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J! - Denver, Colorado or Seattle

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  • 19-11-2012 8:05pm
    #1
    Jello
    Registered Users Posts: 2,739 ✭✭✭


    Hey planning on doing a J1 next year and would like to go somewhere a bit different that isn't full of Irish! Just wondering has anyone ever gone on a J1 to Denver, Colorado or Seattle and if so how did you find it? I'm liking their proximity to the Rocky Mountains and the outdoor activities on offer.

    Any information on jobs, cost of living, nightlife etc would be greatly appreciated! :)


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    #2
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    The two places that just legalized Marijuana...

    Interesting.

    ;)

    (BTW I'd go for Seattle. Its got mountains AND sea. And Canada is a couple of hours away.)


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    #3
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    Colorado is stunning, why anyone would choose Seattle defies logic but whatever you're into.

    If there's better job prospects fair enough, but there is nothing spectacular about that part of the North West IMHO.


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    #4
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Savman wrote: »
    Colorado is stunning, why anyone would choose Seattle defies logic but whatever you're into.
    If there's better job prospects fair enough, but there is nothing spectacular about that part of the North West.

    Odd.

    Have you ever been to the Pacific Northwest?

    By the way Colorado is a State and Seattle is a City.

    Colorado and Washington are both stunning and spectacular. But in addition I'd take living in Seattle over Denver any day.

    :confused:


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    #5
    Gandhi
    Registered Users Posts: 976 ✭✭✭Gandhi


    How is public transit, walkability etc in those areas? If you are going to have to buy a car just to get to work every morning for three months it could turn into a very expensive J1.

    We bought a car for $500 for our J1 summer in Alabama years ago, but I can't imagine you could get a car for that cheap in the PNW, nor would they have Alabama's "insurance optional", and "no NCT whatsoever" laws.


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    #6
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Seattle is small enough that you can use Public Transport or walk to work.

    You can find $500 cars but would you want one? $1000 will get you a serviceable Honda civic or toyota corrola, the two default cheap reliable cars.

    No nct, but there is a "smog" check for pollution. Although (unbelievably) cars over 25 years old are exempt.

    Dunno about insurance prices, you have to have it though.

    http://seattle.craigslist.org/


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    #7
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    Odd.

    Have you ever been to the Pacific Northwest?

    By the way Colorado is a State and Seattle is a City.
    I'm aware of that but thanks for the Geography lesson! Seattle was one of the less impressive cities I visited tbh, I'm sure there's more beyond the city limits but downtown is just another average American city, just a little more stoned.


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    #8
    Jello
    Registered Users Posts: 2,739 ✭✭✭Jello


    Cheers for the replies! Haven't looked much into the public transport end of things, suppose we could get a car if we really need it/can afford it though I'd have no problem picking up a cheap bike to get around!

    Unemployment rates are slightly lower in Denver (Colorado) though the other two have higher minimum wages. Can't seem to find much information on job prospects as they aren't the most popular J1 destinations by the looks of things!


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    #9
    Gandhi
    Registered Users Posts: 976 ✭✭✭Gandhi


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    Seattle is small enough that you can use Public Transport or walk to work.

    You can find $500 cars but would you want one? $1000 will get you a serviceable Honda civic or toyota corrola, the two default cheap reliable cars.

    No nct, but there is a "smog" check for pollution. Although (unbelievably) cars over 25 years old are exempt.

    Dunno about insurance prices, you have to have it though.

    http://seattle.craigslist.org/

    Ours was a 1974 Ford Granada (sporty V8 coupe, did not even resemble the Ford Granada saloons and estates that were back home in the '80s). Half the time we had smoke coming out the dashboard, let alone the rest of the car. One time we had a tire blow out on the highway and did not even notice because the suspension was so spongy.

    For the OP though, I would definitely investigate the specific location you end up going to. Buying a car to sell it on in three months later could add enormously to your costs, especially when you add in the hassle and expense of getting insurance on a foreign license living with a non-immigrant visa.


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    #10
    Killer Wench
    Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭Killer Wench


    The mountains around Seattle are not the Rocky Mountains. To the west are the Olympic Mountains and to the east are the Cascade Mountains. There are several volcanoes in the area.

    From Seattle, you drive north three hours and you are in Canada. You drive west three hours and you are at the Pacific Ocean. You drive south three hours and you reach Portland, OR. You drive east three hours and you hit the desert.

    I lived in Boulder (outside of Denver) and now live in Seattle. I much prefer Seattle as it is just more diverse and vibrant than Seattle.

    Is the J1 visa the year long or three month visa? If you speak another language like French, Portuguese, or German, you would have an edge on a few jobs because some of the tech companies are looking for bilingual candidates.


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    #11
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    Killer Wench wrote: »
    I much prefer Seattle as it is just more diverse and vibrant than Seattle.
    Come again? :confused:


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    #12
    Killer Wench
    Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭Killer Wench


    Savman wrote: »
    Come again? :confused:

    I meant Seattle > Denver.


