Anyone Moving Out Of Minnesota? Why? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: unemployment, gated, taxes)

[Minnehahapolitan]

Originally Posted by JMS_9

Gee...so sorry you disapprove of my career choice. I guess you would prefer rapists, murderers, and drug dealers on your streets. Good to know.

And TOTAL murders does nothing to indicate a cities safety. Minneapolis had 39 in 2008. For a city of 375,000 that's 10.4 per 100,000. That's kind of a lot. By comparison, Atlantic City, NJ had 17. Seems small and safe, right? There rate was 42.5 New York City...8 million plus. Lead the nation with 522 murders last year. Their rate is 6.2! A city with twice as many people as the entire state of Minnesota, has a lower violent crime rate than Minneapolis does.

Compared to cities it's size, Minneapolis is safer than most, yet, ironically, when compared to bigger cities like Boston, Atlanta, Toronto, Seattle, San francisco, and New York, it's crime rate is higher.

I have to kinda disapprove of your career choice when basic statistics eludes you. Size has little to do with the danger level of a place. New York could have 100 times the population, and the rate would be consistent. In the case of New York, it is one of the safest large metropolitan cities in the country. In the case of a city with over 8 million people, 522 murders is hardly leading the nation. Toronto is in Ontario, that is Canada. They have differing laws and circumstances that make a comparison inapplicable. The same should be said for Tokyo and Medellin. In 2006, there were 110 murders in Atlanta. For the sake of argument, lets suppose that they magically cut their murder rate in half over the course of two years. 65 murders in a city only slightly larger. I believe San Francisco had just under 100 murders last year. Figuring that San Francisco has approx. twice the population of Mpls., even the rate there would be higher.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Originally Posted by JMS_9

As whole, yes. But go to North Minneapolis and preach that. Crime there is holding steady, and as I said, SW Mpls is getting more Hmong gang activity. Nobody gives a **** if crime in Uptown and Downtown is going down. If Minneapolis wants to toot it's horn, then go stop crime where it truly exists. North Minneapolis....Robbinsdale...Brooklyn Park....

You can't go into low crime areas and stomp it out and pat yourself on the back and say "look at us! No..not over there...or up there...over here! Look. I'm standing outside Block E and I haven't got shot. Yay Minneapolis!"

"is AND works in law enforcement, I can tell you with absolute certainty, crime is getting worse. It's spreading to pockets it's never been before, especially in SW Minneapolis. Crime in North Minneapolis is worse now then it's been in decades.

Back in the mid-90's we were dubbed Murder-apolis. Crime stats are approaching those numbers."

You don't get to make that argument. Just because certain areas still live up to their reputations does not mean that the entire city is getting more dangerous. Nobody is saying that every area is getting better, or that some aren't even gently declining. Nobody would go say that on the Northside because it is not the case for that area. It would be no more logical than coming on this forum to play chicken little and push erroneous data under the guise of a law enforcement background.

[nbus5]

If you don't feel save living in most parts of the Twin Cities, then honestly, I don't think you can feel safe anywhere.

[Minneapolitan]

More neighborhoods are safe in mpls than not. Simple fact. The ignorance on this board poses more a threat to me than walking down any street in my neighborhood!

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by JMS_9

As whole, yes. But go to North Minneapolis and preach that. Crime there is holding steady, and as I said, SW Mpls is getting more Hmong gang activity. Nobody gives a **** if crime in Uptown and Downtown is going down. If Minneapolis wants to toot it's horn, then go stop crime where it truly exists. North Minneapolis....Robbinsdale...Brooklyn Park....

You can't go into low crime areas and stomp it out and pat yourself on the back and say "look at us! No..not over there...or up there...over here! Look. I'm standing outside Block E and I haven't got shot. Yay Minneapolis!"

JMS - exactly what type of law enforcement do you work in? Sorry to have to ask, but you know how some security guards like to claim they are "in law enforcement", so it would be good to know your credentials. Also, the reason I ask is that it is pretty common knowledge (especially in the police department but in the general public as well) that overall crime and violent crime rates in North Minneapolis (and Mpls as a whole) have dropped substantially over the past year/ two - so the fact that you think this is not the case tells me that (1) you are actually not a police officer/ member of the MPD, or (2) you are woefully ignorant of the statistics produced by your own department, which I guess could be possible.

Increasing Hmong gang activity in Southwest Minneapolis? - HA! Rampant crime in Robbinsdale? - that's an even bigger laugh, you can't really be serious. Even implicating Brooklyn Park is a stretch - and as Minnehahapolitan has mentioned, even if your arguments were based in reality, which they're not, what would that have to do with Mpls??

