Why you'd want to live in Denver

1. Denver is near the mountains, not in them. There are 200 named peaks visible from Denver, including 32 that soar to 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) and above. The mountain panorama visible from Denver is 140 miles (225 km) long. 2. Denver really is exactly one mile high. There is a step on the State Capitol Building that is exactly 5,280 feet (1,609 meters) above sea level. In Denver's rarified air, golf balls go 10 percent farther. So do cocktails. Alcoholic drinks pack more of a wallop than at sea level. The sun feels warmer in the thinner atmosphere, but your coffee is cooler because water boils at 202 degrees (94 degrees Celsius). 3. Denver has one of the most walkable downtowns in the nation. Denver boasts the 10th largest downtown in America and one of the most exciting and walkable. Within a mile radius, downtown Denver has three major sports stadiums, the nation's second-largest performing arts center, three colleges, an assortment of art and history museums, a mint that produces 10 billion coins a year, a river offering whitewater rafting, more than 11,000 hotel rooms within a short walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center (more than 50,000 first-class hotel rooms in the greater metro area), a downtown theme and water park, downtown aquarium and hundreds of chef-driven restaurants. 4. Denver has 300 days of sunshine a year. Located east of a major mountain range, Denver has a mild, dry and sunny climate with more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach. In winter, Denver is dryer than Phoenix with an average daily high of 45 degrees (7 degrees Celsius) in February. Golf courses remain open all year and have been played every day in January. via denver.org