bucky jogs towards me wearing a pair of black sweats and a warm looking wool cap.

“Hey,” he says, his forehead scrunching in concern. “Thought you were going to sleep in?” 

“Oh, I was, but then I felt too energized so decided to come in early,” I say and another involuntary yawn escapes my mouth.

He raises his eyebrows and says, “energized?”

“Well, you know what I mean…” I reply shrugging my shoulders.

“You okay?” he asks, “If you’re having trouble sleeping i’m the best person to consult,” he says with a smile on his scruffy face. He hasn’t shaved in a couple days and the look adds a couple years to his face, in a good way.

“Oh, i’m not. Just have a ton of stuff to get done at the lab and thought I might as well… you know. Anyways why are you out running so early?” I ask in attempts to change the subject.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he replies. “I’ll walk with you,” he gestures and we begin walking back towards the tower. “So, i’m thinking we should start sparring indoors in the mornings, it’s getting a bit icy out here for running.”

“That sounds good. I’m down for learning a couple things from your expertise,” I say yawning again.

“Wow, my expertise! You must really be sleep deprived if you’re complimenting me,” he says laughing. 

“I’m fine,” I say rolling my eyes. “Hey, so I broke my dresser this morning you wanna go to ikea with me this weekend to get a new one?” I ask once again attempting to move the topic of conversation away from my sleep deprivation.

“Yeah sure,” he says. “I like building things.”

Januaray 15, 2016

Bucky’s POV

It’s Friday night and i’m stuck in a car with Sam parked across a sketchy street of warehouses and long abandoned buildings. Were in a old dusty car so as to blend in with our equally dusty and decayed surroundings. We’ve been here for over an hour now waiting and watching for signs of movement but everything seems oddly calm. Tony intercepted a outgoing communication from the warehouse in New Jersey to a cell tower in this area and needed people to scope out the place. Since the mole hunt is still ongoing only the main team along with a small group of trusted agents are kept in the loop. Hence, there is a shortage of personnel and Sam and I were the only ones available. Steakouts are boring, yet I find them oddly relaxing. Although the stillness does have me on edge. 

“Hey man, me and a couple guys are gonna watch the game tomorrow at the Founding Fathers then hang out wanna join us?” Sam says to me breaking the silence.

“I can’t i’m helping y/n put together her new dresser.”

“You’re what?” Sam asks and even in the dark car I can see his mocking expression. 

“She broke her dresser, I helping her out,” I reply coolly.

“First she’s got you going to baby showers, now you’re building her furniture?” Sam says with a chuckle in his voice, “How badly are you trying to get in her pants man?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Why does everyone think something is going on. Can’t two people just be friends these days…

“No man in his right mind builds furniture for a girl unless she is at the very least his girlfriend. It’s either that or said man is trying to get into her pants.”

“What, men and women can’t be friends?” I retort to his insinuation that i’m simply trying to get into y/n’s quote unquote pants.

“No men and women can be friends but…” I cut him off before he can finish his sentence.

“Then i’m just doing a nice thing for my friend.” Did I have feelings for y/n. Yes, just maybe I harbored just the faintest amount of romantic emotion towards her. But, that all ended when I realized that they were just superficial misplaced emotions all from my side. I didn’t know her enough, she didn’t seem to return them in any way, shape, or form except in friendship and why would I want to ruin a perfectly good friendship by romanticizing it? Of course I didn’t admit any of this to Sam. He and I share what one might call a weirdly passive aggressive relationship and I don’t trust him enough to admit these deep truths, I didn’t even trust Steve enough. Maybe I just didn’t want to admit them to myself…

“Alright, alright…” Sam says raising up his hands in defeat. “If you change your mind you know where we’ll be.” He says still extending the offer. Maybe he’s right. If i’m going to completely move on from these feelings I have for y/n then I’m going to have to stop spending so much time with her.

We spend the rest of the night in relative silence. Although Sam is surprisingly talkative.

January 16, 2016

y/n’s POV

I’m sinking again in the dark emerald green sea miles beneath the surface of the water. My black hair floats above and around me like the very seaweed that’s wrapped around my legs pulling me down. The water is ice cold on my skin but I don’t mind it, the deeper I sink the less I feel it. 

I wake up uncomfortably cold and open my eyes. Crap I forgot to close the window. I walk across my room in a pair of white fluffy socks that are not helping at all towards the open window and push it shut. I pick up the pair of sweatpants lying on the floor and pull them on. The clock reads 2:13am in bright red. A couple sleeping pills wouldn’t hurt. Jeeze I haven’t been this dependant on sleeping pills since high school when my mom died. I sigh and pop two in my mouth and swallow. Walking towards the kitchen I chuck the rest of the bottle out into the bin and climb back into my cozy bed. It’s saturday and I don’t have to meet Bucky until 11am which means I can sleep in. My mind continues to race for about 30 minutes until the drowsiness finally kicks in and i’m back in the ocean again.

I wake up to a loud knocking on my door. I quickly sit up and my eyes shoot open in alarm. The sun is at its highest in the sky and it’s blazing at me through the window it’s blinding and I immediately shut my eyes again. I moan in annoyance as the knocking continues and squint my eyes trying to read my bedside clock, it flashes 12:46pm. Then I suddenly remember. Crap I was supposed to meet Bucky at 11. I grab the pair of glasses on my nightstand and put them on and run to get the door. It’s probably him, I can’t believe I overslept. I must’ve unknowingly snoozed my alarm or turned it off. I unlock my door and pull it open to see Bucky standing outside in his leather jacket and a baseball cap.

“Someone overslept,” he says with a smirk on his face.

I groan and let him in. He closes the door behind him and makes his way over to the living room.

“Are you hungover? You look hung over…” He says eyeing me curiously.

“No I had like one glass of wine last night before bed and just forgot to set my alarm. Give me a second i’m just going to change and then we can go,” I say making my way back into my bedroom.

“Take your time,” he says. “You might want to run a comb through your hair,” he says with a chuckle.

“Shut up.”

He was right though. I was sporting a serious case of bed head. Combing my hair is a 10 minute job at the least especially when it’s like this. This is what you get for not getting a haircut in 4 years…

Bucky’s POV

 I scroll through my phone looking over some recent mission reports and updates while I wait for y/n to get ready. She looks tired, like she’s been looking for the past week. I’ve seen her drained before, usually when she’s overworked, but she always bounces back in a couple days. This spell of stress seems to be affecting her for longer than usual. I get up from the couch and make my over to her kitchen looking for a bottle of water. I open her fridge and spot the usual old containers of takeout and a box of cold pizza and sigh. I pull out a water bottle from the bottom of the fridge and close it behind me. I spot the empty wine bottle and lipstick stained glass still on her kitchen island. I pick up the bottle and walk over to the recycling bin to toss it out. Before I drop it into the bin I spot a bottle of pills inside along with bottles of water and other plastic containers. Curiosity getting the best of me I lean over and pick up the small bottle. It reads, ‘Maximum Strength Nighttime Sleep Aid.”

y/n’s POV

After I’ve tamed the birds nest on my head effectively smoothing it down to my usual long smooth waves I make my way to the living room to find Bucky. When I notice he’s no longer on his spot on my sofa I walk towards the kitchen. I find him standing behind the kitchen island with my empty bottle of wine in one hand and a bottle of my sleeping pills in the other. He notices my presence and looks up from the bottle in his hand and I instinctively roll my eyes at him.

 “What are you snooping on me now?” I ask walking over to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water and put it in my tote bag.

“I’m not a doctor but i’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to take these with alcohol,” he says regarding me with a look of almost concern on his face.

“Well I am and I took them hours apart so it’s fine…” When he continues to give me that annoying look that I know won’t go away unless I give him an explanation I continue, “like I said I had one glass of wine before bed at like 10. Then, I woke up at like 2am over energized from all the work i’ve been trying to get done for Tony so I popped a single sleeping pill and went to bed…” I walk over to him taking the wine and pill bottle from his hand and tossing it back in the bin.

“I didn’t know you were having so much trouble sleeping you could have told…” I cut him off before he gets himself way too worked up.

“Bucky I’m fine.” I look him straight in the eye and say, “It’s been a stressful week. Cho and I are stuck doing work meant to be done by an entire lab of people because of this fucking mole hunt. Then to add ontop of that we’re on a time crunch because there’s some psycho bomber on the loose. Not to mention we have to keep up with our usual projects so the rest of the lab doesn’t notice anything off. And while doing all of that we have to oversee management because we’re seniors now and somehow we make it to every board meeting and try to fit in a good 8 hours of sleep everyday. We are both strung out and tired. So don’t judge me for trying to get, at the very least, some sleep out of my saturday. Did I mention it’s my only day off now since I work on Sundays!” Bucky’s face seems now more concerned but less worried at the same time, maybe he is satisfied with my excuse. “You know what this is like Bucky,” I say trying to successfully divert his attention away from me, “This mole hunt is taking a toll on everyone. I threw the pills out, I got my sleep, i’m fine now.”

“I just want to make sure you’re alright.” He says with a look of true concern on his face.

I almost feel a twinge of guilt lying to him, but I don’t need the bother, so I push down the feeling and say, “If i’m ever not alright i’ll call you and we can be sleepless together, okay?”

“Deal,” he says the smile returning to his face. Boy, that was easy.

“Let’s go.” I say glad that, that was over.

 We drive over to the nearest Ikea which is a fair hours drive away and pick up my new dresser. It’s shiny and black. I don’t know why I chose black, I usually strictly coordinate all my furniture so that its white. White was my mother’s favorite color and she had the habit of purchasing all household decor in white. I remember once, when I was a child, painting a garden flamingo white because they only came in pink. Those were the simple times. I remember my dad laughing at her and miniature me covered in paint as we painted that metal bird white. Well, those were the pre-abandonment days when my mom was still healthy and the cancer hadn’t claimed her. When my dad still loved me and… Snap out of it y/n since when do you reminisce about your parents. Gosh the stress of the job is really getting to me.

“Next exit,” Bucky says from beside me.

“Hmm?” I say absentmindedly still driving down the highway. Its surprisingly traffic free for a saturday afternoon.

“You have to take the next exit,” he repeats and at the corner of my eye I see him watching me.

“Oh sorry,” I say putting the blinker on. We took his pickup since his truck has more space than my sudane. He drove going so I only thought it fair to drive back. I glide onto the next lane and past the cars to take the coming exit.

“You seem distracted,” he notes. 

“Yeah, I am. It just keeps bothering me how after such intense investigating Cho and I still can’t find a single thread of evidence connecting to hydra.” I say. 

“You will the right break will come along and we will be there when it does,” he says with assurance in his voice. Almost as if he is certain that things will turn out fine. I wish I could feel that sense of certainty but lately, ever since that intern blew up right in front of me, I haven’t been feeling much of anything. Whatever, I’ll be fine soon enough. This is just the stress getting to me.

 …

“I don’t know why you chose black,” Bucky says as he kneels in my bedroom unpacking the box. “Everything else in here is white.”

“Thought a change was in order,” I said walking over towards him. 

“Hey,” he swats my hand away when I reach for the directions.

“What you don’t think I can put together my own dresser. I have a degree in engineering you know that right! I built your fucking arm for god sakes.” I don’t need a man to tell me I can’t build my own furniture.

“One, you asked me to help you. Two, I like to build solo.” He says simply as he arranges all the pieces in neat organized piles.

Bucky’s POV

“At least let me help,” she whines at me kneeling beside me watching as I organize the pieces. I don’t know why i’m being such a control freak. What I said about liking to build solo, isn’t even true. I just don’t want to put her to work I guess, with all the stress she already has piled on her. It’s stupid I know. From the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of her iconic eye roll. She shifts on her knees to sit cross legged besides me watching me work. “So what are you doing tonight?” She asks, “we could watch some Walking Dead and eat cold pizza.”

As much as i’d like to do that and as much as that stupid show is growing on me I say, “I can’t i’m meeting some of the guys at the Founding Fathers.”

“Ooo the guys,” she says before getting up to walk somewhere behind me.

“Where are you going?” I say absentmindedly while screwing together pieces of what is to be a drawer.

“To get my phone, if you’re ditching me I might as well make some other plans.”

“Anything interesting?”

“Ehhh, Dean wanted to hang out today maybe he’s still free,” she says from behind me. As much as I hate to admit it I felt a twinge of something inside me, like a sting.

y/n’s POV

“Maybe some good sex will relieve the stress,” I say as I open my messages app shooting him a quick text. Maybe he can fuck the stress out of me. Or I mean, at the very least, I’ll get some feeling out of an orgasm or two. I hear Bucky chuckle from in front of me and I look up from my phone.

“Finally decided to fuck him I see,” he says from his spot on the floor, his back still to me.

“Oooo Bucky said a bad word,” I tease.

My phone dings with a new message and I look back down at the screen. It reads: ‘Yeah i’m free I can come over around 7’ I shoot back a ‘Sounds great.’

“So is he free?” Bucky asks curiously. For a second I almost hear something else in his tone, but I overlook it.

 “Yep, so you gotta skedaddle by 6:30.” I look over at the clock and it reads 4:43pm.

“I feel so used,” he says jokingly, “you make me come over, build your furniture, and you don’t even feed me.”

I stand up walking over to him and lean down to put my hands on his shoulders shaking him playfully. “Don’t worry i’ll feed you before I kick you out,” I say, “I’ll even order us a whole new pizza and make Dean eat the cold one from yesterday in the fridge.” He laughs again this time I feel his shoulders shake as he chuckles. I get back up and walk over to my bed to pick up my phone and dial the pizza place.

…

Bucky’s POV

It’s around 7:30 when I get to the Founding Fathers. I left y/n exactly at 6:30 when she kicked me out to go shower. A very small, miniscule part of me regrets turning down her offer of binge watching tv and eating cold pizza. But, a bigger part of me knows it’s for the best. However, I can’t shake that feeling from before that twinge, that sting. I walk into the Found Fathers and spot a group of guys along with Steve and Sam sitting around one of the bars. I walk over to the group and introduce myself to the men I don’t know, probably also field agents.

“Hey, man you came,” Sam says a smile on his face.

“Yeah, look at me being all social,” I reply my tone laced with sarcasm.

“Bucky?” I hear a familiar voice coming from behind me. When I turn around i’m met with the pleasant face of Bahni.

“Bahni, what are you doing here?” I say surprised.

“Oh, me and a couple girls from the office are just hanging out,” she says with a smile on her face. I’ve got to admit she looks pretty. She’s wearing a flowy white button down shirt and a pair of black jeans.

“Girls?” Sam interjects our conversation and says, “why don’t you guys join us?”

“Yeah, sure i’ll get them,” she says laughing before turning to walk over to her table.

“Man is that hot Bahni from legal?” Asks one of the field agents whose name i’d forgotten.

“Yeah,” Sam replies for me, “Bucky here is dating her.”

“We’ve been on a couple dates,” I say correcting him.

“Man your lucky,” he says, “She barely goes out with anybody from the office. She’s a real catch smart and hot.”

“You hear that Bucky,” Sam pats me on the back.

“Alright, guys let’s stop ogling,” Steve says trying to change the topic.

Bahni walks back over with a group of her friends, three other girls, and introduces them. The rest of the night goes by pleasantly. I have to admit though, I’ve never really seen Bahni until now. I’ve always thought of her as ‘body shots bahni’ who only likes to go out and party. This is really the first time i’m sitting down and talking to her. And she’s smart, and funny, and lively, and free and I like it.

y/n’s POV

Dean comes around at 7:10pm apologizing for being late. I laugh, look at him apologizing for being 10 minutes late, it’s adorable. I’m showered and shaved and ready to jump his bones. I’m not wearing anything special just a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top. He on the other hand is wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white dress shirt with the collar open.

“I think I have some cold pizza from yesterday if you’re hungry,” I say sitting cross legged on the sofa next to him.

“We can go out and grab dinner if you want. I know a guy at Gino’s and he can get us a reservation, it’s not too late.” he says. I’ve heard some pretty great things about Gino’s, apparently their waiting list for reservations is like 3 months long. But I wasn’t in the mood to go out, that required energy and I was just way too tired mentally to fake my way through a date tonight.

“Actually, I was just hoping we could stay in and watch some netflix,” I say hoping he’d get the hint already. But seems like Dean has a gentlemanly side as well…

“Then cold pizza and netflix sounds great,” he says smiling. The next hour and a half we spend actually watching a movie and cuddling, I almost want to roll my eyes. When he picks another cheesy horror flick and plays it I realize i’m going to have to be the one to make the first move. I put down my glass of wine and bring my face near his and lightly kiss him on the lips. He eyes me curiously and proceeds to weave his hand through my hair and pull my face to his. He was a pleasant kisser, gentle and sweet. But I didn’t have time for that and I pushed him back on the sofa moving to straddle him and set a faster pace clashing my lips onto his and clawing at the top buttons of his shirt.

…

“Whoa,” Dean says in between breaths, “that was amazing.”

“Haha yeah,” I say sitting up to put my shirt and shorts back on. He’s still lazily laying next to me on the couch, his pants still at his knees and his shirt wide open. Before he can say anything else I say, “Hey I have to go into the office at like 6 tomorrow and I haven’t been sleeping well lately so i’m going to turn in. Do you mind?”

“Oh, umm, no not at all,” he says taken aback a little. He pulls up his pants and buttons his shirt. “I was just hoping we could spend more time together.”

“Yeah me too,” I say putting on my best disappointed look, “but ever since this promotion i’m being worked like crazy.” I get up waiting for him to stand.

“Right you’re a big senior now! How’s that going?” he asks.

I keep my reply short to discourage further conversation and say, “stressful.”

I walk him towards the door and before he steps out he says, “call me, maybe we can grab lunch Monday?”

“Yeah totally,” I say smiling as I shut the door behind him.

My smile fades away as soon as I slide the lock closed. I walk over to my sofa and plopped myself down grabbing my glass from the coffee table. I gulped down that liquid that stains my lips the loveliest shade of red. I put my feet up and leaned back. God that was much needed. Dean was a better fuck than i’d expected. I tilted my head back cracking my neck then finished off the glass of wine. I sighed. But Dean was short lived. The indifference and disinterest and listlessness of the past 2 weeks was slowly returning again and if i’m being honest it’s not just from work stress. But I can’t seem to figure out what’s bothering me. If i’m being completely honest I feel passive. Like instead of living life I was simply floating by in the midst of all this drama and destruction like there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I haven’t felt this passive and out of control since my father left… I push the thought out of my head I can’t waste time lingering on the past. I’ve got much bigger problems on my plate right now, we all do. For a second I feel the fear return to me. The fear that I won’t be able to disable the next bomb, that people innocent people will die, that my friends will get hurt. I know its coming, its been too quiet for too long. They’re planning something, I feel something horrible coming. But I push it out of my mind. I can’t be afraid, I can’t let myself feel afraid. I have to be strong. I sigh and look at the clock it reads 9:37pm. I count on my fingers, If I fall asleep now i’ll get 8 hours of sleep. Hey that’s pretty good. But I feel to worried to sleep. I contemplate calling Bucky, but I opt not to. I’m strong I don’t need a babysitter. Plus he’s probably out having fun, I don’t want to bother him. He deserves to lay back and relax once in awhile. I walk over to the kitchen and fish out my bottle of sleeping pills from the recycling bin and rinse it off. This time I pop a single pill in my mouth and swallow. I place the bottle on the island and walk back to my bedroom.

A/N: I’m back bitches! Shoutout to @deanmonslittleangel for being the real MVP and an awesome soundboard for me to bounce ideas off of for the next couple chapters, they’re going to be amazing.

[eugenemjacobs-blog]

Moving to Denver - 10 Pros and Cons You Should Know

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates sat atop Pikes Peak and wrote “America the Beautiful,” one of the most well-known patriotic songs of our time. Just about 100 miles away from that summit at the base of the Rocky Mountains sits Denver, Colorado. With its blue skies and panoramic mountain views, Denver, a.k.a. the Mile High City is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, its beauty has inspired countless other authors, musicians and pop culture icons.

Maybe this natural beauty is why moving to Denver is so appealing. Or, maybe it's the 300-days of sun a year, easy access to the mountains and inherent outdoor playground. Either way, Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, with almost 100,000 people moving there in the past seven years. Now, with a population of over three million, the city is scrambling to develop the infrastructure, transit and housing needed to keep pace with the demand.

