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Okay, well there are a few things that i have noticed that i kind of want to bring top the forefront...
Education: People talk about like its the best source of education in the entire world. I like a good education, but why is it that its so blown out of proportion..or is it just the way it is?
Weather: I think i've said this before on this fourm, but why do people stress the weather being so dreadful? (some people). People make it out to be really bad. is it because theres a larger population actually worrying about the cold? Because when i lived in Alamosa, CO...it got really cold, And i hardly ever heard people complain.
Arts: Is the art scene really that good?? I mean people from here make it seem better than in NYC, so it must be pretty good..right??
Scenery: So i always here about the lakes, and the trees...but when i was just there a week ago, how come it is that i could barely see any lakes from streetview?? I thought went i went back to visit my family, i would come accros many lakes while driving. Was i just not in the right place? Also another thing I would like to bring up is how everyone from the TCs say its so "Lush". Is it really?
Downtown Minneapolis: Is downtown that great for shopping? Or is it average?
I'm not sure if minnesotans know that they bring these things up alot (Some minnesotans, def not all), but do you think its just trying to make the city look better, or is it just natural to think about these things while thinking about the cities?
I think when people talk about those things, they mean it, and its not 'trying to make the TC look better". There really are a lot of trees and lakes around, but its certainly possible to drive through the metro without seeing much of it. For instance, there is a 5,000 acre park near where I live, but because there is a thin line of homes and stores between it and the major roads you can drive by it for 20 minutes without realizing it is there.
The folks who live here have more of a chance to get out on the bike trails (I'm just beginning to understand how massive and interconnected the bike trails here are) and into the parks and see the greenery up close.
I don't have much experience with the downtown shopping, the arts scene, or the education system, so I can't comment much on those. It seems easy to find people who have gone to, or sent children to the public schools that seem happy with them, as compared to somewhere like DC, where it seems that everyone who can possibly afford it bails to the private schools as soon as possible.
As for weather...it might be partially because there is such a wide variation in weather here, and it has a substantial effect on lifestyle. It stays cold here much longer than many other places, and until mountainous states, where you can go down the mountain if its too cold, or up the mountain if its too hot, here there is really no 'escape'. Plus, lots of imports complain alot about it
2 more points:
(a) Local pride: I suspect most people develop an opinion of their region as excellent in certain regards, and probably belabor that point out of local pride. At least I hope they do.
(b) Forum effect: if your comments are most based on what you see on city-data, keep in mind that its really a somewhat small group of people who post the most, so the same selling points do tend to be repeated.
Okay, well there are a few things that i have noticed that i kind of want to bring top the forefront...
Education: People talk about like its the best source of education in the entire world. I like a good education, but why is it that its so blown out of proportion..or is it just the way it is?
Who said that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MountainRush
Weather: I think i've said this before on this fourm, but why do people stress the weather being so dreadful? (some people). People make it out to be really bad. is it because theres a larger population actually worrying about the cold? Because when i lived in Alamosa, CO...it got really cold, And i hardly ever heard people complain.
It's colder than Alamosa
Quote:
Originally Posted by MountainRush
Arts: Is the art scene really that good?? I mean people from here make it seem better than in NYC, so it must be pretty good..right??
Yes, it's a great art scene with one of the best theater scenes in the country
Quote:
Originally Posted by MountainRush
Scenery: So i always here about the lakes, and the trees...but when i was just there a week ago, how come it is that i could barely see any lakes from streetview?? I thought went i went back to visit my family, i would come accros many lakes while driving. Was i just not in the right place? Also another thing I would like to bring up is how everyone from the TCs say its so "Lush". Is it really?
Cause you're blind? Nokomis, Harriet, Calhoun, Cedar, Bush, Lake of the Isles, Hiawatha, Diamond. Yes, you must be blind.
Okay, well there are a few things that i have noticed that i kind of want to bring top the forefront...
Education: People talk about like its the best source of education in the entire world. I like a good education, but why is it that its so blown out of proportion..or is it just the way it is?
Weather: I think i've said this before on this fourm, but why do people stress the weather being so dreadful? (some people). People make it out to be really bad. is it because theres a larger population actually worrying about the cold? Because when i lived in Alamosa, CO...it got really cold, And i hardly ever heard people complain.
Arts: Is the art scene really that good?? I mean people from here make it seem better than in NYC, so it must be pretty good..right??
Scenery: So i always here about the lakes, and the trees...but when i was just there a week ago, how come it is that i could barely see any lakes from streetview?? I thought went i went back to visit my family, i would come accros many lakes while driving. Was i just not in the right place? Also another thing I would like to bring up is how everyone from the TCs say its so "Lush". Is it really?
Downtown Minneapolis: Is downtown that great for shopping? Or is it average?
I'm not sure if minnesotans know that they bring these things up alot (Some minnesotans, def not all), but do you think its just trying to make the city look better, or is it just natural to think about these things while thinking about the cities?
Just some thoughts.
