Living in Denver for a Month (Fall): A Digital Nomad Review

In August 2025, I started on a digital nomad trip around the U.S. My plan is to live in different cities for a few weeks to a month, to explore each location more deeply than a normal vacation would allow, and figure out where I want to live long-term.

Denver was the second stop on my trip, and it was a little different from Seattle as I’d already spent a few weeks in Denver in 2024. This month-long stay gave me the chance to go beyond first impressions – I explored Denver’s neighborhoods, food, and nearby nature in more depth.

Here are my takeaways and reflections from living in Denver for a month.

Denver Scorecard

Food: 4/5. Starting off with a hot take. Every single Reddit thread asking which cities had a “bad food scene for its size” has Denver as one of the top comments – But personally, I was pretty impressed by the food scene.
Cost of living: 3.5/5. I found rent to be generally less expensive here than in other major cities. Food was a similar cost to D.C. but with better quality for what you paid. Groceries felt relatively expensive, and gas was very reasonable in Denver itself (I could find gas for less than $3 a gallon pretty much any day) but more expensive outside of the city.
Walkability: 3/5. Denver is a pretty spread out city, so walking between neighborhoods can be tough. However, within a neighborhood, walkability is generally pretty good and you can see people walking their dogs or walking with their families outside very often. Sidewalks, crosswalks, and walk signs were pretty prevalent.
Public transportation: 2/5. I know Denver is making a big effort to expand its public transportation, but I thought it was still lacking. One bus line I took only ran once every hour. The ticket I bought was an “all day” pass that only lasted for 3 hours. There’s no tap to pay with credit card, but there is an app (which makes it easier than Seattle, where you have to buy a physical card).
Cleanliness & safety: 3/5. I lived in the Berkley neighborhood during my time in Denver, which is well out of the core downtown area where most crime occurs. The neighborhood I stayed in felt very clean, quiet, and safe, but going downtown, I understood why Denver had a reputation for being a bit unsafe.
Things to do in the city: 2.5/5. Most people don’t really move to Denver for the city itself. I thought it was a bit sleepy and didn’t have a ton going on, but there are some cool neighborhoods and areas to walk around, and new things to do are popping up as the city expands.
Nature access: 5/5. There were two parks with views of the mountains a 10-minute walk from my house, a few mountains within a 20-minute drive, and world-class hiking within an hour’s drive, even more within two to three hours’ drive. The state is absolutely filled with incredible nature and access to nature (mountains, alpine lakes, etc.) is pretty much unparalleled in any major U.S. city I’ve visited, besides Salt Lake.
Drivability: 3.5/5. The roads are generally okay (I avoid the I-25). They seem much better designed than Seattle, which may have the worst road system I’ve experienced in the U.S. Most drivers were generally pretty nice, but as with every city, there are always people who will cut you off or tailgate you aggressively. However, there’s always construction going on, people drive like speed limits don’t exist, and there are an alarming number of objects on the road on the highway.
Weather: 4/5. During my time in Denver, it was sunny every day, with some clouds rolling in in the afternoon and evening sometimes leading to rain and thunderstorms. The thunderstorms are a much bigger issue in the mountains and surrounding areas, where 50% of the time it’ll thunderstorm after 3pm.
People: 4/5. In my experience, people in Denver just seem happier (minus some of the drivers). They’re very friendly and outgoing, particularly the people you meet on tougher hikes.

Total score: 34.5/50, my personal frontrunner (so far) for a place to live.

What I Liked About Denver

Super sunny. Denver is sunny almost every day, even if it rains or thunderstorms frequently in the afternoons.
Interesting and quiet neighborhoods. Even in the city, there are several quiet neighborhoods (Berkley, Sloan’s Lake, Highland, etc.) with unique character and fun things to do.
Friendly people and lots of cute dogs. I felt like people in Denver were generally happier and friendlier than people in other cities I’ve visited, especially on hiking trails.
Good bakeries. Bakery Four on Tennyson St is one of my favorite bakeries in the U.S.
Hiking and access to nature. Colorado is one of my favorite states for hiking – lots of trails, diverse views, easy to get to, etc., and the state is huge, so even after visiting for about two months in total, I still feel like there is a lot left to explore.