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    #13
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    Gandhi wrote: »
    Ours was a 1974 Ford Granada (sporty V8 coupe, did not even resemble the Ford Granada saloons and estates that were back home in the '80s). Half the time we had smoke coming out the dashboard, let alone the rest of the car. One time we had a tire blow out on the highway and did not even notice because the suspension was so spongy.

    Oh yeah I've driven those. Absolute horror. Its actually kind of sad now because you cant get those cars now. They dont make the old behemoths anymore (except maybe one ford and a cadillac), and they were so unreliable and badly built that the old ones are disappearing fast, so its the end of an era.

    Even though to a large extent they were complete junk.


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    #14
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    I know weather is a minor factor, but I don't get swapping Irish weather for Irish style (Seattle) weather. :confused:

    Colorada ;) is a wonderful state...you might even consider somewhere really exotic...like New Mexico :)


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    #15
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    MadsL wrote: »
    I know weather is a minor factor, but I don't get swapping Irish weather for Irish style (Seattle) weather. :confused:

    Colorada ;) is a wonderful state...you might even consider somewhere really exotic...like New Mexico :)

    True.

    The Weather in the Pacific Northwest is very similar to Ireland.

    When I first moved to the US I went to California so I understand the weather thing. It certainly is nice to experience living somewhere with a hot climate. Makes the people back at home so envious too!


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    #16
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    InTheTrees wrote: »
    The Weather in the Pacific Northwest is very similar to Ireland.

    Not in the summer its not. They get an actual 3 months worth of summer over there, with lots of dry days & temps that can be quite warm, well into the 70's & 80's on a daily basis. Don't think that you can say that about Ireland in the summer time, especially not over the past few years.


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    #17
    InTheTrees
    Registered Users Posts: 9,900 ✭✭✭InTheTrees


    ProudDUB wrote: »
    Not in the summer its not. They get an actual 3 months worth of summer over there, with lots of dry days & temps that can be quite warm, well into the 70's & 80's on a daily basis. Don't think that you can say that about Ireland in the summer time, especially not over the past few years.

    You missed this year when it rained pretty much ALL of May and June.

    People were getting suicidal...

    But you're right July, August and September were absolutely georgous (I think we went a record 75 days without rain). And the summers are pretty reliably warm.


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    #18
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Well, I'll stick with my 300 days of sunshine a year thanks :D
    The other 60 it snows and I ski :P


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    #19
    tehjimmeh
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭tehjimmeh


    Savman wrote: »
    I'm aware of that but thanks for the Geography lesson! Seattle was one of the less impressive cities I visited tbh, I'm sure there's more beyond the city limits but downtown is just another average American city, just a little more stoned.
    How long were you there for? How far did you venture?

    Your comments about the Pacific Northwest not being spectacular are odd, it's an incredibly beautiful region IMO.

    I've lived in Seattle for about a year now, and I find it to be great. What I love about it is that it's essentially a collection of different neighbourhoods, each with its own unique history, character and quirks, and most of which are easily accessible via walking or public transit (which is pretty good).

    Culture is fantastic here. If you're into live music, poetry, visual arts etc., there are all sorts of events always happening. One of my favourite things to do is go on Art Walks, which happen in the various neighbourhoods every month, in which art galleries open their doors and you basically walk from gallery to gallery, drinking free wine/beer and observing interesting exhibits.

    Speaking of beer, if you're into craft beers/microbrews, Seattle is a fantastic place for that. There are dozens of local breweries here. Every bar you go into, there will be at least one on tap, and usually lots more (to the point where it can actually be difficult to find "normal" beers sometimes). You can even visit the breweries themselves, and they'll fill up "growlers" of beer for you to take home. (The scene is also great (and bigger AFAIK) in Oregan - if you do go to Seattle you should take a trip to Portland at some point).

    If you're an outdoorsy person, there's a lot to do also. Lots of good places to go hiking (or so I hear, haven't been myself :P), and Lake Washington and Lake Union are great, beautiful places to go kayaking/paddleboarding/other watersports. You're also very close to great skiing locations (although you might have to venture a little further in the summer for that), and interestingly, while you can drive for a while in one direction and get to snow, drive in another and you'll get to a desert.

    In Seattle itself, the weather is a bit of a downside. It's not as rainy as it's made out to be, just a bit grey most of the time. The summer is great though (admittedly, it was kinda late coming this year) - lots and lots of sunshine without it ever getting too hot (my Californian roommate has said the summer is better than California in this respect).

    Cost of living isn't especially low, but not as high as other places. Rent will be high if you want to live in the heart of the action (e.g. Capitol Hill - the centre of nightlife for young people), but isn't too bad if you live further afield.

    Your prospects of getting a job might be low too, depending on the length of your visa. That said, if you have a tech background, prospects could be better.

    Hope that helps...


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