EDUCATION: the big difference is in the urban school districts. You can get a good education in our city schools -- not all, but many of them. There's also open enrollment options. That means that, unlike many other big metro areas, you have FAR more options available to you (and more spots available in the good schools, so no crazy lotteries or test prep industries revolving around taking the admissions tests). That's a big deal for anyone with kids. It's less of a factor if you want to live in a ritzy suburb, as I think those schools are probably no better or no worse than what you'd find in other metro areas. Even there, they benefit from the options that come with open enrollment. That's quite different than many cities, where your options are far more limited by where you live.
WEATHER: well, that's subjective. It's more extreme than many places of the country, although there are worse places to live.
ARTS: yeah, the arts scene really IS that good. It's obviously not NYC, but for a city of this size, it is pretty impressive. It is one of the things that make the Twin Cities special.
DOWNTOWN: shopping is probably below average there. I rarely hear anyone say that it's wonderful. I still go there for shopping when I can, but it's certainly not ground-breaking on that front, and few people claim that it is.
SCENERY: did you even get out and walk around the lakes or by the river? I think you must have just not walked around. And yes, it is very "lush," at least when compared to some parts of the country. Depends where you're coming from, of course. I don't think that's good or bad, just descriptive.
I think it's natural to point out some of the highlights of a city. Just like many people who live in Denver point out the proximity to mountains as a highlight. It's all part of what gives each city its own specific character.
Education-schools here consistently rank in the top of the US for percent of graduates, top test scores for ACT/SAT and the number of kids going on to 4 year colleges. This shows our commitment to getting a good education in MN. Check out any other state board here and if someone asks which district should the look at when moving to that area, there are 2 or 3 that get mentioned, here there are 2 or 3 to avoid and the rest are pretty dang great. There really is no comparison anywhere for the NUMBER of top districts around the state. As for the "ritzy" suburban schools being better then other suburban schools, from my experience in real life as well as reading threads and information on other states, our schools ARE much better, they are more academically focused (vs teaching to the test), kids take a fuller compliment of challenging courses (AP and CIS), they have better enrichment programs for better students and simply more is expected of students here. In other areas top students are taking one or two AP classes/year where the better than average to top students here take 4-6 AP/CIS/Post-Secondary classes each year--and do WELL in those classes.
Acceptance rates and scholarships granted here are also higher then most states on the whole. Friends continually tell of kids from their schools getting rejected from colleges that we consider automatic entry. Go to the college boards website and look up the entry information to any other state's state school system and how EASY it is to get into those schools. Heck, friends from the south have ALL had kids rejected from the U of M and EVERYONE gets in there (at least from around here). Wisconsin and Iowa have similar educational excellence but get out of the upper midwest and it's a dramatic difference. That is why private schools are so popular elsewhere.
Weather-Mn has grown up from an agricultural society where weather often meant wealth or hardship-it's a habit--that and it is so ever changing
NO.! You guys have it all wrong.! I'm not trying to diss Minneapolis. I quite like the city actually. I wouldn't be Thinking of a move there otherwise. I really don't give a crap if you diss Aurora, its not my problem. I'm honestly just curious. Please don't be mad.
To the above poster, I lived there but was to young to remember alot about it, i only remember small details. But i just got back from The TCs a week ago, so to awnser your question, yes..i have been there.
And this just proved what i said about it being colder in Alamosa..which is what i'm confused about..The coldest days are colder in Alamosa. Am i just not understanding correctly?
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
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Here are my off-the-top-of-my-head responses:
Education: The good thing about MN public schools, in my opinion, is the fact that you really don't have to worry that much about finding a good school. Almost all of the public schools are good, unlike some other states and metro areas (*cough*, Atlanta) where it's a mixed bag of both very good and poor schools. That consistency is a good thing. Open enrollment in MN also means you have some element of choice that many (most) other states will not provide.
Are they the best on the country? Who knows? Measuring that is hard, especially when some states have gigantic specialized college prep schools which tend to skew the commonly published lists in their favor.
Weather: The winter requires adjustment, even coming from Colorado, and especially if you're moving to a rural area of Minnesota where the wind is a huge factor. There's a reason many of us carry (or in my case, carried) an emergency kit in our cars. Winter is a fun season in my book, but it's also something I respected because I realize it can kill me if I'm stupid.
Arts: I wasn't that active in the arts scene in the Twin Cities, but I have the impression that the Twin Cities more than holds its own against most other metro areas. New York is something else again.
Scenery: Where did you go? Minneapolis has several large lakes inside of the city limits, but there are also stretches where there are no lakes.
Downtown Minneapolis: I didn't shop downtown, or even GO downtown that often, and I've never really heard of it being that great for shopping, but I normally have better things to do than wander around stores looking for things to buy.
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being better then other suburban schools, from my experience in real life as well as reading threads and information on other states, our schools ARE much better, they are more academically focused (vs teaching to the test), kids take a fuller compliment of challenging courses (AP and CIS), they have better enrichment programs for better students and simply more is expected of students here. In other areas top students are taking one or two AP classes/year where the better than average to top students here take 4-6 AP/CIS/Post-Secondary classes each year--and do WELL in those classes.
