How's the general economy in Duluth? (Minneapolis, Grant: real estate, lofts, crime rate)

[buzzkirk]

Been town shopping and Duluth seems to have most of the things I'm looking for. Wondering how the general economy/job market is there? Thanks.

[Mark S.]

I've never spent much time there, but I passed through a couple of weeks ago.

To each his own, but I personally would not recommend Duluth. It seemed like a grimy, rundown port city to me. There are definitely nicer, healthier places in Minnesota.

[angelaf]

I have to agree with Mark... my experiences with Duluth have been disappointing. It seems ugly to me, dingy and depressing-looking. The winters there are very harsh.

However, I know many people who LOVE Duluth and wouldn't live anywhere else. The area is very popular for people who are outdoorsy and enjoy camping, hiking, stuff like that. You'd have to be ok with a very long, cold, dark winter though.

I don't know much about the economy, sorry, but you should be able to find some articles online.

[buzzkirk]

Thanks for the input.

Actually, the climate is a draw for me as I'm an skier and snow camper. Been living where I have to drive a lot to get to snow that is plentiful but the climate is warm and wet, relatively speaking, for good skiing conditions - and it seems to get worse each year. I'd rather live where the snow comes to me rather than vice versa, especially with rising gas prices that I think are here to stay. In fact, I would actually like to see Duluth get twice as much snow as it averages, and with the warming and drying of the climate in general, I think Duluth will benefit down the road as its own climate moderates and as folks get tired of drought and withering heat in a lot of the Sun Belt, not to mention the water wars that are already starting. I've lived in three so-called "hip" or "happening" towns out West and frankly with the dust and dryness and air pollution from all the people moving here and resulting increase in develepment, real estate prices and other costs, as well as overcrowding, crime and traffic, etc., etc., a little freezing cold and dinginess and industrialization almost sounds good - keeps the golf course and gated community developers away, as well as other riff-raff. As for sunny skies, much of the country, at least out here, is turning into a radiation chamber of endless sun and dryness due to climate change, and I speak from 15 years experience. It's just a personal preference, but I think the climate in Duluth is just what I'm looking for at this point.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by buzzkirk

Actually, the climate is a draw for me as I'm an skier and snow camper. Been living where I have to drive a lot to get to snow that is plentiful but the climate is warm and wet, relatively speaking, for good skiing conditions - and it seems to get worse each year. I'd rather live where the snow comes to me rather than vice versa, especially with rising gas prices that I think are here to stay. In fact, I would actually like to see Duluth get twice as much snow as it averages

I suggest you check out Marquette, MI. It's a mid-sized college town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Much cleaner and quieter --- and they average well over 200 inches of snow each season. So much that snow mobiles are legal on city streets.

My problem with Duluth was not the weather. Like you, I love the weather. But Duluth is really a rather rundown, grimy city, and the crime is too high for my tastes.

[Hugh Banton]

I live in downtown Duluth, and I don't know where you're getting your crime facts from, Mark, but there is very little crime here. It is getting to be slightly rundown, and the economy is not doing so well right now, there seems to be a big problem with all the younger people moving away, and I read that in a few years, something like 20% of the population is going to be over the age of 60. But besides all that, I think its a great small city, there are some really beautiful areas, especially as you go up the north shore of Lake Superior, in fact Arnold Schwartzenegger owns a house up there.

But to answer the original question, I would say that the economy is doing pretty poorly here, but it is a great place to live.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Hugh Banton

I live in downtown Duluth, and I don't know where you're getting your crime facts from, Mark, but there is very little crime here.

Well, I hope you're right. I've never been all that impressed with the very brief time I spent in Duluth, but the surrounding area sure was gorgeous.

All of the crime stats I've seen of the area do not paint a pretty picture.

According to City Data's compiled stats at http://www.city-data.com/city/Duluth-Minnesota.html Duluth has a crime rate of 357.0, with 329.7 being the national average. Not exactly Detroit, but not great either.

Homefair's Relocation Crime Lab gives the city a rating of 110, with 100 being the national average.

There's also an article about the gang problem at http://www.businessnorth.com/kdal.asp?RID=282

Are these inaccurate in your opinion?

[jesterraceif]

I've been living in the twin cities now for about 10 months, and cannot wait for my opportunity to get back home to Duluth.

Whoever was talking about Duluth as being a run-down port city, maybe you found yourself in Superior, Wi (the city right next door, which is very very rundown). Duluth is a beautiful city with genuinely nice people. I don't know where those crime rate numbers came from, but I would easily feel more comfortable on the most "dangerous" Duluth street or Duluth neighborhood than I would anywhere or anytime in the twin cities or any of its' cookie cutter suburbs.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by jesterraceif

Whoever was talking about Duluth as being a run-down port city, maybe you found yourself in Superior, Wi (the city right next door, which is very very rundown).

I went through Superior as well and concur with your opinion.

Originally Posted by jesterraceif

Duluth is a beautiful city

I must have missed those parts. Granted, I haven't spent very much time in Duluth, but what little time I spent there, I didn't see much to recommend it. Maybe if I spent more time there and knew more people, I might change my mind.

Originally Posted by jesterraceif

I don't know where those crime rate numbers came from, but I would easily feel more comfortable on the most "dangerous" Duluth street or Duluth neighborhood than I would anywhere or anytime in the twin cities or any of its' cookie cutter suburbs.

Ah-ha! So you admit that there are dangerous Duluth streets.

Seriously, I think City Data gets their crime info from the FBI crime index. I'm not sure about Homefair.

Based on what little time I've spent in the Twin Cities, I would concur with your opinion. Not a place I would choose to live unless I were wealthy enough to live in one of the nicest neighborhoods. And even then, if I were that rich, I'd prefer to take my money elsewhere. Is Minneapolis still called "Murderapolis" by the locals, or have things cleaned up a bit?

[buzzkirk]

Marquette was my first choice but seems uber conservative and lacking in opportunity as are many towns dominated by college. I've visited both Duluth and Marquette and liked both but thought Duluth had more options. Didn't know about gangs, and that's a concern, if true. Housing/land cheaper there, and I have found job market, at least on paper, stronger than Marquette. Wanted to hear from locals though. Duluth seems to have about the nicest park system I've ever seen. You don't have to go very far to find a lot of good stuff and variety too. Anybody know of any industrial lofts downtown?