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I do have a grip though. Have you ever been to the laurel Highlands? The skiing there is the best in the Eastern US (hold for the Adirondacks and vermont). Nothing within a 10 hour drive of Minneapolis can compare...
took these from Wikipedia, maybe Laurel Highlands is out of date?
I'm a Floridian who lived in Chicago and found the winters more tolerable there than summertime in FL. It's just a personal preference although several of my friends who made the same move as me (lived in Chicago but originally from Jax) all felt the same.
I guess it's hard to make a generalization one way or another.
As a former South Carolinian I would have to agree. I find winters here more tolerable (even being as cold as they are) than summers back home. But hey to each is own.
It appears that Lutsen Mountain has more prominence than any of the ski resorts in the Laurel Highlands despite being at a much lower elevation. Lutsen Mountain is close to Lake Superior, which is only about 600-700 feet above sea level. On the other hand, the lowest elevations in the Laurel Highlands are still about 2,000 feet above sea level, so the peaks are less prominent. Be that as it may, the Laurel Highlands are vastly underrated for outdoor recreation and tourism. I think both Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania should promote it much more than they do.
Realized you were looking at a state run ski resort that's now closed. 7 springs is in the Laurel Highlands. Also vertical isn't the same as vertical drop. 7 springs vertical would be 3001 (top) - 1475 (bottom near champion, pa) = 1526'
Looks like a "similar option" to me, which is what he originally replied to. I don't believe anyone said the MN options were "clearly superior" or anything silly like that.
Lutsen is especially nice in that you're towering over the largest freshwater lake on earth. Laurel Highlands are also very pretty, I'm a big fan of PA's underrated scenery.
What are you talking about?!? Minneapolis is way closer to other cities. Have ever looked at a map and seen that Minneapolis is the 15th biggest metro in the US and has 3 of the 5 biggest cities in the state all bordered with each other.
What are you talking about?!? Minneapolis is way closer to other cities. Have ever looked at a map and seen that Minneapolis is the 15th biggest metro in the US and has 3 of the 5 biggest cities in the state all bordered with each other.
Not sure who you're responding to, but you aren't actually trying to make a case that Minneapolis is in a better location with regards to being closer to more/better metro areas than Pittsburgh is, are you?
I, fortunately, have lived in both. Both are great cities. I may be able to make a fair, reasonable comparison:
Nightlife: Minneapolis, by a hair. I think that the nightlife in Minneapolis (outside of Hennepin and 1st Avenues) appeals more to my late-20's demographic than the Southside, though (which would be more fun for college kids with fake IDs)
Culture: This could mean many things. As far as high culture goes....it's a real push. I prefer the MIA to the Carnegie Museum of Art, but I prefer Carnegie's Natural History Museum to anything comparable we have in the Twin Cities (which would include the Minnesota History Museum and Bell Museum, I suppose).
Minneapolis is a leader in live theater, music, stand-up comedy, dance, and I much prefer Minneapolis's offerings of galleries and free art events. Pittsburgh does all of these things well, though, and one could argue it does a few better...
Shopping: Um....neither are really known for it. Shadyside's offering of boutiques and local places beats out Uptown or 50th and France, though, in my opinion. So I guess I'll give it to Pittsburgh?
(side bar: clevelander1991, if you think Carson Street is a major shopping district, or that Minneapolis has nothing like it, then it's obvious you haven't spent much time in either city...)
Dining: Minneapolis. And this one ain't close. But both cities were awful restaurant towns up until 10-20 years ago, and in both, the restaurant scene has really emerged. Minneapolis is just a little further on the trajectory than Pittsburgh is, at this point.
Scenery: Pittsburgh, and it ain't close. (as far as natural scenery goes, anyway. If you want downtown or city-scape: they pretty much tie for skyline, when you talk about it objectively and don't consider that Pittsburgh's hills provide more dramatic vantage points. I prefer Pittsburgh's residential architecture, too-- it's rowhouses, georgian style buildings that I remember in Shadyside, and all of the houses of Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, etc. Minneapolis isn't bad in this regard, but I do prefer Pittsburgh. Also, as far as parkland goes, while Minneapolis's system is more extensive, it consists mostly of small community parks. Schenley and Highland Parks are in-your-face, stately, early-century, palaces to leisure)
Outdoor Activities: Minneapolis. Pittsburgh's largest parks are gorgeous, but the system is not integrated with trails and bike paths like Minneapolis's is. Also, Pittsburgh has few (if any) urban lakes. I do think Pittsburgh has done a better job overall of utilizing its river(s) for recreational purposes. And I am told you can bike from the Southside all the way to DC! (I don't bike...). I also think that Minneapolis, overall, has better outdoor recreation closer by than Pittsburgh does. If you're really into hills, the North Shore by Duluth is easy to get to and provides similar options for hiking and skiing as Western Pennsylvania. But Ohiopyle doesn't hold a candle to the lakes and state park options near Minneapolis.
Crime: Supposedly Minneapolis's crime rate is higher, overall. But to be honest, they are both very safe cities, and if you avoid certain neighborhoods (the Hill in Pittsburgh, or Jordan in Minneapolis), you will be properly insulated from crime.
Economy: Probably even, when all is said and done. Probably very comparable unemployment rates and job creation. Pittsburgh is a little lower salary on average, but more than cheaper enough to offset the difference. In fact, I was amazed with how easily people were able to buy houses in Pittsburgh, given their ages and incomes.
Weather: Pittsburgh, and it ain't even close. The typical Minneapolis apologist will talk about how we tolerate winters because the summers are "beautiful." Weather-wise, the summers are better in Pittsburgh, there are fewer mosquitoes and the winter's aren't nearly as bad. Pittsburgh actually gets four seasons, too....Minneapolis really doesn't. Unless your seasons are Winter, Thaw, Summer, and pre-Winter blizzard season.
Quality of Life: Um....I think it's probably easier to get ahead in Pittsburgh. Traffic is a little better, from my observation, although Minneapolis isn't bad in that regard. the weather thing certainly impacts quality of life, too.
Higher Education: Pittsburgh. But if you throw St. Paul (Macalester, St. Thomas, St. Kates, Hamline, William Mitchell, Concordia) into the mix, and Northfield (Carleton, St. Olaf), then Minneapolis has a fighting chance. The U is an elite public research institution....and Minneapolis has some other smaller colleges like Augsburg. But Pittsburgh has Pitt, CMU, Chatham, Carlow, Duquesne and Point Park all within city-limits. There may be fewer undergrad and grad students in Pittsburgh total, but they probably make up a higher percentage of the population. And all of the programs in Pittsburgh are comparable or better than in Minneapolis (except maybe Law). So, yeah...Pittsburgh.
Location: Pittsburgh. Minneapolis is too isolated. Pittsburgh is about equidistant from New York and Chicago, with lots of cool cities in between.
So....in my opinion, I guess it's 6-4 Pittsburgh, with a couple of ties?
This is a phenomenal breakdown. Two solid cities but I think the dong-numbingly cold winters of Minneapolis puts it behind Pittsburgh. Also, Pittsburgh is just insanely scenic.
However, Minneapolis has a ton of lakes and beaches which is pretty cool. Minneapolis is supposed to also be epic for biking.
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