Move to Minneapolis or Washington DC?? (Roseville, Alexandria: buy, high school, income)

[Thegonagle]

Originally Posted by golfgal

60K in Minneapolis for a new college grad, single, is a very livable wage.

Very livable? That's an understatement. You'll be feeling Mitt Romney rich living single on 60K in Minneapolis. (Well, you could, but you should probably knock out your student loans first. EDIT: No loans. Live it up!) I don't know what field you're in, but given the general state of things right now, that's a great start for a young professional by most measures.

If the company is Best Buy though, go with D.C. Best Buy is in trouble. EDIT #2: It's Target. Much better! They have a culture of their own. Going around downtown, my impression is that it seems busy and hard-working, and it helps to be able to smile easily and keep a positive attitude--it always does, but it's so much easier when surrounded by similar attitudes. Good luck!

[aiyoweii]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

Very livable? That's an understatement. You'll be feeling Mitt Romney rich living single on 60K in Minneapolis. (Well, you could, but you should probably knock out your student loans first. EDIT: No loans. Live it up!) I don't know what field you're in, but given the general state of things right now, that's a great start for a young professional by most measures.

If the company is Best Buy though, go with D.C. Best Buy is in trouble.

I guess im really lucky that I have no loans. lol the company is not best buy, but target corp. Any insights on them?

[cinnamon_toast]

See OP took the job -- good luck!!

[Thegonagle]

Originally Posted by aiyoweii

I guess im really lucky that I have no loans. lol the company is not best buy, but target corp. Any insights on them?

We crossed!

Read my edit on my prior post, made after reading a couple more of your posts.

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

I've lived in both, and love both for different reasons. As has been pointed out, the cost of living in Minneapolis is MUCH more affordable than in DC. Assuming your work schedule allows, you'll have more money for savings, for going out with your friends, for travel, etc. in Minneapolis. You can still easily live in DC on your salary (and in a decent neighborhood; it's expensive, but you're just one person, not trying to raise an entire family on that salary) but your money won't go nearly as far and you will have to watch your budget more closely.

DC is a fun city, but it's also very much a company town. You'll have tons of fellow young professionals, but it's a different kind of environment. In some ways I think you may actually have an easier time with the "young adult lifestyle" in Minneapolis; huge generalization, of course, but a lot of the young professions you'll meet in DC are serious workaholics working on the hill or otherwise living and breathing work, often related to politics. It's incredibly power-obsessed. It's also, since you mention shopping, not really a "shopping" kind of city. It's a weird city. Of course some of that is going to depend on where you live and work, but even though neither my husband or I worked for the government while living there, it still permeated our lives. If you wanted a federal job or to benefit from federal job contracts down the road, then DC would absolutely be the perfect place.

Since you want the MBA, I'd consider working the Fortune 500 job in Minneapolis and working the connections and saving up your money. Your colleagues and supervisors will be connected to the world outside of Minnesota, so it's not as though you'll need to be here forever (although if you decided you love it, Carlson is considered a very good local option). I would let your future plans be the guide here and make your plans based on that, given that I think you'll find a big (or big enough) city feel in either city and can afford to live in either place, but don't think of the pay difference as only $10,000 -- in practical terms, that extra 10k in Minneapolis is worth a lot more.

You think you make the best argument for choosing Minneapolis.

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

I've lived in both, and love both for different reasons. As has been pointed out, the cost of living in Minneapolis is MUCH more affordable than in DC. Assuming your work schedule allows, you'll have more money for savings, for going out with your friends, for travel, etc. in Minneapolis. You can still easily live in DC on your salary (and in a decent neighborhood; it's expensive, but you're just one person, not trying to raise an entire family on that salary) but your money won't go nearly as far and you will have to watch your budget more closely.

DC is a fun city, but it's also very much a company town. You'll have tons of fellow young professionals, but it's a different kind of environment. In some ways I think you may actually have an easier time with the "young adult lifestyle" in Minneapolis; huge generalization, of course, but a lot of the young professions you'll meet in DC are serious workaholics working on the hill or otherwise living and breathing work, often related to politics. It's incredibly power-obsessed. It's also, since you mention shopping, not really a "shopping" kind of city. It's a weird city. Of course some of that is going to depend on where you live and work, but even though neither my husband or I worked for the government while living there, it still permeated our lives. If you wanted a federal job or to benefit from federal job contracts down the road, then DC would absolutely be the perfect place.