Would you move to Denver? The area boasts a strong economy and a shiny, new façade that will take your breath away, both literally and figuratively. But some argue that it's overcrowded and expensive. We're exploring some other reasons why you might want to stay or stay away. These living in Denver pros and cons should help you decide if Denver is, in fact, the right choice for you. Have some advice you'd like to share with potential residents? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Denver is young, hip and desirable.

A millennial haven, 66% of the population in Denver are under the age of 44. Denver is also not a very culturally diverse city. 76.9% of the population is Caucasian, with gentrification being a major hot-button issue. This has greatly impacted the demand for rental housing, which makes homeownership less obtainable.

Denver is among the likes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle when it comes to home price appreciation outpacing income growth and affordability. Apartments rent for an average of $1,519 a month, with median home prices jumping 10% to $420,000 in 2018.

If you can stomach the prices, one major pro of living in Denver is the views. No matter which neighborhood you choose, the metro is surrounded by 140 miles of panoramic mountain views, totaling 200 visible peaks.

That said, the very first step to becoming a Denverite is picking a neighborhood. Living in Denver is an experience, and because so many people want to do it, picking a community can get competitive and pricey (more on that later). Decide whether any of the following areas suit you, then figure out if you can afford it.

Top Neighborhoods in Denver

Fast-paced living with a relaxed vibe is possible in any of the following city neighborhoods. However, each area offers a little something different, which make picking the right one that much more important. Here are a few of the best places to live in Denver.

The Highlands – Widely accepted as one of the most desirable places to live, the Highlands, and LoHi (Lower Highlands) specifically, is teeming with innovative restaurant concepts, hip rooftops, patios and boutique shops.

Average apartment rental: $2,023

RiNo (River North) – If you don't want to be a LoDo (Lower Downtown) Ballpark Bro, RiNo is downtown Denver's hipster neighbor. Full of trendy warehouse conversions, street art and an explosion of bars and restaurants, it's the current place to see and be seen.

Average apartment rental: $1,727

Capitol Hill – A bit rougher around the edges, Cap Hill is generally regarded to be the most affordable and convenient neighborhood in city proper. Home to the Capital building, it's major thoroughfare of Colfax Avenue is the longest street in America.

Average apartment rental: $1,519

We spoke with seasoned broker and real estate agent, Irene Glazer of Live Urban Real Estate for some insight. “Preference on which neighborhood to choose can vary widely based on taste and budget,” Glazer explains. “Do you like urban, suburban, hip, up-and-coming, walkable, trendy, affordable, accessible to mountains/downtown, parks? Denver has a wonderful array that will fit most any lifestyle.”

Glazer gave us a sampling of a few more under-the-radar Denver neighborhoods that have their own unique charm and character.

Harvey Park - This neighborhood is located in Southwest Denver and is bounded by South Sheridan, Hampden, Lowell, and Jewell. Built in the 1950's, it's known for its selection of some of Denver's best and most affordable, mid-century modern architecture. Cliff May-style California Contemporary homes fill the neighborhoods' quiet, suburban-like streets.

Average home prices: in the low $400,000s.

Platt Park -  This area is located in Southeast Denver and is bounded by Downing, Broadway, Evans and I-25, Platt Park is seeing many of its older homes remodeled for 21st century living as well as quite a few new builds and pop-tops. The neighborhood is lovely, charming and walkable with one of the best/quaintest shopping districts, South Pearl Street. Don't miss the summertime Farmer's Market because it's arguably the best in the city.

Average home prices: around $500,000.

Sunnyside - Located in Northwest Denver, Sunnyside is bounded by I70, 38th, Federal and I25. It's an up-and-coming neighborhood near trendy Tennyson and is already pretty well discovered, yet still in transition. It's easy to take a bike ride or a walk downtown, and there is easy access to get out of town. This area has a wonderful mix of old architecture as well as new (mostly attached) homes. Trendy coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and home goods stores are starting to pop up everywhere.

Average home prices: in the $500,000s.

Denver Suburbs to Consider:

Denver is a good place to raise a family if you have the right resources, like a stable job and a steady income. Bringing some kids along for the move? Check out some of these top rated Denver suburbs.

Stapleton – Stapleton is a new neighborhood that popped up a few years ago built on the old airport base. Its proximity to the city and relative affordability of new builds makes it a popular option for young families.

Arvada - Olde Town Arvada has one of the cutest “Main streets” of any suburb. Its popularity has also caught on the past few years, driving up home prices.

Englewood - This is a suburb with a lot of variety. Englewood has small, affordable homes with character located near the fun and funk of South Broadway, suburban “tract” style homes near the Denver Tech Center and sprawling mansions in Cherry Hills Village.

Wheat Ridge - Close enough to the city yet a world away, Wheat Ridge is a natural expansion from NW Denver. There's tons of new development happening on 38th Ave., with breweries and restaurants clamoring to get in on the action.

2. Denver is becoming a major city.

There are so many opinions out there as to whether or not living in Denver is affordable. Some stats say yes it's affordable (compared to metros like New York City), but rapidly increasing rental prices and fast selling homes say otherwise. While living in Denver is much more affordable than living in places like Los Angeles, it's still pricey. For instance, the median home cost in Denver is $421,900, which just about doubles the national average of $216,200.

Before moving to Denver, make sure you're able to spend within your means, which means allotting no more than 30% of your salary to housing costs. If you're looking to buy or rent before relocating, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Finding a place is highly competitive so most people use a rental agent. If you opt to rent, make sure you know your rights as a Colorado tenant.

Denver Housing Market Stats

Irene Glazer also helped us understand just how the housing market has changed over the past few years. Here are some highlights:

The Denver housing market has been appreciating at a double-digit clip since we started our climb out of the recession in about 2013. This past year we saw a bit slower appreciation of about 8%.

Our average sold price in metro Denver finished out at approximately $475K in 2017, and the prediction is that we will be around $500K by the end of 2018.

Inventory is still the biggest buzzword, and we are still extremely short on it, without a reprieve in sight.

We are about to enter the “Market Compression” phase in our annual real estate cycle where demand picks up before homes are listed, creating our early spring frenzy. This creates additional challenges as inventory levels typically continue to fall through January. If demand picks up, multiple offers, bidding wars and heightened flash sales could accelerate pricing earlier than expected in 2018.

Not sure whether you should rent or buy? According to Glazer, weighing expected appreciation, even at modest rates of 6% (Denver's historical average), against impending rent increases, it is still more advantageous to own vs. rent in the Denver market.

3. The cost of living in Denver won't break the bank, yet.

The biggest hurdle new residents face when moving to Denver is housing costs. Other than that, most cost of living expenses is more or less comparative to other cities.

Cost of Living Factors:

Taxes - Property taxes are relatively low, sales tax is high, and income tax falls right in the middle at 4.63%.

Health Care - Costs about 17% more than the national average.

Groceries - You'll pay about 4% less than the national average.

4. Denver's economy is booming.

Higher paying jobs are available in Denver because so many top companies want to be based here. However, that means the competition for a quality job is that much more intense. Also, wages in Denver might not be as high as they need to be to afford the cost of living.

The average median income in Denver is $57,773, which is about 6% less than than the national average. Even if you can afford to live in Denver today, it's important to note that average salary increases aren't keeping pace with rising rents.

This discrepancy between rising housing costs and stagnant salaries could cause an issue a few years in and force a move further outside the city. Make sure you have a job in hand and some additional savings before relocating to this highly desirable area.

Top Denver Industries & Companies:

Tech - The startup scene is exploding with companies like Baker Technologies and more established companies like Google and HomeAdvisor.

Aerospace -Denver is keen on becoming “Aerospace Alley” (their play on Silicon Valley) with major companies like The Boeing Company, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman located here.

Agriculture - Colorado's food and agriculture industry generates more than $5 billion a year, with companies like Love Grown Foods, Leprino Foods and Nutrien leading the charge. Colorado also ranks third in the nation for craft beer sales and production.

Casual Concepts - Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Qboda and Boston Market are all headquartered here.

Marijuana – Cannabis is big business, bringing in more revenue than some small countries.

5. Once you adjust to the altitude, the weather is incredible.

The quality of life in Denver is highly desirable, once you get used to the lack of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not located in the Rocky Mountains. It is a mile or so above sea level, though (5,280 feet, to be exact), and that can take your body some time to adjust. For most people, the pros far outweigh the cons as far as weather is concerned.

What It's Like Living in Denver:

There are an estimated 300 days of sunshine every year. Even though the summers are hot, they lack humidity, which makes them more comfortable.

The sky is bluer and the stars are brighter than other parts of the country due to the high-desert climate and elevation.

Some of the top weekend vacation destinations are located within a few hours of Denver.

The temperature can rise or fall by 40 degrees in a day due to the altitude, so always dress in layers.

Since the air is thinner, there are lower levels of oxygen, which can take a toll on your body if you're not used to it or have an ongoing medical condition.

Tips to Acclimate to the Altitude:

The air is really dry, which can dehydrate your body if you're not drinking enough water. Make sure to drink more water than you normally would, and always have chap-stick handy.

Take it easy upon arrival. If you plan to do any mountain activities, give your body a few days to acclimate.

Make sure to get enough sleep if the altitude makes you feel drowsy.

At higher elevations, the sun is more intense, so always wear sunscreen!

6. Traffic is undesirable in and out of the city.

One difference between Denver and other large cities is the amount of weekend traffic headed out of the city toward the mountains. Ski traffic is something you'll want to account for if you move here since Denver is situated 75 miles or so from dozens of world-renowned ski resorts. Expect heavy traffic on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the winter. It can take anywhere from a 1.5-hour drive to 6+ hour nightmare.

But that isn't the only time you'll run into traffic in Denver. Since the city exploded with growth in the past decade, traffic within the metro can get congested too. Luckily, Denver is geographically small so getting to and from anywhere should take about 20-minutes during non-rush hour periods. Also, if you live and work in the downtown area, biking and the new Lime Scooters are a viable way to commute.

Tips for Getting Around:

Be careful where you park. The sides of the street change to accommodate street sweeping.

Consider getting a car with four-wheel drive or one that can handle more rugged mountain driving and varied weather conditions.

The city added new light rail lines in 2016, including one that goes to the airport. Other light rails connect some suburbs to the city.

Denver is a highly bike-friendly city. It's estimated that between 6-7% of downtown employees commute to work by bike.

You can also rent B-cycle bikes from docks around the city, either by the hour or by day.

7. Denver is a beer destination and is on its way to becoming a food destination.

Craft brew fanatics will love that Denver is home to the second most microbreweries next to Portland. In fact, the area has been coined as the Napa Valley of Beer. But if you're looking to enjoy a pint or two during happy hour, remember to drink some water too. If not, you might feel buzzed sooner than you would in cities closer to sea level. Beer can have more of an effect due to thin air.

We spoke with Editor of Rocky Mountain Food Report, Dionne Roberts, on how the food and drink scene has evolved. “Denver's craft culinary and beverage scene continues to show rapid growth with the influx of diverse and gifted chefs, brewers and distillers,” Roberts explains. “More people want to be a part of the mountain culture and that adds depth to the growing number of options and cultivates a higher sense of quality in the cuisine.”

Roberts also shared with us some recommendations for potential residents to visit while in Denver.

Places to Drink:

First Draft - A place to try dozens of local microbrews all under one roof. At First Draft, you're given a swipe card to pour your own tastings.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales - Specializes in unique, blended and barrel-aged sour beers with industrial airplane-esque decor and meticulous brewing processes.

Epic Brewing Company - Offers a fun, community tasting room with a lineup of dozens of flagship and elevated craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing Company - Relays an approachable rock n' roll edge in their stylistic, aptly-named beers, live music performances and funky brewery atmosphere.

My Brother's Bar – So old it's been operating since before Colorado was officially a state, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg all hung out here.

Death & Co – If you get tired of beer, this NYC outpost has a literal bible of craft cocktails in the swanky Ramble Hotel.

Williams & Graham – Denver is also huge on speakeasies, with Williams & Graham named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. The coolest part? You have to walk through a bookshelf to find it.

Great American Beer Fest - This fall festival has the largest variety of beer served of any public tasting across the country. You'll be hard-pressed to try them all, since there are over 800 breweries and thousands of beers present. Buy your tickets immediately when they go on sale, as they do sell out in minutes.

Places to Eat:

Euclid Hall - Located in the heart of Larimer Square with a focus on elevated pub fare, a great ambiance and thorough attention to providing locally sourced ingredients.

AVANTI Food and Beverage - Denver basically pioneered the food hall concept, and AVANTI was one of the OGs for its killer rooftop. All vendors have short-term leases as a way to test pilot their concepts.

Beatrice & Woodsley - A whimsical, cozy restaurant with a seasonal craft menu on Broadway that boasts a fairy tale interior perfect for date night or intimate gatherings.

Snooze – Brunch is serious business in Denver, and local chain Snooze is always slammed. Expect to wait about an hour for their signature pancake flights.

Linger – A former mortuary turned “eatuary,” Linger serves innovative, international small places. Don't miss the vintage VW bus on the roof and one of the best skyline views of the city.

The Buckhorn Exchange – A National Historic Landmark, the Buckhorn Exchange received the state's first liquor license and pays homage to the state's game meat culture. If you're brave, it's also the place to try Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Tavernetta – The newly revamped Union Station has really become a must-see destination and hotspot. While all the restaurants are good, Tavernetta is elevated Italian worth seeking out.

TAG – Troy Guard is one of Denver's most beloved chefs. His first outpost has unique fusion dishes, like Hamachi with pop rocks.  

Tacos Tequila Whiskey – Ask anyone what Denver's staple cuisine is, and taquerias are definitely part of the narrative (along with green chile).

16th Street Mall - Located in downtown Denver, this one-mile pedestrian section is packed with tons of cafes, brewpubs and restaurants. After a night out, play one of the ten public pianos on display. It's touristy, but a must-see for first-timers.

8. There are plenty of fun things to do in Denver.

Relocating to Denver is a much more enjoyable experience when you know there's a ton you'll want to do once you arrive. Do any of the following interest you enough to start packing up your belongings and heading to Denver?

Professional Sports Teams:

Denver Broncos - One of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970, with a cult following

Colorado Rockies - Coors Field has jokingly been called the best bar in Denver, so even if you're not a baseball fan, the stadium is worth a visit

Colorado Avalanche - NHL team that won eight division title games in a row–the longest streak in the league

Denver Nuggets - NBA team that has yet to reach the championship round in the playoffs, but is fun to watch nonetheless

Attractions and Fun Things to Do:

Top Golf - Spend a leisurely day hitting some golf balls further than you normally would. No, really. Due to the high altitude, golf balls can reportedly go up to 10% farther!

The Stanley Hotel - Horror fanatics should take an hour trek outside of Denver to visit this historic landmark that inspired Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, The Shining. Want a glimpse into the paranormal? Take their Night Spirit Tour and explore some creepy spaces.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Chances are, if you want to see one of your favorite big time musicians live, they will have played at Red Rocks. The most acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater in the world, music sounds incredible here and the views are unforgettable.

Denver Performing Arts Complex (The DCPA) - Enjoy a variety of seasonal events on this four-block strip, like Broadway Theatre, ballet and opera.

9. Taking advantage of the great outdoors is easy all year.

Denver is the ideal location for adventure seekers looking to explore thrilling mountain peaks and valleys. But you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie or avid skier to enjoy outdoor life in Colorado. There are dozens of day trips suitable for the entire family all year round.

Green Spaces in the City:

Washington Park - Take a pedal boat across Smith Lake for a perfect afternoon with the family.

City Park - Hike the Mile High Trail in this park and get a five-kilometer workout exactly one mile above sea level.

Confluence Park - Take a kayak out and explore man-made kayak chutes located minutes from downtown.

Cherry Creek Bike Path – A 42-mile paved pathway that starts in downtown Denver, you could bike for a few hours or make the day of it.

Ski Getaways:

Vail Mountain Resort - There are 5,289 acres of skiable slopes at this legendary ski spot.

Breckenridge – With five peaks in one resort, travelers come from all over the world to ski Breck.

Winter Park - This is the longest running ski resort in Colorado with over 3,000 acres of award-winning terrain to explore.

Copper Mountain – One of the more local resorts, Copper's naturally divided terrain is a great place to learn and perfect your turns.

Outdoor Adventures:

Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver's most accessible national park, RMNP is 415 square miles of protected mountain land. Drive Trail Ridge Road for epic views and hike the acclaimed Dream Lake.

Mount Evans - Climb the highest paved road in North America and eventually reach the summit at 14,260 feet.

Rocky Mountain Ziplines - Zip through sections of the Rocky Mountains and take in the sights on over 6,000 feet of cable.

Clear Creek Whitewater Rafting – The closest whitewater to Denver, ride the rapids for a real adrenaline rush.

Glenwood Springs – Colorado has more than 30 hot springs, which are a relaxing year-round getaway.

Private Foothills Tour - Take a four hour trek through the Foothills of Denver. There are many stops built into the tour. If you have kids, make sure to stop at Dinosaur Ridge, which is optional.

10. Marijuana is legal, but public consumption is not.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, which might not impact your life in Denver as much as you think. You may smell it, but you'll rarely see people partaking, as it is still illegal to smoke in public. According to a survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health, only 13.6% of residents partake in recreational marijuana use, and fewer of them smoke every day. While this figure is much larger than the national average, some argue that many pot smokers in other states keep their habit behind closed doors. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there are some things you should know, as that Rocky Mountain High is a big part of life in Denver.

Marijuana Etiquette:

Dispensaries are identified with green crosses that look like pharmacies. “Bud-tenders” will walk you through the buying process and explain the effects the different strains may have on your body (sativa, indica and hybrids).

If you wish to smoke pot in your home, make sure it is allowed in your lease agreement before you light up.

You must be over the age of 21 to buy and consume pot in Colorado.

Public use of marijuana is illegal, so don't expect to find people lighting up in the streets.

Certain hotels and AirBnbs restrict the use of marijuana on their premises, so be sure to find a smoker-friendly establishment if you're planning a trip and wish to smoke.

Just because marijuana use is legal doesn't mean your boss has to agree. Your company can administer drug tests and create policies banning the use of marijuana.

The marijuana industry is very innovative and there are many ways to experiment with its effects without actually smoking. Topicals, edibles, and vaping are all extremely popular.

If pregnant, the CDPH advises strongly against the use of marijuana. If any newborn baby tests positive for THC, the hospital is advised to contact child protective services.

Make relocating to Denver a relatively simple process.

If you're planning a move to Denver, creating a checklist of everything you need to do can be helpful. In order to be considered a resident of Denver, you must be employed, own a business, or reside in Denver for at least 90 days. Don't forget some of these essential steps to becoming a Denverite.

Moving to Denver Checklist:

Before registering your car, update out of state vehicle titles using this form. Be sure your car will pass the required emissions tests before bringing it into the state. If not, you may have to sell the car before you move.

Transfer your license within 30 days and register your car within 90 days at the DMV.

Decide whether or not you want to update your organ donor status.

Register to vote in Colorado online.

Learn about the requirements for residency as it relates to higher education.

Change your address and have your mail forwarded using this form from the USPS.

Sometimes relocation dates don't match up exactly. If your belongings arrive before you have access to your home, consider temporary self storage in Denver.

We hope you learned a thing or two about life in Denver. Would you ever move here? Do you have some insight you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 2/2/18 and was revised on 1/10/19 to provide new information.

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Podcast 17: Next-Level Learning Analytics – With Guest Expert Tamer Ali

WELCOME TO EPISODE 17 OF THE TALENTED LEARNING SHOW!

To learn more about this podcast series or to see the full collection of episodes visit The Talented Learning Show main page.

  EPISODE 17 – TOPIC SUMMARY AND GUEST:

This is the first time we’ve welcomed a repeat guest to The Talented Learning Show. He’s that good! Today we’re talking about the brave new world of learning analytics with Tamer Ali, Co-Founder and Director of Authentic Learning Labs.

Tamer is a long-time educational technologist and learning systems expert who never stops pushing the envelope in extended enterprise learning and continuing professional development. He has designed, built and operationalized multiple learning software products, and is currently working on a next-generation learning analytics platform.

  KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Effective analytics is more than just data reporting. It involves interpretation and visualization of data in ways that are meaningful and useful for business decision makers.

Business intelligence tools are not new. However, for multiple reasons, learning organizations and training content publishers have been slow to adopt authentic analytics.

By leveraging technologies like AI, machine learning and the xAPI standard, innovative analytics tools are making it possible to measure learning in ways that create significant business value.

  Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:

How do you define learning analytics?

We think of authentic analytics as a way to help learning and development organizations and training publishers track and analyze learning behaviors in a much more effective, efficient, turnkey way.

What challenges do you see with learning analytics?

When we investigated the market, we found many well-intentioned organizations that are creating really good educational courses and materials. But they haven’t been building a practice of learning measurement in their industry, concentration or field. Even though assessment and measurement of learning impact is a key objective of most initiatives, we saw very little tracking done in a methodical way.

What’s the current state of the learning analytics market, from your perspective?

Many organizations already have solid tools like Tableau and Microsoft Power BI. However, they often lack dedicated resources, or attention, or both. That’s the primary challenge we’re trying to solve.

For years, organizations have used LMS reporting to track things like course registrations and completions. Why should they add outside platforms like yours or Tableau?

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Yes, reporting is available in many learning systems. Over the last 10 years, it has become popular to pull that data into business intelligence applications like Microsoft Access or SAP Crystal Reports. However, those are fairly low-density, low-impact applications. In other words, the results may be tons of data displayed on maps or charts or spreadsheets. None of it provides quick, useful business insights.

That’s where authentic analytics is different. It’s not just about reporting, but about bringing in meaningful insights to guide decision making. It’s about trying to answer key questions our customers are most likely to ask.

For instance…?

It can be something like, “When is the best time of the year to market and promote courses in this category?” Or, “Which topics are attracting more (or less) interest?”

We’re trying to inform learning and development publishers with data-based intelligence used by other fields like marketing, finance and sales. Learning professionals have equal rights to insights. So we’re providing a specialized toolset. We didn’t invent analytics. However, authentic analytics has been missing from learning and development, so we’re trying to bring that discipline to this space.

What kind of people regularly use your product? What are their responsibilities?

Primarily there are three types of users:

People who create and oversee learning material on an ongoing basis – This could be the platform administrator or someone who authors content directly. People in this role typically visit multiple times a day because the data is refreshed daily.

The product owner – Anyone responsible for one or more educational products or training for a line of business. People coming in at that level receive the data either from the dashboards, or from an administrator, or go in themselves. Because of our license flexibility, they’re not restricted. They have full, direct access.

The overall owner – The stakeholder who needs an executive-level dashboard and/or receives insights from the other two roles.

These people are typically in education or product management functions, but we also see some overlap with IT departments.

Why hasn’t next-level learning analytics been available before?

Well, these tools have been used for a while, but most have some sort of limitation. So, as people mature in their use of these platforms, they realize those limitations and they see a need for a more specialized solution.

For example, tools like Tableau and Power BI have license models that essentially restrict access to an exclusive set of people. Those organizations must provide access at scale, so it can be very expensive for training publishers or associations with multiple product owners and product managers. That approach becomes cost prohibitive.

I see…

Further, for a complete analytics solution, you must invest in hardware to house both the data visualization software and the data warehouse to compile all the source data. This is further complicated by the growing adoption of the xAPI standard for learning activity tracking. Use of xAPI increases the typical data set by multiple folds.

So what extra challenges does that add?

There are multiple related questions:

Where do we put all this data?

Who’s going to manage all this data?

What tools do we actually need?

Who is able to focus on interpreting this data and build a practice around it?

We’ve seen these issues in organizations of all sizes. That’s why we’ve created a toolset and we provide practitioners to support it. We consider ourselves a kind of BI team in the cloud.

That sounds great – but also complex. Do training teams in associations have the skills for this?

They don’t have the resources. They may have the wherewithal and the capabilities to build these dashboards, but they’re busy developing learning strategy, building new products and analyzing performance. That alone is an all-consuming full-time job. Some may look to their IT team for analytics support, but IT is also stretched with strategic projects. So, all too often, no one addresses the need.

And that’s where you come in?

Right. Our goal is to build a dashboard that is simple and intuitive enough for anybody to adopt very quickly. We want to empower users to develop business insights and make projections within seconds. That’s our core challenge. We take all of the unstructured source data and make sense of it in these dashboards, so you don’t have to do it.

How exactly does that work?

Here’s a recent case study: An organization wanted to justify its impact on assessments. They gave us five years of data – thousands and thousands of rows. If you imported this into an Excel spreadsheet, a typical business intelligence tool wouldn’t do any good. It would take weeks of analysis by experts in statistics, psychometrics and database queries.

But we aggregated those 30,000-40,000 tests attempts in a single visual line graph that interpreted performance on two lines – one represented pre-testing and the other, post-testing. So, in one half-page image, we summarized all that data and put the insights in their hands so they could drill down further. For example, they could uncover which tests work best (or not) within seconds, rather than spending hours and hours on the labor to dig deeper.

Earlier you said xAPI generates a massive amount of data, and that’s helping to drive analytics innovation. For folks who aren’t familiar with xAPI, what is that?

The X stands for “experience.” Really, xAPI is a radical leap forward from SCORM, the de facto learning content standard that ensures interoperability across platforms. xAPI says, “What if learning content includes much richer information?” It captures all of a learner’s activities within a course or a learning experience, and it shares all of that data with learning systems and other learning data record keepers.

So xAPI is a learning standard that doesn’t just focus on whether someone completed a course. Instead, it helps us reveal what they did within that course. xAPI adoption is still in process. It’s not yet widespread, but it’s certainly something that learning professionals should note and consider in their product development plans.

Got it. xAPI provides granular information that hasn’t been available before. But how do organizations make that useful? Do you analyze the data and make it useful for them?

Exactly. If you create custom courses with major authoring tools like Articulate or Captivate, they output xAPI data. We can capture and house that data, and present visualizations that make sense for your business and learning decision makers.

We also offer expertise to say, “Okay, you’ve created a custom course that is producing some very robust data. Let’s create a visualization that interprets that data in a meaningful way and we’ll make it available in your dashboards.”

What about incorporating data from business systems that have nothing to do with learning? Can you combine that operational data with learning data to see a connection with business performance?

Yes. Authentic analytics now extends beyond learning platforms to include complementary tools. So, for example, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Salesforce CRM, and for associations, AMS platforms. Because we have access to that data, we can correlate and connect those data points.

For example, we can see what type of courses attract a particular kind of audience member. Or we can go the other way. For example, if sales performance dips, we can automate content recommendations in the learning platform to bridge the appropriate skill gap.

That’s the kind of powerful intelligence we can provide when we correlate data across platforms. This breaks down system barriers and avoids the isolated “island” nature of learning platforms, and begins to answer valuable business questions.

That makes perfect sense. So, tell me how artificial intelligence and machine learning impact this whole discussion?

Well, it’s not pixie dust anymore. A lot of people talk about these technologies at a high level, but they don’t follow-up with details or examples. That’s why they seem so advanced and out-of-reach to many people. But we use artificial intelligence and machine learning to do the heavy lifting in analytics. In other words, we leverage these technologies to put the burden on machines. And as they get smarter, they understand which feedback is positive and which is negative.

For example, machine learning lets us scale the text responses in evaluations and assessment, so we can score any answer categorically into positive, negative and neutral feedback. So, for organizations that sell or offer learning content to their members or customers, we know what’s favorably received, what’s not, what kind of feedback we’re receiving and what keywords or phrases are emphasized in that feedback.

And so it gets smarter over time. How does it get smarter?

As we capture more data, data informs the machine. And people who run the machine help it refine and polish the way we look at things.

For example, we’ve seen responses like, “No feedback at this point. But if I did give feedback, I would say that the instructor was great.” How do you score that kind of response? It’s a partial positive and a partial neutral.

We continuously learn how to refine things with algorithms that put the power of these machines on our side. The data is essentially the food we need. The bigger the data set, the better the performance of these machines.

FOR COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, AND FOR ADDITIONAL USE CASE EXAMPLE, LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST NOW!

  WANT TO LEARN MORE? REPLAY THIS WEBINAR

How to Capture Lifelong Learners: A Holistic Approach to Continuing Education

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Continuing education can be a lonely experience. Many of us must rely on ourselves to identify credible training sources, choose and consume content, earn certifications and demonstrate our value in the marketplace. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

How can continuing education providers make it easier for professionals to connect with the right resources and navigate through the lifelong learning process?

Find out from our panel of experts:

John Leh – CEO and Lead Analyst – Talented Learning

Tamer Ali – SVP Education – Community Brands

Jacob B. Gold, CAE – Director, Education Development – Community Associations Institute

Kevin Pierce, MAT – Manager, Digital Learning – American Academy of Dermatology

You’ll discover:

Why and how to create a lifelong competency model

How to support self-guided and directed content paths

How AI helps enhance content recommendations and analyze results

The value of digital badges and credentialing

Pricing methods that lock-in long-term subscribers

REPLAY NOW!

  Need Proven LMS Selection Guidance?

Looking for a learning platform that truly fits your organization’s needs?  We’re here to help!  Submit the form below to schedule a free preliminary consultation at your convenience.

First Name*

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Moving to Denver - 10 Pros and Cons You Should Know

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates sat atop Pikes Peak and wrote “America the Beautiful,” one of the most well-known patriotic songs of our time. Just about 100 miles away from that summit at the base of the Rocky Mountains sits Denver, Colorado. With its blue skies and panoramic mountain views, Denver, a.k.a. the Mile High City is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, its beauty has inspired countless other authors, musicians and pop culture icons.

Maybe this natural beauty is why moving to Denver is so appealing. Or, maybe it's the 300-days of sun a year, easy access to the mountains and inherent outdoor playground. Either way, Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, with almost 100,000 people moving there in the past seven years. Now, with a population of over three million, the city is scrambling to develop the infrastructure, transit and housing needed to keep pace with the demand.

Would you move to Denver? The area boasts a strong economy and a shiny, new façade that will take your breath away, both literally and figuratively. But some argue that it's overcrowded and expensive. We're exploring some other reasons why you might want to stay or stay away. These living in Denver pros and cons should help you decide if Denver is, in fact, the right choice for you. Have some advice you'd like to share with potential residents? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Denver is young, hip and desirable.

A millennial haven, 66% of the population in Denver are under the age of 44. Denver is also not a very culturally diverse city. 76.9% of the population is Caucasian, with gentrification being a major hot-button issue. This has greatly impacted the demand for rental housing, which makes homeownership less obtainable.

Denver is among the likes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle when it comes to home price appreciation outpacing income growth and affordability. Apartments rent for an average of $1,519 a month, with median home prices jumping 10% to $420,000 in 2018.

If you can stomach the prices, one major pro of living in Denver is the views. No matter which neighborhood you choose, the metro is surrounded by 140 miles of panoramic mountain views, totaling 200 visible peaks.

That said, the very first step to becoming a Denverite is picking a neighborhood. Living in Denver is an experience, and because so many people want to do it, picking a community can get competitive and pricey (more on that later). Decide whether any of the following areas suit you, then figure out if you can afford it.

Top Neighborhoods in Denver

Fast-paced living with a relaxed vibe is possible in any of the following city neighborhoods. However, each area offers a little something different, which make picking the right one that much more important. Here are a few of the best places to live in Denver.

The Highlands – Widely accepted as one of the most desirable places to live, the Highlands, and LoHi (Lower Highlands) specifically, is teeming with innovative restaurant concepts, hip rooftops, patios and boutique shops.

Average apartment rental: $2,023

RiNo (River North) – If you don't want to be a LoDo (Lower Downtown) Ballpark Bro, RiNo is downtown Denver's hipster neighbor. Full of trendy warehouse conversions, street art and an explosion of bars and restaurants, it's the current place to see and be seen.

Average apartment rental: $1,727

Capitol Hill – A bit rougher around the edges, Cap Hill is generally regarded to be the most affordable and convenient neighborhood in city proper. Home to the Capital building, it's major thoroughfare of Colfax Avenue is the longest street in America.

Average apartment rental: $1,519

We spoke with seasoned broker and real estate agent, Irene Glazer of Live Urban Real Estate for some insight. “Preference on which neighborhood to choose can vary widely based on taste and budget,” Glazer explains. “Do you like urban, suburban, hip, up-and-coming, walkable, trendy, affordable, accessible to mountains/downtown, parks? Denver has a wonderful array that will fit most any lifestyle.”

Glazer gave us a sampling of a few more under-the-radar Denver neighborhoods that have their own unique charm and character.

Harvey Park - This neighborhood is located in Southwest Denver and is bounded by South Sheridan, Hampden, Lowell, and Jewell. Built in the 1950's, it's known for its selection of some of Denver's best and most affordable, mid-century modern architecture. Cliff May-style California Contemporary homes fill the neighborhoods' quiet, suburban-like streets.

Average home prices: in the low $400,000s.

Platt Park -  This area is located in Southeast Denver and is bounded by Downing, Broadway, Evans and I-25, Platt Park is seeing many of its older homes remodeled for 21st century living as well as quite a few new builds and pop-tops. The neighborhood is lovely, charming and walkable with one of the best/quaintest shopping districts, South Pearl Street. Don't miss the summertime Farmer's Market because it's arguably the best in the city.

Average home prices: around $500,000.

Sunnyside - Located in Northwest Denver, Sunnyside is bounded by I70, 38th, Federal and I25. It's an up-and-coming neighborhood near trendy Tennyson and is already pretty well discovered, yet still in transition. It's easy to take a bike ride or a walk downtown, and there is easy access to get out of town. This area has a wonderful mix of old architecture as well as new (mostly attached) homes. Trendy coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and home goods stores are starting to pop up everywhere.

Average home prices: in the $500,000s.

Denver Suburbs to Consider:

Denver is a good place to raise a family if you have the right resources, like a stable job and a steady income. Bringing some kids along for the move? Check out some of these top rated Denver suburbs.

Stapleton – Stapleton is a new neighborhood that popped up a few years ago built on the old airport base. Its proximity to the city and relative affordability of new builds makes it a popular option for young families.

Arvada - Olde Town Arvada has one of the cutest “Main streets” of any suburb. Its popularity has also caught on the past few years, driving up home prices.

Englewood - This is a suburb with a lot of variety. Englewood has small, affordable homes with character located near the fun and funk of South Broadway, suburban “tract” style homes near the Denver Tech Center and sprawling mansions in Cherry Hills Village.

Wheat Ridge - Close enough to the city yet a world away, Wheat Ridge is a natural expansion from NW Denver. There's tons of new development happening on 38th Ave., with breweries and restaurants clamoring to get in on the action.

2. Denver is becoming a major city.

There are so many opinions out there as to whether or not living in Denver is affordable. Some stats say yes it's affordable (compared to metros like New York City), but rapidly increasing rental prices and fast selling homes say otherwise. While living in Denver is much more affordable than living in places like Los Angeles, it's still pricey. For instance, the median home cost in Denver is $421,900, which just about doubles the national average of $216,200.

Before moving to Denver, make sure you're able to spend within your means, which means allotting no more than 30% of your salary to housing costs. If you're looking to buy or rent before relocating, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Finding a place is highly competitive so most people use a rental agent. If you opt to rent, make sure you know your rights as a Colorado tenant.

Denver Housing Market Stats

Irene Glazer also helped us understand just how the housing market has changed over the past few years. Here are some highlights:

The Denver housing market has been appreciating at a double-digit clip since we started our climb out of the recession in about 2013. This past year we saw a bit slower appreciation of about 8%.

Our average sold price in metro Denver finished out at approximately $475K in 2017, and the prediction is that we will be around $500K by the end of 2018.

Inventory is still the biggest buzzword, and we are still extremely short on it, without a reprieve in sight.

We are about to enter the “Market Compression” phase in our annual real estate cycle where demand picks up before homes are listed, creating our early spring frenzy. This creates additional challenges as inventory levels typically continue to fall through January. If demand picks up, multiple offers, bidding wars and heightened flash sales could accelerate pricing earlier than expected in 2018.

Not sure whether you should rent or buy? According to Glazer, weighing expected appreciation, even at modest rates of 6% (Denver's historical average), against impending rent increases, it is still more advantageous to own vs. rent in the Denver market.

3. The cost of living in Denver won't break the bank, yet.

The biggest hurdle new residents face when moving to Denver is housing costs. Other than that, most cost of living expenses is more or less comparative to other cities.

Cost of Living Factors:

Taxes - Property taxes are relatively low, sales tax is high, and income tax falls right in the middle at 4.63%.

Health Care - Costs about 17% more than the national average.

Groceries - You'll pay about 4% less than the national average.

4. Denver's economy is booming.

Higher paying jobs are available in Denver because so many top companies want to be based here. However, that means the competition for a quality job is that much more intense. Also, wages in Denver might not be as high as they need to be to afford the cost of living.

The average median income in Denver is $57,773, which is about 6% less than than the national average. Even if you can afford to live in Denver today, it's important to note that average salary increases aren't keeping pace with rising rents.

This discrepancy between rising housing costs and stagnant salaries could cause an issue a few years in and force a move further outside the city. Make sure you have a job in hand and some additional savings before relocating to this highly desirable area.

Top Denver Industries & Companies:

Tech - The startup scene is exploding with companies like Baker Technologies and more established companies like Google and HomeAdvisor.

Aerospace -Denver is keen on becoming “Aerospace Alley” (their play on Silicon Valley) with major companies like The Boeing Company, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman located here.

Agriculture - Colorado's food and agriculture industry generates more than $5 billion a year, with companies like Love Grown Foods, Leprino Foods and Nutrien leading the charge. Colorado also ranks third in the nation for craft beer sales and production.

Casual Concepts - Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Qboda and Boston Market are all headquartered here.

Marijuana – Cannabis is big business, bringing in more revenue than some small countries.

5. Once you adjust to the altitude, the weather is incredible.

The quality of life in Denver is highly desirable, once you get used to the lack of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not located in the Rocky Mountains. It is a mile or so above sea level, though (5,280 feet, to be exact), and that can take your body some time to adjust. For most people, the pros far outweigh the cons as far as weather is concerned.

What It's Like Living in Denver:

There are an estimated 300 days of sunshine every year. Even though the summers are hot, they lack humidity, which makes them more comfortable.

The sky is bluer and the stars are brighter than other parts of the country due to the high-desert climate and elevation.

Some of the top weekend vacation destinations are located within a few hours of Denver.

The temperature can rise or fall by 40 degrees in a day due to the altitude, so always dress in layers.

Since the air is thinner, there are lower levels of oxygen, which can take a toll on your body if you're not used to it or have an ongoing medical condition.

Tips to Acclimate to the Altitude:

The air is really dry, which can dehydrate your body if you're not drinking enough water. Make sure to drink more water than you normally would, and always have chap-stick handy.

Take it easy upon arrival. If you plan to do any mountain activities, give your body a few days to acclimate.

Make sure to get enough sleep if the altitude makes you feel drowsy.

At higher elevations, the sun is more intense, so always wear sunscreen!

6. Traffic is undesirable in and out of the city.

One difference between Denver and other large cities is the amount of weekend traffic headed out of the city toward the mountains. Ski traffic is something you'll want to account for if you move here since Denver is situated 75 miles or so from dozens of world-renowned ski resorts. Expect heavy traffic on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the winter. It can take anywhere from a 1.5-hour drive to 6+ hour nightmare.

But that isn't the only time you'll run into traffic in Denver. Since the city exploded with growth in the past decade, traffic within the metro can get congested too. Luckily, Denver is geographically small so getting to and from anywhere should take about 20-minutes during non-rush hour periods. Also, if you live and work in the downtown area, biking and the new Lime Scooters are a viable way to commute.

Tips for Getting Around:

Be careful where you park. The sides of the street change to accommodate street sweeping.

Consider getting a car with four-wheel drive or one that can handle more rugged mountain driving and varied weather conditions.

The city added new light rail lines in 2016, including one that goes to the airport. Other light rails connect some suburbs to the city.

Denver is a highly bike-friendly city. It's estimated that between 6-7% of downtown employees commute to work by bike.

You can also rent B-cycle bikes from docks around the city, either by the hour or by day.

