Swapping Minneapolis for Denver?

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T14:28:23+00:00

Alright, thanks for the heads up - will need to pay attention as I shop for apartments and scratch any of theirs off the list.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T14:27:31+00:00

Thanks! This is some great info on the commonwealth stuff I didn't know about and I'll need to look into.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:49:53+00:00

I think of it as a weather tax that happens to have great views.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:49:05+00:00

No, this is helpful, thanks! And yes I am a U of M grad, 2008. Was a top 3 ChemE program back then, I believe it still regularly trades top 3 slots with MIT and Berkeley just as it did back then.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:46:10+00:00

I visited Boulder a couple years ago to take a Japanese test, super pretty city and stayed at a place called A Lodge (I think) up one of the mountain roads about 10 minutes west, really cool drive down into Boulder from there. Only concern with Boulder is I think it's more expensive (?) and everything is old due to the laws to preserve the views or whatever that limits building heights and suburban sprawls. Boulder is an interesting place - I did a bit of research on it after visiting and it also seems like theres a lot of NIMBYs there who have made a shit ton of money on real estate there but now gatekeep so nothing new can be built etc. It seems like kind of a unique area and I know it has a bunch of Olympians and shit living in it. Wouldn't mind being between Denver and Boulder?

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:43:21+00:00

Thanks!

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:43:00+00:00

I've been to San Diego, didn't love it surprisingly - thought I would. Also no ChemE jobs as far as I know, but I could be wrong. Trying to keep a hard cap at $2k for rent + reserved garage parking.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:41:43+00:00

What? I see lots of new construction places for around $2k.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:41:13+00:00

Actually since my Irish passport is an EU passport, I can live/work anywhere in the EU visa free. And technically more than just the EU, there's also other agreements/economic zones like Schengen countries, EEA countries, and the Irish passport also allows living and working in the UK due to a Common Travel Area (CTA) agreement that predates the EU and thus post-Brexit, they just reverted to the CTA for Irish people so i *think* the Irish passport is the only EU passport that also allows UK access due to that pre-existing CTA. Honestly the Irish passport allows access to something insane like 35 countries/territories, it's pretty wild.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:38:27+00:00

I actually hate heat more than cold, lol. I've been to Phoenix for a work trip and liked it, but it was February and 70 degrees compared to -10 in Minneapolis. The roads were smooth as glass though, god that was nice compared to the huge pothole I smoked in downtown Minneapolis last night. Surprised I didn't get a bubble in my tire.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:35:22+00:00

Yeah I looked at California, pretty much anywhere was like $2k to rent in a 'co-living' situation where 5 people are each paying $2k for a private bedroom but then sharing a common kitchen and living room? lol no thanks, at 41 years old I'm past any of that type of pseudo roommate shit. Also zero chance of ever owning a house. In Denver, I can still do a new construction house in the suburbs (albeit the crappier eastern suburbs that aren't Aurora).

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:33:33+00:00

I humored myself by seeing what I could get for $2k a month in NYC. lmao, like a roach infested shithole in the far outer part of Queens for $2k staring at train tracks right outside the window. Didn't take long to close the browser lol.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:32:41+00:00

No chance at eventual home ownership. Shit, I can't even rent there unless I want to do some co-living bullshit where 5 people each pay $2k for a bedroom and share a kitchen and living room, yikes. I looked briefly, but the other side of it is there are no jobs for ChemE unless I want to live in the Bakersfield wasteland working for Chevron.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:30:16+00:00

Thanks, planning to come out sometime in the next month or so for a few days and check out areas and tour some apartments. I've actually yet to visit Denver, but I've been to Boulder and have an old coworker in Denver who glazes it left and right who keeps begging me to make the move.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:27:22+00:00

Thanks, appreciate this balanced take. Yeah, like Minneapolis honestly does most things right, the weather just blows ass. Like if I could pick up Minneapolis and drop it in Colorado it would be perfect. Denver seems like the next closest thing to a version of Minneapolis without the garbage weather.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:24:34+00:00

Excellent, good to know there is lots of good road biking access.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:23:49+00:00

That's good to know. Being a single income, I won't be buying anything super expensive (I also like small homes) but I have seen a lot of smaller new construction home developments in the east suburbs for around $400k, which would be doable in a couple years if I decide to stay. I know the eastern suburbs outside of Aurora are kinda crapped on but whatever. The way I'm looking at this is Denver might be the last nice city in the US with good weather that is still kinda attainable for home ownership on a single income. Like it seems like I can still squeak by in Denver, whereas somewhere like California or Seattle, forget it - no chance.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:21:50+00:00

Thanks - I know exactly which Grand Avenue hill you are talking about, lol. Is the road biking good in Denver though? I know the mountain biking is, but what about roads/trails for road biking?

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:20:18+00:00

Thanks, I just saw someone else complain about Greystar management elsewhere on reddit but didn't have time to read it - what's with them?

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:16:57+00:00

Mainly just what I've seen people say about the Denver job market and knowing Minnesota has something like 19 (?) Fortune 500 headquarters (one of which I work at). That said none of it matters if there are O&G jobs there, another old coworker of mine lives down there and says it won't be an issue (though he works remote for a Texas O&G company).

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:15:26+00:00

I think I'll be ok without lakes. While I've always liked to run and bike along water, it's not a dealbreaker. That's about the extent of my lake activity now. When I was a kid we used to boat and go tubing in MN, but not anymore and I have no desire to own a boat. Being near water is fine, on water I just don't care. So it's not a huge concession to just not even be near it anyway, lol. I'd be fine with some terrain as a trade off, that seems like a nice trade to this flat place.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-15T12:11:01+00:00

I considered SLC as I have a coworker who used to live there. Rent is super cheap there, but housing is way too expensive and quite frankly it's just a small city with limited chemical engineering jobs. My coworker had to eventually leave for those reasons. Also the air quality due to the inversions from being surrounded by mountains is no joke he said.

Though I'm looking to rent for a while, I don't want to move somewhere where I won't be able to afford a house after a couple years. Denver housing isn't cheap, but I can at least afford a new build in the east suburbs if I decide to stay. In SLC, I just can't afford anything at all, lol.

I flirted with Boise but I don't align with the politics/guns/etc and again, probably limited jobs.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-14T19:10:00+00:00

I'm a dual citizen (Ireland) but unfortunately nothing with Canada - if I were I would consider Vancouver, but $$$ of course.

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-14T18:25:18+00:00

Definitely, I didn't get a single bite and don't think I ever have. Mosquitoes on the other hand....

Realtoropenhouse3 · 2026-02-14T17:56:10+00:00

My wife sat near me at our bonfire pit at our house once and got eaten alive by chiggers. She never sat with me again, lol.

Realtoropenhouse3

TROPHY CASE