From ATL, moving to Saint Paul - Where are all the parks?

[ZooeyyGlass]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Consider my worries put to rest. I guess the satellite imagery isn't telling the whole story.

[rtloucks]

Id be more concerned if you can really accept and embrace the winters. It is easy to say that it is no big deal, but MN Winters are brutal. Not like Ohio or DC. They are like something most people in the US have never and will never have to experience. If no one else will say it ... I Will..... 30 below zero windchills, constant below zero air temp days, the dryness, it is killer. literally. Not to mention all that comes with it. jump starting cars, people in ditches, scraping windows, ugh.... I grew up there. Moved away for 10 years. Thought wee could move back, no big deal.... made it one winter and left.... a swift reminder of why we left in the first place. I would seriously visit in mid Jan-Mid Feb and stay more than a few days. Go experience it..... Not to sway you, but it is not easy t adjust. Be sure you are ok shoveling your roof too to avoid Ice DamNs

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

Id be more concerned if you can really accept and embrace the winters. It is easy to say that it is no big deal, but MN Winters are brutal. Not like Ohio or DC. They are like something most people in the US have never and will never have to experience. If no one else will say it ... I Will..... 30 below zero windchills, constant below zero air temp days, the dryness, it is killer. literally. Not to mention all that comes with it. jump starting cars, people in ditches, scraping windows, ugh.... I grew up there. Moved away for 10 years. Thought wee could move back, no big deal.... made it one winter and left.... a swift reminder of why we left in the first place. I would seriously visit in mid Jan-Mid Feb and stay more than a few days. Go experience it..... Not to sway you, but it is not easy t adjust. Be sure you are ok shoveling your roof too to avoid Ice DamNs

I have not jump started a car or scraped my windows in decades. Did you happen to come back the winter of 2013-2014? I will say that was a cold one with LOTS of days below zero. "Normal" years are not nearly that bad. The last two winters were very mild.

This year was back on the cold side. We supposed to get more snow on Sat/Sun and we have been running way below average for the last few weeks. Looks like many of the northern lakes will still have ice on them for the May 12th fishing opener.

Still....MN is a great place to live.

[rtloucks]

Originally Posted by TimtheGuy

I have not jump started a car or scraped my windows in decades. Did you happen to come back the winter of 2013-2014? I will say that was a cold one with LOTS of days below zero. "Normal" years are not nearly that bad. The last two winters were very mild.

This year was back on the cold side. We supposed to get more snow on Sat/Sun and we have been running way below average for the last few weeks. Looks like many of the northern lakes will still have ice on them for the May 12th fishing opener.

Still....MN is a great place to live.

I was back 2016-2017. I literally had to shovel my roof a few times because the snow was so wet and dense. We go more snow than even in MSP. My car batter froze solid...That was fun. Obviously we shoveled a usual 20+ times ass to be expected, you can avoid scraping windows if you let you car warm up for 20 minutes or so. But after work? Even living away, I would still visit for the holidays though and every year I would tell myself.....This is why I moved away... Not sure why we moved back 2016 to be honest. It was a family thing. Only to find out we rarely saw them anyway. So we moved on. MN is wonderful I wish I could handle winters more because I really think MN offers everything else a person could want except the ocean. you may not have mountains, but if you drive into SE MN you can take in some beautiful views, especially heading into Lacrosse WI. 63 through Red Wing. Lake City etc is also a nice drive. More hiking, parks, boating, lakes, rivers, trails, biking, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, atv riding, hunting etc than a person can handle. Most importantly.... MN has always been stable, good jobs, good pay, affordable living, low taxes, good health care, good schools, etc. No would should ever be ashamed to live there that is for sure.

I just think people who move there from warm climates should get the full disclosure. Having lived around now I will let you all know that people in other states have one general opinion about Minnesota people. THey feel that the passive/aggressive is a real issue. They dont always believe what people from MN Say or how they act. I know... it is not me complaining. I grew up there so I know how it all works. But I have to be honest. They are right. People in MN are too nice. Too nice though to be up front. Not because they lie, but because they are afraid of hurting feelings or ruining the mood. Even I noticed that I did it and have been working on it for many years. My friends down south still tell me things like... "hey, quit beating around the bush." "Hey quit being wishy-washy, or Hey just say it" So when an outsider from MN asks for advice from MN people they really should double check those facts. With that said, they people really are courteous. MN tend to have real manners still and will generally help anyone out in need. Ass a outside you may have a hard time making friends at first. But follow the golden rule and you will do well.. treat others well and they will treat you well back, but in Mn you kind of have to prove your loyalty first,

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

I was back 2016-2017. I literally had to shovel my roof a few times because the snow was so wet and dense. We go more snow than even in MSP. My car batter froze solid...That was fun. Obviously we shoveled a usual 20+ times ass to be expected, you can avoid scraping windows if you let you car warm up for 20 minutes or so. But after work? Even living away, I would still visit for the holidays though and every year I would tell myself.....This is why I moved away... Not sure why we moved back 2016 to be honest. It was a family thing. Only to find out we rarely saw them anyway. So we moved on. MN is wonderful I wish I could handle winters more because I really think MN offers everything else a person could want except the ocean. you may not have mountains, but if you drive into SE MN you can take in some beautiful views, especially heading into Lacrosse WI. 63 through Red Wing. Lake City etc is also a nice drive. More hiking, parks, boating, lakes, rivers, trails, biking, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, atv riding, hunting etc than a person can handle. Most importantly.... MN has always been stable, good jobs, good pay, affordable living, low taxes, good health care, good schools, etc. No would should ever be ashamed to live there that is for sure.