7. Denver is a beer destination and is on its way to becoming a food destination.

Craft brew fanatics will love that Denver is home to the second most microbreweries next to Portland. In fact, the area has been coined as the Napa Valley of Beer. But if you're looking to enjoy a pint or two during happy hour, remember to drink some water too. If not, you might feel buzzed sooner than you would in cities closer to sea level. Beer can have more of an effect due to thin air.

We spoke with Editor of Rocky Mountain Food Report, Dionne Roberts, on how the food and drink scene has evolved. “Denver's craft culinary and beverage scene continues to show rapid growth with the influx of diverse and gifted chefs, brewers and distillers,” Roberts explains. “More people want to be a part of the mountain culture and that adds depth to the growing number of options and cultivates a higher sense of quality in the cuisine.”

Roberts also shared with us some recommendations for potential residents to visit while in Denver.

Places to Drink:

First Draft - A place to try dozens of local microbrews all under one roof. At First Draft, you're given a swipe card to pour your own tastings.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales - Specializes in unique, blended and barrel-aged sour beers with industrial airplane-esque decor and meticulous brewing processes.

Epic Brewing Company - Offers a fun, community tasting room with a lineup of dozens of flagship and elevated craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing Company - Relays an approachable rock n' roll edge in their stylistic, aptly-named beers, live music performances and funky brewery atmosphere.

My Brother's Bar – So old it's been operating since before Colorado was officially a state, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg all hung out here.

Death & Co – If you get tired of beer, this NYC outpost has a literal bible of craft cocktails in the swanky Ramble Hotel.

Williams & Graham – Denver is also huge on speakeasies, with Williams & Graham named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. The coolest part? You have to walk through a bookshelf to find it.

Great American Beer Fest - This fall festival has the largest variety of beer served of any public tasting across the country. You'll be hard-pressed to try them all, since there are over 800 breweries and thousands of beers present. Buy your tickets immediately when they go on sale, as they do sell out in minutes.

Places to Eat:

Euclid Hall - Located in the heart of Larimer Square with a focus on elevated pub fare, a great ambiance and thorough attention to providing locally sourced ingredients.

AVANTI Food and Beverage - Denver basically pioneered the food hall concept, and AVANTI was one of the OGs for its killer rooftop. All vendors have short-term leases as a way to test pilot their concepts.

Beatrice & Woodsley - A whimsical, cozy restaurant with a seasonal craft menu on Broadway that boasts a fairy tale interior perfect for date night or intimate gatherings.

Snooze – Brunch is serious business in Denver, and local chain Snooze is always slammed. Expect to wait about an hour for their signature pancake flights.

Linger – A former mortuary turned “eatuary,” Linger serves innovative, international small places. Don't miss the vintage VW bus on the roof and one of the best skyline views of the city.

The Buckhorn Exchange – A National Historic Landmark, the Buckhorn Exchange received the state's first liquor license and pays homage to the state's game meat culture. If you're brave, it's also the place to try Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Tavernetta – The newly revamped Union Station has really become a must-see destination and hotspot. While all the restaurants are good, Tavernetta is elevated Italian worth seeking out.

TAG – Troy Guard is one of Denver's most beloved chefs. His first outpost has unique fusion dishes, like Hamachi with pop rocks.  

Tacos Tequila Whiskey – Ask anyone what Denver's staple cuisine is, and taquerias are definitely part of the narrative (along with green chile).

16th Street Mall - Located in downtown Denver, this one-mile pedestrian section is packed with tons of cafes, brewpubs and restaurants. After a night out, play one of the ten public pianos on display. It's touristy, but a must-see for first-timers.

8. There are plenty of fun things to do in Denver.

Relocating to Denver is a much more enjoyable experience when you know there's a ton you'll want to do once you arrive. Do any of the following interest you enough to start packing up your belongings and heading to Denver?

Professional Sports Teams:

Denver Broncos - One of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970, with a cult following

Colorado Rockies - Coors Field has jokingly been called the best bar in Denver, so even if you're not a baseball fan, the stadium is worth a visit

Colorado Avalanche - NHL team that won eight division title games in a row–the longest streak in the league

Denver Nuggets - NBA team that has yet to reach the championship round in the playoffs, but is fun to watch nonetheless

Attractions and Fun Things to Do:

Top Golf - Spend a leisurely day hitting some golf balls further than you normally would. No, really. Due to the high altitude, golf balls can reportedly go up to 10% farther!

The Stanley Hotel - Horror fanatics should take an hour trek outside of Denver to visit this historic landmark that inspired Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, The Shining. Want a glimpse into the paranormal? Take their Night Spirit Tour and explore some creepy spaces.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Chances are, if you want to see one of your favorite big time musicians live, they will have played at Red Rocks. The most acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater in the world, music sounds incredible here and the views are unforgettable.

Denver Performing Arts Complex (The DCPA) - Enjoy a variety of seasonal events on this four-block strip, like Broadway Theatre, ballet and opera.

9. Taking advantage of the great outdoors is easy all year.

Denver is the ideal location for adventure seekers looking to explore thrilling mountain peaks and valleys. But you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie or avid skier to enjoy outdoor life in Colorado. There are dozens of day trips suitable for the entire family all year round.

Green Spaces in the City:

Washington Park - Take a pedal boat across Smith Lake for a perfect afternoon with the family.

City Park - Hike the Mile High Trail in this park and get a five-kilometer workout exactly one mile above sea level.

Confluence Park - Take a kayak out and explore man-made kayak chutes located minutes from downtown.

Cherry Creek Bike Path – A 42-mile paved pathway that starts in downtown Denver, you could bike for a few hours or make the day of it.

Ski Getaways:

Vail Mountain Resort - There are 5,289 acres of skiable slopes at this legendary ski spot.

Breckenridge – With five peaks in one resort, travelers come from all over the world to ski Breck.

Winter Park - This is the longest running ski resort in Colorado with over 3,000 acres of award-winning terrain to explore.

Copper Mountain – One of the more local resorts, Copper's naturally divided terrain is a great place to learn and perfect your turns.

Outdoor Adventures:

Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver's most accessible national park, RMNP is 415 square miles of protected mountain land. Drive Trail Ridge Road for epic views and hike the acclaimed Dream Lake.

Mount Evans - Climb the highest paved road in North America and eventually reach the summit at 14,260 feet.

Rocky Mountain Ziplines - Zip through sections of the Rocky Mountains and take in the sights on over 6,000 feet of cable.

Clear Creek Whitewater Rafting – The closest whitewater to Denver, ride the rapids for a real adrenaline rush.

Glenwood Springs – Colorado has more than 30 hot springs, which are a relaxing year-round getaway.

Private Foothills Tour - Take a four hour trek through the Foothills of Denver. There are many stops built into the tour. If you have kids, make sure to stop at Dinosaur Ridge, which is optional.

10. Marijuana is legal, but public consumption is not.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, which might not impact your life in Denver as much as you think. You may smell it, but you'll rarely see people partaking, as it is still illegal to smoke in public. According to a survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health, only 13.6% of residents partake in recreational marijuana use, and fewer of them smoke every day. While this figure is much larger than the national average, some argue that many pot smokers in other states keep their habit behind closed doors. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there are some things you should know, as that Rocky Mountain High is a big part of life in Denver.

Marijuana Etiquette:

Dispensaries are identified with green crosses that look like pharmacies. “Bud-tenders” will walk you through the buying process and explain the effects the different strains may have on your body (sativa, indica and hybrids).

If you wish to smoke pot in your home, make sure it is allowed in your lease agreement before you light up.

You must be over the age of 21 to buy and consume pot in Colorado.

Public use of marijuana is illegal, so don't expect to find people lighting up in the streets.

Certain hotels and AirBnbs restrict the use of marijuana on their premises, so be sure to find a smoker-friendly establishment if you're planning a trip and wish to smoke.

Just because marijuana use is legal doesn't mean your boss has to agree. Your company can administer drug tests and create policies banning the use of marijuana.

The marijuana industry is very innovative and there are many ways to experiment with its effects without actually smoking. Topicals, edibles, and vaping are all extremely popular.

If pregnant, the CDPH advises strongly against the use of marijuana. If any newborn baby tests positive for THC, the hospital is advised to contact child protective services.

Make relocating to Denver a relatively simple process.

If you're planning a move to Denver, creating a checklist of everything you need to do can be helpful. In order to be considered a resident of Denver, you must be employed, own a business, or reside in Denver for at least 90 days. Don't forget some of these essential steps to becoming a Denverite.

Moving to Denver Checklist:

Before registering your car, update out of state vehicle titles using this form. Be sure your car will pass the required emissions tests before bringing it into the state. If not, you may have to sell the car before you move.

Transfer your license within 30 days and register your car within 90 days at the DMV.

Decide whether or not you want to update your organ donor status.

Register to vote in Colorado online.

Learn about the requirements for residency as it relates to higher education.

Change your address and have your mail forwarded using this form from the USPS.

Sometimes relocation dates don't match up exactly. If your belongings arrive before you have access to your home, consider temporary self storage in Denver.

We hope you learned a thing or two about life in Denver. Would you ever move here? Do you have some insight you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 2/2/18 and was revised on 1/10/19 to provide new information.

[georgeghaider-blog]

Moving to Denver - 10 Pros and Cons You Should Know

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates sat atop Pikes Peak and wrote “America the Beautiful,” one of the most well-known patriotic songs of our time. Just about 100 miles away from that summit at the base of the Rocky Mountains sits Denver, Colorado. With its blue skies and panoramic mountain views, Denver, a.k.a. the Mile High City is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, its beauty has inspired countless other authors, musicians and pop culture icons.

Maybe this natural beauty is why moving to Denver is so appealing. Or, maybe it's the 300-days of sun a year, easy access to the mountains and inherent outdoor playground. Either way, Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, with almost 100,000 people moving there in the past seven years. Now, with a population of over three million, the city is scrambling to develop the infrastructure, transit and housing needed to keep pace with the demand.

Would you move to Denver? The area boasts a strong economy and a shiny, new façade that will take your breath away, both literally and figuratively. But some argue that it's overcrowded and expensive. We're exploring some other reasons why you might want to stay or stay away. These living in Denver pros and cons should help you decide if Denver is, in fact, the right choice for you. Have some advice you'd like to share with potential residents? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Denver is young, hip and desirable.

A millennial haven, 66% of the population in Denver are under the age of 44. Denver is also not a very culturally diverse city. 76.9% of the population is Caucasian, with gentrification being a major hot-button issue. This has greatly impacted the demand for rental housing, which makes homeownership less obtainable.

Denver is among the likes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle when it comes to home price appreciation outpacing income growth and affordability. Apartments rent for an average of $1,519 a month, with median home prices jumping 10% to $420,000 in 2018.

If you can stomach the prices, one major pro of living in Denver is the views. No matter which neighborhood you choose, the metro is surrounded by 140 miles of panoramic mountain views, totaling 200 visible peaks.

That said, the very first step to becoming a Denverite is picking a neighborhood. Living in Denver is an experience, and because so many people want to do it, picking a community can get competitive and pricey (more on that later). Decide whether any of the following areas suit you, then figure out if you can afford it.

Top Neighborhoods in Denver

Fast-paced living with a relaxed vibe is possible in any of the following city neighborhoods. However, each area offers a little something different, which make picking the right one that much more important. Here are a few of the best places to live in Denver.

The Highlands – Widely accepted as one of the most desirable places to live, the Highlands, and LoHi (Lower Highlands) specifically, is teeming with innovative restaurant concepts, hip rooftops, patios and boutique shops.

Average apartment rental: $2,023

RiNo (River North) – If you don't want to be a LoDo (Lower Downtown) Ballpark Bro, RiNo is downtown Denver's hipster neighbor. Full of trendy warehouse conversions, street art and an explosion of bars and restaurants, it's the current place to see and be seen.

Average apartment rental: $1,727

Capitol Hill – A bit rougher around the edges, Cap Hill is generally regarded to be the most affordable and convenient neighborhood in city proper. Home to the Capital building, it's major thoroughfare of Colfax Avenue is the longest street in America.

Average apartment rental: $1,519

We spoke with seasoned broker and real estate agent, Irene Glazer of Live Urban Real Estate for some insight. “Preference on which neighborhood to choose can vary widely based on taste and budget,” Glazer explains. “Do you like urban, suburban, hip, up-and-coming, walkable, trendy, affordable, accessible to mountains/downtown, parks? Denver has a wonderful array that will fit most any lifestyle.”

Glazer gave us a sampling of a few more under-the-radar Denver neighborhoods that have their own unique charm and character.

Harvey Park - This neighborhood is located in Southwest Denver and is bounded by South Sheridan, Hampden, Lowell, and Jewell. Built in the 1950's, it's known for its selection of some of Denver's best and most affordable, mid-century modern architecture. Cliff May-style California Contemporary homes fill the neighborhoods' quiet, suburban-like streets.

Average home prices: in the low $400,000s.

Platt Park -  This area is located in Southeast Denver and is bounded by Downing, Broadway, Evans and I-25, Platt Park is seeing many of its older homes remodeled for 21st century living as well as quite a few new builds and pop-tops. The neighborhood is lovely, charming and walkable with one of the best/quaintest shopping districts, South Pearl Street. Don't miss the summertime Farmer's Market because it's arguably the best in the city.

Average home prices: around $500,000.

Sunnyside - Located in Northwest Denver, Sunnyside is bounded by I70, 38th, Federal and I25. It's an up-and-coming neighborhood near trendy Tennyson and is already pretty well discovered, yet still in transition. It's easy to take a bike ride or a walk downtown, and there is easy access to get out of town. This area has a wonderful mix of old architecture as well as new (mostly attached) homes. Trendy coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and home goods stores are starting to pop up everywhere.

Average home prices: in the $500,000s.

Denver Suburbs to Consider:

Denver is a good place to raise a family if you have the right resources, like a stable job and a steady income. Bringing some kids along for the move? Check out some of these top rated Denver suburbs.

Stapleton – Stapleton is a new neighborhood that popped up a few years ago built on the old airport base. Its proximity to the city and relative affordability of new builds makes it a popular option for young families.

Arvada - Olde Town Arvada has one of the cutest “Main streets” of any suburb. Its popularity has also caught on the past few years, driving up home prices.

Englewood - This is a suburb with a lot of variety. Englewood has small, affordable homes with character located near the fun and funk of South Broadway, suburban “tract” style homes near the Denver Tech Center and sprawling mansions in Cherry Hills Village.

Wheat Ridge - Close enough to the city yet a world away, Wheat Ridge is a natural expansion from NW Denver. There's tons of new development happening on 38th Ave., with breweries and restaurants clamoring to get in on the action.

2. Denver is becoming a major city.

There are so many opinions out there as to whether or not living in Denver is affordable. Some stats say yes it's affordable (compared to metros like New York City), but rapidly increasing rental prices and fast selling homes say otherwise. While living in Denver is much more affordable than living in places like Los Angeles, it's still pricey. For instance, the median home cost in Denver is $421,900, which just about doubles the national average of $216,200.

Before moving to Denver, make sure you're able to spend within your means, which means allotting no more than 30% of your salary to housing costs. If you're looking to buy or rent before relocating, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Finding a place is highly competitive so most people use a rental agent. If you opt to rent, make sure you know your rights as a Colorado tenant.

Denver Housing Market Stats

Irene Glazer also helped us understand just how the housing market has changed over the past few years. Here are some highlights:

The Denver housing market has been appreciating at a double-digit clip since we started our climb out of the recession in about 2013. This past year we saw a bit slower appreciation of about 8%.

Our average sold price in metro Denver finished out at approximately $475K in 2017, and the prediction is that we will be around $500K by the end of 2018.

Inventory is still the biggest buzzword, and we are still extremely short on it, without a reprieve in sight.

We are about to enter the “Market Compression” phase in our annual real estate cycle where demand picks up before homes are listed, creating our early spring frenzy. This creates additional challenges as inventory levels typically continue to fall through January. If demand picks up, multiple offers, bidding wars and heightened flash sales could accelerate pricing earlier than expected in 2018.

Not sure whether you should rent or buy? According to Glazer, weighing expected appreciation, even at modest rates of 6% (Denver's historical average), against impending rent increases, it is still more advantageous to own vs. rent in the Denver market.

3. The cost of living in Denver won't break the bank, yet.

The biggest hurdle new residents face when moving to Denver is housing costs. Other than that, most cost of living expenses is more or less comparative to other cities.

Cost of Living Factors:

Taxes - Property taxes are relatively low, sales tax is high, and income tax falls right in the middle at 4.63%.

Health Care - Costs about 17% more than the national average.

Groceries - You'll pay about 4% less than the national average.

4. Denver's economy is booming.

Higher paying jobs are available in Denver because so many top companies want to be based here. However, that means the competition for a quality job is that much more intense. Also, wages in Denver might not be as high as they need to be to afford the cost of living.

The average median income in Denver is $57,773, which is about 6% less than than the national average. Even if you can afford to live in Denver today, it's important to note that average salary increases aren't keeping pace with rising rents.

This discrepancy between rising housing costs and stagnant salaries could cause an issue a few years in and force a move further outside the city. Make sure you have a job in hand and some additional savings before relocating to this highly desirable area.

Top Denver Industries & Companies:

Tech - The startup scene is exploding with companies like Baker Technologies and more established companies like Google and HomeAdvisor.

Aerospace -Denver is keen on becoming “Aerospace Alley” (their play on Silicon Valley) with major companies like The Boeing Company, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman located here.

Agriculture - Colorado's food and agriculture industry generates more than $5 billion a year, with companies like Love Grown Foods, Leprino Foods and Nutrien leading the charge. Colorado also ranks third in the nation for craft beer sales and production.

Casual Concepts - Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Qboda and Boston Market are all headquartered here.

Marijuana – Cannabis is big business, bringing in more revenue than some small countries.

5. Once you adjust to the altitude, the weather is incredible.

The quality of life in Denver is highly desirable, once you get used to the lack of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not located in the Rocky Mountains. It is a mile or so above sea level, though (5,280 feet, to be exact), and that can take your body some time to adjust. For most people, the pros far outweigh the cons as far as weather is concerned.

What It's Like Living in Denver:

There are an estimated 300 days of sunshine every year. Even though the summers are hot, they lack humidity, which makes them more comfortable.

The sky is bluer and the stars are brighter than other parts of the country due to the high-desert climate and elevation.

Some of the top weekend vacation destinations are located within a few hours of Denver.

The temperature can rise or fall by 40 degrees in a day due to the altitude, so always dress in layers.

Since the air is thinner, there are lower levels of oxygen, which can take a toll on your body if you're not used to it or have an ongoing medical condition.

Tips to Acclimate to the Altitude:

The air is really dry, which can dehydrate your body if you're not drinking enough water. Make sure to drink more water than you normally would, and always have chap-stick handy.

Take it easy upon arrival. If you plan to do any mountain activities, give your body a few days to acclimate.

Make sure to get enough sleep if the altitude makes you feel drowsy.

At higher elevations, the sun is more intense, so always wear sunscreen!

6. Traffic is undesirable in and out of the city.

One difference between Denver and other large cities is the amount of weekend traffic headed out of the city toward the mountains. Ski traffic is something you'll want to account for if you move here since Denver is situated 75 miles or so from dozens of world-renowned ski resorts. Expect heavy traffic on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the winter. It can take anywhere from a 1.5-hour drive to 6+ hour nightmare.

But that isn't the only time you'll run into traffic in Denver. Since the city exploded with growth in the past decade, traffic within the metro can get congested too. Luckily, Denver is geographically small so getting to and from anywhere should take about 20-minutes during non-rush hour periods. Also, if you live and work in the downtown area, biking and the new Lime Scooters are a viable way to commute.

Tips for Getting Around:

Be careful where you park. The sides of the street change to accommodate street sweeping.

Consider getting a car with four-wheel drive or one that can handle more rugged mountain driving and varied weather conditions.

The city added new light rail lines in 2016, including one that goes to the airport. Other light rails connect some suburbs to the city.

Denver is a highly bike-friendly city. It's estimated that between 6-7% of downtown employees commute to work by bike.

You can also rent B-cycle bikes from docks around the city, either by the hour or by day.

