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Am I crazy to consider moving to Fargo from where I am (East coast) without a job offer and very little in savings?
I have never lived in an area that is so affected by weather and "lifestyle affecting weather"
Also, what are the things I should consider & think about when moving to Fargo from a warmer climate life, apart from the weather and what seems obvious from that?
I can imagine but what are the real day-to-day life realities and practicabilities of living in an area like Fargo, especially coming from an area that doesn't see any snow or lifestyle affecting weather for 98% of the year?
Is dealing with snow an "all the time" thing or only during certain times of the year?
It wouldn't bother me being snowed in for days at a time if it happened, providing I have enough food and water. I would only worry about my job, unless I could do it from home.
Has the recent boom in the west affected other parts of ND?
If so, has there been too much migration already in places like Fargo or can that town and others in ND accommodate more people & growth?
Other than jobs in the oil business, what other kind of jobs are available? I hear that companies are having trouble filling jobs - is this just media hype/exaggeration or is it real?
Do you think I can rent a small home easily (no apartments for me unless I have to - inconsiderate noise from neighbors and other people affects me negatively).
I am someone who enjoys an area which is less busy/populated and the more remote life, if it comes along.
I have no children or spouse to cater for and am a home buff. TV is my only entertainment outlet.
My social life is satisfied with a few hellos here and there from people I know and maybe a coffee with someone from time to time.
I would like a woman in my life at some stage, but its not an urgent thing for a while.
I would secure a place to live first...or when you arrive try to have enough saved up to stay in a motel for a few weeks until you get a job. Many rental companies are not to eager to lease to someone who is new to the area and has no local job.
That said...Fargo metro area is quite large and no where near the end of the world as you make it out to be. Winters can be cold (this winter not withstanding so far)....but hardly anything that prevents normal driving and other social functions. Yes snow is often on the ground for a few months at a time, but nothing too hard to get used to I think. If you never lived in any cold weather or your idea of cold is 30 degrees, then yes it will take a while to adjust. But you can adjust...I know many people from the south who have adjusted just fine to Grand Forks weather. Spring time can occur quite rapidly in mid to late April into early May with a rapid green-up and leaf sprouting and you can easily have 80s in mid to late May (though that isnt the norm). Highs 75 to 85 is very normal summer weather with a few 85 to 95 degree days thrown in along with very humid conditions as well. Fall nights arrive usually by mid September with cooler weather and risk of frost by then....then colder sub freezing temps the norm by mid October.
It is windy a lot in these parts as the topography in the valley is flat with a north or south wind dominate. That is probably the thing that takes longer to get used to. Snowfall can be heavy at times....but in most years not too extreme...but it just lingers on the ground as it doesnt get warm like it does along the east coast.
As for jobs....I dont know a whole lot about that (sorry). I live in Grand Forks about 70 miles north. But with the ever growing economy in Fargo-Moorhead metro area there are jobs to be had. Now it is important to realize Fargo is not close to the oil regions....thus the area is not really impacted by what is going on out west. As one would expect there are plenty of service/restaurant jobs out there to be had....but pay would be the typical 8-12/hr....with no experience. There are other jobs to be had which would pay more of course depending on experience.
I wouldnt move out in the winter and wait til summer to enjoy the weather and get your feet on the ground.
I also would caution you to not think Fargo is some haven of high paying jobs with no skills....in that aspect it wouldnt be better than where you are at now. Rents, etc are the lowest in the state so that is good, but they are by no means as cheap as many make it out to be. You can rent homes, but in general they can be hard to come by. Depending on size and location, a true single family home can be had for 850-1400/mo. That is what we have in Grand Forks....
Stopped in Bismarck for a few days. Housing seemed to be fine there with a lot of job openings there. News report last week said Bismarck housing is expected to start drying up a bit in 2012.
I want to stay away from overcast/gloomy weather that occurs on a regular basis, such as they have in the NE of the USA.
I can handle most weather types, but for me such weather gets me down quite a bit and it won't work for me if ND gets this type of weather a lot.
I want to stay away from overcast/gloomy weather that occurs on a regular basis, such as they have in the NE of the USA.
I can handle most weather types, but for me such weather gets me down quite a bit and it won't work for me if ND gets this type of weather a lot.
Is such weather a regular feature in ND?
Tough one to answer....as that is more subjective. Yes there can certainly be periods with a few days of clouds and precipitation....anytime of the year....but in general our climate is quite a bit drier precipitation wise and thus overall a bit less cloudy or rainy than some parts of the east coast.
I've just found my 2000 National Geographic Road Atlas, which amongst other interesting pieces of information, shows how many sunshine hours each state gets and according to the atlas, where I am now and ND get the same level of sunshine, which is a plus.
I'm checking homes for rent on Craigslist and am seeing rent levels not too dissimilar to what I am paying now (about $150 per month less in Fargo) for a 3 bed/2 bath home and around 1200 sq ft. Is this typical? I could go less in sq ft if necessary.
Many places have good/best areas to live in and I imagine Fargo is no exception.
Are there areas that I should avoid so I don't waste my time looking there?
Also, would appreciate info on any favored areas or zip codes please.
I need as quite a living environment as possible. I currently live in sub-division populated mainly by retired people and the peace and quite is just bliss.
I don't know if I can take living in an apartment again, after my first experience, which was quite awful and not an experience I would choose to repeat. Then again, maybe people in ND are different.
I would discourage anyone from make a life changing move w/out more information than you seem to have. You may not like where you decide to live, then what. I would be checking the job sites, indeed.com, JOBSND, the North Dakota home page has several job website links to the state colleges etc. Apartment living is just like you imagine, as DanEGF said, houses for rent may be harder to find, especially w/out a local job history, imagine people wouldn't want to take a risk renting to someone that can't afford to pay rent, and no job would be a red flag for me. So, I would suggest job first, apartment until you can get into a house. You give no indication of the jobs you are looking for, so hopefully this will help. If you are looking for small town life there are several near Fargo, even check MN. I personally think Alexandria MN is a lovely old downtown, but smaller towns are the norm in both eastern N.D. and western MN. Good luck, let us know what you find out, others often benefit from the experiences shared on this forum. Don't overlook the info for towns/cities on the homepage of City Data forum, all your questions can be answered w/ one simple search of the town your investigating.
With no job and little saving, and no place to live I would probably look elsewhere if weather was an important factor in your relocating. While there might be many days of sunshine, the accompanying winds and cold temperatures will make enjoying a lot of them somewhat difficult.
Last edited by Tundra dweller; 12-28-2011 at 02:28 PM..
I would discourage anyone from make a life changing move w/out more information than you seem to have. You may not like where you decide to live, then what. I would be checking the job sites, indeed.com, JOBSND, the North Dakota home page has several job website links to the state colleges etc.
I agree with JanND. Continue your research and browse over the job listings. Fargo listings seem to be at the JobsND site and also at a website called JobsHQ.
What are you looking for in terms of a job? The high-paying blue collar opportunities are in the western and northwestern parts of the state out in the oil fields. In Fargo what you'll find is mostly $10/hour type jobs with a small smattering of white collar work. It might not be a bad place if you have a skilled trade, otherwise you'll be at $8-11/hour. From what I can tell, there's no shortage of college graduates for general white collar work; the Fargo-Moorhead area has a couple colleges, including a big (by North Dakota standards) state university. (Maybe there's a shortage of people in the engineering, computer, and health care fields.)
I've done non-technical computer/data centric work for the past 7 years or so and some years earlier. I've done other things but I enjoy the detail nature of the data work.
I suppose I could do all sorts of other work but I would need training.
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