Would we be crazy to live in Minneapolis?

[Staggerlee666]

Originally Posted by miamian in nc

What's Minneapolis like for someone nearing retirement age insofar as being able to live modestly and make friends of that age group? I grew up in South Florida, then lived in Cleveland for three years followed by coming to North Carolina 14 years ago. I loved the ethnic diversity along with the culture of Cleveland, along with the beautiful parks there. I have tried to make it work in North Carolina but find it a cultural wasteland with little ethnic diversity, and I have never fit in here either with it being the South. Even though I grew up in Florida, being a southern state, those years were in Miami, so it had a lot to offer. I'm also really sick of the terribly hot summers and the high humidity.

I'm 58, and I teach ESL part-time and just started working in caregiving. I guess I could try finding online teaching opportunities from wherever and caregiving can take place anywhere too for that matter. The dilemma I have is whether to wait till age 60 or take off now and start anew.

Any comments from those in my age bracket? I am by myself, by the way.

Honestly...it's hard making friends here. Minnesotans are kind of anti social. I think it will be 10X harder for an older person.

[StPaulGal]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

Yeah Minnesotans can't drive on glare ice either. It's just physics.

I don't thing the poster was suggesting that we are magically able to drive on glare ice. I believe they were indicating that we don't really get the sort of ice storms that other somewhat-warmer locations tend to experience.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by StPaulGal

I don't thing the poster was suggesting that we are magically able to drive on glare ice. I believe they were indicating that we don't really get the sort of ice storms that other somewhat-warmer locations tend to experience.

I know they weren't. But I lived in Chicago during that ATL ice storm and my boss and I happened to fly into ATL to visit clients the night before. Day of we were stuck in our clients' office in Sandy Springs. More than a few Atlanta people said 'let's let them drive us out to dinner they know how to.' Or 'we don't know how to drive in bad weather like this.'

My boss and I said that despite living in the upper Midwest our whole lives, we hadn't found a way to overcome the physics of friction and we, in fact, couldn't drive on ice either.

They seemed actually, genuinely surprised.

[jamnkats]

for the miamian in NC - i'm 56 and we just moved here (MSP) (husband and 2 daughters, one son coming in Jan/Feb and the other staying back home (Mexico)). I'm making friends at work (food service) and daughters' friend's parents. i think if you're young at heart it is easier and i ride my bike everywhere and constantly see lots of folk our age out riding/running. if you can get into a college i think you'd make a lot of contacts there too. but i've only been here 3 months, so there is that.

[MayaLucy]

If you were tired of the winters and gray skies in Philly, I don't see how you'd be happy with them in MN. Winters are very long, very cold, and very gray.

I'm wondering how other things are going for you in Vegas; have you developed a group of friends, sense of community, a support system? Sometimes if we don't have that, it can magnify things like weather, etc. as the reason we're discontent.

I grew up in MN and lived there until my mid-20s. Then lived in Austin, TX for 12 years and just this summer moved to Chicago area (and I'm on this board because there is a possibility we could be heading back to MN in the next year).

I can see that perspectives vary, but mine is that a hot summer is much easier to deal with than the 6 months of winter in MN. Austin is 9 months of paradise, 3 months of heat. The summers would have been much easier to manage if I didn't have multiple school-aged kids.

For me it is cold and lack of sunlight that are difficult to deal with for several months of the year without end. Perhaps I've matured and it will be easier...we'll see.

But I stand by my original thought and say that the vast majority of what makes one happy in any city is the sense of community, friends, social support, etc.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by MayaLucy

If you were tired of the winters and gray skies in Philly, I don't see how you'd be happy with them in MN. Winters are very long, very cold, and very gray.

I'm wondering how other things are going for you in Vegas; have you developed a group of friends, sense of community, a support system? Sometimes if we don't have that, it can magnify things like weather, etc. as the reason we're discontent.

I grew up in MN and lived there until my mid-20s. Then lived in Austin, TX for 12 years and just this summer moved to Chicago area (and I'm on this board because there is a possibility we could be heading back to MN in the next year).

I can see that perspectives vary, but mine is that a hot summer is much easier to deal with than the 6 months of winter in MN. Austin is 9 months of paradise, 3 months of heat. The summers would have been much easier to manage if I didn't have multiple school-aged kids.

For me it is cold and lack of sunlight that are difficult to deal with for several months of the year without end. Perhaps I've matured and it will be easier...we'll see.

But I stand by my original thought and say that the vast majority of what makes one happy in any city is the sense of community, friends, social support, etc.

Your memory is faulty on this topic. Minnesota winters are noted for their bright sunshine accompanied by extreme cold. You may recall that clouds help hold the heat and when it is sunny- which is quite often- it is also very cold. It is sunny over half the time in the winter here, though it is true that the days are short.
https://www.currentresults.com/Weath...-in-winter.php

[MayaLucy]

I lived there for over 20 years. Perhaps it just depends what you are comparing it to rather than something faulty in my brain. Maybe other regions of the planet have more gray than MN in their winters.

[Grizzly Addams]

Don't worry there are currently ~400,070 who are crazy for living in Minneapolis. You'll fit right in.

[VulcanRabbi]

Originally Posted by mrbrightside03

I used to live in Pennsylvania but hated it there. We lived in the middle of nowhere and we were tired of the winters and gray skies. So we moved to the southwest area of the country and now after two years we are desperatly missing the weather. We miss having four seasons, thunderstorms, etc. While we don't necessarily miss the snow too much, we do miss Christmas feeling like Christmas due to the lack of snow out here.

We are looking around at different cities to move to. I've heard a ton of great things about Minneapolis. Sounds like a wonderful city. But the winter there scares me.

Are the winters there bad enough that we should look elsewhere?

What bothers me the most about winter aside from being so cold is driving in it. I hate worrying about driving to work on those rough days, worrying about your car starting, worrying about dumb drivers in front/behind you, etc. I usually always took the day off when the weather was bad enough in Pennsylvania!

We also have a 1 year old kid so we are looking to raise a family somewhere that is safe and has friendly neighbors with plenty to do. One of the things we hate about the southwest is that its so hot in the summer that its nearly impossible to do anything for 3-4 months out of the year. I'm not kidding. Do you think winter would be the same kind of deal in MN?

Your better off moving to somewhere in the central US where snowfall average is higher then the south but not high enough that things don't shut down and people shrug their shoulders.


Then you can enjoy a few days a year of snow deep enough to play in yet not have to drive in it as work would be shut down or you can call in and it be legit excuse.
Best of both worlds! Nashville/Knoxville average 10 inches of snow a year in scattered events but when it happens you can stay home and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and play/walk in it which will be gone in 3 days most years unless it's a negative NAO regime.