Worried about move to Minneapolis

[chilaili]

I'm one of the people who has commented on the clique-ishness of Minnesotans BUT I have also pointed out numerous times that not everyone is like that. It just takes time and little effort and you can make some really brilliant friends up there. Don't panic - you will be fine.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by 1stpontiac

In my particular neck of the metro (not anywhere near Edina) I've found it a little difficult to make friends, for 3 basic reasons:

1) Many locals - Many of the people I do meet grew up in the area and are often busy with family. They aren't at all stand-off-ish or clique-y, they are just busy.

2) Not the best fit - My wife and I like to bike, run, hike, and other outdoors stuff, while on a nice day my neighbors are more likely to be out riding their motorcycles, fixing their cars, or things like that. Also, they tend to have very different jobs and careers than we do, so its a little harder finding common ground to start conversations.

3) Schedules - Between my wife's rather sporadic work schedule and our 18-month-old daughter, its hard to join any of the clubs or organizations that I would normally use to meet people.

None of this is meant to scare you off of Minneapolis, as I've met great people here, but it might give you some food for thought when choosing where to live.

Have you taken any ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) classes? With an 18 month old, that would be the best way to meet people. Most areas have day and evening classes. Our kids are still friends with many of the kids they met in ECFE years ago and we are still friends with their parents. They are seniors in high school now.

[Globe199]

FWIW, my wife's aunt lives in Edina. Their neighborhood is populated with some of the nicest people I've ever met. In fact, her aunt's family is so friendly and close with the couple next door, that they answer the phone at their house if they happen to be there -- whether that neighbor is home or not. They regularly go into their house to borrow things. I've never seen that in my life.

Based on the lawn signs I noticed last night, it is also a very liberal neighborhood. I would move there in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

[1stpontiac]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Have you taken any ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) classes? With an 18 month old, that would be the best way to meet people. Most areas have day and evening classes. Our kids are still friends with many of the kids they met in ECFE years ago and we are still friends with their parents. They are seniors in high school now.

I've looked into it, based on the advice of you and others on the board, and I'd love to do it, especially since my county offers a bunch of different "theme" classes (exploring outdoors, dad's night, painting and creatives, etc). I didn't realize how quickly they fill up and was too late to get into anything last spring, and this fall things just haven't worked out, but I'm keeping an eye on the options.

Extra points to ECFE for having options that work for dads, too, as many meetups and activities are geared toward moms only.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by dayton_ohio

We are increasingly worried about making a planned move to Minneapolis. I have read so many negative comments about aloof/standoffish people and the difficulty meeting friends, and have heard that repeated by personal acquaintances, especially when we will be moving right at the cusp of winter when people are indoors more. We are also worried about the culture of Edina, where we hope to live, as the people are characterized as unfriendly and overly status conscious.

Am I reading too much into people's comments?

Edina is a good place full of nice people. Some of us give them crap in the forums and when we're back in the Cities because of old school rivalries or whatever, mainly because we really DID get sick of them trouncing us in hockey back in high school , but it's really not that different from the communities which surround it.

I wouldn't worry about it. A lot depends on people's expectations, anyway ... Minnesotans will never be as open as some cultures ... you may not be invited to dinner at your neighbor's house until they actually get to know you a little ... but like any metro you'll run into a fairly diverse group of people, and Minnesotans generally tend to be helpful rather than spiteful.

[peachesplease]

FWIW the couple of people I know that live in Edina have their yards connected with two other neighbors. The four neighbors are very close. It reminds me of the way the neighbors were at the lake when I was growing up.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

I've lived in Edina (went to much of my schooling there). I've also lived in Wayzata and Minneapolis. As a child or teen, I would not suggest moving to Edina. As an adult, it hardly matters. I myself found that Edina kids could be very provincial or closed-minded compared to other places I lived (even within MN), but as an adult it hardly ever came up it seemed. It's probably nothing like somebody has described to you (you're probably envisioning Beverly Hills meets Cleveland or something -- attitude AND snobbery), but I also think Edina can work for some people more than others....it just depends on the person and/or their attitude often times.

Tell us your wants/needs and maybe what you are used to culturally, and we can steer you in the right direction (or just convince you that Edina will or will not work best for you).