7. Denver is a beer destination and is on its way to becoming a food destination.

Craft brew fanatics will love that Denver is home to the second most microbreweries next to Portland. In fact, the area has been coined as the Napa Valley of Beer. But if you're looking to enjoy a pint or two during happy hour, remember to drink some water too. If not, you might feel buzzed sooner than you would in cities closer to sea level. Beer can have more of an effect due to thin air.

We spoke with Editor of Rocky Mountain Food Report, Dionne Roberts, on how the food and drink scene has evolved. “Denver's craft culinary and beverage scene continues to show rapid growth with the influx of diverse and gifted chefs, brewers and distillers,” Roberts explains. “More people want to be a part of the mountain culture and that adds depth to the growing number of options and cultivates a higher sense of quality in the cuisine.”

Roberts also shared with us some recommendations for potential residents to visit while in Denver.

Places to Drink:

First Draft - A place to try dozens of local microbrews all under one roof. At First Draft, you're given a swipe card to pour your own tastings.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales - Specializes in unique, blended and barrel-aged sour beers with industrial airplane-esque decor and meticulous brewing processes.

Epic Brewing Company - Offers a fun, community tasting room with a lineup of dozens of flagship and elevated craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing Company - Relays an approachable rock n' roll edge in their stylistic, aptly-named beers, live music performances and funky brewery atmosphere.

My Brother's Bar – So old it's been operating since before Colorado was officially a state, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg all hung out here.

Death & Co – If you get tired of beer, this NYC outpost has a literal bible of craft cocktails in the swanky Ramble Hotel.

Williams & Graham – Denver is also huge on speakeasies, with Williams & Graham named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. The coolest part? You have to walk through a bookshelf to find it.

Great American Beer Fest - This fall festival has the largest variety of beer served of any public tasting across the country. You'll be hard-pressed to try them all, since there are over 800 breweries and thousands of beers present. Buy your tickets immediately when they go on sale, as they do sell out in minutes.

Places to Eat:

Euclid Hall - Located in the heart of Larimer Square with a focus on elevated pub fare, a great ambiance and thorough attention to providing locally sourced ingredients.

AVANTI Food and Beverage - Denver basically pioneered the food hall concept, and AVANTI was one of the OGs for its killer rooftop. All vendors have short-term leases as a way to test pilot their concepts.

Beatrice & Woodsley - A whimsical, cozy restaurant with a seasonal craft menu on Broadway that boasts a fairy tale interior perfect for date night or intimate gatherings.

Snooze – Brunch is serious business in Denver, and local chain Snooze is always slammed. Expect to wait about an hour for their signature pancake flights.

Linger – A former mortuary turned “eatuary,” Linger serves innovative, international small places. Don't miss the vintage VW bus on the roof and one of the best skyline views of the city.

The Buckhorn Exchange – A National Historic Landmark, the Buckhorn Exchange received the state's first liquor license and pays homage to the state's game meat culture. If you're brave, it's also the place to try Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Tavernetta – The newly revamped Union Station has really become a must-see destination and hotspot. While all the restaurants are good, Tavernetta is elevated Italian worth seeking out.

TAG – Troy Guard is one of Denver's most beloved chefs. His first outpost has unique fusion dishes, like Hamachi with pop rocks.  

Tacos Tequila Whiskey – Ask anyone what Denver's staple cuisine is, and taquerias are definitely part of the narrative (along with green chile).

16th Street Mall - Located in downtown Denver, this one-mile pedestrian section is packed with tons of cafes, brewpubs and restaurants. After a night out, play one of the ten public pianos on display. It's touristy, but a must-see for first-timers.

8. There are plenty of fun things to do in Denver.

Relocating to Denver is a much more enjoyable experience when you know there's a ton you'll want to do once you arrive. Do any of the following interest you enough to start packing up your belongings and heading to Denver?

Professional Sports Teams:

Denver Broncos - One of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970, with a cult following

Colorado Rockies - Coors Field has jokingly been called the best bar in Denver, so even if you're not a baseball fan, the stadium is worth a visit

Colorado Avalanche - NHL team that won eight division title games in a row–the longest streak in the league

Denver Nuggets - NBA team that has yet to reach the championship round in the playoffs, but is fun to watch nonetheless

Attractions and Fun Things to Do:

Top Golf - Spend a leisurely day hitting some golf balls further than you normally would. No, really. Due to the high altitude, golf balls can reportedly go up to 10% farther!

The Stanley Hotel - Horror fanatics should take an hour trek outside of Denver to visit this historic landmark that inspired Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, The Shining. Want a glimpse into the paranormal? Take their Night Spirit Tour and explore some creepy spaces.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Chances are, if you want to see one of your favorite big time musicians live, they will have played at Red Rocks. The most acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater in the world, music sounds incredible here and the views are unforgettable.

Denver Performing Arts Complex (The DCPA) - Enjoy a variety of seasonal events on this four-block strip, like Broadway Theatre, ballet and opera.

9. Taking advantage of the great outdoors is easy all year.

Denver is the ideal location for adventure seekers looking to explore thrilling mountain peaks and valleys. But you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie or avid skier to enjoy outdoor life in Colorado. There are dozens of day trips suitable for the entire family all year round.

Green Spaces in the City:

Washington Park - Take a pedal boat across Smith Lake for a perfect afternoon with the family.

City Park - Hike the Mile High Trail in this park and get a five-kilometer workout exactly one mile above sea level.

Confluence Park - Take a kayak out and explore man-made kayak chutes located minutes from downtown.

Cherry Creek Bike Path – A 42-mile paved pathway that starts in downtown Denver, you could bike for a few hours or make the day of it.

Ski Getaways:

Vail Mountain Resort - There are 5,289 acres of skiable slopes at this legendary ski spot.

Breckenridge – With five peaks in one resort, travelers come from all over the world to ski Breck.

Winter Park - This is the longest running ski resort in Colorado with over 3,000 acres of award-winning terrain to explore.

Copper Mountain – One of the more local resorts, Copper's naturally divided terrain is a great place to learn and perfect your turns.

Outdoor Adventures:

Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver's most accessible national park, RMNP is 415 square miles of protected mountain land. Drive Trail Ridge Road for epic views and hike the acclaimed Dream Lake.

Mount Evans - Climb the highest paved road in North America and eventually reach the summit at 14,260 feet.

Rocky Mountain Ziplines - Zip through sections of the Rocky Mountains and take in the sights on over 6,000 feet of cable.

Clear Creek Whitewater Rafting – The closest whitewater to Denver, ride the rapids for a real adrenaline rush.

Glenwood Springs – Colorado has more than 30 hot springs, which are a relaxing year-round getaway.

Private Foothills Tour - Take a four hour trek through the Foothills of Denver. There are many stops built into the tour. If you have kids, make sure to stop at Dinosaur Ridge, which is optional.

10. Marijuana is legal, but public consumption is not.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, which might not impact your life in Denver as much as you think. You may smell it, but you'll rarely see people partaking, as it is still illegal to smoke in public. According to a survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health, only 13.6% of residents partake in recreational marijuana use, and fewer of them smoke every day. While this figure is much larger than the national average, some argue that many pot smokers in other states keep their habit behind closed doors. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there are some things you should know, as that Rocky Mountain High is a big part of life in Denver.

Marijuana Etiquette:

Dispensaries are identified with green crosses that look like pharmacies. “Bud-tenders” will walk you through the buying process and explain the effects the different strains may have on your body (sativa, indica and hybrids).

If you wish to smoke pot in your home, make sure it is allowed in your lease agreement before you light up.

You must be over the age of 21 to buy and consume pot in Colorado.

Public use of marijuana is illegal, so don't expect to find people lighting up in the streets.

Certain hotels and AirBnbs restrict the use of marijuana on their premises, so be sure to find a smoker-friendly establishment if you're planning a trip and wish to smoke.

Just because marijuana use is legal doesn't mean your boss has to agree. Your company can administer drug tests and create policies banning the use of marijuana.

The marijuana industry is very innovative and there are many ways to experiment with its effects without actually smoking. Topicals, edibles, and vaping are all extremely popular.

If pregnant, the CDPH advises strongly against the use of marijuana. If any newborn baby tests positive for THC, the hospital is advised to contact child protective services.

Make relocating to Denver a relatively simple process.

If you're planning a move to Denver, creating a checklist of everything you need to do can be helpful. In order to be considered a resident of Denver, you must be employed, own a business, or reside in Denver for at least 90 days. Don't forget some of these essential steps to becoming a Denverite.

Moving to Denver Checklist:

Before registering your car, update out of state vehicle titles using this form. Be sure your car will pass the required emissions tests before bringing it into the state. If not, you may have to sell the car before you move.

Transfer your license within 30 days and register your car within 90 days at the DMV.

Decide whether or not you want to update your organ donor status.

Register to vote in Colorado online.

Learn about the requirements for residency as it relates to higher education.

Change your address and have your mail forwarded using this form from the USPS.

Sometimes relocation dates don't match up exactly. If your belongings arrive before you have access to your home, consider temporary self storage in Denver.

We hope you learned a thing or two about life in Denver. Would you ever move here? Do you have some insight you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 2/2/18 and was revised on 1/10/19 to provide new information.

[stevhenzana-blog]

Moving to Denver - 10 Pros and Cons You Should Know

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates sat atop Pikes Peak and wrote “America the Beautiful,” one of the most well-known patriotic songs of our time. Just about 100 miles away from that summit at the base of the Rocky Mountains sits Denver, Colorado. With its blue skies and panoramic mountain views, Denver, a.k.a. the Mile High City is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, its beauty has inspired countless other authors, musicians and pop culture icons.

Maybe this natural beauty is why moving to Denver is so appealing. Or, maybe it's the 300-days of sun a year, easy access to the mountains and inherent outdoor playground. Either way, Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, with almost 100,000 people moving there in the past seven years. Now, with a population of over three million, the city is scrambling to develop the infrastructure, transit and housing needed to keep pace with the demand.

Would you move to Denver? The area boasts a strong economy and a shiny, new façade that will take your breath away, both literally and figuratively. But some argue that it's overcrowded and expensive. We're exploring some other reasons why you might want to stay or stay away. These living in Denver pros and cons should help you decide if Denver is, in fact, the right choice for you. Have some advice you'd like to share with potential residents? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Denver is young, hip and desirable.

A millennial haven, 66% of the population in Denver are under the age of 44. Denver is also not a very culturally diverse city. 76.9% of the population is Caucasian, with gentrification being a major hot-button issue. This has greatly impacted the demand for rental housing, which makes homeownership less obtainable.

Denver is among the likes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle when it comes to home price appreciation outpacing income growth and affordability. Apartments rent for an average of $1,519 a month, with median home prices jumping 10% to $420,000 in 2018.

If you can stomach the prices, one major pro of living in Denver is the views. No matter which neighborhood you choose, the metro is surrounded by 140 miles of panoramic mountain views, totaling 200 visible peaks.

That said, the very first step to becoming a Denverite is picking a neighborhood. Living in Denver is an experience, and because so many people want to do it, picking a community can get competitive and pricey (more on that later). Decide whether any of the following areas suit you, then figure out if you can afford it.

Top Neighborhoods in Denver

Fast-paced living with a relaxed vibe is possible in any of the following city neighborhoods. However, each area offers a little something different, which make picking the right one that much more important. Here are a few of the best places to live in Denver.

The Highlands – Widely accepted as one of the most desirable places to live, the Highlands, and LoHi (Lower Highlands) specifically, is teeming with innovative restaurant concepts, hip rooftops, patios and boutique shops.

Average apartment rental: $2,023

RiNo (River North) – If you don't want to be a LoDo (Lower Downtown) Ballpark Bro, RiNo is downtown Denver's hipster neighbor. Full of trendy warehouse conversions, street art and an explosion of bars and restaurants, it's the current place to see and be seen.

Average apartment rental: $1,727

Capitol Hill – A bit rougher around the edges, Cap Hill is generally regarded to be the most affordable and convenient neighborhood in city proper. Home to the Capital building, it's major thoroughfare of Colfax Avenue is the longest street in America.

Average apartment rental: $1,519

We spoke with seasoned broker and real estate agent, Irene Glazer of Live Urban Real Estate for some insight. “Preference on which neighborhood to choose can vary widely based on taste and budget,” Glazer explains. “Do you like urban, suburban, hip, up-and-coming, walkable, trendy, affordable, accessible to mountains/downtown, parks? Denver has a wonderful array that will fit most any lifestyle.”

Glazer gave us a sampling of a few more under-the-radar Denver neighborhoods that have their own unique charm and character.

Harvey Park - This neighborhood is located in Southwest Denver and is bounded by South Sheridan, Hampden, Lowell, and Jewell. Built in the 1950's, it's known for its selection of some of Denver's best and most affordable, mid-century modern architecture. Cliff May-style California Contemporary homes fill the neighborhoods' quiet, suburban-like streets.

Average home prices: in the low $400,000s.

Platt Park -  This area is located in Southeast Denver and is bounded by Downing, Broadway, Evans and I-25, Platt Park is seeing many of its older homes remodeled for 21st century living as well as quite a few new builds and pop-tops. The neighborhood is lovely, charming and walkable with one of the best/quaintest shopping districts, South Pearl Street. Don't miss the summertime Farmer's Market because it's arguably the best in the city.

Average home prices: around $500,000.

Sunnyside - Located in Northwest Denver, Sunnyside is bounded by I70, 38th, Federal and I25. It's an up-and-coming neighborhood near trendy Tennyson and is already pretty well discovered, yet still in transition. It's easy to take a bike ride or a walk downtown, and there is easy access to get out of town. This area has a wonderful mix of old architecture as well as new (mostly attached) homes. Trendy coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and home goods stores are starting to pop up everywhere.

Average home prices: in the $500,000s.

Denver Suburbs to Consider:

Denver is a good place to raise a family if you have the right resources, like a stable job and a steady income. Bringing some kids along for the move? Check out some of these top rated Denver suburbs.

Stapleton – Stapleton is a new neighborhood that popped up a few years ago built on the old airport base. Its proximity to the city and relative affordability of new builds makes it a popular option for young families.

Arvada - Olde Town Arvada has one of the cutest “Main streets” of any suburb. Its popularity has also caught on the past few years, driving up home prices.

Englewood - This is a suburb with a lot of variety. Englewood has small, affordable homes with character located near the fun and funk of South Broadway, suburban “tract” style homes near the Denver Tech Center and sprawling mansions in Cherry Hills Village.

Wheat Ridge - Close enough to the city yet a world away, Wheat Ridge is a natural expansion from NW Denver. There's tons of new development happening on 38th Ave., with breweries and restaurants clamoring to get in on the action.

2. Denver is becoming a major city.

There are so many opinions out there as to whether or not living in Denver is affordable. Some stats say yes it's affordable (compared to metros like New York City), but rapidly increasing rental prices and fast selling homes say otherwise. While living in Denver is much more affordable than living in places like Los Angeles, it's still pricey. For instance, the median home cost in Denver is $421,900, which just about doubles the national average of $216,200.

Before moving to Denver, make sure you're able to spend within your means, which means allotting no more than 30% of your salary to housing costs. If you're looking to buy or rent before relocating, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Finding a place is highly competitive so most people use a rental agent. If you opt to rent, make sure you know your rights as a Colorado tenant.

Denver Housing Market Stats

Irene Glazer also helped us understand just how the housing market has changed over the past few years. Here are some highlights:

The Denver housing market has been appreciating at a double-digit clip since we started our climb out of the recession in about 2013. This past year we saw a bit slower appreciation of about 8%.

Our average sold price in metro Denver finished out at approximately $475K in 2017, and the prediction is that we will be around $500K by the end of 2018.

Inventory is still the biggest buzzword, and we are still extremely short on it, without a reprieve in sight.

We are about to enter the “Market Compression” phase in our annual real estate cycle where demand picks up before homes are listed, creating our early spring frenzy. This creates additional challenges as inventory levels typically continue to fall through January. If demand picks up, multiple offers, bidding wars and heightened flash sales could accelerate pricing earlier than expected in 2018.

Not sure whether you should rent or buy? According to Glazer, weighing expected appreciation, even at modest rates of 6% (Denver's historical average), against impending rent increases, it is still more advantageous to own vs. rent in the Denver market.

3. The cost of living in Denver won't break the bank, yet.

The biggest hurdle new residents face when moving to Denver is housing costs. Other than that, most cost of living expenses is more or less comparative to other cities.

Cost of Living Factors:

Taxes - Property taxes are relatively low, sales tax is high, and income tax falls right in the middle at 4.63%.

Health Care - Costs about 17% more than the national average.

Groceries - You'll pay about 4% less than the national average.

4. Denver's economy is booming.

Higher paying jobs are available in Denver because so many top companies want to be based here. However, that means the competition for a quality job is that much more intense. Also, wages in Denver might not be as high as they need to be to afford the cost of living.

The average median income in Denver is $57,773, which is about 6% less than than the national average. Even if you can afford to live in Denver today, it's important to note that average salary increases aren't keeping pace with rising rents.

This discrepancy between rising housing costs and stagnant salaries could cause an issue a few years in and force a move further outside the city. Make sure you have a job in hand and some additional savings before relocating to this highly desirable area.

Top Denver Industries & Companies:

Tech - The startup scene is exploding with companies like Baker Technologies and more established companies like Google and HomeAdvisor.

Aerospace -Denver is keen on becoming “Aerospace Alley” (their play on Silicon Valley) with major companies like The Boeing Company, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman located here.

Agriculture - Colorado's food and agriculture industry generates more than $5 billion a year, with companies like Love Grown Foods, Leprino Foods and Nutrien leading the charge. Colorado also ranks third in the nation for craft beer sales and production.

Casual Concepts - Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Qboda and Boston Market are all headquartered here.

Marijuana – Cannabis is big business, bringing in more revenue than some small countries.

5. Once you adjust to the altitude, the weather is incredible.

The quality of life in Denver is highly desirable, once you get used to the lack of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not located in the Rocky Mountains. It is a mile or so above sea level, though (5,280 feet, to be exact), and that can take your body some time to adjust. For most people, the pros far outweigh the cons as far as weather is concerned.

What It's Like Living in Denver:

There are an estimated 300 days of sunshine every year. Even though the summers are hot, they lack humidity, which makes them more comfortable.

The sky is bluer and the stars are brighter than other parts of the country due to the high-desert climate and elevation.

Some of the top weekend vacation destinations are located within a few hours of Denver.

The temperature can rise or fall by 40 degrees in a day due to the altitude, so always dress in layers.

Since the air is thinner, there are lower levels of oxygen, which can take a toll on your body if you're not used to it or have an ongoing medical condition.

Tips to Acclimate to the Altitude:

The air is really dry, which can dehydrate your body if you're not drinking enough water. Make sure to drink more water than you normally would, and always have chap-stick handy.

Take it easy upon arrival. If you plan to do any mountain activities, give your body a few days to acclimate.

Make sure to get enough sleep if the altitude makes you feel drowsy.

At higher elevations, the sun is more intense, so always wear sunscreen!

6. Traffic is undesirable in and out of the city.

One difference between Denver and other large cities is the amount of weekend traffic headed out of the city toward the mountains. Ski traffic is something you'll want to account for if you move here since Denver is situated 75 miles or so from dozens of world-renowned ski resorts. Expect heavy traffic on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the winter. It can take anywhere from a 1.5-hour drive to 6+ hour nightmare.

But that isn't the only time you'll run into traffic in Denver. Since the city exploded with growth in the past decade, traffic within the metro can get congested too. Luckily, Denver is geographically small so getting to and from anywhere should take about 20-minutes during non-rush hour periods. Also, if you live and work in the downtown area, biking and the new Lime Scooters are a viable way to commute.

Tips for Getting Around:

Be careful where you park. The sides of the street change to accommodate street sweeping.

Consider getting a car with four-wheel drive or one that can handle more rugged mountain driving and varied weather conditions.

The city added new light rail lines in 2016, including one that goes to the airport. Other light rails connect some suburbs to the city.

Denver is a highly bike-friendly city. It's estimated that between 6-7% of downtown employees commute to work by bike.

You can also rent B-cycle bikes from docks around the city, either by the hour or by day.

