What is the factor with St. Paul's population decrease? (Minneapolis: houses, neighborhoods)

[Minnehahapolitan]

On second thought, you are prob. right. Mea culpa.

[pirate_lafitte]

St. Paul proper isn't the only place I see a population decrease. Some of the suburbs have population decrease(White Bear Lake for instance).

[sushigirlie]

Originally Posted by The Icy River Vagabond

Because people want to move farther and farther away, so they can develop and destroy more land, so they can drive farther to work, polluting the air and whining about their commute while growing fatter and fatter cuz they don't do anything else. I think the population in Minneapolis is increasing and I am pretty sure that St. Pauls population showed an increase of about 15,000 in the last census.

Yes, this is exactly what's happening. The population in the Twin Cities is actually growing, but people are moving out for two reasons:
1. To contribute to suburban sprawl
2. The crime rates are climbing up so suburbs are becoming a safer place to turn to.

[derrick_debaere9009]

i also agree that the twin cities are actually growing instead of most ppl think they r srinking

[K-Luv]

St. Paul's population is decreasing because St. Paul is boring. Seriously! Tumbleweeds start blowing throw downtown at what, 5 pm? If it wasn't for the Turf Club, Big V's, Xcel Center, and museums St. Paul might as well be a rural town out in the middle of nowhere-because despite it's size, that is exactly how it feels. At least to me it does.

Seriously, though, I guess that it is easier for people to take the chicken route and escape-hoping to find better living elsewhere-instead of standing up and building communities, which like an oxy-moron, is one of St. Paul's strengths.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

St. Paul's population is decreasing because St. Paul is boring. Seriously! Tumbleweeds start blowing throw downtown at what, 5 pm? If it wasn't for the Turf Club, Big V's, Xcel Center, and museums St. Paul might as well be a rural town out in the middle of nowhere-because despite it's size, that is exactly how it feels. At least to me it does.

Seriously, though, I guess that it is easier for people to take the chicken route and escape-hoping to find better living elsewhere-instead of standing up and building communities, which like an oxy-moron, is one of St. Paul's strengths.

Ironic. If safety was a factor, the Twin Cities would be a quick choice for me over Atlanta. This is based on statistics. Even when MPLS was "murderapolis", Atlanta was still more violent. As I study the Twin cities, to me it is a work in progress. I don't see it as a horrible place. It has its bad points, but when I look at Atlanta, I think MPLS-St.Paul can be even greater cities. Why/? Atlanta is going through a drought and if the Metro Atlanta area really does run out of water, then Atlanta could turn into Detroit overnight because businesses and people would leave Atlanta.. Jobs would go, the money would go, and then it would truly because the South's version of Detroit, because for the most part, Atlanta is already violent. I turn on the news and I hear about nothing but murders and club shootings(until recently with the water problems). Minneapolis(as is St. Paul) is full of lakes and it is on the Mississippi river. I don't see a water shortage yet. The population decrease makes me wonder. The only other reason I could think of is that the cold is making some residents seek locations elsewhere(why do you thinks the suburbs of Atlanta are full of transplants?). I check crime statistics for many of the Twin cities' suburbs and I don't find them dangerous. Then again, I don't live there. I am just seeking other places to live outside of the South. I have heard that the violent crime rate for the Twin cities has gone down from the year 2006. Is that true? I can't find statistics for 2007.

[K-Luv]

I don't know why people are leaving St. Paul, or if in fact the population of that city is indeed increasing. I am too lazy at the mo to look up the statistics. I was just being cheeky with my first response, but in reality-St. Paul is kind of a boring place. As far as the Twin Cities go, a vast majority of the entertainment and shopping is in Minneapolis. A lot of people from St. Paul go into downtown Minneapolis to hang out and what not, but not many people from Minneapolis go into St Paul, unless they "have to". Or free beer is involved. There is a sort of insider knowledge that the Twin Cities are like Springfield and Shelbyville. St. Paul is Shelbyville, in case you do not get the joke.

So that was my response to the OP's question.

My second comment is sort of based on White Flight. I am not sure if that is actually happening or not, but it is something that I hear about from time to time. Personally, they can all flee to the edge of a large cliff, but that is just my opinion as the type of people who flee to the suburbs are usually the kind of people that I tend to dislike the most.

Anyways.....if that is the case then I see it as a huge downfall for St. Paul communities. As I said in the other post; the one thing that St. Paul really has going for it (and something that Minneapolis kind of lags on) is a sense of real community and neighborhood.

As for the comment about water....just because there is a river and tons of lakes does not equate plenty of drinking water. As far as I know, all of the 'water' around the Twin City region is polluted and would require millions of dollars to clean and make potable. Besides, if Atlanta really does go dry, they are only going to buy clean water from other states and have it piped in. I don't want to get into political over it, but yeah, maybe it'll become like Detroit.

[Minnehahapolitan]

/\Not all of our groundwater is polluted. It is only really the Southern third of Wash. Co.

[Lillietta]

[[b][i]QUOTE=K-Luv;1897696]I don't know why people are leaving St. Paul, or if in fact the population of that city is indeed increasing.

I don't believe the population is decreasing. I am wondering if those who think this are thinking in "white" terms.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Lillietta

[[b][i]QUOTE=K-Luv;1897696]I don't know why people are leaving St. Paul, or if in fact the population of that city is indeed increasing.

I don't believe the population is decreasing. I am wondering if those who think this are thinking in "white" terms.

Ah, I meant to say 'decreasing'.

Look at who is moving to the suburbs, and you will find that, in general, it is not minorities. Whether it is "white flight" or not, I couldn't tell you. Maybe white folks just like cookie-cutter neighborhoods and planned communities more?