@Thomas_Thumb wrote:Looks like you stumbled into the wrong part of town. If the homeless make you uneasy, probably best to avoid downtown San Diego.
Or San Francisco, or any number of other large cities for that matter.
@tcbofade wrote:I'm in Denver for a few weeks for work.
Haven't been here since the late 80s, early 90s.
It WAS beautiful.
It has been overrun by the homeless.
What happened?
Yesterday, I needed gas in the truck. Stopped at a gas station with a convenience store and went inside to make a purchase.
FOUR interactions with homeless to complete the process.
One getting out of the truck, one going into the store, one while making a purchase, and another when returning to the truck.
It's awful.
What happened?
Oh boy.
All the folks from LA / California? Yeah they moved to Colorado because they couldn't live with their consequences.
You'll see this in Texas, Idaho, Tennessee.
Like a plague.
@BearsCubsOtters wrote:Homelessness is an issue in most cities these days and Denver is not immune. Mental illness and drug addiction are the largest contributors to homelessness. In addition, Denver is not an affordable city/Colorado is not an affordable state. Ranks in Top 10 of unaffordable states. When tech moves in, affordability takes a hit. Makes it hard for those earning a meager income to live and the result is that many become homeless.
Colorado was unfortunately discovered in the mid 1990s and grew out of control for decades. One cannot spit in Colorado without hiting a native Californian or Texan. Trash from other states converged and have further contributed to outrageous costs, increased traffic, increased homelessness and increased crime. It may be leveling out though, as 2024 was the first year in decades that there were more people moving out than in.
But...I believe it was the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2013/2014 that really made things bad in Denver. A lot of people flocked in, made housing even more expensive and a lot of less educated individuals just moved to Denver with no consideration of where they would live or work. They just wanted to come for the pot. Despite huge growth for 20 years, it really was felt after that passed in 2013/2014.
I am a native Coloradoan relocated to Utah. There are other factors that I cannot go into in this forum. Just to say, be careful who or what you vote for.
I visited Colorado in '19. Desired to move there desperately, I LOVE the mountains.
Just made a spontaneous trip to Spokane (wrong place) was beautiful but very much like home (Hudson Valley).
I cannot and will not move somewhere I won't be able to put roots down and raise a family (kids) with without being harassed by the government or divorced **bleep**. I love the convenience of being 90 minutes from a city, but I want nothing to do with them.
Legalization absolutely become a disaster. I know personally (my dad).