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I am a 20 something gay man who currently lives in Cleveland. My fiance and I are considering re-locating to either Chicago or Minneapolis. From my viewpoint it seems the both offer a little the other doesn't. I know Chicago has a bigger city feel, and seems to have a more vibrant night life, while Minneapolis is more midwestern and settled down, but does allow gay marriage.
We are at the point in our relationship where we want to move to a fun city that will give us the opportunity to feel welcomed and settle into our married life together.
ALso, I work in Human Resources and he is currently a Pharmacy tech that is in school to be a Paramedic and eventual Nurse.
Looking for any advice to help make the decision easier.
Minneapolis is plenty big - bigger than Cleveland even if you include Akron and Canton. You won't have a shortage of big city amenities there, and the gender/sexual minorities community is more pervasive and part of the local identity than it is in Chicago.
Can't speak for Minneapolis, but the gay community here in Chicago is very big and there are two neighborhoods that specfically cater to that community (Boystown and Andersonville).
There have been same-sex civil unions in Illinois for several years now; the gay marriage initiative is stalled in the legislature that has gotten mired in pension reform right now, but I think most people would agree that it's only a matter of time (probably a year?) before gay marriage is also passed in Illinois. It already passed the Senate and the Gov. said he would sign it.
I think you will find a wider variety and size in the gay community in Chicago than in Minneapolis. There are several large neighborhoods here that specifically cater to the gay community, but of course there are several neighborhoods and suburbs that are just as open. Minneapolis is a nice place to live, too, if you want something smaller and more manageable. I don't think you can go wrong with either, but I am more of a city person and desire more accessibility to public transport options, so Chicago is more my taste than Minneapolis.
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