How Our Cities Speak To Us: Denver’s Whispered Wisdom

Cities speak.

New York tells you to make more money. Los Angeles says you should be famous. Austin wants you to be creative and unconventional.

It’s not something you seek out, but it’s always there. It’s less of a demand and more of a whisper – quietly guiding your behavior, attitudes and identity.

It’s the conversations you hear, the people you meet, the things you see.

No matter how hard you try, it’s hard not to be influenced by what’s around you – the people, the places, the culture.

Where you live is not who you are. But it does significantly impact the person you become.

That’s why I moved to Denver.

One year later, I can confidently say I’m glad I did.

I love the way Denver speaks to not only me, but the person I want to become and the people I want to surround myself with.

Here’s the whispered wisdom Denver continues to share with me:

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“you should explore” – The first thing you’ll notice in Denver is the stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. There’s something about it that makes you want to explore and experience all it has to offer. Instead of defaulting to drinks at a bar, people in Denver resort to trips to the mountains – skiing, hiking, biking, camping and more.

“you should be active” – The people of Denver prioritize an active, healthy and outdoor lifestyle. 300 days of sunshine per year doesn’t hurt. After moving from Chicago, I noticed a significant difference in the amount of sun – leading to more time outside, more time exploring the city and surrounding areas (such as a few of my favorites, Golden and Boulder) and an overall increase in mood and quality of life. The weather encourages people to stay active year-round. As I may have tweeted one time, “40 degrees in Denver hits different”.

“you should chill out” – Denver has a relaxed and friendly vibe, with a slower pace of life (compared to Chicago, in particular). There’s an emphasis on work-life balance and enjoying time outdoors. The first thing I noticed was the difference in demeanor of the guys and gals working at bars, restaurants and local shops – I may have even once said something along the lines of, “these Denver bartenders are the most chill people I’ve ever met.” Easy going. Friendly. Approachable. Good vibes only.

“you should be creative” – When people ask me what the biggest difference between Denver and Chicago is, I refer to River North. Both cities share a neighborhood with this name, but the differences couldn’t be more stark. Chicago’s River North is upscale – full of expensive high-rises and $18 vodka sodas. Denver’s has a much different feel – the people here refer to it as RiNo (pronounced Rhino). It’s an art district filled with street art, craft breweries and music venues. For whatever reason, this area, and Denver in general, screams creativity to me. Maybe it’s the mountains and the time spent outdoors? As they say, time in nature can encourage a sense of wonder, curiosity and a willingness to explore new ideas and perspectives. Better yet, I can see the mountains as I write this. Rooftop blogging hits different (ok, I’ll stop saying that).

“you should be inclusive and welcoming” – Unlike St. Louis, a city I love so dearly, Denver has a large percentage of people, particularly millennials (guilty), that didn’t grow up here. I’ve found this to contribute to an inclusive and welcoming environment – Denver residents seem to have more of an openness to meet new people than other cities I’ve lived in. It feels less cliquey. An outsider? No, you’re one of us. All people and perspectives feel welcome. Different lifestyles too. There’s an overall zest for life that’s a mile-high – it’s hard to describe, but you can feel it. I hear it every now and then too – in whispers.

“you should seek out depth” – The more time I spend here, the more I’m convinced that Denver is my home for the long term. Unlike my past stops across the country, I have no future stops in mind. I’m committed to digging deep here – with the outdoor activities it provides, the creativity it values, the relationships it offers and so much more. Denver whispers family to me as well – two of my siblings live here and my parents are one short drive away. My brother-in-law, soon-to-be sister-in-law, nephew and multiple cousins also live nearby. And let’s not forget about the friendship – I’m lucky to have several of my closest friends in the city too with friendships that date back to high school, middle school and even elementary school. That’s depth.

“you should love live music” – I may have once tweeted “friendship, live music and the outdoors is all you need”. You may need slightly more than that, but I’m convinced not much. Denver has a thriving music scene, headlined by Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The iconic venue literally personifies friendship, live music and the outdoors. I went to two concerts last year – both were absolutely incredible. I may or may not have had an out-of-body experience when Gryffin and Daya played “Feel Good”.

“you should love craft beer and get a dog” – Ok, I haven’t gotten fully behind these two just yet (I’ll take another Coors Light, please), but the whispers are there. With over 150 breweries, Denver loves its craft beer. The city is extremely dog-friendly – in fact, at times, it feels like almost everyone has one. Come to think of it, a Golden Retriever does sound like the perfect hiking companion. Maybe one day.

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You won’t know if a city’s message will resonate with you until you hear it.

Luckily, I continue to enjoy what Denver has to say.

Much like the reason aspiring movie stars and comedians move to Los Angeles – where you live can shape your environment in a way that supports your personal growth and development.

Research supports this idea. The classic study by psychologist Stanley Milgram found that people were more likely to engage in harmful behavior when they were in a social environment that supported it. Similarly, research has shown that people are more likely to adopt the behaviors of those around them, especially when those behaviors are seen as normative.

After a decade of failing to make it as a cartoonist in Kansas City, Walt Disney moved to Hollywood.

We all know how that story ended.

Are you in the right environment – surrounded by the right people, the right places, the right things?

Only you can answer that.

What does your city whisper to you?

Note: this is just based on my personal experience in the last year. I certainly haven’t explored or experienced all Denver has to offer. It’s also impossible, and unwise, to categorize a whole city and group of people. For instance, Denver is full of ambitious and driven people as well. I’ve just found the whispers harder to hear. As I’ve said before, we are all biased to our own personal history.

I also used Chicago and St. Louis for most of my comparisons since that is where I’ve spent the majority of my life. I love both of those cities dearly and all the people and places that make them special.

*Shoutout to my dear friend and roommate, Macauley, for doing the final convincing on getting me to move here. It’d always been in the back of my mind, but I didn’t want to leave my job and was scared to have the conversation with my boss. I kept pushing the conversation off, but as it turned out, everything worked out. I’m still working with the company remotely and it wasn’t all that scary. Thanks for that extra push, pal.

** In the spirit of objectivity, I feel like I need to mention something I don’t like about Denver: the traffic is awful. It’s also not nearly as walkable of a city as Chicago. And this might be a hot take, but the sports scene isn’t nearly as strong or as passionate as it is in St. Louis.