I am hoping some Minnesota locals can give me some insider advice. Here is my situation: I have spent the better part of my life living in North Carolina. Although I love it here, Im beginning to feel
I am hoping some Minnesota locals can give me some insider advice. Here is my situation: I have spent the better part of my life living in North Carolina. Although I love it here, Im beginning to feel the need for a change of scenery- at least for a little while. For some reason, the idea of moving to Minnesota (specifically Minneapolis/St. Paul) keeps coming up. I only find this odd because the only part of this entire state Ive had the chance to see is the inside of the Minneapolis airport. However, friends who have either visited or lived in this area have suggested that I would really like it.
I plan to make a site visit sometime in the near future, but it may be the early part of next year before my schedule will allow it. So, in the meantime, Im hoping to get some personal accounts of the area. For example, I would like to know what brought you to the area? What is the job market like? Are the winters as harsh as their reputation? Are tornadoes a big problem in the area? In your opinion, who are typical Minnesotans? What are some of the best things about living in the twin cities area? What are some of the worst? etc.
Any and all opinions and information that you can provide will be greatly appreciated! And thank you in advance for taking the time to respond.
I moved to the Twin Cities at 18 to go to school at the U of M in 1994. I graduated and ended up staying in Mpls. until Aug. 2004. At that time, I moved to Texas for 1) a great job opportunity, 2) to satisfy my desire for a change of pace that hit me at 28 and 3) a chance to leave behind the long cold winters. I throughly enjoyed my time in Mpls , but I am of the opinion that how much one enjoys where they live is what the individual makes of it.
The TC is a good community for finding ways to fill your freetime, especially if you actually live in either St. Paul or Minneapolis proper. (Outer ring suburban areas are nice but are like many suburbs, geared towards family-kid centric activities.) The Metro area is very large and diverse. It has a vibrant Arts community (many museums, theaters, & concerts), a wealth of good dining opportunties (all types & prices), and lots of outdoor / athletic activities (all season). Plus, the MPLS airport is a INTL hub with lots flights so you can easily do some neat, last-minute weekend trips. Or you can drive a few hours from the TC and experience some neat wilderness/ rural settings. I miss the Arts scene of Mpls, the many ethnic & fine dining restaurants, the good bus system (I now have to drive to work in Texas), the beautiful fall season, and the ability to easily fly.
From a practical perspective, there seems to be lots of good jobs in the Metro, a stable, diverse economy, lots of quality healthcare, good schools & colleges, and reasonable wages in relation to the cost of living. Of course, there are some exclusive areas where housing can be pricey.
The winters can be harsh. In the winter, it gets dark very early, it is cold & windy, & depending on the year, you can find yourself spending a lot of time shoveling. The long winters and the traffic congestion are things that I do not miss about the Twin Cities.
Kato gets it right for the most part. I too moved here and ended up staying. (going on 22 years?!) I moved here because I had a free place to stay--on my brother's porch. I think about leaving, but I wonder where I could go that I would like any better and where I could afford to live. (I love Boston, but could never get a house.)
The Twin Cities have a lot going for them. Fairly stable and varied economy, well educated work force, less crime than some places, and definitely less bugs than North Carolina. The arts scene is great. Food is getting better all the time. Quality of life overall is very good. We are the 13th largest metro, so there is almost nothing one can't find if you look hard enough. There is limited but growing ethnic diversity.
On the negative side: the politics are becoming more conservative (a negative to me.) Traffic is definitely getting worse. Winter can be bad, but plan a trip every February to someplace warm and you will be fine. Tornados do exist, but they don't often destroy whole cities the way a hurricane or earthquake can.
Minnesotans are nice, but if you move here, you will find your friends will most likely the people not be locals. I do not mean to sound too negative. Minnesota is full of a lot of people who never left, and sometimes you have to work a little harder to find friends. That may be true of moving anywhere.
Come visit in January, and if you like it here that time of year, you will love it the rest.
Wow, I could not have asked for better responses! I really appreciate your honesty and thorough replies. I will make a point to visit once in January since both of you did mention harsh winters and maybe again in the spring or summer. Thank you for taking the time to respond- it really was helpful to me.
I'd still like to hear more thoughts and/or experiences from others, though, if anyone is interested!
I'm a lifelong resident and love Minnesota- Yes we're nice, but sometimes a litte harder to become really close to at first - since many have lived here all our lives and so do our families. But stick with it - and you'll get connected. Lots to do in the cities - great arts, music, sports (usually), fun restaurants. It's a friendly casual type city. Winters are long - snow in April can be depressing. But though January and February are cold - there is a lot to do. Skiing, ice skating, cross country skiing, even ice fishing! If you get out, bundle up, you'll enjoy it! There are skyways in the cities to walk in - you don't have to endure too much cold if you don't want to. I agree with the long nights - but in the summer - wonderfully long sunny days! If you want to get out of the city - it will take you a half an hour! (unless you face some of that growing awful traffic Rachel talked about) And gotta love all the lakes! Now - if only we had an outdoor baseball park - about perfect. :)
did u ever end up moving to MN and how did u like it? i found your post becase i'm now considering doing the same. can u update us all??? thanks so much :)
maxinet, if you like fresh air, green grass, four seasons, friendly people, and enjoy nature, then Minnesota is for you. I am a life long resident and have considered other places to live but after researching them I stayed here. Don't worry about the winters, if you dress appropriatly all you have to do is leave a little earlier if you drive to work when it snows. If you want more info contact me and I'll try to help you out, ziggypop