Since you want the MBA, I'd consider working the Fortune 500 job in Minneapolis and working the connections and saving up your money. Your colleagues and supervisors will be connected to the world outside of Minnesota, so it's not as though you'll need to be here forever (although if you decided you love it, Carlson is considered a very good local option). I would let your future plans be the guide here and make your plans based on that, given that I think you'll find a big (or big enough) city feel in either city and can afford to live in either place, but don't think of the pay difference as only $10,000 -- in practical terms, that extra 10k in Minneapolis is worth a lot more.

Originally Posted by phlinak

You think you make the best argument for choosing Minneapolis.

CORRECTION:

I think you make the best argument for choosing Minneapolis.

[Mark_22]

Originally Posted by aiyoweii

I guess im really lucky that I have no loans. lol the company is not best buy, but target corp. Any insights on them?

Everyone I know who works at Target loves it, unless they work in I.T. in which case they hate it. You'll get all the big company corporate perks, a marquee name on the resume, and you probably won't have to work yourself to death. Although if you were considering a consulting gig maybe you don't mind back breaking hours. So if you're not taking an I.T. job I think you'll probably like it a lot. But of course this is all heresay - I don't work there myself, and I'm sure it varies department by department, just like it does in any big company. I think they still require full business dress which is rare around here.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by aiyoweii

I guess im really lucky that I have no loans. lol the company is not best buy, but target corp. Any insights on them?

Great choice on Minneapolis. I think you'll love it here if you come with an open mind.

I work for Target, although I'm just in the stores. But the culture is in many ways the same throughout the entire chain. Target Corporate controls the stores with a tight hand, so what they believe, we are very much told we need to believe. I also worked at the Downtown Minneapolis Target, where mingling with the corporate crowd (their offices are a block away) was a daily occurrence, so you get to know the attitudes and the like.

It's a culture that is definitely fast-paced and expects a lot out of you. The crowd is professionally dressed, young, hip...essentially a lot of the yuppie type, mixed in with some old-timers who have been with the company since before it was nationwide.

I've been told it's pretty average with salary and benefits, but that you definitely have chances to advance, especially if you're good at networking. I believe the corporate office often will pay for all of your grad school if you end up liking the atmosphere and want to stay...you certainly can't beat free tuition!


As far as places to live, I'd definitely recommend the Uptown/Lyn-Lake/St. Louis Park area. It sort of depends on your tastes. Uptown has a lot of Target employees and the area does have a slightly yuppie/trendy vibe (mixed in with a lot of old-school gritty Uptown too, I suppose). Lyn-Lake definitely has a slightly more hippie feel, though it too is getting more trendy. Both are fairly urban areas with access to bars, shopping, restaurants, etc. You also get access to tons of parks, cute neighborhoods, and the amazing Chain of Lakes. If you want something a bit more suburban, St. Louis Park has some great options too, especially fairly close to the Minneapolis border. You could even catch a bus in (why pay the $100-150 for parking on top of gas and extra insurance when you can get a bus pass for $85?). At a salary of $60,000 with no student loans, you could definitely afford just about anything in any area...from new to old. There are a number of great new apartments with tons of amenities that have popped up in the Uptown area that are more expensive, but they just might tickle your fancy (and these are typically the ones that offer underground and heated parking).

Hope this all helps!

[1stpontiac]

I assume you'd be in the downtown location? Target also has expanding offices in Brooklyn Park, too.

[rzzz]

Think about what you want to do 5 years down the line. It's pretty easy in MN to cruise at your $60K Target Corp job for the rest of your life. That is my entire extended family. If that is what you want to do, that is fine. But make sure it's what you want to do. Because you are not easily going to move from working at Target Corp back to being a consultant in DC. But you could easily move from being a consultant in DC to working at Target Corp.