The lifestyle in Colorado

The shape of the scene

Denver is the largest scene for several hundred miles in any direction, and it draws from Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder, Cheyenne and occasionally much further. It has a reputation for being informal and relaxed about dress and etiquette.

Colorado Springs, seventy minutes south, is the state's other significant population centre and has a completely different character — military, conservative and highly private. Many couples there simply use Denver.

Venues, alcohol and why so many clubs are BYOB

Colorado's alcohol rules are relatively permissive by US standards. Adult venues still generally operate on a private membership basis, and local ordinances vary between municipalities in the metro.

Why this pattern exists across the whole country is covered in the legal questions couples ask.

Distances and how people travel

Denver to Colorado Springs is seventy minutes, Denver to Fort Collins an hour, Denver to Salt Lake City around eight hours. Winter mountain weather can close I-70 and I-25 at short notice.

Outside the metros

The Western Slope, the San Luis Valley and the eastern plains are thinly served. Grand Junction and Durango have small local networks.

The character of the scene here

Colorado's scene is more informal than most, and visitors from the East Coast or Texas routinely arrive overdressed. Denver in particular has a reputation for relaxed dress codes and unfussy etiquette.

If you are starting out

Altitude is a genuine factor if you are arriving from sea level — alcohol hits harder and dehydration is faster. Drink noticeably less than you would at home on your first night.

None of that is specific to this state: talk to each other first, meet people online, meet in public, and consider an event only after that. The order is covered in how to find people, and the practical rules are on our safety page.