DC to Minneapolis? (Minnetonka, Edina, Wayzata: how much, lawyers, house)

[ConfusedAboutMoving]

Also, many people who move to DC only stay for a few years. I rarely meet people who move here with the intent of staying forever. The only reason I've stayed - well, I moved back after trying out California in my early 20s - is because I grew up in the area and have family here. However, as I'm just entering my 30s now I'm looking to the future and don't see how I could possibly have the kind of life here that I had growing up. The area has just grown way too fast, especially in the aftermath of the recession which barely affected DC relative to other major metro areas. Folks moved in from everywhere and prices - for everything - have risen dramatically.

I honestly can't envision what the DC area will look like in ten years. I live in the burbs now but neighborhoods I used to frequent when I lived in DC proper are completely unrecognizable to me now. I can't even keep up with the the restaurants and bars opening up all the time. I'm laughing at how I'm ranting like some old fogey but it's really remarkable to see what's happened to this area. With the metro's addition of the silver line, which is now up and running and will eventually extend to Dulles Airport and maybe even exburbs someday, the dynamic growth will only accelerate.

I saw this article today that delves into why reasonably affordable apartments are hard to find.

Why it’s so hard to find a cheap apartment in Washington, D.C. - The Washington Post

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by ConfusedAboutMoving

I have visited Minneapolis in June and actually liked it.

Egads! You LIKED it? You actually liked a city in flyover territory?!

Apart from this comment, you sound like a good guy, so it's a little unfair of me to single this out. It just struck me as a bit off.

Based on a lot of what you've written, I think you'll love MPLS if you can handle the winters. I don't think being a minority is a big deal at all, especially in MPLS proper and the inner-ring suburbs. Everyone I've ever known who has lived in both cities told me that they preferred MPLS by a long shot--both natives of DC and MN.

[ConfusedAboutMoving]

Oh no, I was alluding to the perception that some people seem to have that a black person or minority from the DC area might feel out of place in MLPS. I sensed a bit of that during the interview process as well. I can't say it's an unfounded perception due to the cultural and demographic differences between the two metro areas, among other factors. But I actually enjoyed MLPS based on my brief visit there earlier this summer. Winter is my only real concern - the length of it more than anything. But it sounds like based on Astron1000's comment that there's different levels of winter there, not just one long brutal cold snap. I guess I'll find out soon enough! Thanks.

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by ConfusedAboutMoving

Oh no, I was alluding to the perception that some people seem to have that a black person or minority from the DC area might feel out of place in MLPS. I sensed a bit of that during the interview process as well. I can't say it's an unfounded perception due to the cultural and demographic differences between the two metro areas, among other factors. But I actually enjoyed MLPS based on my brief visit there earlier this summer. Winter is my only real concern - the length of it more than anything. But it sounds like based on Astron1000's comment that there's different levels of winter there, not just one long brutal cold snap. I guess I'll find out soon enough! Thanks.

Ah, OK. That makes more sense, and I think it's a legit concern.

RE: the weather. If you are able to, it might be a good idea to visit in January to get a better sense of what the city is like in winter conditions. IMO, the long winter is MPLS's biggest drawback. I love it from May through Oct. Good luck!

[queenswake]

Whether race will be an issue for you at work depends on the company and its culture. Some company cultures lean one way or another. But overall, there is a strong work ethic here. Race quickly becomes a non-issue when people excel at what they do. I would say you are going to have a better time at a place with a younger workforce. The other thing about work here as compared to DC is that grad degrees are more important in order to move up in your career in MN than in DC. The Twin Cities has a very educated work force so it can be competitive depending on what industry you are in. But that education also means that people are more inclined to be open-minded. People are also well-travelled. A lot of mixed-race couples and white couples adopting children of other races.

It's hard to really describe race relations in MN because there are nuances. But in a professional setting at the salary level you are in, I really don't think it's going to be an issue at all.

[ConfusedAboutMoving]

Quick question - Is Craigslist pretty much the go-to site for apartment hunting in Minneapolis? Any others worth checking out?

[StilltheSame]

Confused- it was the most helpful.

[nokomiscyclist]

Originally Posted by ConfusedAboutMoving

I honestly can't envision what the DC area will look like in ten years. ...I'm laughing at how I'm ranting like some old fogey but it's really remarkable to see what's happened to this area. With the metro's addition of the silver line, which is now up and running and will eventually extend to Dulles Airport and maybe even exburbs someday, the dynamic growth will only accelerate.

That was one of the main reasons we left and will not be going back. The Metro was a disaster without the Silver Line adding to the bottlenecks, I can only imagine what adding more passengers and that crumbling infrastructure is going to look like in five years. In five years the traffic is only going to be worse, the Metro is going to be a broken down disaster (try using it on the weekends now), and real estate will be even more out of control.

Change is certainly happening in MPLS (I can't and won't speak to St. Paul) but it is nothing like what you've seen in DC the past couple of years and what will continue to happen there. You know how Petworth and LeDroit Park used to be cesspools but are now ground zero for "the new DC" with "luxury" apartments and $1M townhouses? Yeah, none of that kind of insanity is here. Sure, if you decide to stay and buy a place you're not going to have 200% appreciation over five years but you'll also have actual neighborhoods and not "white people" playgrounds like you have in DC. Uptown, the Warehouse District, and most of MPLS west of 35W and north of 36th Street are certainly youthful and, by MPLS standards, "expensive" but they are nothing like what you'll find in Clarendon, Bethesda, or Columbia Heights.

Like I said in an earlier post - if you try the Twin Cities and don't like it you can certainly go back to DC but I think once you come out here and see how great living here is you'll stay. There are definitely some cultural differences that can take a while to get used to living here but, on the whole, moving here has been one of the best moves I've made. Winter can be harsh but you have to make the most of it. Those three months of the year can be tough if you don't get outside or have friends but you'd have to be a social pariah not to have friends or things to do year round.

Originally Posted by ConfusedAboutMoving

I saw this article today that delves into why reasonably affordable apartments are hard to find.

That's something that you won't see happening here in the Twin Cities. As someone else said - the Twin Cities really are the "sweetspot" here in the US for career and lifestyle. You can make decent to good money and not have out of control rents, insane real estate prices, or see people "priced out". The only down side, if you don't like winter, is that two to four months out of the year you've got snow and cold to deal with but that's a small price to pay for living in one of the best US cities and metro areas.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by ConfusedAboutMoving

Thanks for the comments everyone. Very reassuring. I will try it out - mainly because I'm single and don't have kids, and career wise I'll still have a lot of opportunity. The company has many opportunities internally and I'll be working in an industry that's in high demand. I also will be developing marketable skills so I'll pretty much have opportunities to consider not just in MSP but nationwide.

...I'll brave the winters for the quality of life advantage and cost of living savings. To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to the relatively slower and easygoing pace compared to DC which increasingly feels like a rat race to nowhere. I'm sure folks in Minneapolis work just as hard but without the added pressure of an external environment that is far more serious than it needs to be.

I think this is the right way to go at it. If you are interested in having kids, this opens the door to saving a good chunk of money during your 20s, both for the disposable income, and the much higher retirement contributions.

And remember the economy is, if anything, becoming more and more mobile. If the winters don't grow on you, you'll likely have other opportunities to move up with relocation 3-5-8 years down the line. Moving to MSP in one's 20s doesn't bind you to being there forever.

I also agree I'd tend to look at uptown or downtown. You can certainly afford to. Personally I'd take uptown though anecdotally there is some tendency for uptown to be populated by college friends who all move in together post-college. So it might be easier to meet people, but it might also be harder to puncture their existing friendship structures - though I'd say that's more vis-a-vis making male friends than dating.

In any case, I'd have some plan in mind for how you plan to meet people socially outside work (church, meetup, bowling, dining, meetup, whatever). There's lots of opportunity in MSP, but you'll probably have to put in at least a little activation energy to get the reaction started. Pretend to root for the Vikings/Gophers?

[Astron1000]

Originally Posted by ConfusedAboutMoving

...But it sounds like based on Astron1000's comment that there's different levels of winter there, not just one long brutal cold snap...

Well, that depends upon one's definition of "cold snap." A cold snap in the Twin Cities is 20 below zero. And despite what I said earlier it's considered "warm" if the temps hit 30 in January. And people will be in shorts if its 40. You can expect 7-8 weeks where temperatures will only rarely, if ever, be above freezing.