is Mpls good city for hipsters..or very redneck (Minneapolis: buy, school)

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

Whew. This one took a nasty turn for a while. I never did understand the original post. I kind of assumed it was a joke of some sort.

It probably was...but sometimes you just can't be too sure.

[UKUKUK]

Originally Posted by Govie

lol, seriously? It's not called the "New England of the West" for nothing. It's about as progressive a place you will find, short of San Fran' or Seattle.

And as far as northern Midwesterners I don't think they have anything on some backwoods Mississippians. Of course you can find them most anywhere, but as far as per capita in the Midwest (Minnesota, to be exact) they are few and far between.

Hippies on the other hand, the TC has its fair share of.

I heard it called the Seattle of the Midwest by a famous rapper who enjoyed his time there.

On that note, no, not many rednecks in the cities... ESPECIALLY not in the Minne-St. Paul propers.

[Duluth07]

Oh my goodness yes...very hipster. It's a welcoming environment IN Minneapolis, but there is a weird feeling around Michele Bachmann's district (I'm from Duluth so forgive me if I get the geography wrong - is it the area around Anoka, Lino Lakes & Forest Lake?). In Minneapolis itself, it's sometimes a surprise to people who think the only sense of alternative is to be found on either coast.

However, hipsters today are those with masters degrees and able to work corporate jobs. The days of green/purple hair and tons of piercings are over; there are only so many tattoo shops and record stores, and with rents in Minneapolis hovering around $1000 for a studio, those kinds of jobs aren't going to keep anyone around for long if they have to get three other roommates together. So you do have a hipster environment, but it can also come off as a snob hipster environment (where did you get your MBA? Oh, you're going for your doctorate too?). That whole underground scene that alot of people found fascinating in places like NYC or San Fran are long gone too, because investment bankers and corporate attorneys have replaced the cool kids. The cool kids have moved to mid-sized cities like Duluth, where you can still afford a cheap place downtown and work at a record shop, and not have to worry about a car. I still love Minneapolis (and I absolutely LOVE Chicago as well) but it's really clear that the middle school kids of today are going to have to get their grades in order starting in 7th grade if they want to live in a trendy area...your grades during grade 7-12 will depend on where you go to college, the ability to finish college with a good GPA will determine where you'll go for your masters, and it's the kind of thing where you'll have had to plan this pretty far in advance. It's bittersweet because I have so many fond memories of west downtown in Minneapolis back when there were some grungy places still; now they're either boutque hotels that charge $450 a night or restaurants that serve a $20 hamburger...no more greasy spoons, no more cheap used bookstores that are independently owned...but I will say this: if you look hard enough...you will find local artists who are doing some great things for Minneapolis. Again, you have to do your research, but I guarantee you'll find your niche when you're there, and you'll meet some pretty cool people who don't care about race, sexual orientation or things like that. That's what impressed me about Minneapolis - it's anti-redneck. You can be who you are without judgment.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by Duluth07

Oh my goodness yes...very hipster. It's a welcoming environment IN Minneapolis, but there is a weird feeling around Michele Bachmann's district (I'm from Duluth so forgive me if I get the geography wrong - is it the area around Anoka, Lino Lakes & Forest Lake?). In Minneapolis itself, it's sometimes a surprise to people who think the only sense of alternative is to be found on either coast.

However, hipsters today are those with masters degrees and able to work corporate jobs. The days of green/purple hair and tons of piercings are over; there are only so many tattoo shops and record stores, and with rents in Minneapolis hovering around $1000 for a studio, those kinds of jobs aren't going to keep anyone around for long if they have to get three other roommates together. So you do have a hipster environment, but it can also come off as a snob hipster environment (where did you get your MBA? Oh, you're going for your doctorate too?). That whole underground scene that alot of people found fascinating in places like NYC or San Fran are long gone too, because investment bankers and corporate attorneys have replaced the cool kids. The cool kids have moved to mid-sized cities like Duluth, where you can still afford a cheap place downtown and work at a record shop, and not have to worry about a car. I still love Minneapolis (and I absolutely LOVE Chicago as well) but it's really clear that the middle school kids of today are going to have to get their grades in order starting in 7th grade if they want to live in a trendy area...your grades during grade 7-12 will depend on where you go to college, the ability to finish college with a good GPA will determine where you'll go for your masters, and it's the kind of thing where you'll have had to plan this pretty far in advance. It's bittersweet because I have so many fond memories of west downtown in Minneapolis back when there were some grungy places still; now they're either boutque hotels that charge $450 a night or restaurants that serve a $20 hamburger...no more greasy spoons, no more cheap used bookstores that are independently owned...but I will say this: if you look hard enough...you will find local artists who are doing some great things for Minneapolis. Again, you have to do your research, but I guarantee you'll find your niche when you're there, and you'll meet some pretty cool people who don't care about race, sexual orientation or things like that. That's what impressed me about Minneapolis - it's anti-redneck. You can be who you are without judgment.