7. Denver is a beer destination and is on its way to becoming a food destination.

Craft brew fanatics will love that Denver is home to the second most microbreweries next to Portland. In fact, the area has been coined as the Napa Valley of Beer. But if you're looking to enjoy a pint or two during happy hour, remember to drink some water too. If not, you might feel buzzed sooner than you would in cities closer to sea level. Beer can have more of an effect due to thin air.

We spoke with Editor of Rocky Mountain Food Report, Dionne Roberts, on how the food and drink scene has evolved. “Denver's craft culinary and beverage scene continues to show rapid growth with the influx of diverse and gifted chefs, brewers and distillers,” Roberts explains. “More people want to be a part of the mountain culture and that adds depth to the growing number of options and cultivates a higher sense of quality in the cuisine.”

Roberts also shared with us some recommendations for potential residents to visit while in Denver.

Places to Drink:

First Draft - A place to try dozens of local microbrews all under one roof. At First Draft, you're given a swipe card to pour your own tastings.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales - Specializes in unique, blended and barrel-aged sour beers with industrial airplane-esque decor and meticulous brewing processes.

Epic Brewing Company - Offers a fun, community tasting room with a lineup of dozens of flagship and elevated craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing Company - Relays an approachable rock n' roll edge in their stylistic, aptly-named beers, live music performances and funky brewery atmosphere.

My Brother's Bar – So old it's been operating since before Colorado was officially a state, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg all hung out here.

Death & Co – If you get tired of beer, this NYC outpost has a literal bible of craft cocktails in the swanky Ramble Hotel.

Williams & Graham – Denver is also huge on speakeasies, with Williams & Graham named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. The coolest part? You have to walk through a bookshelf to find it.

Great American Beer Fest - This fall festival has the largest variety of beer served of any public tasting across the country. You'll be hard-pressed to try them all, since there are over 800 breweries and thousands of beers present. Buy your tickets immediately when they go on sale, as they do sell out in minutes.

Places to Eat:

Euclid Hall - Located in the heart of Larimer Square with a focus on elevated pub fare, a great ambiance and thorough attention to providing locally sourced ingredients.

AVANTI Food and Beverage - Denver basically pioneered the food hall concept, and AVANTI was one of the OGs for its killer rooftop. All vendors have short-term leases as a way to test pilot their concepts.

Beatrice & Woodsley - A whimsical, cozy restaurant with a seasonal craft menu on Broadway that boasts a fairy tale interior perfect for date night or intimate gatherings.

Snooze – Brunch is serious business in Denver, and local chain Snooze is always slammed. Expect to wait about an hour for their signature pancake flights.

Linger – A former mortuary turned “eatuary,” Linger serves innovative, international small places. Don't miss the vintage VW bus on the roof and one of the best skyline views of the city.

The Buckhorn Exchange – A National Historic Landmark, the Buckhorn Exchange received the state's first liquor license and pays homage to the state's game meat culture. If you're brave, it's also the place to try Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Tavernetta – The newly revamped Union Station has really become a must-see destination and hotspot. While all the restaurants are good, Tavernetta is elevated Italian worth seeking out.

TAG – Troy Guard is one of Denver's most beloved chefs. His first outpost has unique fusion dishes, like Hamachi with pop rocks.  

Tacos Tequila Whiskey – Ask anyone what Denver's staple cuisine is, and taquerias are definitely part of the narrative (along with green chile).

16th Street Mall - Located in downtown Denver, this one-mile pedestrian section is packed with tons of cafes, brewpubs and restaurants. After a night out, play one of the ten public pianos on display. It's touristy, but a must-see for first-timers.

8. There are plenty of fun things to do in Denver.

Relocating to Denver is a much more enjoyable experience when you know there's a ton you'll want to do once you arrive. Do any of the following interest you enough to start packing up your belongings and heading to Denver?

Professional Sports Teams:

Denver Broncos - One of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970, with a cult following

Colorado Rockies - Coors Field has jokingly been called the best bar in Denver, so even if you're not a baseball fan, the stadium is worth a visit

Colorado Avalanche - NHL team that won eight division title games in a row–the longest streak in the league

Denver Nuggets - NBA team that has yet to reach the championship round in the playoffs, but is fun to watch nonetheless

Attractions and Fun Things to Do:

Top Golf - Spend a leisurely day hitting some golf balls further than you normally would. No, really. Due to the high altitude, golf balls can reportedly go up to 10% farther!

The Stanley Hotel - Horror fanatics should take an hour trek outside of Denver to visit this historic landmark that inspired Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, The Shining. Want a glimpse into the paranormal? Take their Night Spirit Tour and explore some creepy spaces.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Chances are, if you want to see one of your favorite big time musicians live, they will have played at Red Rocks. The most acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater in the world, music sounds incredible here and the views are unforgettable.

Denver Performing Arts Complex (The DCPA) - Enjoy a variety of seasonal events on this four-block strip, like Broadway Theatre, ballet and opera.

9. Taking advantage of the great outdoors is easy all year.

Denver is the ideal location for adventure seekers looking to explore thrilling mountain peaks and valleys. But you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie or avid skier to enjoy outdoor life in Colorado. There are dozens of day trips suitable for the entire family all year round.

Green Spaces in the City:

Washington Park - Take a pedal boat across Smith Lake for a perfect afternoon with the family.

City Park - Hike the Mile High Trail in this park and get a five-kilometer workout exactly one mile above sea level.

Confluence Park - Take a kayak out and explore man-made kayak chutes located minutes from downtown.

Cherry Creek Bike Path – A 42-mile paved pathway that starts in downtown Denver, you could bike for a few hours or make the day of it.

Ski Getaways:

Vail Mountain Resort - There are 5,289 acres of skiable slopes at this legendary ski spot.

Breckenridge – With five peaks in one resort, travelers come from all over the world to ski Breck.

Winter Park - This is the longest running ski resort in Colorado with over 3,000 acres of award-winning terrain to explore.

Copper Mountain – One of the more local resorts, Copper's naturally divided terrain is a great place to learn and perfect your turns.

Outdoor Adventures:

Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver's most accessible national park, RMNP is 415 square miles of protected mountain land. Drive Trail Ridge Road for epic views and hike the acclaimed Dream Lake.

Mount Evans - Climb the highest paved road in North America and eventually reach the summit at 14,260 feet.

Rocky Mountain Ziplines - Zip through sections of the Rocky Mountains and take in the sights on over 6,000 feet of cable.

Clear Creek Whitewater Rafting – The closest whitewater to Denver, ride the rapids for a real adrenaline rush.

Glenwood Springs – Colorado has more than 30 hot springs, which are a relaxing year-round getaway.

Private Foothills Tour - Take a four hour trek through the Foothills of Denver. There are many stops built into the tour. If you have kids, make sure to stop at Dinosaur Ridge, which is optional.

10. Marijuana is legal, but public consumption is not.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, which might not impact your life in Denver as much as you think. You may smell it, but you'll rarely see people partaking, as it is still illegal to smoke in public. According to a survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health, only 13.6% of residents partake in recreational marijuana use, and fewer of them smoke every day. While this figure is much larger than the national average, some argue that many pot smokers in other states keep their habit behind closed doors. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there are some things you should know, as that Rocky Mountain High is a big part of life in Denver.

Marijuana Etiquette:

Dispensaries are identified with green crosses that look like pharmacies. “Bud-tenders” will walk you through the buying process and explain the effects the different strains may have on your body (sativa, indica and hybrids).

If you wish to smoke pot in your home, make sure it is allowed in your lease agreement before you light up.

You must be over the age of 21 to buy and consume pot in Colorado.

Public use of marijuana is illegal, so don't expect to find people lighting up in the streets.

Certain hotels and AirBnbs restrict the use of marijuana on their premises, so be sure to find a smoker-friendly establishment if you're planning a trip and wish to smoke.

Just because marijuana use is legal doesn't mean your boss has to agree. Your company can administer drug tests and create policies banning the use of marijuana.

The marijuana industry is very innovative and there are many ways to experiment with its effects without actually smoking. Topicals, edibles, and vaping are all extremely popular.

If pregnant, the CDPH advises strongly against the use of marijuana. If any newborn baby tests positive for THC, the hospital is advised to contact child protective services.

Make relocating to Denver a relatively simple process.

If you're planning a move to Denver, creating a checklist of everything you need to do can be helpful. In order to be considered a resident of Denver, you must be employed, own a business, or reside in Denver for at least 90 days. Don't forget some of these essential steps to becoming a Denverite.

Moving to Denver Checklist:

Before registering your car, update out of state vehicle titles using this form. Be sure your car will pass the required emissions tests before bringing it into the state. If not, you may have to sell the car before you move.

Transfer your license within 30 days and register your car within 90 days at the DMV.

Decide whether or not you want to update your organ donor status.

Register to vote in Colorado online.

Learn about the requirements for residency as it relates to higher education.

Change your address and have your mail forwarded using this form from the USPS.

Sometimes relocation dates don't match up exactly. If your belongings arrive before you have access to your home, consider temporary self storage in Denver.

We hope you learned a thing or two about life in Denver. Would you ever move here? Do you have some insight you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 2/2/18 and was revised on 1/10/19 to provide new information.

[michelea198531-blog]

Moving to Denver - 10 Pros and Cons You Should Know

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates sat atop Pikes Peak and wrote “America the Beautiful,” one of the most well-known patriotic songs of our time. Just about 100 miles away from that summit at the base of the Rocky Mountains sits Denver, Colorado. With its blue skies and panoramic mountain views, Denver, a.k.a. the Mile High City is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, its beauty has inspired countless other authors, musicians and pop culture icons.

Maybe this natural beauty is why moving to Denver is so appealing. Or, maybe it's the 300-days of sun a year, easy access to the mountains and inherent outdoor playground. Either way, Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, with almost 100,000 people moving there in the past seven years. Now, with a population of over three million, the city is scrambling to develop the infrastructure, transit and housing needed to keep pace with the demand.

Would you move to Denver? The area boasts a strong economy and a shiny, new façade that will take your breath away, both literally and figuratively. But some argue that it's overcrowded and expensive. We're exploring some other reasons why you might want to stay or stay away. These living in Denver pros and cons should help you decide if Denver is, in fact, the right choice for you. Have some advice you'd like to share with potential residents? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Denver is young, hip and desirable.

A millennial haven, 66% of the population in Denver are under the age of 44. Denver is also not a very culturally diverse city. 76.9% of the population is Caucasian, with gentrification being a major hot-button issue. This has greatly impacted the demand for rental housing, which makes homeownership less obtainable.

Denver is among the likes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle when it comes to home price appreciation outpacing income growth and affordability. Apartments rent for an average of $1,519 a month, with median home prices jumping 10% to $420,000 in 2018.

If you can stomach the prices, one major pro of living in Denver is the views. No matter which neighborhood you choose, the metro is surrounded by 140 miles of panoramic mountain views, totaling 200 visible peaks.

That said, the very first step to becoming a Denverite is picking a neighborhood. Living in Denver is an experience, and because so many people want to do it, picking a community can get competitive and pricey (more on that later). Decide whether any of the following areas suit you, then figure out if you can afford it.

Top Neighborhoods in Denver

Fast-paced living with a relaxed vibe is possible in any of the following city neighborhoods. However, each area offers a little something different, which make picking the right one that much more important. Here are a few of the best places to live in Denver.

The Highlands – Widely accepted as one of the most desirable places to live, the Highlands, and LoHi (Lower Highlands) specifically, is teeming with innovative restaurant concepts, hip rooftops, patios and boutique shops.

Average apartment rental: $2,023

RiNo (River North) – If you don't want to be a LoDo (Lower Downtown) Ballpark Bro, RiNo is downtown Denver's hipster neighbor. Full of trendy warehouse conversions, street art and an explosion of bars and restaurants, it's the current place to see and be seen.

Average apartment rental: $1,727

Capitol Hill – A bit rougher around the edges, Cap Hill is generally regarded to be the most affordable and convenient neighborhood in city proper. Home to the Capital building, it's major thoroughfare of Colfax Avenue is the longest street in America.

Average apartment rental: $1,519

We spoke with seasoned broker and real estate agent, Irene Glazer of Live Urban Real Estate for some insight. “Preference on which neighborhood to choose can vary widely based on taste and budget,” Glazer explains. “Do you like urban, suburban, hip, up-and-coming, walkable, trendy, affordable, accessible to mountains/downtown, parks? Denver has a wonderful array that will fit most any lifestyle.”

Glazer gave us a sampling of a few more under-the-radar Denver neighborhoods that have their own unique charm and character.

Harvey Park - This neighborhood is located in Southwest Denver and is bounded by South Sheridan, Hampden, Lowell, and Jewell. Built in the 1950's, it's known for its selection of some of Denver's best and most affordable, mid-century modern architecture. Cliff May-style California Contemporary homes fill the neighborhoods' quiet, suburban-like streets.

Average home prices: in the low $400,000s.

Platt Park -  This area is located in Southeast Denver and is bounded by Downing, Broadway, Evans and I-25, Platt Park is seeing many of its older homes remodeled for 21st century living as well as quite a few new builds and pop-tops. The neighborhood is lovely, charming and walkable with one of the best/quaintest shopping districts, South Pearl Street. Don't miss the summertime Farmer's Market because it's arguably the best in the city.

Average home prices: around $500,000.

Sunnyside - Located in Northwest Denver, Sunnyside is bounded by I70, 38th, Federal and I25. It's an up-and-coming neighborhood near trendy Tennyson and is already pretty well discovered, yet still in transition. It's easy to take a bike ride or a walk downtown, and there is easy access to get out of town. This area has a wonderful mix of old architecture as well as new (mostly attached) homes. Trendy coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and home goods stores are starting to pop up everywhere.

Average home prices: in the $500,000s.

Denver Suburbs to Consider:

Denver is a good place to raise a family if you have the right resources, like a stable job and a steady income. Bringing some kids along for the move? Check out some of these top rated Denver suburbs.

Stapleton – Stapleton is a new neighborhood that popped up a few years ago built on the old airport base. Its proximity to the city and relative affordability of new builds makes it a popular option for young families.

Arvada - Olde Town Arvada has one of the cutest “Main streets” of any suburb. Its popularity has also caught on the past few years, driving up home prices.

Englewood - This is a suburb with a lot of variety. Englewood has small, affordable homes with character located near the fun and funk of South Broadway, suburban “tract” style homes near the Denver Tech Center and sprawling mansions in Cherry Hills Village.

Wheat Ridge - Close enough to the city yet a world away, Wheat Ridge is a natural expansion from NW Denver. There's tons of new development happening on 38th Ave., with breweries and restaurants clamoring to get in on the action.

2. Denver is becoming a major city.

There are so many opinions out there as to whether or not living in Denver is affordable. Some stats say yes it's affordable (compared to metros like New York City), but rapidly increasing rental prices and fast selling homes say otherwise. While living in Denver is much more affordable than living in places like Los Angeles, it's still pricey. For instance, the median home cost in Denver is $421,900, which just about doubles the national average of $216,200.

Before moving to Denver, make sure you're able to spend within your means, which means allotting no more than 30% of your salary to housing costs. If you're looking to buy or rent before relocating, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Finding a place is highly competitive so most people use a rental agent. If you opt to rent, make sure you know your rights as a Colorado tenant.

Denver Housing Market Stats

Irene Glazer also helped us understand just how the housing market has changed over the past few years. Here are some highlights:

The Denver housing market has been appreciating at a double-digit clip since we started our climb out of the recession in about 2013. This past year we saw a bit slower appreciation of about 8%.

Our average sold price in metro Denver finished out at approximately $475K in 2017, and the prediction is that we will be around $500K by the end of 2018.

Inventory is still the biggest buzzword, and we are still extremely short on it, without a reprieve in sight.

We are about to enter the “Market Compression” phase in our annual real estate cycle where demand picks up before homes are listed, creating our early spring frenzy. This creates additional challenges as inventory levels typically continue to fall through January. If demand picks up, multiple offers, bidding wars and heightened flash sales could accelerate pricing earlier than expected in 2018.

Not sure whether you should rent or buy? According to Glazer, weighing expected appreciation, even at modest rates of 6% (Denver's historical average), against impending rent increases, it is still more advantageous to own vs. rent in the Denver market.

3. The cost of living in Denver won't break the bank, yet.

The biggest hurdle new residents face when moving to Denver is housing costs. Other than that, most cost of living expenses is more or less comparative to other cities.

Cost of Living Factors:

Taxes - Property taxes are relatively low, sales tax is high, and income tax falls right in the middle at 4.63%.

Health Care - Costs about 17% more than the national average.

Groceries - You'll pay about 4% less than the national average.

4. Denver's economy is booming.

Higher paying jobs are available in Denver because so many top companies want to be based here. However, that means the competition for a quality job is that much more intense. Also, wages in Denver might not be as high as they need to be to afford the cost of living.

The average median income in Denver is $57,773, which is about 6% less than than the national average. Even if you can afford to live in Denver today, it's important to note that average salary increases aren't keeping pace with rising rents.

This discrepancy between rising housing costs and stagnant salaries could cause an issue a few years in and force a move further outside the city. Make sure you have a job in hand and some additional savings before relocating to this highly desirable area.

Top Denver Industries & Companies:

Tech - The startup scene is exploding with companies like Baker Technologies and more established companies like Google and HomeAdvisor.

Aerospace -Denver is keen on becoming “Aerospace Alley” (their play on Silicon Valley) with major companies like The Boeing Company, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman located here.

Agriculture - Colorado's food and agriculture industry generates more than $5 billion a year, with companies like Love Grown Foods, Leprino Foods and Nutrien leading the charge. Colorado also ranks third in the nation for craft beer sales and production.

Casual Concepts - Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Qboda and Boston Market are all headquartered here.

Marijuana – Cannabis is big business, bringing in more revenue than some small countries.

5. Once you adjust to the altitude, the weather is incredible.

The quality of life in Denver is highly desirable, once you get used to the lack of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not located in the Rocky Mountains. It is a mile or so above sea level, though (5,280 feet, to be exact), and that can take your body some time to adjust. For most people, the pros far outweigh the cons as far as weather is concerned.

What It's Like Living in Denver:

There are an estimated 300 days of sunshine every year. Even though the summers are hot, they lack humidity, which makes them more comfortable.

The sky is bluer and the stars are brighter than other parts of the country due to the high-desert climate and elevation.

Some of the top weekend vacation destinations are located within a few hours of Denver.

The temperature can rise or fall by 40 degrees in a day due to the altitude, so always dress in layers.

Since the air is thinner, there are lower levels of oxygen, which can take a toll on your body if you're not used to it or have an ongoing medical condition.

Tips to Acclimate to the Altitude:

The air is really dry, which can dehydrate your body if you're not drinking enough water. Make sure to drink more water than you normally would, and always have chap-stick handy.

Take it easy upon arrival. If you plan to do any mountain activities, give your body a few days to acclimate.

Make sure to get enough sleep if the altitude makes you feel drowsy.

At higher elevations, the sun is more intense, so always wear sunscreen!

6. Traffic is undesirable in and out of the city.

One difference between Denver and other large cities is the amount of weekend traffic headed out of the city toward the mountains. Ski traffic is something you'll want to account for if you move here since Denver is situated 75 miles or so from dozens of world-renowned ski resorts. Expect heavy traffic on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the winter. It can take anywhere from a 1.5-hour drive to 6+ hour nightmare.

But that isn't the only time you'll run into traffic in Denver. Since the city exploded with growth in the past decade, traffic within the metro can get congested too. Luckily, Denver is geographically small so getting to and from anywhere should take about 20-minutes during non-rush hour periods. Also, if you live and work in the downtown area, biking and the new Lime Scooters are a viable way to commute.

Tips for Getting Around:

Be careful where you park. The sides of the street change to accommodate street sweeping.

Consider getting a car with four-wheel drive or one that can handle more rugged mountain driving and varied weather conditions.

The city added new light rail lines in 2016, including one that goes to the airport. Other light rails connect some suburbs to the city.

Denver is a highly bike-friendly city. It's estimated that between 6-7% of downtown employees commute to work by bike.

You can also rent B-cycle bikes from docks around the city, either by the hour or by day.

7. Denver is a beer destination and is on its way to becoming a food destination.

Craft brew fanatics will love that Denver is home to the second most microbreweries next to Portland. In fact, the area has been coined as the Napa Valley of Beer. But if you're looking to enjoy a pint or two during happy hour, remember to drink some water too. If not, you might feel buzzed sooner than you would in cities closer to sea level. Beer can have more of an effect due to thin air.

