Major decision

[zinfamous]

well that is where you have to research the cost of living.

you say you live in a pretty rural area of PA, i bet the cost of living there is pretty cheap.

best way to find an apartment you like is to visit colorado one weekend and just go 'shop' for apartments.

This.

Does the offer cover some moving expenses? Some companies will put you up in a hotel for a week or so while you look for a new place. It's really hard to find something remotely. Especially considering how the place that looks nice online can turn out to be a dump when you arrive, ....or it's fine, but you didn't get to see the neighborhood.

One thing you can do, look at a map of Denver/Aurora. mark Colfax avenue, and cut out a section that that is 5-6 blocks on either side of Colfax. Just assume that this area does not exist. 😉

 

[zinfamous]

Boulder is not a small town... it's where the massive CU campus is and overall Boulder is pretty damned big. But it is crawling with hippies.

what is the population in the summer?

Edit: wiki says 94k (2008)

that is a small town. especially when you consider that at least 25% of that is probably students, correct?

where I currently live, Berkeley, the pop is 90k. I would never consider this a large town. It feels somewhat empty during the summer.

Though I'm sure the land area of Boulder is much, much larger than Berkeley.

 

[mugs]

Personally, there's no way in hell I'd move across the country for a job.

But people these days seem to be less attached to where they live and to their family. Living near family will have an even bigger upside when we have kids.

But you live in Pennsyltucky, I'd get the hell out of there as soon as I had an opportunity.

 

[SleepWhere]

Unless you have the social skills and personality to make new friends and explore new city... I'd say don't. If you're up for it, I'm sure you will have tons of fun.

 

[pontifex]

This.

Does the offer cover some moving expenses? Some companies will put you up in a hotel for a week or so while you look for a new place. It's really hard to find something remotely. Especially considering how the place that looks nice online can turn out to be a dump when you arrive, ....or it's fine, but you didn't get to see the neighborhood.

One thing you can do, look at a map of Denver/Aurora. mark Colfax avenue, and cut out a section that that is 5-6 blocks on either side of Colfax. Just assume that this area does not exist. 😉

no relocation assistance at all

 

[pontifex]

Unless you have the social skills and personality to make new friends and explore new city... I'd say don't. If you're up for it, I'm sure you will have tons of fun.

i have no social skills

 

[kalrith]

Were I in your position I'd either take the offer or forever hate myself for passing it up.

Same here. I think the biggest factor to me would be the cost of living. If that ate up most of the salary increase, then it wouldn't be worth it (assuming you don't want to move there anyways...personally I'd love to move to Colorado).

 

[Gooberlx2]

One thing you can do, look at a map of Denver/Aurora. mark Colfax avenue, and cut out a section that that is 5-6 blocks on either side of Colfax. Just assume that this area does not exist.

Actually, 5-6 blocks on either side of Colfax, between Speer Blvd and Colorado Blvd is some of the best area to live. Outside of that zone I agree with you, just ignore it.

 

[Possessed Freak]

But you live in Pennsyltucky, I'd get the hell out of there as soon as I had an opportunity.

You did.

After moving 6 times in the span of 10 years as a kid, I have determined to live in Pennsyltucky for the rest of my life (although I do enjoy visiting where I grew up). There is something to say about seeing hitching posts in front of stores.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

never been there. always been fascinated with the West though. I hear it's very nice in the area that I would be moving too.

The west is beautiful. I always loved California, particularly the central coast area around Monterey and Big Sur. I would have transferred there at the drop of a hat when I was single. The closest I came was when my former company had a location in Livermore and I requested to be transferred there. The boss, who was also a friend, said he could make it happen but did give me the "inside scoop" that the location was under heavy scrutiny and likely to close. I decided not to go and sure enough, the place closed about a year later.

Can you delay the decision and go out there and make sure you like it? Which part of Colorado will you be working in?