What I Didn’t Like About Denver

Road status. There was lots of construction going on, on several roads, which created narrow lanes, unexpected merges, traffic, etc. Sometimes construction was poorly marked / signaled (like near the airport) or didn’t show up on Google Maps. On several occasions, there were large objects dropped on the highway – I saw a tire fly off the back of a pickup truck and hit the car in the next lane over and a grill in the middle of a lane on the I-70 causing several cars to swerve.
Afternoon t-storms. About 50% of the time there would be thunderstorms in Denver or the surrounding mountains after 2pm, making it difficult to get out to hike after work without risk of lightning.
Public transportation doesn’t run frequently. I think Denver has been making a concerted effort to improve its public transportation, and I was impressed seeing all the buses drive from small towns into Denver, but I think it’s still generally very difficult to live in Denver and get out to hike without a car. The bus I took from my neighborhood to downtown ran only once an hour, making it hard to be spontaneous with only public transportation.
Not very diverse. There are some neighborhoods that are more diverse, but Denver overall feels very white, so it might be more difficult for POCs to find community.

Best Hiking Near Denver

Rocky Mountain National Park

Of the 40 National Parks I’ve visited so far, Rocky Mountain is one of my favorite.

Chasm Lake (9 miles, hard): Hike to a beautiful lake right below Longs Peak, which is one of Colorado’s most iconic 14ers. The lake is a lovely spot to sit and take a nap.
Sky Pond (10 miles, hard): Sky Pond can be reached via multiple routes. The most popular route is 10 miles, via Glacier Gorge and The Loch. Sky Pond can also be combined with Lake Haiyaha and Dream Lake as a loop. The hike is peaceful and scenic, with a fun waterfall scramble at the end.
Lake Haiyaha (4 miles, moderate): Hike to an extremely blue lake – the stunning color is due to an avalanche.
Dream Lake (3 miles, easy-moderate): One of my favorite lakes in Rocky Mountain, especially beautiful before the snow melts and on a sunny day.
Gem Lake (3.5 miles, moderate): Located outside the main Rocky Mountain National Park corridor. Gem Lake unfreezes earlier than the rest of the park, so it’s a good hike for early or late in the season.

14er

Bierstadt (7 miles, hard): Bierstadt is considered one of the “easier” 14ers. The trail starts out flat for a few miles before becoming steep, and the part near the summit involves some light scrambling. Saw mountain goats, a marmot, and lots of cute dogs.
Quandary (7 miles, hard): Quandary as also considered an “easier” 14er, but I found it much more difficult than Bierstadt. This is one of the more scenic 14ers I’ve done – It has fantastic views of the lakes and surrounding mountains, and mountain goats are frequently spotted near the trail.
Elbert (11.5 miles, hard): I hiked Mount Elbert as a practice run for my day hike of Mount Whitney. I got snowed on and rained on during this hike, but it was still a blast. As far as views go, it’s not the most scenic of the 14ers, but it comes with fun bragging rights for summiting the tallest mountain in Colorado.

Nederland

Nederland is a small town in the mountains near Boulder. It’s home to some surprisingly great restaurants and surrounded by beautiful hikes.

Lost Lake (4 miles, moderate): Rocky hike. I saw two moose on the trail close to sunset. The hike offers a great view of snow-capped mountains against the lake. I like to go on weekday evenings (4-6pm) to avoid the crowds.
Peak to Peak Highway (Scenic drive): Peak to Peak is a scenic highway from Estes Park to Black Hawk, passing through Nederland. The drive has amazing views of the mountains and is particularly nice during the fall.

Idaho Springs

Idaho Springs is home to many shorter high elevation hikes. The hikes here are a great training ground for 14ers.

Chief Mountain (3 miles, moderate): I did this hike five times in September, as it’s a great way to train at high elevation and steep hiking without committing to a long hike. The hike offers fantastic panoramic views of the surrounding mountains at the top.
Echo Lake to Idaho Springs (4 miles, moderate): Trail leading to the Idaho Springs reservoir, with views of Mt. Blue Sky along the way. The hike is decently rocky and starts with a descent, before ascending back at the end.

Guanella Pass

Guanella Pass is a mountain pass near Georgetown, CO, located about an hour outside of Denver. It’s a great place for seeing wildlife, like deer, moose, and pika.

Square Top Lakes (5 miles, moderate): Pretty hike leading to two lakes. The trail was very muddy towards the end. The trail is wide open throughout, providing nice views of Square Top Mountain and Mt. Bierstadt.
Silver Dollar and Murray Lake (4 miles, moderate): Beautiful hike passing by two lakes. The hike is pretty steep throughout. I saw lots of pikas.
Herman Gulch to Herman Lake (7 miles, hard): This hike is particularly gorgeous in the fall. It’s surrounded by mountains the entire time and ends at a nice (and windy) lake.