We spoke with Editor of Rocky Mountain Food Report, Dionne Roberts, on how the food and drink scene has evolved. “Denver's craft culinary and beverage scene continues to show rapid growth with the influx of diverse and gifted chefs, brewers and distillers,” Roberts explains. “More people want to be a part of the mountain culture and that adds depth to the growing number of options and cultivates a higher sense of quality in the cuisine.”

Roberts also shared with us some recommendations for potential residents to visit while in Denver.

Places to Drink:

First Draft - A place to try dozens of local microbrews all under one roof. At First Draft, you're given a swipe card to pour your own tastings.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales - Specializes in unique, blended and barrel-aged sour beers with industrial airplane-esque decor and meticulous brewing processes.

Epic Brewing Company - Offers a fun, community tasting room with a lineup of dozens of flagship and elevated craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing Company - Relays an approachable rock n' roll edge in their stylistic, aptly-named beers, live music performances and funky brewery atmosphere.

My Brother's Bar – So old it's been operating since before Colorado was officially a state, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg all hung out here.

Death & Co – If you get tired of beer, this NYC outpost has a literal bible of craft cocktails in the swanky Ramble Hotel.

Williams & Graham – Denver is also huge on speakeasies, with Williams & Graham named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. The coolest part? You have to walk through a bookshelf to find it.

Great American Beer Fest - This fall festival has the largest variety of beer served of any public tasting across the country. You'll be hard-pressed to try them all, since there are over 800 breweries and thousands of beers present. Buy your tickets immediately when they go on sale, as they do sell out in minutes.

Places to Eat:

Euclid Hall - Located in the heart of Larimer Square with a focus on elevated pub fare, a great ambiance and thorough attention to providing locally sourced ingredients.

AVANTI Food and Beverage - Denver basically pioneered the food hall concept, and AVANTI was one of the OGs for its killer rooftop. All vendors have short-term leases as a way to test pilot their concepts.

Beatrice & Woodsley - A whimsical, cozy restaurant with a seasonal craft menu on Broadway that boasts a fairy tale interior perfect for date night or intimate gatherings.

Snooze – Brunch is serious business in Denver, and local chain Snooze is always slammed. Expect to wait about an hour for their signature pancake flights.

Linger – A former mortuary turned “eatuary,” Linger serves innovative, international small places. Don't miss the vintage VW bus on the roof and one of the best skyline views of the city.

The Buckhorn Exchange – A National Historic Landmark, the Buckhorn Exchange received the state's first liquor license and pays homage to the state's game meat culture. If you're brave, it's also the place to try Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Tavernetta – The newly revamped Union Station has really become a must-see destination and hotspot. While all the restaurants are good, Tavernetta is elevated Italian worth seeking out.

TAG – Troy Guard is one of Denver's most beloved chefs. His first outpost has unique fusion dishes, like Hamachi with pop rocks.  

Tacos Tequila Whiskey – Ask anyone what Denver's staple cuisine is, and taquerias are definitely part of the narrative (along with green chile).

16th Street Mall - Located in downtown Denver, this one-mile pedestrian section is packed with tons of cafes, brewpubs and restaurants. After a night out, play one of the ten public pianos on display. It's touristy, but a must-see for first-timers.

8. There are plenty of fun things to do in Denver.

Relocating to Denver is a much more enjoyable experience when you know there's a ton you'll want to do once you arrive. Do any of the following interest you enough to start packing up your belongings and heading to Denver?

Professional Sports Teams:

Denver Broncos - One of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970, with a cult following

Colorado Rockies - Coors Field has jokingly been called the best bar in Denver, so even if you're not a baseball fan, the stadium is worth a visit

Colorado Avalanche - NHL team that won eight division title games in a row–the longest streak in the league

Denver Nuggets - NBA team that has yet to reach the championship round in the playoffs, but is fun to watch nonetheless

Attractions and Fun Things to Do:

Top Golf - Spend a leisurely day hitting some golf balls further than you normally would. No, really. Due to the high altitude, golf balls can reportedly go up to 10% farther!

The Stanley Hotel - Horror fanatics should take an hour trek outside of Denver to visit this historic landmark that inspired Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, The Shining. Want a glimpse into the paranormal? Take their Night Spirit Tour and explore some creepy spaces.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Chances are, if you want to see one of your favorite big time musicians live, they will have played at Red Rocks. The most acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater in the world, music sounds incredible here and the views are unforgettable.

Denver Performing Arts Complex (The DCPA) - Enjoy a variety of seasonal events on this four-block strip, like Broadway Theatre, ballet and opera.

9. Taking advantage of the great outdoors is easy all year.

Denver is the ideal location for adventure seekers looking to explore thrilling mountain peaks and valleys. But you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie or avid skier to enjoy outdoor life in Colorado. There are dozens of day trips suitable for the entire family all year round.

Green Spaces in the City:

Washington Park - Take a pedal boat across Smith Lake for a perfect afternoon with the family.

City Park - Hike the Mile High Trail in this park and get a five-kilometer workout exactly one mile above sea level.

Confluence Park - Take a kayak out and explore man-made kayak chutes located minutes from downtown.

Cherry Creek Bike Path – A 42-mile paved pathway that starts in downtown Denver, you could bike for a few hours or make the day of it.

Ski Getaways:

Vail Mountain Resort - There are 5,289 acres of skiable slopes at this legendary ski spot.

Breckenridge – With five peaks in one resort, travelers come from all over the world to ski Breck.

Winter Park - This is the longest running ski resort in Colorado with over 3,000 acres of award-winning terrain to explore.

Copper Mountain – One of the more local resorts, Copper's naturally divided terrain is a great place to learn and perfect your turns.

Outdoor Adventures:

Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver's most accessible national park, RMNP is 415 square miles of protected mountain land. Drive Trail Ridge Road for epic views and hike the acclaimed Dream Lake.

Mount Evans - Climb the highest paved road in North America and eventually reach the summit at 14,260 feet.

Rocky Mountain Ziplines - Zip through sections of the Rocky Mountains and take in the sights on over 6,000 feet of cable.

Clear Creek Whitewater Rafting – The closest whitewater to Denver, ride the rapids for a real adrenaline rush.

Glenwood Springs – Colorado has more than 30 hot springs, which are a relaxing year-round getaway.

Private Foothills Tour - Take a four hour trek through the Foothills of Denver. There are many stops built into the tour. If you have kids, make sure to stop at Dinosaur Ridge, which is optional.

10. Marijuana is legal, but public consumption is not.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, which might not impact your life in Denver as much as you think. You may smell it, but you'll rarely see people partaking, as it is still illegal to smoke in public. According to a survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health, only 13.6% of residents partake in recreational marijuana use, and fewer of them smoke every day. While this figure is much larger than the national average, some argue that many pot smokers in other states keep their habit behind closed doors. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there are some things you should know, as that Rocky Mountain High is a big part of life in Denver.

Marijuana Etiquette:

Dispensaries are identified with green crosses that look like pharmacies. “Bud-tenders” will walk you through the buying process and explain the effects the different strains may have on your body (sativa, indica and hybrids).

If you wish to smoke pot in your home, make sure it is allowed in your lease agreement before you light up.

You must be over the age of 21 to buy and consume pot in Colorado.

Public use of marijuana is illegal, so don't expect to find people lighting up in the streets.

Certain hotels and AirBnbs restrict the use of marijuana on their premises, so be sure to find a smoker-friendly establishment if you're planning a trip and wish to smoke.

Just because marijuana use is legal doesn't mean your boss has to agree. Your company can administer drug tests and create policies banning the use of marijuana.

The marijuana industry is very innovative and there are many ways to experiment with its effects without actually smoking. Topicals, edibles, and vaping are all extremely popular.

If pregnant, the CDPH advises strongly against the use of marijuana. If any newborn baby tests positive for THC, the hospital is advised to contact child protective services.

Make relocating to Denver a relatively simple process.

If you're planning a move to Denver, creating a checklist of everything you need to do can be helpful. In order to be considered a resident of Denver, you must be employed, own a business, or reside in Denver for at least 90 days. Don't forget some of these essential steps to becoming a Denverite.

Moving to Denver Checklist:

Before registering your car, update out of state vehicle titles using this form. Be sure your car will pass the required emissions tests before bringing it into the state. If not, you may have to sell the car before you move.

Transfer your license within 30 days and register your car within 90 days at the DMV.

Decide whether or not you want to update your organ donor status.

Register to vote in Colorado online.

Learn about the requirements for residency as it relates to higher education.

Change your address and have your mail forwarded using this form from the USPS.

Sometimes relocation dates don't match up exactly. If your belongings arrive before you have access to your home, consider temporary self storage in Denver.

We hope you learned a thing or two about life in Denver. Would you ever move here? Do you have some insight you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 2/2/18 and was revised on 1/10/19 to provide new information.

[apkaraby]

Launch HN: Terusama (YC W20) – We help warehouses schedule trucks Hi HN, Andrew and Chris here. We’re building Terusama ( https://ift.tt/33cwxt6 ), a truck appointment system for logistics teams at warehouses and distribution centers. We automate the labor-intensive process of coordinating arrival times with a trucking company, checking a truck in at a facility, and keeping track of everything. Oh, and we have a theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyp4O4s5tk4 The status quo here is really antiquated software that is really hard to use. Not only is the current way of doing things inefficient for logistics folks, it has a big impact. The inefficiency created by poor supply-chain coordination costs $30B a year in the U.S. and generates billions of tons of C02, mostly from trucks idling in parking lots. On top of that, it has a huge impact on the lives of truck drivers, who are legally limited to 11 hours of driving time each day. Waiting at warehouses often eats up 3-4 of those. Those wasted hours really add up, making the job unsustainable for many and contributing to another problem in the industry - driver turnover, which is over 90%. Most of this inefficiency is caused by the high level of friction in communication between the people who manage trucks, the drivers, and the people who the drivers are delivering to. The freight industry has made a ton of progress with software to help manage their fleets, but warehouse logistics software hasn’t caught up. Chris and I were students together at Indiana University. We became really interested in this space at our later jobs. I was working at Uber Freight (formerly Otto), and Chris was consulting for companies in the industry. We were constantly amazed at how big and complex an issue it was, and surprised that nobody was thinking about it in the same way we were. We started talking to as many people in the industry as possbile to figure a better way to manage logistics. The result was the version of Terusama we launched with in the beginning of the year. We have been since iterating on the product with a core group of customers. We streamline or automate most of the repetitive and administrative processes needed to keep trucks flowing smoothly in and out of a facility. We provide dispatchers at trucking companies and brokerages a way to search through facilities, and schedule directly with these facilities. When a truck driver arrives at a warehouse, we check them in at a kiosk. Our customers get a dashboard where they can track and manage loads coming to their facility. Logistics teams get visibility into their incoming trucks, the ability to communicate with drivers and carriers, and to track a load through its lifecycle (from staging through completion). Everyone involved is kept in the loop with smart notifications. In the future, an API will make it easy for anyone with a brokerage or trucking company to get facility availability (to feed into truck routing optimization), and schedule appointments. We’ll also offer services to help carriers reduce the risk of missing truck appointments. One of the most important things we’ve learned in this time is how important reliability is for a mission-critical app. It's obvious in retrospect, but it definitely changes your approach when building an application - requiring heavier testing, redundancy, and support as a form of redundancy. These days you hear a lot about things like autonomy and AI in the freight industry. We believe that to get the value promised by these things, we first have to upgrade the outdated technology infrastructure that currently runs the industry. Our goal is to build that infrastructure, while solving today’s pressing problems. We’re excited to see what HN thinks of our platform. We’re eager to hear about HN users’ experiences, ideas, and know there is a ton of expertise among the community to learn from. And if you’re in the industry, we’d love to hear about your experiences with truck scheduling! March 11, 2020 at 11:01PM via أبك عربي

[topicprinter]

Hi HN, Andrew and Chris here. We’re building Terusama (https://www.terusama.com), a truck appointment system for logistics teams at warehouses and distribution centers. We automate the labor-intensive process of coordinating arrival times with a trucking company, checking a truck in at a facility, and keeping track of everything. Oh, and we have a theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyp4O4s5tk4

The status quo here is really antiquated software that is really hard to use. Not only is the current way of doing things inefficient for logistics folks, it has a big impact. The inefficiency created by poor supply-chain coordination costs $30B a year in the U.S. and generates billions of tons of C02, mostly from trucks idling in parking lots. On top of that, it has a huge impact on the lives of truck drivers, who are legally limited to 11 hours of driving time each day. Waiting at warehouses often eats up 3-4 of those. Those wasted hours really add up, making the job unsustainable for many and contributing to another problem in the industry - driver turnover, which is over 90%.

Most of this inefficiency is caused by the high level of friction in communication between the people who manage trucks, the drivers, and the people who the drivers are delivering to. The freight industry has made a ton of progress with software to help manage their fleets, but warehouse logistics software hasn’t caught up.

Chris and I were students together at Indiana University. We became really interested in this space at our later jobs. I was working at Uber Freight (formerly Otto), and Chris was consulting for companies in the industry. We were constantly amazed at how big and complex an issue it was, and surprised that nobody was thinking about it in the same way we were. We started talking to as many people in the industry as possbile to figure a better way to manage logistics. The result was the version of Terusama we launched with in the beginning of the year. We have been since iterating on the product with a core group of customers.

We streamline or automate most of the repetitive and administrative processes needed to keep trucks flowing smoothly in and out of a facility. We provide dispatchers at trucking companies and brokerages a way to search through facilities, and schedule directly with these facilities. When a truck driver arrives at a warehouse, we check them in at a kiosk. Our customers get a dashboard where they can track and manage loads coming to their facility. Logistics teams get visibility into their incoming trucks, the ability to communicate with drivers and carriers, and to track a load through its lifecycle (from staging through completion). Everyone involved is kept in the loop with smart notifications. In the future, an API will make it easy for anyone with a brokerage or trucking company to get facility availability (to feed into truck routing optimization), and schedule appointments. We’ll also offer services to help carriers reduce the risk of missing truck appointments.

One of the most important things we’ve learned in this time is how important reliability is for a mission-critical app. It's obvious in retrospect, but it definitely changes your approach when building an application - requiring heavier testing, redundancy, and support as a form of redundancy.

These days you hear a lot about things like autonomy and AI in the freight industry. We believe that to get the value promised by these things, we first have to upgrade the outdated technology infrastructure that currently runs the industry. Our goal is to build that infrastructure, while solving today’s pressing problems.

We’re excited to see what HN thinks of our platform. We’re eager to hear about HN users’ experiences, ideas, and know there is a ton of expertise among the community to learn from. And if you’re in the industry, we’d love to hear about your experiences with truck scheduling!

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22550539

Points: 6

# Comments: 0

[jackombeyi]

5 Ecommerce Tools That Can Help You Score More Sales

It’s a great time to get involved in ecommerce, as revenues are on an upward climb. For example, in 2017, online purchases were responsible for 10.2 percent of all global retail sales. In 2021, they’re expected to grow to 17.5 percent of the market, as reported by Statista.

However, running a successful ecommerce business isn’t as easy as putting up an online store. This fact may prevent many hopeful entrepreneurs to give up before realizing a profit or to struggle as they try to figure out where they are going wrong.

One way to avoid this type of pitfall -- and to help entrepreneurial self-starters earn higher revenues -- is to share a few simple ecommerce tools, all of which are designed to help sell products online and increase those sales.

1. BigCommerce

If you're thinking about selling products online, you need a place to sell. BigCommerce provides that and offers ecommerce software that is designed for all sizes of business. The CMS helps you sell more by offering:

Visually appealing websites designed solely for ecommerce businesses including tools and conversion optimization features.

Customizable options so you can create the best shopping experience for your specific target market audience based on industry, and simple to use drag and drop tools that will help you design without coding knowledge.

BigCommerce's site builder is awesome, but as your business grows, you may want to switch to a different CMS/site infrastructure. With BigCommerce's API, this is easy enough for any developer to handle. This is what's known as the "headless ecommerce" trend.

Many businesses consider Magento and similar solutions because they can host their own sites and tinker with the code as they like. Others prefer pure SaaS solutions such as Shopify because this puts the onus on providers to ensure that the site's tech infrastructure and hosting are top notch and always up to date. Thanks to “headless ecommerce,” BigCommerce offers the best of both worlds.

My software agency uses CMS platforms including WordPress, Joomla, Magento and even Shopify. BigCommerce is my team's favorite tool for a number of reasons, including the above points. More importantly, apps can be easily installed. The platform itself is built with conversion optimization tools such as one-touch buy features that also provide a ton of value.

   2. Oberlo

Sometimes an entrepreneur doesn't even know what they want to sell before they know they want to sell products online. Oberlo is a perfect tool for this scenario, enabling an entrepreneur to customize, dropship (meaning they don't have to hold inventory) and sell pretty much any type of product from bracelets to drones to sweatshirts. Or, if the ecommerce company already sells and dropships products, Oberlo can be used to sell new products. It offers a lot of great features including:

Thousands of different products to sell, customize and ship.

Automated product and order management, creating a more seamless shopping experience that can inspire customer loyalty.

Automatic inventory updates so customers can be assured that the items they want are in stock and available.

   The ability to edit product descriptions and images so they’re more attractive to your target consumer, which can also fast track your search engine results in web browsers.

Oberlo takes the headache out of trying to figure out what products to sell or makes it super simple for an existing business to sell new products. In either scenario the value of the tool becomes exponential. What used to take trips overseas to find manufacturers, meet with product designers, buy massive quantities of inventory, etc., has all been condensed into one easy and effective to use application.

3. Packhelp

One of the things that set Amazon apart as an ecommerce business is that products shipped from its warehouses are in branded boxes. Packhelp provides this service to other ecommerce brands, helping increase sales by:

Strengthening brand development and recognition,

Making customers feel as if they’re getting more than just the goods they ordered and

Offering a more personalized experience, setting your company apart.

Great customer service is one of the most fundamental but most overlooked activities. From a focus on customer service alone, Zappos and Tony Hsieh changed an entire industry. Amazon does a phenomenal job with customer service and it's worth a trillion dollars. I love using this tool when shipping physical products. It's an extra touch that provides your customer with one additional layer of service that may win them over or encourage them to refer you business.

  4. Neatly.io

It can be maddening to have an underperforming ecommerce site, especially if you know that there’s a market for your goods. That’s where Neatly.io comes in because it enables you to improve sales by:

Compiling your data in easy-to-read graphs and charts, giving you a big picture view of where your ecommerce site may need to be improved to increase completed purchases,

Providing tips as to how you can improve upon problem areas and

Enabling you to set monthly goals, motivating you to keep making progress.

I'm a big fan of this tool for its easy-to-use dashboard and useful data. Data can be the biggest advantage you have as an internet entrepreneur. Data gives you the ability to know how customers and potential customers are interacting with your store. This data can help you make changes that will enable you to sell more.

 5. Intellifluence

Social media marketing is a must. One way to dramatically accelerate sales through social media is to get some of your industry’s top influencers on board. Intellifluence does this by:

   Helping you figure out who those individuals are,

   Enabling you to message them directly,

   Giving you the opportunity to approach several influencers at the same time and

Powring you to do deals and measuring their success.

In 2010, I became a co-founder of a sports nutrition company. One vital component of our growth and success that led us to multi-million dollar revenues in under a year was leveraging influencers in the CrossFit space. Influencer marketing has grown leaps and bounds since then but still plays a critical role, especially when executed successfully, to drive brand awareness and sales. This tool can help accomplish both.

Connecting internet entrepreneurs with these new tools can help create systems that will make customers buy more, repeat sales and lead them back to your site again and again. Sometimes the difference between a successful ecommerce business and a failing one are the tools that are used in the backend. Hustle helps, but that's not always the deciding factor. Stay ahead of the curve and on the hunt for any new tools that surface. Make sure you're working smart and leveraging all of the tools at your disposal.

