Offered a job in the Twin Cities. Should I go? (Minneapolis: to rent, condo)

[normcrok8]

I currently live in AZ and have been offered a job with a major company based in Minneapolis. Stats: age 30, single, white, male, conservative, Protestant/ Christian. Where is the best place for me to live in the MSP Metro Area? Am I doing the right thing considering Bloomington or Ritchfield or the south side of Minneapolis or downtown Minneapolis? Is MSP a good place to meet someone and settle down? Should I move to the Twin Cities at all? I grew up in the Midwest and am no stranger to those bitter winters. Any info is most helpful. please tell me about your experience in the Twin Cities.

[golfgal]

I would confirm that your employer is really in Minneapolis before you start looking for a place to live. The way the postal system is set up here, many places in the suburbs use a "Minneapolis" or "St.Paul" address so you don't want to rent a place in Bloomington only to find that you are really working in Maple Grove (opposite ends of the metro area).

Then, you need to define what kind of area you are looking for. If you want to live in the busy, urban area, sure, downtown Minneapolis is good. If you want a quiet neighborhood, not so good.

[GBCommenter]

GG has a good point about the postal system/addresses. For whatever reason, our culture and history does tend to just put "Minneapolis" or "St. Paul" when it could mean different areas of the metro area. Also, not all big employers are in the core downtowns: for example, Medtronic is in Fridley on the opposite side of Bloomington/Richfield. Supervalu in Eden Prairie, etc.

The core cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul generally lean left in regard to politics. The City Councils are either all Democratic or similar, if not a few Green members. The two cities roughly comprise two Congressional districts, and the Democratic candidates routinely win those districts with about a 65% ratio. Richfield and Bloomington are typical post-WWII suburbs with generally grid streets, mostly rambler style housing, though Richfield has trended somewhat more mixed population with a Hispanic population. That said, I think you can find decent housing there depending on what you are looking for and overall is fairly safe plus convenient to shopping. In Minneapolis, I would say the southwest neighborhoods will likely lean the closest to "right". Suburban areas will start trending more conservative. Southwest burbs more economically conservative, northern suburbs a little of both economically and socially (at least in my opinion and suburbs beyond the first ring burbs).

That said, MSP and MN is still a predominantly Caucasian community and state. It also still has an interesting mix of the above said liberalism on economic issues, but somewhat more family oriented and socially conservative culture (at least in some aspects, there will be neighborhoods that aren't that way too). As far as religion, Lutheranism is still to a large degree the name of the game. Indeed, you won't have to go too far to hear jokes about Lutheran potluck or Lutufisk dinners. The three largest Lutheran congregations remain well-represented here: ELCA (which, though not all liberal in its theology, will have the liberal Lutheran congregations within the denomination), LCMS (much more conservative), and WELS (also conservative, though in different aspects to the LCMS). Of course, there are other denominations here too, plus certainly a Catholic representation.

If your concern if finding people similar to yourself and beliefs, while it may be somewhat more of a challenge than other areas, I don't think it is impossible by any means. Also, though there may be some adjustment to "sharing the field" with liberal ideas more than I imagine in Phoenix, keep in mind the Democratic Governor won by about only 9000 votes on 2 million+ cast.

There are some who say Minneapolis/St. Paul is not the easiest city to "make friends" because of a somewhat insular culture, but that is probably overblown. In the past, the cities tended to be made up of native-born who stayed here our whole lives (including myself), thus you would make your friends in grade or high school and stick with them. I think, however, with major employers here bringing in more non-natives that culture is not as prevalent.

[M74]

normcrok8,

I live in AZ as well. My family is STILL working on making our way out. Listen to Golfgal, after that's squared away run. Enjoy the adventure and for god sake man you were offered a job in an area that is not struggling like ours. Go and Godspeed.

[normcrok8]

Thank you all for your comments. I have 7 days to decide if I will take the job. I feel good about taking the job, if thats what I decide. I am Conservative politically, but am open minded individually and listen to people of different opinions. I have heard the Twin Cities is a very good place for cultural amenities. I am still doing research on what city in the region is best for me. I like to be near shopping and places with lots of single people. I grew up in the Midwest and am no stranger to the winters. Most of my family lives in WI. Perhaps the best thing about a move to Minnnesota is that its not AZ, thank God! I need a change and need my sanity back, so I can feel like a person again.

