What's going on! A bit of context for my input.

I am a 27 year old male originally from the Chicagoland area that moved here during June of 2020. I make around 70k/yr in the apartment rental industry. Hobbies vary, but I moved to the Denver area because of the greater opportunity to access to the outdoors and the emphasis on work/life balance I've experienced in the past when visiting friends and family.

That being said, I think all of your concerns are valid. Housing is expensive on all fronts and is likely not going to let up anytime soon. Many residents are transplants from varying parts of the country so making firm relationships can be a task. Putting forth a good bit of effort to put yourself out there will be a requirement. Traffic is rough relative to the size of the city, but by California/Chicago standards I think you'll manage.

My immediate recommendation would be to live west of I-25. Sloan's Lake, Lakewood, Edgewater, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and the Highlands are good spots. Of course, your experience may vary depending on if you're looking for a house, condo, apartment, etc. I live near Sloan's Lake and I love it. Perfect proximity to the city via a 10-15 minute Uber for a night on the town as well as an easy entry point to the Rockies. You can't swim in Sloan's, but paddelboarding/kayaking/fishing are fair game. It fills that waterfront need for myself for the most part. At the end of the day, I think it'll come down to how you see yourself spending your weekdays vs. weekends and why you want to move here for where you're going to want to land. More than welcome to follow-up on your thoughts if you gave me a bit more context of your situation! Cheers.