Thinking about moving to Minneapolis and looking for input! (St. Paul: for rent, condo)

[eps4106]

I am a 24-year old who has been accepted to University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as a transfer student to finish my undergraduate education (and hopefully go to medical school after!). I am still waiting to hear back from a few schools but Minnesota is one of my top choices. I currently live in the San Diego area but grew up in NJ. I am looking for any advice/input about the area and the university. I am engaged and my fiance will be moving with me. I would like to live in (or very close) to downtown and would like to use the light rail to get to school. With a budget of about $1200 for rent how do-able is this? I am also open to other areas to live, I know Dinkytown is close to the university but I hear a lot of students live there and I would personally like to be in an area with some diversity and people of all ages. I am pretty friendly but can at times be a little reserved but overall am a kind, down to earth, and non judgemental person. I have heard both good and bad things about "Minnesota nice" but I have lived in several places in my life and had no problems meeting new people. My fiance will be looking for a job as a receptionist or dental assistant how is the job market? Any input regarding those specific fields would be very helpful for her. I have done some reading online but I'd really like to hear from those who currently live or have lived in Minneapolis what it's like. How walkable is the city, is the public transportation reliable (it's pretty bad where I currently live so I can't imagine its worse), what is the music scene like, what are some fun things to do in the city, how affordable are restaurants, groceries, rent etc. Are there some good places to go skiing/snowboarding nearby? I love snowboarding and do not get to go as often as I used to since it is a pretty far drive for me to go where I live now. I also love exercising and would like to know about some good gyms. Overall I am a very easy going and open minded person and am very excited about the idea of moving to and getting to explore a new city. Any input or advice is greatly appreciated since I'm currently in the process of deciding where to move.

[steel03]

The U neighborhoods are all really cool. There's a huge line of shops and restaurants along Washington Ave between the East Bank and Stadium Village stations, and quite a few more across the river around West Bank station. And Dinkytown is a lot of fun too, of course. It is mostly students in those areas, but it's reasonably diverse (compared to like Loring Park or south Minneapolis).

$1200 for a one-bedroom will get you basically your pick. For a two-bedroom you'll be a little more constrained but it definitely won't be a problem to a find a good place.

If you're really dead set on using the light rail to get to school AND being close to downtown, your best options are Prospect Park, Cedar-Riverside, and Seward. Prospect Park is one stop east of the U and it does still have a lot of students, but that's where it starts becoming a much more varied environment with families and so on.

Cedar-Riverside is adjacent to both downtown and the West Bank of the U (and also a small liberal arts college, Augsburg). It's extremely diverse and one of the major music venues is there (the Cedar). It does have a reputation for being less safe than many other neighborhoods, but this is due mostly to the sheer amount of economic diversity that unfortunately comes with Minneapolis's racial and ethnic diversity.

Seward is south of Cedar-Riverside just east of the Franklin Ave stop on the Blue Line. Really pretty, cute neighborhood, lots of different kinds of people. There's a great co-op there. It would involve a transfer to get to school on the light rail, though.

If you're willing to take the bus rather than the light rail, you could look at St. Anthony Park and Northeast too.

The job market is swell. Your fiance will find something! There are always administrative kinds of jobs on craigslist etc.

Minneapolis is walkable almost throughout, and it's very walkable between Lake St and Northeast. St. Paul is more walkable west of downtown but it does have some interesting neighborhood to the north and east.

We have a fabulous public transit system here. The light rail is obviously wonderful, but the buses are a lot less confusing than most other pages I've been, and they really go everywhere in the two core cities. You should pick up a Go-to Card at your closest Cub Foods as soon as you get here.

Great music scene. It's a very normal tour stop for almost everyone. Lots of bands all the time. First Avenue is the gigantic venue; there are many others. There is also an enormous classical music scene anchored by the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and about 50 different professional choirs.

There is a lot to do of course. Some stuff off the top of my head... biking around the Chain of Lakes, people watching at Hidden Beach, lunch at the Midtown Global Market, Glam Doll Donuts and Eat Street, the MIA, etc.

Most people go to Afton Alps or Welch Village for skiing and snowboarding. Buck Hill is a smaller option closer to the city.

[Hate Minnesota]

Hahahaha. Good luck kiddo. See you in Texas when you can't find a job or afford a house.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by Hate Minnesota

Hahahaha. Good luck kiddo. See you in Texas when you can't find a job or afford a house.

You're miserable and uninformed. Unemployment is brutal in the Twin Cities (oh wait no it isn't).

[tjasse]

Originally Posted by eps4106

Are there some good places to go skiing/snowboarding nearby?

Snowboarding is terrible here unless you are into doing tow rope laps at the jib park.

look up youtube videos of hyland hills, buck hill, afton alps and trollhaugen for an idea of what it's like.

[lexuses82]

Originally Posted by Hate Minnesota

Hahahaha. Good luck kiddo. See you in Texas when you can't find a job or afford a house.

What is your reservations against Minnesota? I have lived in both Dallas and Minneapolis. Homes in Dallas and Minneapolis are somewhat different in price but both have the same percentage of good neighborhoods.

[Hate Minnesota]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

You're miserable and uninformed. Unemployment is brutal in the Twin Cities (oh wait no it isn't).

Yeah. I have a Masters Degree in Engineering and I have spent a considerable amount of time working internationally. That alone has probably changed my worldview and how I view Minnesota. The jerbs market in Minnesota is great if you have a degree you cannot use like anything in the Liberal Arts. The IT market is garbage. The IT industry wages in the Twin Cities area are simply too low.

But if you are a hipster that just wants to work for Target or Starbucks, then you too can live in an overpriced condo drinking overrated coffee in Continential America's Freezer.

[tjasse]

^^ i have to agree with the above

There is a huge glut of under and un employed software engineers in MN. Every time I go to a meetup I see my dismal future with all the 50 year old guys "just working on their own thing." (engineer code-phrase for unemployed)

That is why Buzz Feed just opened an engineering office here. The GM basically said as much last night at their mixer. Lots of cheap, desperate developers. That said, there's 12 more positions left... get in while you can.

If you want to be like... a special ed music therapist, or some sort of non-profit administrator, it is a great place to work.

However, the OP is going to medical school. No problem for doctors here... but no problem for them anywhere in the country, really.

[Hate Minnesota]

Originally Posted by tjasse

^^ i have to agree with the above

There is a huge glut of under and un employed software engineers in MN. Every time I go to a meetup I see my dismal future with all the 50 year old guys "just working on their own thing." (engineer code-phrase for unemployed)

Exactly. I'm in my 30's and Minneapolis/St. Paul is a great place to get some experience, but definitely not the place to stay if you want to continue to grow and progress in your career. You must have an exit strategy. Otherwise, you'll get stuck living in the burbs with an overpriced house and extremely high-taxes that make it nearly impossible to leave. The taxes are absolutely INSANE if you make anything north of $100K. Education is decent, but my whole world doesn't revolve around my kids education. If you are a young dude and don't have any skills, then come to Minnesota, get your start in your industry, and then GTFO onto bigger and better things.

[tjasse]

Originally Posted by Hate Minnesota

Exactly. I'm in my 30's and Minneapolis/St. Paul is a great place to get some experience, but definitely not the place to stay if you want to continue to grow and progress in your career. You must have an exit strategy. Otherwise, you'll get stuck living in the burbs with an overpriced house and extremely high-taxes that make it nearly impossible to leave.

I think it's even worse than that... you'll get stuck in the burbs with your overpriced house and then get laid off and never work again. Plus, this is one of the least entrepreneurial places I've ever lived. If you want to start up a business, people are sort of suspicious of you, like maybe you're a criminal.