I just think people who move there from warm climates should get the full disclosure. Having lived around now I will let you all know that people in other states have one general opinion about Minnesota people. THey feel that the passive/aggressive is a real issue. They dont always believe what people from MN Say or how they act. I know... it is not me complaining. I grew up there so I know how it all works. But I have to be honest. They are right. People in MN are too nice. Too nice though to be up front. Not because they lie, but because they are afraid of hurting feelings or ruining the mood. Even I noticed that I did it and have been working on it for many years. My friends down south still tell me things like... "hey, quit beating around the bush." "Hey quit being wishy-washy, or Hey just say it" So when an outsider from MN asks for advice from MN people they really should double check those facts. With that said, they people really are courteous. MN tend to have real manners still and will generally help anyone out in need. Ass a outside you may have a hard time making friends at first. But follow the golden rule and you will do well.. treat others well and they will treat you well back, but in Mn you kind of have to prove your loyalty first,

Wow....2016-17 was a very mild winter. Do you have your years mixed up. I snowmobile and 2016-17 was TERRIBLE. Hardly anyone got many miles on as there was a total lack of snow. It was even terrible up north.

It does sound like you are definitely not fit for MN winters. Not everyone is. My brother moved to SoCal 15+ years ago and would NEVER consider iving here again.

Last year we were out fishing on Lake Minnetonka on April 1st (in the boat, not ice fishgin) on a 60 degree bluebird day. It was beautiful. Today is April 12th and there is still over 20 inches of ice on the lake! Weathergal last night said this year is the coldest first 10 days of April in MN history.

Supposed to snow again this weekend!

[Mason3000]

Be sure to check out Como Park. 750 acres right in the heart of St Paul. It includes Lake Como, Como Town amusement park for smaller kids, the Como Zoo, Como Golf Course, picnic areas, hiking, bike paths, etc.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...Minnesota.html

[meo92953]

And Minnehaha Falls. Not only for the beauty of the falls, but the trails & picnic areas. I spent many wonderful days wandering around the falls.

[ZooeyyGlass]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

Id be more concerned if you can really accept and embrace the winters. It is easy to say that it is no big deal, but MN Winters are brutal. Not like Ohio or DC. They are like something most people in the US have never and will never have to experience. If no one else will say it ... I Will..... 30 below zero windchills, constant below zero air temp days, the dryness, it is killer. literally. Not to mention all that comes with it. jump starting cars, people in ditches, scraping windows, ugh.... I grew up there. Moved away for 10 years. Thought wee could move back, no big deal.... made it one winter and left.... a swift reminder of why we left in the first place. I would seriously visit in mid Jan-Mid Feb and stay more than a few days. Go experience it..... Not to sway you, but it is not easy t adjust. Be sure you are ok shoveling your roof too to avoid Ice DamNs

I think I'll be okay ...as long as my dogs spoiled by the ATL heat can learn to go outside to pee in the frigid cold.

[Zer0Zer0]

I used to live in MN and then moved here to san diego because of the cold winter, but I am considering to move back to MN soon.

I believe the trick is to embrace the winter to really enjoy the MN awesomeness, I used to complain every winter for about 12 years and then I got used to it and embraced it, I stated to learn how to skii, I brought my family to snow tubing and I loved it, but still I said I wanted to move to a warmer weather.

Now I realized I want to move back to MN. MN is the best state in my opinion, yes it's cold in winter, but the brutal cold starts in mid Dec though mid March (sometimes it's late/early), so that's about 3 months, but in between those months you'll see a series of nice weather days (c'mon, MN temp is not frigid all winter time). I also noticed that in winter time, MN still get a good amount of sunshine (compare to the pacific northwest area).

I also experienced some years with very mild winter, so the brutal cold is not really consistent (i think a lot of people think that MN winter is consistently and brutally cold from start to finish, that's not the case). Once you get past winter you can enjoy everything MN has to offer, you will appreciate the nice weather. In my 20 years of living in MN I have not jump started my car during winter, or shovel my roof, or even my driveways (I used to hire somebody to remove the snow). But I always play on the driveway with my kids when it is snowing hard and when it's in the 30s, we watched the big snow flakes coming down and they are beautiful.

So you just need a good winter coat, gloves and layer up and I'm sure you will survive it in 3 months, but what i really missed in MN is the state fair.