Arrived in Duluth (Appleton, Hills: for sale, house, neighborhoods)

[Beenaroundabit]

Great to be back in MN, but the old adage of there being only two seasons - winter and road construction season - came back into focus almost immediately To be fair, these guys seem to be working pretty quickly, with the construction "zones" moving about quite a bit as stuff gets done.

So now I'm launching into full-on househunting mode. I keep getting two different opinions about being close to the lake, which I was hoping some of you might be able to clarify:

1) "it's warmer if you live closer to the lake because of the "lake effect..."

2) "it's colder near the lake because of the wind..."

So which is true? To me, there doesn't seem like there would be much difference in the winter, though right now, I can see where the lake area tends to be a little cooler. Seem to be some decently-priced homes for sale right now, especially on the lakes. Any areas that anyone would suggest avoiding?

Thanks all!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Beenaroundabit

1) "it's warmer if you live closer to the lake because of the "lake effect..."

This will probably never be true. In the summertime, the water of Lake Superior acts as a giant heat sink, and temps near the shore will often be cooler.

I seriously doubt that the lake will impact air temps that much in the wintertime, either higher or lower.

2) "it's colder near the lake because of the wind..."

That might be true in all seasons.

[newcastle]

What neighborhoods are you looking at?

[Norsky1]

Colder by the lake, always has been. Who cares though, beautiful views.

[knke0204]

I care, the weather in Duluth blows. Hands down. I lived in the Twin Cities for my whole life, and the weather here is just awful. Its not even the cold persay, its the Cloudy days that are more common than the TC. Its the 40 weather in June, and the rain all spring. Yesterday, I got off work, it was 75 and sunny. Within in 10 minutes the temp dropped to 50, and you couldnt see 10 feet in front of you cuz of fog. In June. I woke up June 6 to 37 and rainy. Its pathetic. I hate looking at the weather and it being 80 and sunny in the TC, then 58 and cloudy in Duluth.


Anyone who says "the weather isnt that bad" is just in denial or blinded by how bad it really is.

[HeadOfTheLakes]

Originally Posted by knke0204

I care, the weather in Duluth blows. Hands down. I lived in the Twin Cities for my whole life, and the weather here is just awful. Its not even the cold persay, its the Cloudy days that are more common than the TC. Its the 40 weather in June, and the rain all spring. Yesterday, I got off work, it was 75 and sunny. Within in 10 minutes the temp dropped to 50, and you couldnt see 10 feet in front of you cuz of fog. In June. I woke up June 6 to 37 and rainy. Its pathetic. I hate looking at the weather and it being 80 and sunny in the TC, then 58 and cloudy in Duluth.


Anyone who says "the weather isnt that bad" is just in denial or blinded by how bad it really is.

Naw, ya gotta live and work "up on the hill" for nice weather . But love the view every time we go towards Lake Superior over the pot hole ridden roads.

Lived in the Twin Cities for over 50 years. But the weather isn't that bad up here - just longer springs

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by HeadOfTheLakes

Naw, ya gotta live and work "up on the hill" for nice weather . But love the view every time we go towards Lake Superior over the pot hole ridden roads.

Lived in the Twin Cities for over 50 years. But the weather isn't that bad up here - just longer springs

While I dont like the weather, the views and landscape here is unbelieveable. You really cant get it all in since there is so much. There is a reason I have stayed here that outweighs the bad weather, which isnt really even that bad. I have been here for almost a year and I feel like I havent scratched the surface of things to do.

Just ran grandmas, and I must say that it is almost the funnest event I have ever been to. Just a great great great great time. I would suggest to EVERYONE to come up and check it out

[bcgr]

Originally Posted by knke0204

Anyone who says "the weather isnt that bad" is just in denial or blinded by how bad it really is.

From what you listed I'll take the Duluth weather; I don't like the heat.

Originally Posted by HeadOfTheLakes

Naw, ya gotta live and work "up on the hill" for nice weather

There usually isn't a difference between the weather over the hill and on the hill

Originally Posted by HeadOfTheLakes

But love the view every time we go towards Lake Superior over the pot hole ridden roads.

Living in Duluth all my life you sorta get used to stuff like that after a while. When I was really young I used to go the the Point or Lakewalk a few times a year;now, it's probably been nearly a decade since I've really done either and I avoid Canal Park as much as possible.

Originally Posted by knke0204

Just ran grandmas, and I must say that it is almost the funnest event I have ever been to. Just a great great great great time.

I've still never been to the marathon; most people I know that have gone to it said it was "nothing special." I've never been much interested in just watching people run especially when having to deal with hordes of tourists.

Originally Posted by knke0204

I would suggest to EVERYONE to come up and check it out

Please not everyone "come up" - that's way too many people; on Friday when I was going to work at 5pm on Michigan St. in downtown, there was a traffic jam - there of all places. And there were just tons of people waltzing around downtown. It was a all rather annoying.

[saykinriseo]

For those who say being close to the lake in winter doesn't matter so much, try being right next to it on particularly windy day. The wind off the lake does feel much much colder than up the hill. As for the weather...

When I first moved up to Superior (close enough), I said they had two seasons: 11 1/2 months of winter and two weeks of "not winter". But I got used to it. There really is no more beautiful area than the Twin Ports. And the friendliness compared to northeast WI (Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh) where I came from is like night and day.

I'll take temps a little colder in the winter for perfect weather in the summer. Just this May, it was 97 in the Cities and 50s in Duluth. How cool is that? Literally.

But as far as the OP's question about areas to avoid, as far as I know parts of West Duluth and Central Hillside are not that great. But it is cheaper to live there. Or Superior is pretty sweet, too. Especially down by the East End (roughly 18th Ave W/Mall Dr. to 31st Ave. W. Close to businesses and yet it's own community entirely. About 10 mins from downtown Duluth, so really close as well.

[jasper1372]

Lake Superior is the primary "weather maker" in Duluth. Here's how I see it having lived in the area for the past 27 years. In the winter being down by the lake can mean it's 5 or 10 degrees warmer than up over the hill and points away from the lake. In the summer being by the lake can mean it's 30 or 40 degrees cooler than up over the hill and points away from the lake. Yes, that's right....30 or 40 degrees cooler during summer days at times.

I used to work with a guy who always blew his horn about how wonderful it was to live in Lakeside on those winter days when I was at 20 below zero (I live about 25 miles inland from Lake Superior) and the temp at his house was a "balmy" 10 below. My response to him was a look of unbelief and the comment that either way we're both dressed to the hilt for frigid temps.....but in July when I leave Duluth and it's 50 degrees and I get home and it's 90....now there is a difference in temp that is meaningful. You can actually experience summer if you get away from Lake Superior....if you're close by you might as well say you go from spring to fall.