[GBCommenter]

There are some great cultural amenities not to mention lakes, parks, and rivers to explore. If you are fully aware of the winters and ready for that (I say on an atypically warm November day in Minneapolis of about 65F), I cannot see you not finding your niche.

Downtown will have shopping and single people, along with the Uptown areas. Those areas also are busy and compact, plus also will again trend liberal and more expensive. You might also explore Northeast Minneapolis, especially in the St. Anthony West and East neighborhoods. Not as blatantly trendy as Uptown or Downtown, but more "hip in a blue collar" kind of way... some arts community there, but also a bar and a church on every corner (or so it seems). You also can have some quieter neighborhoods while still being near downtown if you want to be near the thick of it all.

[plain and simple]

I live on the Uptown side of South Minneapolis. Very nice area. I highly recommend it. Minneapolis is like a big small town for the most part.

To respond to the other information in your post, I'm also a single, white, Christian, conservative male. Minneapolis is very, very liberal in biblical matters. It's a strongly Democrat state. (For the record, I'm neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I think for myself and use the Bible as my standard for living and the choices I make.) There are good churches here, however. I attend Bethlehem Baptist Church with Pastor John Piper. It's not a megachurch and the Bible is taught. Feel free to send me a PM if you'd like.

With all that said, Minneapolis is actually not a bad place to live, for a city. (I'm a small town country guy.) It's hardly perfect but, other than occasional extreme weather (heat and cold), Minneapolis offers a lot.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by GBCommenter

Downtown will have shopping and single people, along with the Uptown areas. Those areas also are busy and compact, plus also will again trend liberal and more expensive. You might also explore Northeast Minneapolis, especially in the St. Anthony West and East neighborhoods. Not as blatantly trendy as Uptown or Downtown, but more "hip in a blue collar" kind of way... some arts community there, but also a bar and a church on every corner (or so it seems). You also can have some quieter neighborhoods while still being near downtown if you want to be near the thick of it all.

I'm not so sure the St. Anthony area of NE is particularly "hip in a blue collar way". It obviously doesn't have the same hip appeal of Uptown, but a different one. But with those industrial building redevelopments, the trendy townhomes, glass-and-steel condo complex with an expensive grocery store (though I do love Lunds produce!), and chains popping in, I'd have a hard time calling it blue collar at this point. It does still hold some of that old grit...the old churches and places like Nye's, but that's juxtaposed with the $1,000,000 penthouse condo across the street.

[Thegonagle]

Originally Posted by normcrok8

Thank you all for your comments. I have 7 days to decide if I will take the job...

I grew up in the Midwest and am no stranger to the winters. Most of my family lives in WI. Perhaps the best thing about a move to Minnnesota is that its not AZ, thank God! I need a change and need my sanity back, so I can feel like a person again.

Jeez, man! What are you waiting for then? Unless you weren't kidding about your sanity.

Where is the company located? (Downtown or suburb?)

[Mark_22]

Originally Posted by normcrok8

Thank you all for your comments. I have 7 days to decide if I will take the job. I feel good about taking the job, if thats what I decide. I am Conservative politically, but am open minded individually and listen to people of different opinions. I have heard the Twin Cities is a very good place for cultural amenities. I am still doing research on what city in the region is best for me. I like to be near shopping and places with lots of single people. I grew up in the Midwest and am no stranger to the winters. Most of my family lives in WI. Perhaps the best thing about a move to Minnnesota is that its not AZ, thank God! I need a change and need my sanity back, so I can feel like a person again.

I'm also conservative and live in St. Paul of all places, which is about as blue as you can get. I assume my neighbors have no idea what my worldview is or how I vote. If you are from the Midwest you know how it is - don't ask don't tell. I'd say take the job. The worst that can happen is you don't like it here; if that happens you can move on and try someplace else.