Edina -- why does it have a reputation for being snooty, and why the nick name cake eaters? (Minneapolis: fit in, home)

[peachesplease]

We are thinking about moving to the Mpls area from California -- job offer -- and are looking at living in Edina because of the schools. We have a child who would be starting high school next year.

Why do people in the area think Edina is snooty? And why the nick name cake eaters? Has any one here actually experienced snobbiness or is it just something people assume about people in Edina?

Would it be hard for a girl from California to fit in at Edina High? What is the culture like?

[west336]

"Cake Eater" -- to have your cake and eat it, too. I don't know exactly the etimology of that phrase but that's the gist of where Cake Eater came from -- somebody who is spoiled, essentially. I'm not sure "Cake Eater" even applies more to Edina than many other places in the metro, but since it started with Edina, it gets that reputation. It is deserved, to a degree, but if you're from Cali you've probably seen much much much worse examples of snobbery and spoiled brat-edness than you'll ever find in Every Day I Need Attention (E-D-I-N-A).

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by peachesplease

We are thinking about moving to the Mpls area from California -- job offer -- and are looking at living in Edina because of the schools. We have a child who would be starting high school next year.

Why do people in the area think Edina is snooty? And why the nick name cake eaters? Has any one here actually experienced snobbiness or is it just something people assume about people in Edina?

Would it be hard for a girl from California to fit in at Edina High? What is the culture like?

This has been discussed before here. The nickname and reputation comes from the fact that Edina was one of the first relatively wealthy suburbs, but also to a large extent because Edina's high schools have excelled at various sports over the past 30-40 years or more (hockey, tennis, etc.).

Here's a previous thread on the topic:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/minne...ake-eater.html

[MplsTodd]

as someone who grew up in Hopkins, I'd say the cakeeater comment was based on a bit of jealousy over how easy life must be across the border in Edina. I don't think people took it too seriously though and most people I've met from Edina have been fine with me. There certainly are higher income suburbs, but most tend to be smaller, whereas Edina has about 45,000-50,000 people and still maintains a high avg HH income. The schools are solid and sports teams are also very competitive. Edina is also centrally located to lots of jobs:the I-494 corridor, Downtown Mpls and the I-394 corridor are all accessible.

[Astron1000]

Some years back there was a famous comic strip artist by the name of Richard Guindon. He contributed to Esquire, Playboy, Detroit Free Press and the Minneapolis Tribune. One of his more memorable panels showed a mother bending down to address her daughter:

"Honey, we didn't move to Edina. We achieved Edina."

Funny, but it's only true by the modest midwestern mindset. Edina is quite nice, but it's hardly Palm Beach or even Orange County. Edina is a really a great area, but it pales in comparison to parts of Wayzata, for example, where indoor pools and $10 million dollar estates are common.

I don't think Edina is "snooty" at all. It has a very good school system, great neighborhoods and it's wonderfully close to Minneapolis, where all the fun is.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by MplsTodd

as someone who grew up in Hopkins, I'd say the cakeeater comment was based on a bit of jealousy over how easy life must be across the border in Edina. I don't think people took it too seriously though and most people I've met from Edina have been fine with me. There certainly are higher income suburbs, but most tend to be smaller, whereas Edina has about 45,000-50,000 people and still maintains a high avg HH income. The schools are solid and sports teams are also very competitive. Edina is also centrally located to lots of jobs:the I-494 corridor, Downtown Mpls and the I-394 corridor are all accessible.

It's all in fun. Edina fans are seen by rivals sort of the same as Packer fans are by Vikings fans. There have been serious rivalries over the years, but they've still been mostly friendly. Mostly.

Not at all like the old North Stars/Blackhawks rivalry.

[rzzz]

Edina is great. Most of the people who say it's snooty have never even been there. (such as all my extended family who live in St. Paul suburbs) The great thing about coming from California is that Edina will seem cheap...

[Ghengis]

Huh, I always thought the expression was filthy cake eaters?

[MSMCGirl]

Originally Posted by rzzz

The great thing about coming from California is that Edina will seem cheap...

SO TRUE!! Although it's not just Edina that's snooty...SEVERAL suburban areas think a little too highly of themselves (I like to presume that these people have lived here their whole lives and don't get out much!)

I moved here from California and was quite honestly amazed at how snooty Minnesotans could be in terms of where people live! People will look down their noses at you for living in an "undesirable" suburb - they'll even say it to your face!! My friend lives in a darling home in Coon Rapids (a northern suburb) right on the Mississippi River near trails, etc and when she told someone where she lived the person responded "Coon Rapids?...oh...I'm sorry". EXTREMELY RUDE! (And this person lived in St Louis Park - not even the creme de la creme of suburbs in most Minnesotan's eyes!). I live in Bloomington and people LOVE to ask me "are you in West Bloomington or East Bloomington?". Really? Seriously? You could live in the WORST, unkempt neighborhood in Edina (oh....and there are plenty!) and you're fine as long as you can say "I live in Edina". But Lord help you in you live in a million dollar home in Brooklyn Park on the river....you might as well sell it and get a dump in Edina so you can impress people!!

Coming from L.A. it's hilarious (and kind of sad). Nobody would ever say "Oh you own a home in Compton?? I'm sorry". Just owning a home is something to be proud of!! I always expected midwesterners to have better values than judging people by where they live. Seriously? When my parents visited from L.A. I took them to the 50th and France area of Edina to show them the neighborhood where all the "cake eaters" frequent....they didn't get it....they were very unimpressed....not because it wasn't a nice area...but in comparison to where they live it was just VERY average (anyone ever been to The Valley?). Nothing to be snooty about. Sorry Edinans (and Eden Prairie-ites!)....you need to get out more!! And you're snootier (for completely unjustified reasons!!) than most people in Beverly Hills and Malibu! Get over yourselves. You should be proud of the quality of life here....the natural beauty that surrounds the cities! Get over trying to be a "cake eater"....your suburbs are nice but you can't compete in that world!

[rzzz]

I never found Edina people to be very "snooty." There seem to be a lot more people in other parts of town who just assume people from Edina are snooty. After living other places in the states I find people in the MN metro area are a lot like old-school people from Brooklyn. They almost never go anywhere besides their immediate neighborhood or suburb and assume all these weird things about people from other neighborhoods, even though they've never been to that area or even met anyone from there. I have relatives in Roseville who have never been to Edina, Wayzata, Uptown, Highland Park to name a few yet somehow know exactly what sorts of people live there, and don't have anything good to say about them.