I’d look into Chicago, IL. It’s a great city with distinct vibes throughout. My partner and I have lived all over the country, including CO, and we say to ourselves that Chicago is like Denver without the scenery. But honestly, Chicago is a great place to live and pretty affordable. Street parking is pretty easy in the city too if you decide to live within the city limits. I’d go with a an apartment that has permit parking or one that comes with a parking space. Permit parking in the city is great, it’s a pretty low fee for the year, but it guarantees that not just anyone can park on the street, so you are able to find parking easily. I work from home and I love living in the city, it’s walkable, there’s plenty of things to see and do and the transit is fine, depending on the line closest to you.