Maybe you should try it for a year and while there, take full advantage of training opportunities. You still have family in PA, so if you end up not liking it, you could always go line up some interviews in PA, take a vacation, and stay with your family while interviewing there. You might gain some valuable experience and if it is a global company, you might be able to transfer to a position closer to home or perhaps a position allowing you to work from home, which would allow you to live anywhere.

You might end up really liking it out there. Remember, you'll still have us on AT to talk to while you're building up your friend base. 🙂

 

[IndyColtsFan]

i have no social skills

Ok then. I'm going to ask a question, and please don't take offense to this, as it is only an attempt to help you. Are most of your friends of the online variety? Maybe WoW buddies or something like that? If that's the case, you can still play/talk with them from Colorado.

Are you really close to your family? Do you maybe have a brother that is your best friend?

 

[SleepWhere]

Are most of your friends of the online variety?

If they wouldn't show up to your funeral irl, you shouldn't even count them as friends.

 

[gorcorps]

what is the population in the summer?

Edit: wiki says 94k (2008)

that is a small town. especially when you consider that at least 25% of that is probably students, correct?

where I currently live, Berkeley, the pop is 90k. I would never consider this a large town. It feels somewhat empty during the summer.

Though I'm sure the land area of Boulder is much, much larger than Berkeley.

That's not a small town... the definition of city vs. town varies from state to state. By Colorado definition (the state I've lived in all my life, and haven't just visited mind you, so I do know what I'm talking about) Boulder is classified as a city.

Here's a list of major towns vs. cities in Colorado, and you can see that it's clearly a city by Colorado law.
http://www.citypopulation.de/USA-Colorado.html

Boulder has the 11th largest city population in Denver, which is quite a bit more than a "small town". Regardless of what YOUR opinion of what a town or city should be, it's a city.

 

[zinfamous]

That's not a small town... the definition of city vs. town varies from state to state. By Colorado definition (the state I've lived in all my life, and haven't just visited mind you, so I do know what I'm talking about) Boulder is classified as a city.

Here's a list of major towns vs. cities in Colorado, and you can see that it's clearly a city by Colorado law.
http://www.citypopulation.de/USA-Colorado.html

Boulder has the 11th largest city population in Denver, which is quite a bit more than a "small town". Regardless of what YOUR opinion of what a town or city should be, it's a city.

I honestly don't have a standard definition that would be related to population sizes. My hometown is 450-500k (Raleigh, NC). I'd make fun of someone who considered that a city. It...."feels" like a town, b/c it's basically just one large suburb after another. All of RTP is above 1 million, but it's very spread-out. Durham is the only spot that has that "city-like" downtown.

Charlotte is a city, ~1 million, but it's still very suburby. it does have a well-defined downtown area.

Although things are changing rapidly, there is no real downtown--certainly not when I was living there. There is no effective public transportation. There is a beltway and shitty traffic, but in my mind, it still has that small town feel. I'd honestly think that a place like Berkeley is more of a city than Raleigh, despite the drastic difference in population--Oakland, El Cerrito, Richmond, and SF of course--very large metro area that feels like one city, more or less.

To me population makes less sense than does development and access. Yeah, it's a very personal approach, with strange logic perhaps, but I do think that resources and especially well-connected public transport are essential for a real city. High density residential areas, as well.

 

[guyver01]

I do think that resources and especially well-connected public transport are essential for a real city. High density residential areas, as well.

Does it help that Boulder is a densly packed residential area, with its own airport?

 

[l0cke]

Does it help that Boulder is a densly packed residential area, with its own airport?

Boulder really does seem like it was designed in Simcity. One-way roads and roundabouts everywhere. :\

 

[zinfamous]

Does it help that Boulder is a densly packed residential area, with its own airport?

Dense residential zone = high rise apartment buildings.

I think you are failing to understand terms.

Personally, you can call it whatever the fuck you want if you think it's a city.

Raleigh has an airport, too. I still don't call it a city.

 

[Phoenix86]

Go. For a dozen different reasons, GO!

Simply put: tons to gain, little to lose.