Best Things to Do in Denver

Denver Cat Company: $15 admission (BOGO if you sign up for their emails) with very cute cats that don’t seem like they hate humans (some of them will even let you pick them up!)
Edgewater Public Market: Food hall with a lot of different cuisine options. They host a Monday movie night!
Tennyson Street: My favorite area in Denver. Bakery Four (favorite Denver bakery) is here, along with FERAL (second-hand outdoor clothing shop, some insane deals) and Denver Cat Company.
La Plaza Market: Big Latin market in Aurora with a small arcade, shops, and good Mexican food.
South Pearl Farmer’s Market: Denver doesn’t seem to have many farmer’s markets, but this one is huge and has lots of loved local vendors.
RiNo: Downtown neighborhood, felt a bit sketchy in areas that didn’t have much foot traffic, but there are a lot of cool stores, murals, and food spots here and it feels like it’s growing quickly. Central Market was a nice place to stop in.

Best Weekend Trips from Denver

Leadville: A cute small town at 10,000 ft elevation.
- Zero Day Coffee: Locally owned coffee shop, very friendly baristas, local art, and some outdoor gear.
- Independence Pass is a scenic drive located nearby that I highly recommend during the fall.
Breckenridge: Small ski town close to Denver, popular tourist destination during the fall when the leaves are turning.
- Higgles Ice Cream: Great coffee ice cream.
Crested Butte: Another small ski town, extremely beautiful during the fall.
Great Sand Dunes: National Park a few hours south of Denver, located near the Sangre-Cristo Wilderness which is also home to many 14’ers. I highly recommend climbing the High Dune Trail. The landscapes are really cool (huge sand dunes against even bigger mountains) and it’s a great place for stargazing as well.
Boulder: City about 30-40 minutes northwest of Denver. I enjoyed walking around Pearl Street. There’s lots of world-class hiking and climbing nearby, including the Flatirons.
Aspen & Maroon Bells: I found Aspen extremely uninteresting with overpriced food and inaccessible designer brands, but the Maroon Bells nearby are really beautiful. There are lots of hiking options that take you around the lakes below the mountains. We also saw a huge moose here.

Best Food in Denver

Bakeries

Bakery Four (Berkeley, $$): Chocolate croissants, all of their muffins (flavors rotate weekly), savory croissants, etc. – This is one of my favorite bakeries in the U.S.

Coffee & Cafes

Plume Coffee Bar (Silver Plume, $): Extremely vibey coffee shop with games, plants, outdoor magazines, local art.
Two Hands (Berkley, $$): Australian cafe, very expensive but great food. Their lemon poppyseed waffle is astoundingly good (even the whipped cream, as someone who doesn’t like whipped cream). I also enjoyed their banana bread with espresso mascarpone.

Asian

Thai Bao Vietnamese Restaurant (Berkeley, $$): Decent lemongrass pork.
Sushi Bay (Berkeley, $$): $15 lunch special, two rolls of fresh sushi and a side salad included.
Dumpling Bay (Golden, $$): The chili oil pork & cabbage dumplings blew me away.
Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings (Multiple locations, $$): Great soup dumplings.

Ice Cream & Dessert

High Point Creamery (Berkeley, $): Loved their coconut creme brûlée and coffee ice cream.
Little Man Ice Cream (Multiple locations, $): Fantastic coffee ice cream, their factory location has a slide!
Bibamba Artisan Chocolate (Edgewater, $$): They have a mocha dark chocolate with a little crunch, fantastic (if very pricey).

Brunch

Legacy Pie Co (Berkeley, $$): Legitimately great pie (I’m usually not a big fan of pie). The chicken pot pie was delicious and came with a little chicken carved on top.
Atomic Cowboy (Multiple locations, $$): A surprisingly good burger, and for only $8 on Mondays.

Mexican

La Bicicleta Food Truck (Aurora, $): Located in the La Plaza Market in Aurora, great little food truck with authentic and delicious tacos for a reasonable price.

Upscale

Tavernetta (Downtown, $$$): Fancy, higher-end restaurant, went for a birthday meal. Loved the lobster pasta and the semifreddo dessert. The service is fantastic.

Pizza

Crosscut Pizzeria (Nederland, $$): One of my favorite pizza places in the country. Big fan of the vodka margherita and the teo pizzas.

BBQ

Kealoha’s BBQ (Downtown, $$): Incredible Hawaiian BBQ, the pork ribs slide right off the bone. It’s a shame how difficult it is to find parking nearby!

Indian

Godavari (Centennial, $$): South Indian restaurant with fantastic dosa, very popular lunch spot!
Kathmandu Restaurant (Nederland, $$): Great butter chicken and dal, big portions.

Conclusion

I started off my digital nomad trip expecting that I’d end up in Denver, and my month here has confirmed my initial thoughts. I’ll be returning in the winter to see if I like living here in the winter as much as I do in the fall!

What’s Next?

I’ll be taking a short hiatus from my month-long digital nomad stays to hike Mount Whitney, and visit Oregon. After that, it’s off to Moab, Utah for my next stop.

Read about my experiences digital nomading in other cities here: