Moving from CA to MN - more questions! (Minneapolis, St. Paul: appointed, buying a home)

[lizabeth]

My husband & I have decided to relocate to Mps. next spring! We both lived in St. Paul all our lives & left MN in our late 30's. After living in Northern CA for several years, we decided to "move home" & raise our family. I've been reading this Forum for months & have a few questions. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated......

1) We decided to raise our kids in the Western Suburbs of Minneapolis; no interest in moving back to St. Paul. Are the residents real snobby or materialistic? Coming from CA, I don't think it would bother me much - just want to see if people notice a difference in Minnetonka/Eden Prairie residents compared to St. Paulites?

2) Why is there such a distinct difference between St. Paul & Mps? The majority of people we know live in St. Paul; we've had some interesting responses when we mentioned buying a home in Minnetonka or Plymouth....

3) More cold questions! Does a person mentally prepare for winter or just deal with it as it comes?

4) For anybody who has left MN & returned - are you happy? pleasantly surprised? unexpectantly disappointed? if you could say anything about returning to MN, what would it be??

Thanks everyone!

[looking for warmth]

You know the cold is coming as soon as October hits, so as far as the cold, you really just deal with it as it comes, you don't have a choice. Each year is different, BUT, this has been the coldest, longest and yuckiest winters in a long time!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I can speak for most Minnesotans when I say, WE WANT IT OVER! Bring on at least the 30's!!! PLEASE!

A little FYI thats helps us get threw it, is planning a WARM get away for at least a week!! YOU need it!

[golfgal]

I would say that yes, you will find a higher percentage of snobby/materialistic people in the EP/Minnetonka area then you saw in St. Paul. It is pretty evident going to those schools for sporting contests and such. Not all people are like that obviously.

People just deal with the cold. You know it is coming and what are you going to do about it. There have been several winters recently where it hasn't gotten very cold and we haven't gotten much snow and all of the sudden the flowers are blooming and you wonder when the snow is going to fall.

St. Paul generally is much more of a laid back area and people aren't usually the 'keeping up with the Jones'" types therefore they will see the EP/Minnetonka area as such and that is probably why you get that reaction.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by lizabeth

My husband & I have decided to relocate to Mps. next spring! We both lived in St. Paul all our lives & left MN in our late 30's. After living in Northern CA for several years, we decided to "move home" & raise our family. I've been reading this Forum for months & have a few questions. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated......

1) We decided to raise our kids in the Western Suburbs of Minneapolis; no interest in moving back to St. Paul. Are the residents real snobby or materialistic? Coming from CA, I don't think it would bother me much - just want to see if people notice a difference in Minnetonka/Eden Prairie residents compared to St. Paulites?

2) Why is there such a distinct difference between St. Paul & Mps? The majority of people we know live in St. Paul; we've had some interesting responses when we mentioned buying a home in Minnetonka or Plymouth....

3) More cold questions! Does a person mentally prepare for winter or just deal with it as it comes?

4) For anybody who has left MN & returned - are you happy? pleasantly surprised? unexpectantly disappointed? if you could say anything about returning to MN, what would it be??

Thanks everyone!

I moved to Minneapolis from Northern California and I must say that the difference in culture and attitudes will be quite the contrast for you.

1-Minnetonka and Eden Prairie will definitely seem more concerned with material objects then most of the Twin Cities, but in comparison to California, not as much. In regards to St. Paul, it will be totally noticeable, though.

2-St. Paul is more provincial in the sense that a large portion of its population was born and raised there and it is definitely more neighborhoody with an almost rural feel to it while Minneapolis does have a number of residents who where born within the city, a very large portion of MPLS is from away. Minneapolis is also more metropolitan/cosmopolitan then St. Paul and for that reason, is probably why it attracts so many people who move into the area.

3-For as much as I have tried to anticipate the winters, they always seem to creep up without warning. The problem for me is in the total difference between the hot, humid summers and the cold snowy winters. During the summer, when you are sweating your **** off it is easy to forget just how cold the winters can be. Then again, when you are freezing your **** off during a cold winter day-wishing for the summer-it is easy to forget just how humid and miserable a sunny summer day can be.

4-I moved out seven months ago and don't plan on returning for at least a few years, if ever. I did however pay a visit over the last holidays and I found that I wasn't missing much.

[youngurbanprofessional]

Originally Posted by lizabeth

My husband & I have decided to relocate to Mps. next spring! We both lived in St. Paul all our lives & left MN in our late 30's. After living in Northern CA for several years, we decided to "move home" & raise our family. I've been reading this Forum for months & have a few questions. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated......

1) We decided to raise our kids in the Western Suburbs of Minneapolis; no interest in moving back to St. Paul. Are the residents real snobby or materialistic? Coming from CA, I don't think it would bother me much - just want to see if people notice a difference in Minnetonka/Eden Prairie residents compared to St. Paulites?

2) Why is there such a distinct difference between St. Paul & Mps? The majority of people we know live in St. Paul; we've had some interesting responses when we mentioned buying a home in Minnetonka or Plymouth....

3) More cold questions! Does a person mentally prepare for winter or just deal with it as it comes?

4) For anybody who has left MN & returned - are you happy? pleasantly surprised? unexpectantly disappointed? if you could say anything about returning to MN, what would it be??

Thanks everyone!

1. compared to CA I'm sure you'll find the MN residents very friendly. Depending on your type of neighborhood, there tends to be a lot of gossip as imo Minnesota women love to chat. I remember sitting the car for an hour waiting for my mom to stop chatting with another mom when we were leaving. Still, very friendly people no matter what area of the twin cities you go to.

2. I really didn't notice a difference between the areas at all. Minneapolis is bigger than St. Paul and has more crime, that's all you'll notice.

mod cut

4. For my personal situation, I doubt I'll ever go back, but I was born and raised there, I'm limited in what I want to do there. Having a family and kids, I'm sure you'll love it. It has it's flaws like anywhere else, the cold will be the biggest obstacle for you to overcome if you've never lived a cold winter before.

[Sunshinne]

I will be a new comer to Minnesota too. Our reasons for moving there is that my husband is from there, and we feel it will be a much better place to raise our kids. Having the extended family help will be a plus as well. I grew up in San Jose, and left in 1994 to live in Phoenix, Az. I am trading in extremely hot summers for extremely cold winters. I already know it is going to be a shocker, but I just think my kids will have a better upbringing around family, and better schools. I don't think living in Eden Prairie or surrounding areas will be too big of a deal for you coming from Calif, as it wouldn't be for me either, but I think for my kids sake I am trying to instill the values that matter, and it isn't what kind of clothes you wear, or how big your house is, etc. I personally am looking at houses in school district 196 (apple valley/rosemount) and we have checked out the Stillwater area. Still close to the cities for a variety of cultural activities and such. Just my two cents. I hope that helps.

[sugarbeet]

Originally Posted by lizabeth

1)4) For anybody who has left MN & returned - are you happy? pleasantly surprised? unexpectantly disappointed? if you could say anything about returning to MN, what would it be??

I left in 1991 to attend college in an adjacent state and then moved to several different east coast cities after grad school. I never thought I would return - didn't have any desire to live in Mpls. But after a few years - including four in the *best* city in the world (NYC), I decided to move back.

I love it here - I'm a *city person* and I think Mpls offers an accessible, affordable residential city experience. Services and facilities are tremendous compared to places like FL (although perhaps not to CA).

Regarding the suburbs, I think they are also very livable and some even have a personality.

I did forget how ~dang~ cold it can get here and how long it sticks around. However, I've decided to embrace it by taking up cross country skiing and somehow having a winter/snow related activity to look forward to makes me actually dread the end of winter (just a little).

You will like it here! And it sounds like you already have friends and/or family here, which will make it easier (and hopefully more enjoyable).

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by youngurbanprofessional

Depending on your type of neighborhood, there tends to be a lot of gossip as imo Minnesota women love to chat. I remember sitting the car for an hour waiting for my mom to stop chatting with another mom when we were leaving. Still, very friendly people no matter what area of the twin cities you go to.

Yeah, there is a lot of gossip in the Twin Cities. You can't go to the bathroom without half the city hearing about. That is an extreme exaggeration, but one that is not too far from the truth.

Uh, the Minnesotan long good-bye, can't say that I miss it. Why people can't just get up and go, even after it is long over due, is beyond me.

[sugarbeet]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

Uh, the Minnesotan long good-bye, can't say that I miss it. Why people can't just get up and go, even after it is long over due, is beyond me.

Funny! I have never thought about it, but you are totally right. I didn't realize it was just a Minnesota thing, even though I've lived in several other states. Those people were probably wondering why I didn't just leave already.

[santos]

Stillwater, if you can afford it.