[vernsbrandt34-blog]

Moving to Denver - 10 Pros and Cons You Should Know

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates sat atop Pikes Peak and wrote “America the Beautiful,” one of the most well-known patriotic songs of our time. Just about 100 miles away from that summit at the base of the Rocky Mountains sits Denver, Colorado. With its blue skies and panoramic mountain views, Denver, a.k.a. the Mile High City is perhaps one of the most beautiful areas in the country. In fact, its beauty has inspired countless other authors, musicians and pop culture icons.

Maybe this natural beauty is why moving to Denver is so appealing. Or, maybe it's the 300-days of sun a year, easy access to the mountains and inherent outdoor playground. Either way, Metro Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, with almost 100,000 people moving there in the past seven years. Now, with a population of over three million, the city is scrambling to develop the infrastructure, transit and housing needed to keep pace with the demand.

Would you move to Denver? The area boasts a strong economy and a shiny, new façade that will take your breath away, both literally and figuratively. But some argue that it's overcrowded and expensive. We're exploring some other reasons why you might want to stay or stay away. These living in Denver pros and cons should help you decide if Denver is, in fact, the right choice for you. Have some advice you'd like to share with potential residents? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Denver is young, hip and desirable.

A millennial haven, 66% of the population in Denver are under the age of 44. Denver is also not a very culturally diverse city. 76.9% of the population is Caucasian, with gentrification being a major hot-button issue. This has greatly impacted the demand for rental housing, which makes homeownership less obtainable.

Denver is among the likes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle when it comes to home price appreciation outpacing income growth and affordability. Apartments rent for an average of $1,519 a month, with median home prices jumping 10% to $420,000 in 2018.

If you can stomach the prices, one major pro of living in Denver is the views. No matter which neighborhood you choose, the metro is surrounded by 140 miles of panoramic mountain views, totaling 200 visible peaks.

That said, the very first step to becoming a Denverite is picking a neighborhood. Living in Denver is an experience, and because so many people want to do it, picking a community can get competitive and pricey (more on that later). Decide whether any of the following areas suit you, then figure out if you can afford it.

Top Neighborhoods in Denver

Fast-paced living with a relaxed vibe is possible in any of the following city neighborhoods. However, each area offers a little something different, which make picking the right one that much more important. Here are a few of the best places to live in Denver.

The Highlands – Widely accepted as one of the most desirable places to live, the Highlands, and LoHi (Lower Highlands) specifically, is teeming with innovative restaurant concepts, hip rooftops, patios and boutique shops.

Average apartment rental: $2,023

RiNo (River North) – If you don't want to be a LoDo (Lower Downtown) Ballpark Bro, RiNo is downtown Denver's hipster neighbor. Full of trendy warehouse conversions, street art and an explosion of bars and restaurants, it's the current place to see and be seen.

Average apartment rental: $1,727

Capitol Hill – A bit rougher around the edges, Cap Hill is generally regarded to be the most affordable and convenient neighborhood in city proper. Home to the Capital building, it's major thoroughfare of Colfax Avenue is the longest street in America.

Average apartment rental: $1,519

We spoke with seasoned broker and real estate agent, Irene Glazer of Live Urban Real Estate for some insight. “Preference on which neighborhood to choose can vary widely based on taste and budget,” Glazer explains. “Do you like urban, suburban, hip, up-and-coming, walkable, trendy, affordable, accessible to mountains/downtown, parks? Denver has a wonderful array that will fit most any lifestyle.”

Glazer gave us a sampling of a few more under-the-radar Denver neighborhoods that have their own unique charm and character.

Harvey Park - This neighborhood is located in Southwest Denver and is bounded by South Sheridan, Hampden, Lowell, and Jewell. Built in the 1950's, it's known for its selection of some of Denver's best and most affordable, mid-century modern architecture. Cliff May-style California Contemporary homes fill the neighborhoods' quiet, suburban-like streets.

Average home prices: in the low $400,000s.

Platt Park -  This area is located in Southeast Denver and is bounded by Downing, Broadway, Evans and I-25, Platt Park is seeing many of its older homes remodeled for 21st century living as well as quite a few new builds and pop-tops. The neighborhood is lovely, charming and walkable with one of the best/quaintest shopping districts, South Pearl Street. Don't miss the summertime Farmer's Market because it's arguably the best in the city.

Average home prices: around $500,000.

Sunnyside - Located in Northwest Denver, Sunnyside is bounded by I70, 38th, Federal and I25. It's an up-and-coming neighborhood near trendy Tennyson and is already pretty well discovered, yet still in transition. It's easy to take a bike ride or a walk downtown, and there is easy access to get out of town. This area has a wonderful mix of old architecture as well as new (mostly attached) homes. Trendy coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and home goods stores are starting to pop up everywhere.

Average home prices: in the $500,000s.

Denver Suburbs to Consider:

Denver is a good place to raise a family if you have the right resources, like a stable job and a steady income. Bringing some kids along for the move? Check out some of these top rated Denver suburbs.

Stapleton – Stapleton is a new neighborhood that popped up a few years ago built on the old airport base. Its proximity to the city and relative affordability of new builds makes it a popular option for young families.

Arvada - Olde Town Arvada has one of the cutest “Main streets” of any suburb. Its popularity has also caught on the past few years, driving up home prices.

Englewood - This is a suburb with a lot of variety. Englewood has small, affordable homes with character located near the fun and funk of South Broadway, suburban “tract” style homes near the Denver Tech Center and sprawling mansions in Cherry Hills Village.

Wheat Ridge - Close enough to the city yet a world away, Wheat Ridge is a natural expansion from NW Denver. There's tons of new development happening on 38th Ave., with breweries and restaurants clamoring to get in on the action.

2. Denver is becoming a major city.

There are so many opinions out there as to whether or not living in Denver is affordable. Some stats say yes it's affordable (compared to metros like New York City), but rapidly increasing rental prices and fast selling homes say otherwise. While living in Denver is much more affordable than living in places like Los Angeles, it's still pricey. For instance, the median home cost in Denver is $421,900, which just about doubles the national average of $216,200.

Before moving to Denver, make sure you're able to spend within your means, which means allotting no more than 30% of your salary to housing costs. If you're looking to buy or rent before relocating, make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Finding a place is highly competitive so most people use a rental agent. If you opt to rent, make sure you know your rights as a Colorado tenant.

Denver Housing Market Stats

Irene Glazer also helped us understand just how the housing market has changed over the past few years. Here are some highlights:

The Denver housing market has been appreciating at a double-digit clip since we started our climb out of the recession in about 2013. This past year we saw a bit slower appreciation of about 8%.

Our average sold price in metro Denver finished out at approximately $475K in 2017, and the prediction is that we will be around $500K by the end of 2018.

Inventory is still the biggest buzzword, and we are still extremely short on it, without a reprieve in sight.

We are about to enter the “Market Compression” phase in our annual real estate cycle where demand picks up before homes are listed, creating our early spring frenzy. This creates additional challenges as inventory levels typically continue to fall through January. If demand picks up, multiple offers, bidding wars and heightened flash sales could accelerate pricing earlier than expected in 2018.

Not sure whether you should rent or buy? According to Glazer, weighing expected appreciation, even at modest rates of 6% (Denver's historical average), against impending rent increases, it is still more advantageous to own vs. rent in the Denver market.

3. The cost of living in Denver won't break the bank, yet.

The biggest hurdle new residents face when moving to Denver is housing costs. Other than that, most cost of living expenses is more or less comparative to other cities.

Cost of Living Factors:

Taxes - Property taxes are relatively low, sales tax is high, and income tax falls right in the middle at 4.63%.

Health Care - Costs about 17% more than the national average.

Groceries - You'll pay about 4% less than the national average.

4. Denver's economy is booming.

Higher paying jobs are available in Denver because so many top companies want to be based here. However, that means the competition for a quality job is that much more intense. Also, wages in Denver might not be as high as they need to be to afford the cost of living.

The average median income in Denver is $57,773, which is about 6% less than than the national average. Even if you can afford to live in Denver today, it's important to note that average salary increases aren't keeping pace with rising rents.

This discrepancy between rising housing costs and stagnant salaries could cause an issue a few years in and force a move further outside the city. Make sure you have a job in hand and some additional savings before relocating to this highly desirable area.

Top Denver Industries & Companies:

Tech - The startup scene is exploding with companies like Baker Technologies and more established companies like Google and HomeAdvisor.

Aerospace -Denver is keen on becoming “Aerospace Alley” (their play on Silicon Valley) with major companies like The Boeing Company, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman located here.

Agriculture - Colorado's food and agriculture industry generates more than $5 billion a year, with companies like Love Grown Foods, Leprino Foods and Nutrien leading the charge. Colorado also ranks third in the nation for craft beer sales and production.

Casual Concepts - Noodles & Company, Smashburger, Qboda and Boston Market are all headquartered here.

Marijuana – Cannabis is big business, bringing in more revenue than some small countries.

5. Once you adjust to the altitude, the weather is incredible.

The quality of life in Denver is highly desirable, once you get used to the lack of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not located in the Rocky Mountains. It is a mile or so above sea level, though (5,280 feet, to be exact), and that can take your body some time to adjust. For most people, the pros far outweigh the cons as far as weather is concerned.

What It's Like Living in Denver:

There are an estimated 300 days of sunshine every year. Even though the summers are hot, they lack humidity, which makes them more comfortable.

The sky is bluer and the stars are brighter than other parts of the country due to the high-desert climate and elevation.

Some of the top weekend vacation destinations are located within a few hours of Denver.

The temperature can rise or fall by 40 degrees in a day due to the altitude, so always dress in layers.

Since the air is thinner, there are lower levels of oxygen, which can take a toll on your body if you're not used to it or have an ongoing medical condition.

Tips to Acclimate to the Altitude:

The air is really dry, which can dehydrate your body if you're not drinking enough water. Make sure to drink more water than you normally would, and always have chap-stick handy.

Take it easy upon arrival. If you plan to do any mountain activities, give your body a few days to acclimate.

Make sure to get enough sleep if the altitude makes you feel drowsy.

At higher elevations, the sun is more intense, so always wear sunscreen!

6. Traffic is undesirable in and out of the city.

One difference between Denver and other large cities is the amount of weekend traffic headed out of the city toward the mountains. Ski traffic is something you'll want to account for if you move here since Denver is situated 75 miles or so from dozens of world-renowned ski resorts. Expect heavy traffic on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the winter. It can take anywhere from a 1.5-hour drive to 6+ hour nightmare.

But that isn't the only time you'll run into traffic in Denver. Since the city exploded with growth in the past decade, traffic within the metro can get congested too. Luckily, Denver is geographically small so getting to and from anywhere should take about 20-minutes during non-rush hour periods. Also, if you live and work in the downtown area, biking and the new Lime Scooters are a viable way to commute.

Tips for Getting Around:

Be careful where you park. The sides of the street change to accommodate street sweeping.

Consider getting a car with four-wheel drive or one that can handle more rugged mountain driving and varied weather conditions.

The city added new light rail lines in 2016, including one that goes to the airport. Other light rails connect some suburbs to the city.

Denver is a highly bike-friendly city. It's estimated that between 6-7% of downtown employees commute to work by bike.

You can also rent B-cycle bikes from docks around the city, either by the hour or by day.

7. Denver is a beer destination and is on its way to becoming a food destination.

Craft brew fanatics will love that Denver is home to the second most microbreweries next to Portland. In fact, the area has been coined as the Napa Valley of Beer. But if you're looking to enjoy a pint or two during happy hour, remember to drink some water too. If not, you might feel buzzed sooner than you would in cities closer to sea level. Beer can have more of an effect due to thin air.

We spoke with Editor of Rocky Mountain Food Report, Dionne Roberts, on how the food and drink scene has evolved. “Denver's craft culinary and beverage scene continues to show rapid growth with the influx of diverse and gifted chefs, brewers and distillers,” Roberts explains. “More people want to be a part of the mountain culture and that adds depth to the growing number of options and cultivates a higher sense of quality in the cuisine.”

Roberts also shared with us some recommendations for potential residents to visit while in Denver.

Places to Drink:

First Draft - A place to try dozens of local microbrews all under one roof. At First Draft, you're given a swipe card to pour your own tastings.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales - Specializes in unique, blended and barrel-aged sour beers with industrial airplane-esque decor and meticulous brewing processes.

Epic Brewing Company - Offers a fun, community tasting room with a lineup of dozens of flagship and elevated craft beers.

Black Shirt Brewing Company - Relays an approachable rock n' roll edge in their stylistic, aptly-named beers, live music performances and funky brewery atmosphere.

My Brother's Bar – So old it's been operating since before Colorado was officially a state, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg all hung out here.

Death & Co – If you get tired of beer, this NYC outpost has a literal bible of craft cocktails in the swanky Ramble Hotel.

Williams & Graham – Denver is also huge on speakeasies, with Williams & Graham named one of the top 50 cocktail bars in the world. The coolest part? You have to walk through a bookshelf to find it.

Great American Beer Fest - This fall festival has the largest variety of beer served of any public tasting across the country. You'll be hard-pressed to try them all, since there are over 800 breweries and thousands of beers present. Buy your tickets immediately when they go on sale, as they do sell out in minutes.

Places to Eat:

Euclid Hall - Located in the heart of Larimer Square with a focus on elevated pub fare, a great ambiance and thorough attention to providing locally sourced ingredients.

AVANTI Food and Beverage - Denver basically pioneered the food hall concept, and AVANTI was one of the OGs for its killer rooftop. All vendors have short-term leases as a way to test pilot their concepts.

Beatrice & Woodsley - A whimsical, cozy restaurant with a seasonal craft menu on Broadway that boasts a fairy tale interior perfect for date night or intimate gatherings.

Snooze – Brunch is serious business in Denver, and local chain Snooze is always slammed. Expect to wait about an hour for their signature pancake flights.

Linger – A former mortuary turned “eatuary,” Linger serves innovative, international small places. Don't miss the vintage VW bus on the roof and one of the best skyline views of the city.

The Buckhorn Exchange – A National Historic Landmark, the Buckhorn Exchange received the state's first liquor license and pays homage to the state's game meat culture. If you're brave, it's also the place to try Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Tavernetta – The newly revamped Union Station has really become a must-see destination and hotspot. While all the restaurants are good, Tavernetta is elevated Italian worth seeking out.

TAG – Troy Guard is one of Denver's most beloved chefs. His first outpost has unique fusion dishes, like Hamachi with pop rocks.  

Tacos Tequila Whiskey – Ask anyone what Denver's staple cuisine is, and taquerias are definitely part of the narrative (along with green chile).

16th Street Mall - Located in downtown Denver, this one-mile pedestrian section is packed with tons of cafes, brewpubs and restaurants. After a night out, play one of the ten public pianos on display. It's touristy, but a must-see for first-timers.

8. There are plenty of fun things to do in Denver.

Relocating to Denver is a much more enjoyable experience when you know there's a ton you'll want to do once you arrive. Do any of the following interest you enough to start packing up your belongings and heading to Denver?

Professional Sports Teams:

Denver Broncos - One of pro football's biggest winners since the merger of the American and National Football Leagues in 1970, with a cult following

Colorado Rockies - Coors Field has jokingly been called the best bar in Denver, so even if you're not a baseball fan, the stadium is worth a visit

Colorado Avalanche - NHL team that won eight division title games in a row–the longest streak in the league

Denver Nuggets - NBA team that has yet to reach the championship round in the playoffs, but is fun to watch nonetheless

Attractions and Fun Things to Do:

Top Golf - Spend a leisurely day hitting some golf balls further than you normally would. No, really. Due to the high altitude, golf balls can reportedly go up to 10% farther!

The Stanley Hotel - Horror fanatics should take an hour trek outside of Denver to visit this historic landmark that inspired Stephen King's 1977 bestseller, The Shining. Want a glimpse into the paranormal? Take their Night Spirit Tour and explore some creepy spaces.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Chances are, if you want to see one of your favorite big time musicians live, they will have played at Red Rocks. The most acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater in the world, music sounds incredible here and the views are unforgettable.

Denver Performing Arts Complex (The DCPA) - Enjoy a variety of seasonal events on this four-block strip, like Broadway Theatre, ballet and opera.

9. Taking advantage of the great outdoors is easy all year.

Denver is the ideal location for adventure seekers looking to explore thrilling mountain peaks and valleys. But you don't have to be an adrenaline junkie or avid skier to enjoy outdoor life in Colorado. There are dozens of day trips suitable for the entire family all year round.

Green Spaces in the City:

Washington Park - Take a pedal boat across Smith Lake for a perfect afternoon with the family.

City Park - Hike the Mile High Trail in this park and get a five-kilometer workout exactly one mile above sea level.

Confluence Park - Take a kayak out and explore man-made kayak chutes located minutes from downtown.

Cherry Creek Bike Path – A 42-mile paved pathway that starts in downtown Denver, you could bike for a few hours or make the day of it.

Ski Getaways:

Vail Mountain Resort - There are 5,289 acres of skiable slopes at this legendary ski spot.

Breckenridge – With five peaks in one resort, travelers come from all over the world to ski Breck.

Winter Park - This is the longest running ski resort in Colorado with over 3,000 acres of award-winning terrain to explore.

Copper Mountain – One of the more local resorts, Copper's naturally divided terrain is a great place to learn and perfect your turns.

Outdoor Adventures:

Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver's most accessible national park, RMNP is 415 square miles of protected mountain land. Drive Trail Ridge Road for epic views and hike the acclaimed Dream Lake.

Mount Evans - Climb the highest paved road in North America and eventually reach the summit at 14,260 feet.

Rocky Mountain Ziplines - Zip through sections of the Rocky Mountains and take in the sights on over 6,000 feet of cable.

Clear Creek Whitewater Rafting – The closest whitewater to Denver, ride the rapids for a real adrenaline rush.

Glenwood Springs – Colorado has more than 30 hot springs, which are a relaxing year-round getaway.

Private Foothills Tour - Take a four hour trek through the Foothills of Denver. There are many stops built into the tour. If you have kids, make sure to stop at Dinosaur Ridge, which is optional.

10. Marijuana is legal, but public consumption is not.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, which might not impact your life in Denver as much as you think. You may smell it, but you'll rarely see people partaking, as it is still illegal to smoke in public. According to a survey by the Colorado Department of Public Health, only 13.6% of residents partake in recreational marijuana use, and fewer of them smoke every day. While this figure is much larger than the national average, some argue that many pot smokers in other states keep their habit behind closed doors. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there are some things you should know, as that Rocky Mountain High is a big part of life in Denver.

Marijuana Etiquette:

Dispensaries are identified with green crosses that look like pharmacies. “Bud-tenders” will walk you through the buying process and explain the effects the different strains may have on your body (sativa, indica and hybrids).

If you wish to smoke pot in your home, make sure it is allowed in your lease agreement before you light up.

You must be over the age of 21 to buy and consume pot in Colorado.

Public use of marijuana is illegal, so don't expect to find people lighting up in the streets.

Certain hotels and AirBnbs restrict the use of marijuana on their premises, so be sure to find a smoker-friendly establishment if you're planning a trip and wish to smoke.

Just because marijuana use is legal doesn't mean your boss has to agree. Your company can administer drug tests and create policies banning the use of marijuana.

The marijuana industry is very innovative and there are many ways to experiment with its effects without actually smoking. Topicals, edibles, and vaping are all extremely popular.

If pregnant, the CDPH advises strongly against the use of marijuana. If any newborn baby tests positive for THC, the hospital is advised to contact child protective services.

Make relocating to Denver a relatively simple process.

If you're planning a move to Denver, creating a checklist of everything you need to do can be helpful. In order to be considered a resident of Denver, you must be employed, own a business, or reside in Denver for at least 90 days. Don't forget some of these essential steps to becoming a Denverite.

Moving to Denver Checklist:

Before registering your car, update out of state vehicle titles using this form. Be sure your car will pass the required emissions tests before bringing it into the state. If not, you may have to sell the car before you move.

Transfer your license within 30 days and register your car within 90 days at the DMV.

Decide whether or not you want to update your organ donor status.

Register to vote in Colorado online.

Learn about the requirements for residency as it relates to higher education.

Change your address and have your mail forwarded using this form from the USPS.

Sometimes relocation dates don't match up exactly. If your belongings arrive before you have access to your home, consider temporary self storage in Denver.

We hope you learned a thing or two about life in Denver. Would you ever move here? Do you have some insight you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 2/2/18 and was revised on 1/10/19 to provide new information.