Has increased ethnic diversity improved the quality of life of Minneapolis/Minnesota? (Minnetonka: appointed, home)

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by golfgal

It isn't and that is the point. There are these 'programs' and they aren't helping. Their program wasn't income dependent, just someone that would agree to live there 10 years or more. It was supposed to revitalize the west side of St. Paul, didn't happen.

But it sounds like you're in-laws got a good deal, their home was renovated for them and they got a great interest rate with the help of this program, which they are probably still benefiting from as the equity in their "program" home is now allowing them to be approved for a home in Highland Park. If your relatives are mad about this or the fact that a whole neighborhood/ area of the city didn't revitalize in a drastically short period of time, then they need a reality check. And to expect one single program iof a non-profit to be able to produce such drastic results is similarly unrealistic, obviously your relatives' lives have changed for the better through the help of this program, and there were probably many more families that were aided in improving their lives (and parts of neighborhoods) because of it.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Honestly, Golfgal. If there are drug dealers rampant in an area, they aren't going to go away because your Brother-in-Law has a remodeled house. That was the obvious risk. What someobdy should have imparted is the fact that one should never move into an area expecting it to clean-up. The best that any program (successful or not) can hope for is to improve an area from what it was before. Your Brother-in-Law walked up the hill behind Sisyphus and expected him not to fall down. The fact is, though, that the program probably did help. The remodeled house obviously did not purge the West Side of its problems. However, at worst, it prevented things from getting worse. The remodeled house may revert to rentership. However, the program likely prevented the house from being turned into an empty lot. Anybody, anybody moving to the West Side if Saint Paul expecting it to ever look like Highland Park is naive at best. I cannot judge anyone for not wanting to live in the area; but don't go complaining that the program was meaningless. Take consolation that you tried to make the neighborhood a better place.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan

Honestly, Golfgal. If there are drug dealers rampant in an area, they aren't going to go away because your Brother-in-Law has a remodeled house. That was the obvious risk. What someobdy should have imparted is the fact that one should never move into an area expecting it to clean-up. The best that any program (successful or not) can hope for is to improve an area from what it was before. Your Brother-in-Law walked up the hill behind Sisyphus and expected him not to fall down. The fact is, though, that the program probably did help. The remodeled house obviously did not purge the West Side of its problems. However, at worst, it prevented things from getting worse. The remodeled house may revert to rentership. However, the program likely prevented the house from being turned into an empty lot. Anybody, anybody moving to the West Side if Saint Paul expecting it to ever look like Highland Park is naive at best. I cannot judge anyone for not wanting to live in the area; but don't go complaining that the program was meaningless. Take consolation that you tried to make the neighborhood a better place.

Forum has drifted from it's original topic. Has MPLS quality of life improved from diversity. It depends on who you are. Do you like ethnic foods? Do you like ethnic festivals? Do you like speaking different languages? If the answer is yes to all of them, then ethnic diversity has improved the quality of life for you. If you prefer that certain ethnic groups stay away from the area and you want the MPLSSTP area to remain homogeneous permanently, then ethnic diversity hasn't improved your quality of life. Yes the crime has gone up in recent years, but it has gone down even more recently. MPLS isn't the safest city in America, but it is the most dangerous either. It isn't as dangerous as some of the SunBelt cities so many people want to live in.

[earthwar]

Sugarbeet

"I think sometimes people tend to forget that it was diversity upon which the US was founded."

You should read more about US history before you make comments like this. Ew

[gansat girl 612]

I have lived north side for 22 yrs and yes north side has has a high crime rate, Ifeel this has to do with, are black young in are area,are looked as bad kids and are schools and teachers,are paid lower, then a school in brooklynpark, we are looked as a hoples cause,put a gun store . in are hoods as uppper class would call us, then add a liquor store, and what do u have crime. hookers on lowry the same cops that are putting them in jail are the same cops that are getting head from them, when the cops stop being so durty may be **** will change, it takes all of us not just a few

[starbuckstasty]

It's pretty bad when everyone at McDonalds doesnt speak english. Not even the managers!! I'd say it's changed 100% from 15 years ago here in the metro area. Im movin!

[Angorlee]

to answer your question---NO

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by starbuckstasty

It's pretty bad when everyone at McDonalds doesnt speak english. Not even the managers!!

probably because they pay $5 an hour and as a person with limited english, its about all you are qualified for.

Personally it doesnt bother me. Ive gone to fast food restaurants in small towns and the employees are usually acne ridden burnout idiot teenagers with a chip on their shoulder who have no excuse to mess your order up but still somehow manage to do so. Most immigrants are very respectful and decent to deal with, even if the language barrier is frustrating at times.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by starbuckstasty

It's pretty bad when everyone at McDonalds doesnt speak english. Not even the managers!! I'd say it's changed 100% from 15 years ago here in the metro area. Im movin!

Seriously, do you need to know English to work at McDonald's? I would think knowing what #1 and #2 is, along with 'Big Mac', would suffice. I agree with Nick's statement, I was once a punk teenager working in convenience stores/ restaurants in high school - the immigrants around here do a much better and more efficient job than i ever did. The pay at fast food joints is next to nothing, and if the restaurant had any excellent English-speaking applicants, they would probably be working there.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Camden Northsider

Seriously, do you need to know English to work at McDonald's? I would think knowing what #1 and #2 is, along with 'Big Mac', would suffice. I agree with Nick's statement, I was once a punk teenager working in convenience stores/ restaurants in high school - the immigrants around here do a much better and more efficient job than i ever did. The pay at fast food joints is next to nothing, and if the restaurant had any excellent English-speaking applicants, they would probably be working there.

Perhaps, but that is what we are dealt with in America, teenagers who only want for money and not work.