Everything I'd Tell My Best Friend Before She Moved to Denver
Let me be honest with you for a second.
Most relocation guides are going to tell you about the 300 days of sunshine, the access to the mountains, the booming job market. And all of that is true. But that's not what I'd actually tell my best friend if she called me and said she was thinking about moving to Denver.
What I'd tell her is this: Denver is a great place to live — but you have to be intentional about making it yours. And the people who struggle here? They almost always skipped that part.
Hey, Bestie! Let’s Chat!
📞 720-588-3068 · hellocrystalle@gmail.com · Work With Me → https://www.denverrealtorbestie.com/work-with-me
So here's the real version.
COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT HERE
Denver is a transient city. A lot of people have moved here from somewhere else, which means there's no deep-rooted "we all grew up together" energy in most neighborhoods. That can feel isolating if you're not prepared for it.
The good news? Community absolutely exists here — you just have to go find it on purpose.
Start with your interests. Whatever your thing is, there's a group for it in Denver — run clubs, supper clubs, book clubs, wine tasting groups, silent reading events through Denver Public Library, hiking meetups, creative communities. Your best tools are Facebook Groups, Eventbrite, and Instagram. Search your interest plus "Denver" and you will find your people.
Give yourself permission to show up to things alone. That's actually how it works here. Everyone's done it.
The people who build a real life in Denver are the ones who decide to build it. The ones who struggle are the ones who wait for it to find them.
DON'T OVERWHELM YOURSELF TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING
There is always something to do in Denver. Mountains on the weekend. Concerts, festivals, food events, rooftop bars, First Fridays in the arts district — it never stops.
When you first move here you're going to want to do all of it. I get it.
But y'all — give yourself permission to slow down. You live here now. The mountains aren't going anywhere. Take your time figuring out what kind of life you actually want to build here, because Denver genuinely lets you choose. Outdoorsy? Great. City person? Also great. Somewhere in between? Totally valid.
Figure out your version of Denver, not everyone else's highlight reel.
DATE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE YOU COMMIT
Visit Denver before you sign anything. And when you visit — actually test your life here. Don't just go to the fun parts.
Drive your commute at rush hour. Like, actually do it. If you're commuting to the Tech Center from Aurora, do that drive on a Tuesday morning at 7:45am. If you fly for work, figure out what airport traffic looks like at 5am on a Monday.
Check the commute to your office, your gym, your kids' school, the grocery store you'd actually use, and the airport. Denver traffic is real and it is not what Google Maps shows you at 2pm on a Sunday. What looks like a 20-minute drive can be 45 minutes at peak hours depending on where you are.
You cannot move to Denver for the fun parts and expect the practical parts to just work out. The lifestyle you want has to make sense for the actual, everyday version of your life — not just the Instagram version.
SO — WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD IS ACTUALLY RIGHT FOR YOU?
That's a whole separate conversation, and honestly it's one of my favorite things to talk about. Every neighborhood in Denver has a completely different personality, and matching the right one to your lifestyle makes all the difference.
I broke it all down — by vibe, by local spots, by what you actually get for your money — in Part 2 of this series. Go read that next.
And if you're ready to start the real conversation about making Denver home, I'm here for it.
📞 720-588-3068
Crystalle Guss · Denver Realtor Bestie · Invalesco Real Estate · Licensed in Colorado