It's unfortunate that the anonymity of message boards like this allow people to make up a whole load of crap about themselves, their knowledge base, or areas of the city that people immediately buy into despite the lack of any supporting evidence.

And Minnehahapolitan your reply post, which was otherwise very good, disappoints me - people WOULD go say that on the Northside because it IS the case!!

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=519653&catid=2 (broken link)

[jprom]

Lived here my whole life but have been tired of the cold weather for most of it. MN has a lot to offer but the long winters and constant cold weather really stinks.

[Chandler85]

I am SO tired of everyone talking about the crime rates here in Minneapolis. Please folks try to remember that this is an old Midwestern city on par with Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Detroit. Yes we have crime, big deal - if you want to live someplace that you can leave your doors unlocked go up north to almost any of the towns north of Little Falls....

I am leaving because I need a change. Minnesota attitudes just are not for me. I do not care for way the state is governed. And the 7% unemployment rate. And the never-ending winter, hot humid summers. I have made a lot of great friends and will miss them dearly.

Especially with Target and Best Buy layoffs, the Minneapolis economy is going down the tubes (IMHO)

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Chandler85

I am SO tired of everyone talking about the crime rates here in Minneapolis. Please folks try to remember that this is an old Midwestern city on par with Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Detroit. Yes we have crime, big deal - if you want to live someplace that you can leave your doors unlocked go up north to almost any of the towns north of Little Falls....

I am leaving because I need a change. Minnesota attitudes just are not for me. I do not care for way the state is governed. And the 7% unemployment rate. And the never-ending winter, hot humid summers. I have made a lot of great friends and will miss them dearly.

Especially with Target and Best Buy layoffs, the Minneapolis economy is going down the tubes (IMHO)

Best of luck with your move. I don't think economic woes here are much different than most other places, but it depends what you do.

[StPaulEastSider]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I don't think you'll find such a thing anywhere except the southern US, mainly because other areas simply don't have the population to support such a thing. Maybe some of the very large cities like Chicago and NewYork, too.

Thanks for replying! I've seen your name on the Atlanta forum as well. :-) We have a few contacts in Atlanta and will be paying them a visit in the upcoming months.

My husband and I are looking at intown neighborhoods because we feel these areas of Atlanta are where will find some of the more racially integrated neighborhoods with politically liberal and eco-conscious neighbors. We lived in Candler Park 20 years ago as newlyweds, but unfortunately that neighborhood is way out of our price range these days. Grant Park is another neighborhood which has undergone radical "gentification" in the past 20 years... When we left Atlanta Grant Park was a haven for crack addicts - friends of ours had a "band house" in Grant Park and my landlady had a renovated bungalow in Grant Park - even them some of the houses were being rehabbed and their original beauty was being appreciated.

We are currently looking at the Historic West End Neighborhood - with the thoughts [hopes] that 20 years from now that area may be roughly the equivalent to Candler Park and Grant Park today. Perhaps we can be part of the change needed to revitalize the West End neighborhood?

East Point is another area we are considering, it's an area which my husband knew as a "problem area" in the 80s and 90s but is, from what we've read online, been making a comeback as an ITP suburb.

We can't wait for the vacation we are planning this spring - to check out the neighborhoods we've been targeting in our online search!

++++

With regards to the original post... my husband is adamant that he has always been made to feel like an "outsider" in Minnesota. He just said that again last night. Since Atlanta has a HUGE [and growing] transplant population, I can't say I felt the same when I lived in Atlanta - albeit that was nearly 20 years ago now!

Has anyone else sensed a spirit of non-trust for non-natives in Minnesota?

~ Susan

[Repubocrat]

Originally Posted by StPaulEastSider

With regards to the original post... my husband is adamant that he has always been made to feel like an "outsider" in Minnesota. He just said that again last night. Since Atlanta has a HUGE [and growing] transplant population, I can't say I felt the same when I lived in Atlanta - albeit that was nearly 20 years ago now!

Has anyone else sensed a spirit of non-trust for non-natives in Minnesota?

~ Susan

One main problem that I see with transplants is the fact that they refuse to assimilate our local culture. When I moved to Minnesota, I was willing to become a Minnesotan and assimilate the local culture, I embraced things like cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice hockey, ice fishing, local foods etc and I feel almost like a Minnesotan, even though I was born overseas. You complain about the lack of African American activities, etc and I think that is the problem! Why not just embrace Minnesotan culture without having to limit yourself to only African American things? One big problem with minorities in this state is an outright refusal to accept the local culture and a tendency to limit themselves to their own culture only. Without wanting to generalize and start a riot, I see that with a lot of Hmong and African Americans here in MN, they associate only with their own kind and refuse to assimilate the local culture, a lot of them complain about racism, yet they have never made any effort to reach out and/or assimilate the local culture, something to think about!!!