I don't know where you got your information, but so much of it just seems wrong. While there are plenty of people who fit into the hipster mold who also happen to work in the corporate world, many of them don't. I had an internship at a small publication place in downtown Minneapolis and I can guarantee the hipsters I knew there were certainly not the corporate. Plus, few jobs actually require a masters, let alone a doctorate degree.

Further, you'll find few places in Minneapolis that charge $1000 for a studio. Unless we're talking super high-end places or a few of the horribly over-priced downtown locations, it simply isn't true. Studios typically range from the $500-700, with a lot of nice ones in the higher end. A 1-bedrooms I see, even in trendy Uptown area, are typically in the $600-1000 range, typically pretty close to $750 (unless, again, you're looking at the brand new places with fancy everything).

I grew up in Duluth and still go back home (I'm still quite young, after all!) for long periods during holidays, many of the past summers, etc. I have yet to see a flux of youths in Duluth coming because of the price. I love Duluth, but the one thing it lacks is jobs. Almost all the middle-class families I knew growing up had at least one parent that worked for either one of the hospitals (almost always St. Mary's) or UMD. You can survive in Duluth with a cheap place and working at said record shop (of which, other than the Electric Fetus, I'm not sure exists), but good luck without that car. Sure, DTA has bus service, but Duluth is entirely car dependent. Getting from parts of east Duluth not far from downtown, I had a friend who had an hour-and-a-half bus ride. I've been told there is some promise on the jobs front though, because Minnesota Power/ALLETE is supposed to have a massive amount of people retiring in the next few years. But simply, a Duluth surge doesn't exist right now. It's sad, but true. The only surge I've heard are low-income families who come because Section 8 housing has a significantly shorter waitlist than the Twin Cities.

[uptown_urbanist]

I think you're just talking about two types of "hipster" environments. You have the stereotypical young hipsters drinking PBR, sporting facial hair, and hanging out at dive bars; you also have the older, wealthier crowd who have high-paying jobs but still do some "hipster"-esque things like ride bikes for transportation, live in the city, still have plenty of tattoos, read Utne Reader, and listen to the Current.

FWIW, I'd LOVE to Duluth become a major hipster magnet. Talk about city with major potential; it's really tough to beat the city for pure impressive geography. It's like San Francisco but for a fraction of the cost.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by sahhen1

I am looking at MSP, very concerned about the redneck aspects, would appreciate your feedabck regarding that.

Is this a serious question?

Or are you trolling?

MSP is about the most hipster city in the midwest. Its even arguably more liberal than Chicago.

Where are you from? NYC? California? I can't imagine anyone else from anywhere else asking such a question.

[eastside38]

I hope sahhen1 ends up in a redneck area or is forced to go to WE Fest for some reason . A grievous double standard exists when white liberals and/or hipsters complain endlessly about rednecks and make no complaints about poor, backwards people of other races.

For what it's worth, I can tolerate hipsters. I've met some nice ones at the U, but I really feel that the hipster phenomenon springs from self-hatred for being raised in a position of privilege and the resulting desire to look and act poor.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by eastside38

I've met some nice ones at the U, but I really feel that the hipster phenomenon springs from self-hatred for being raised in a position of privilege and the resulting desire to look and act poor.

Very interesting. I've heard this referred to as reverse snobbery.

[northstar22]

A true hipster would never refer to him/herself as a hipster. Claiming to be a hipster is far too mainstream.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by northstar22

A true hipster would never refer to him/herself as a hipster. Claiming to be a hipster is far too mainstream.

It's actually true. If I tell one of my hipster friends that they are...well, hipster, they are required to deny it. Rule number 1 for being a hipster: never say you're a hipster. If you do, you're not one.