 

[guyver01]

Dense residential zone = high rise apartment buildings.

I think you are failing to understand terms.

Personally, you can call it whatever the fuck you want if you think it's a city.

Raleigh has an airport, too. I still don't call it a city.

I think you're confusing a city .. with a metroplex...

Not every city is gonna look like:

Under your definition, only Manhattan and Los Angeles would qualify.. everything else would fail.

 

[zinfamous]

I think you're confusing a city .. with a metroplex...

Not every city is gonna look like:

Under your definition, only Manhattan and Los Angeles would qualify.. everything else would fail.

There's also Chicago! 😛

Atlanta is damn big, and has commuter rail (though it is worthless).
San Fran is a city, but it is quite small in comparison to others.

Metroplex isn't even a real term, is it? You're showing a picture from some fantasy something, so that's obviously not what I'm talking about.

Though I do tend to think "city" = fucking huge.


ahh...you still don't get "dense residential zone," which is a defined term. It does not mean detached single family homes back to back to back. It means large, high rise apartment buildings. That is High density. This isn't really debatable when we're talking in public planning terms.

A bunch of attached 3-flats in a neighborhood is ~medium density. It refers to how one compares individual packets of land space and how many separate, single family dwellings are crammed onto the same land space.

 

[guyver01]

Metroplex isn't even a real term, is it? You're showing a picture from some fantasy something, so that's obviously not what I'm talking about.

Though I do tend to think "city" = fucking huge.

A metroplex is a large metropolitan area containing several cities and their suburbs. It is also sometimes used as an alternative to metropolis which is a chain of continuous metropolitan areas. The term was coined for, and is still commonly used to describe, the Dallas/Fort Worth Area.

The "city" in the image i posted was MegaCity 1 from Judge Dredd.

 

[pontifex]

Ok then. I'm going to ask a question, and please don't take offense to this, as it is only an attempt to help you. Are most of your friends of the online variety? Maybe WoW buddies or something like that? If that's the case, you can still play/talk with them from Colorado.

Are you really close to your family? Do you maybe have a brother that is your best friend?

i don't have very many friends period. most are offline friends that i end up talking with online anyway though, due to locations and conflicting schedules, etc.

working 2nd shift when everyone you know works first shift kind of kills the social aspect, but at least on weekends and other times occasionally, we can get together.

prior to this past week I would say that I wasn't all that close with my family but thinking about moving away has made me realize how much I would miss them. I get a long pretty well with my parents and even though my niece and nephew annoy me a lot, I'll really miss them.

I honestly can't stand my sister though. She's the most entitled, bitchiest person I have ever met. If it wasn't for the niece and nephew I wouldn't care that much.

 

[BoomerD]

So...you're a typical ATOT geek...with zero social skills and few real friends.

Even though I'm not a fan of Colorado, it does have its good points.

Are you an outdoorsman? Do you like to hunt & fish? Ski? Do you like the mountains?

There's some dammed fine countryside there...and some VERY GOOD hunting and fishing. (although, until you establish residency, (IIRC, 12 months) the licenses are rather expensive...and the tags for big game may not be easy to get. (lottery?)

 

[ultimatebob]

Dude, you live in central Pennsylvania. There is NOTHING out there. I know, because I grew up there! There is also practically zero IT job opportunities around where you live... again, I know this from experience.

Move to Boulder, and get a decent paying job! If you don't like the job, you have more options to find a better one there.

 

[pontifex]

Found out yesterday that upper management didn't like the salaries we were offered because they were too high compared to what we make now (about $30k), even though new hires off the street would make the $50-60k to start at this company.

So despite the fact that we already had training and experience at the job and were willing to move from PA to CO, because we were paid shit to begin with, they can't justify paying us something decent and what they would pay a brand new guy??? How does this make any sense at all???

We still have the option of moving to CO for the $41k (still on our own dime), or we can work from home where we are now for $41k.

Guess I'll be working from home until I can find a better job...and a company that appreciates me - if those even exist...