Twin Cities vs Cincinnati (Minneapolis, St. Paul: theater, school, college)

[Packwanderer]

Hey everybody,

Long time reader. First time poster.

I have been offered a job in both Cincinnati and Minneapolis. Both jobs pay the same and are located in the suburbs. I have visited both cities once over a weekend interview visit and was very impressed with both areas. Both had a lot to offer and both were attractive to me for different reasons.

I wanted to get some of your thoughts especially those that have lived or visited both extensively, what are some of the positives and negatives of each? Why Minneapolis over Cincinnati?

I won't be living downtown in either place.

Just a little about me, I am a 33 year old single, white Mormon male. I am originally from North Carolina, but completed grad school in KCMO. I have family in KC and Chicago, but none in Cincinnati or Minneapolis. I love the performing and visual arts and good restaurants and plan on devouring all that the Twin Cities has to offer.

Really, any thoughts you'd like to share on the two cities would be appreciated. If questions for me arise, I'd be happy to answer. Thanks for your thoughts.

[golfgal]

The Twin Cities, hands down, has a better theater scene. Weather in Cinci is more mild. Cost of living is about 20% higher in the Twin Cities vs Cincinatti but it would really depends on the actual suburb you live in but guessing those would be similar.

Not sure about the Mormon scene in Cinci but there is a reasonable sized population in MN, especially on the eastern side of the metro. There was talk about building a Temple here but I don't know what became of that.

[Packwanderer]

Originally Posted by golfgal

The Twin Cities, hands down, has a better theater scene. Weather in Cinci is more mild. Cost of living is about 20% higher in the Twin Cities vs Cincinatti but it would really depends on the actual suburb you live in but guessing those would be similar.

Not sure about the Mormon scene in Cinci but there is a reasonable sized population in MN, especially on the eastern side of the metro. There was talk about building a Temple here but I don't know what became of that.

There is a temple just east of St Paul.
I would plan on living in the areas of White Bear Lake, Lino Lakes, Hugo, Centerville as I would be working in that area.

Thanks.

[bler144]

Some notable differences:

Climate - Cincy will get the occasional ice/snow storm, but winters are more moderate and summers will be longer and more humid. By comparison TC is much colder in the winter (sub-zero for a week or two not uncommon), with much shorter spring/fall seasons.

Politics/religion - Cincy tilts solidly conservative and I'd suspect more religious/fundamentalist - if Boehner is displaced from that district it's likely to be someone farther right. Off-hand I can't say which has a larger/more active LDS community. TC will lean more left, though you do see the occasional pocket of conservatism and swaths will be moderate/centrist. Cincy may be in Ohio, but it's on the KY border and arguably more southern than northern in many ways.

Geography - Both are cities adjacent to major river valleys (TC - mississippi, Cincy - Ohio) that add some dynamism but driving north from Cincy or west from TC is pretty dang flat.

Travel - MSP is a better airport, imo (I'm sure Cincy has direct connections to Chi, but not sure about KC), and it's about 6 hours drive give or take to Chicago or KC. Cincy would take 4.5 to Chi but 8 to KC. For casual travel, Cincy will put a lot more cities in moderate driving distance - Louisville, Nashville, St. Louis, etc., or trips back to NC. Both give you access to outdoorsy things depending on what you like to do.

Aesthetically I prefer most of the TC suburbs to Cincy's (as well as the dining) but there are nice places in both. You didn't say enough for me to push one definitively over the other (how do you feel about hockey, ice fishing, and lefse?), but I'd guess Cincy will probably feel like a more familiar place a la KC/NC.

[Packwanderer]

Originally Posted by bler144

Some notable differences:

Climate - Cincy will get the occasional ice/snow storm, but winters are more moderate and summers will be longer and more humid. By comparison TC is much colder in the winter (sub-zero for a week or two not uncommon), with much shorter spring/fall seasons.

Politics/religion - Cincy tilts solidly conservative and I'd suspect more religious/fundamentalist - if Boehner is displaced from that district it's likely to be someone farther right. Off-hand I can't say which has a larger/more active LDS community. TC will lean more left, though you do see the occasional pocket of conservatism and swaths will be moderate/centrist. Cincy may be in Ohio, but it's on the KY border and arguably more southern than northern in many ways.

Geography - Both are cities adjacent to major river valleys (TC - mississippi, Cincy - Ohio) that add some dynamism but driving north from Cincy or west from TC is pretty dang flat.

Travel - MSP is a better airport, imo (I'm sure Cincy has direct connections to Chi, but not sure about KC), and it's about 6 hours drive give or take to Chicago or KC. Cincy would take 4.5 to Chi but 8 to KC. For casual travel, Cincy will put a lot more cities in moderate driving distance - Louisville, Nashville, St. Louis, etc., or trips back to NC. Both give you access to outdoorsy things depending on what you like to do.

Aesthetically I prefer most of the TC suburbs to Cincy's (as well as the dining) but there are nice places in both. You didn't say enough for me to push one definitively over the other (how do you feel about hockey, ice fishing, and lefse?), but I'd guess Cincy will probably feel like a more familiar place a la KC/NC.

Culturally, I know that I would be more comfortable in Cincinnati faster given that I'm comfortable with the surrounding areas and its proximity to college basketball, which I like and closer to Chicago and Louisville, including the terrain.

I have never skied, played hockey, ice fished, but I'm open to new things. I would def pick up hockey as a spectator sport (including learning the rules!) Ha.I love the outdoors and I love running and fresh water lakes and bike trails.

[rzzz]

My cousin lives in Cincy. Housing in Cincinnati proper is much cheaper than Minneapolis or St. Paul. Not sure about in the suburbs.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Packwanderer

Culturally, I know that I would be more comfortable in Cincinnati faster given that I'm comfortable with the surrounding areas and its proximity to college basketball, which I like and closer to Chicago and Louisville, including the terrain.

I have never skied, played hockey, ice fished, but I'm open to new things. I would def pick up hockey as a spectator sport (including learning the rules!) Ha.I love the outdoors and I love running and fresh water lakes and bike trails.

Hockey is much like basketball, only on skates .

There is a lot of college ball in the Twin Cities--the U of Mn and the "barn" are a great place to watch basketball. There are several Division III programs that are very good as well.

White Bear Lake is a good area to be in. It's convenient to many places in the metro, fairly reasonable housing compared to the rest of the Twin Cities and a pretty part of the metro.

[Hans Licks]

If you like WKRP's music, I would definitely choose Cincinnati.

[Packwanderer]

Originally Posted by Hans Licks

If you like WKRP's music, I would definitely choose Cincinnati.

What is WKRP?

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Packwanderer

What is WKRP?

only the coolest radio station around