Thinking about leaving minnesota? Already left? Fill this out. (Minneapolis: transplants, high school)

[Melinda02]

Everytime winter comes around, I can't help get the feeling of wanting to abandon ship.

Hi, Wizard.

I've been there/done that - twice! I guess some of us need to leave Minnesota to realize what we really love about it, and what trade-offs we're willing to make to live here. I abandoned Minnesota the first time at the free-wheeling age of 18 for Phoenix, Arizona (go west, young woman, go west), and came back within a year. I was more serious the second time around, and spent 8 years in San Diego County.

... besides, I love wind, rain, and thunderstorms ...

That's one of the things that I really missed about Minnesota. When it rained in Southern California, it was such a boring rain. One evening, the neighbors thought we were absolutely nuts when they saw my husband and myself sitting in lawnchairs at the end of our driveway, and watching some lightening out in the distance in the mountains.

Question 1. Where in minnesota do you live now?
Question 2. Where do you want to move to, and why?
Question 3. Why do you want to leave minnesota?
Question 4. What will you miss most about minnesota?

1. Eagan, MN
2. & 3. I don't want to move anymore. When it's cold, I just put on an extra layer or two. I've also moved into a top-floor condo with an elevator and an underground, heated garage. The combination of not having to shovel snow, and going out to a warm/dry car in the morning has taken the sting out of winter for me.
4. My family, and especially my grand-kids!

And a survey for those that already left minnesota...
Question 1. Where did you live in minnesota?
Question 2. Where did you move to? and why?
Question 3. What do you miss most about minnesota?
Question 4. What do you miss the least?

1. I've lived all over the Twin Cities metro area in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.
2a. Arizona - because it was 1970, and I was all grown up and self-sufficient (ha!), and wanted to get away from my family with my friends ... and the car blew a rod in the desert on the way to California.
2b. California - because I was back in Minnesota with the prospect of another cold winter coming on, and I'd always wanted to live in California, and my husband had grown up there. Also, it was 1973, and California still seemed like the cool place to live.
3. I missed the changing seasons, snuggling under a quilt on a winter night, the pot-luck dinner with mandatory jello culture (people that I understood and trusted), my family, and the lakes.
4. Mosquitos, and black ice on the roadways. But then, they had snakes and other creepy-crawly bugs (fleas, even if you didn't own a pet!), fog, and earthquakes.

Some will say that people are the same all over, but I disagree. I believe that Minnesota is a pretty tolerant state, in general. I don't recall meeting a lot of people when I lived in California who had actually grown up there (one of my kids is a California native) ... I know that all of the friends that we made were from somewhere else. I remember some VERY strange neighbors and co-workers, with some very un-Minnesota-like values. I don't know for sure now if that was because we were in California, or if it was just because it was "the 70's".

In my opinion, it's all about trade-offs. I've been all over the United States, and I can't tolerate the heat and humidity in places like Florida. As someone else said, nowhere is perfect. But now that I've left, and made the decision to come back to live my life in Minnesota - knowing what I like and dislike about it - I get a little testy at people who complain about things like the weather. I want to tell them, "If you don't like it - get out!" But then, I'm too "Minnesota-nice" for that.

[Melinda02]

Green Mill pizza. Good pizza in general, actually. I miss Denny's, too. Nice cheap edible food 24 hours. The only things we have down here are fast food and IHOP or Waffle House. Not the same.

Green Mill is pretty good, but did you ever have pizza at The Savoy in St. Paul? Yummy. When I used to work nearby there, we'd call in the morning to order a couple of pizzas to pick up for lunch, and then they tell you when you can come and pick them up. It always kind of reminded me of the Soup-Nazi from Seinfeld.

I wish we had a Waffle House up here; but for pancakes - give me Perkins over IHOP any time.

[marmac]

#1-------central MN
#2-------NE Alabama ( Dekalb County area)
#3-------kids and grandkids
#4-------snow, cold temps, high property taxes


(will be moving the summer of 09 or as soon as the farm sells )

[marmac]

(regarding Perkins) yes, that USED TO BE a place I frequented.

Getting $3.50 added to our tab just for coffee changed that.

Ma and Pa's Kettle in Cameron Missouri was quite similar to Perkins in food and price--------but coffee for two is only 50 cents and they promote that.

[nick is rulz]

Question 1. Where in minnesota do you live now?

Harrison Neighborhood, Minneapolis

Question 2. Where do you want to move to, and why?

Chicago possibly. Its far enough away that its a welcome change, but close enough that if I want to spend a weekend in the city it wont take forever to come back. Other options include Portland or Seattle.

Question 3. Why do you want to leave minnesota?

It is something I have just recently began debating. I recently went thru a fairly harsh breakup which essentially split my social network in half and its began to make me realize how closed off and cold a lot of people are to introducing new people into their "circles". Im 28 now and I would rather go out and have fun, and I feel like a lot of people around my age are now getting into the "couples hangout" and "settle down" mode.

What will you miss most about minnesota?

If I move? Family, the city, the parks, nature.

What will you miss least?

Cliques, closed off people.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Melinda02

I get a little testy at people who complain about things like the weather. I want to tell them, "If you don't like it - get out!" But then, I'm too "Minnesota-nice" for that.

This is probably the #2 thing that drove me out of the state.

[Melinda02]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

This is probably the #2 thing that drove me out of the state.

I truly hate to appear Minnesota-dense, but are you talking about people who like to complain (especially about the weather), or are you referring to "Minnesota-nice-ness"?

[Melinda02]

Originally Posted by marmac

Ma and Pa's Kettle in Cameron Missouri was quite similar to Perkins in food and price--------but coffee for two is only 50 cents and they promote that.

Very cool (two for 50 cent coffee). Thanks for the tip.

Cameron sounded so familiar, that I looked it up on a map this morning. Sure enough - I went through there on my way from Eagan (St. Paul) to Urbana, Missouri, this past April. I have some really good friends who live in Urbana ... and they are transplanted Texans. I'll definitely remember Ma and Pa's Kettle for my next trip.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Melinda02

I truly hate to appear Minnesota-dense, but are you talking about people who like to complain (especially about the weather), or are you referring to "Minnesota-nice-ness"?

Minnesota Niceness.

I grew up in a place where people were to the point. Not rude, mind you, but if something needed to be said, then it was said. No one held back for the sake of simply being pleasant because it was understood that it was not a personal attack or even out of line.

It's a cultural thing. I just prefer people who are honest with what is on their mind, and are ok with saying so. I am not saying that it makes Minnesotans lame people, but it just got on my nerves day in and day out.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Melinda02

Green Mill is pretty good, but did you ever have pizza at The Savoy in St. Paul? Yummy.

No, but we were mainly in the W and SW suburbs of Minneapolis, not on the other side of the river.

I miss Eduardo's pizza at Southtown, too, but they closed quite a while ago. Very good thick pizza. And Carbone's. And Rocky Rococo's. And even Cheetah Pizza, which we thought was very good for delivery pizza.

I wish we had a Waffle House up here; but for pancakes - give me Perkins over IHOP any time.

There are no Perkins restaurants in the Atlanta metro, either, at least that I know of. It's so sad. We used to eat at the one at 494 and France all the time. Although the last time we were there (a year or so ago) it wasn't as good as we remembered. Green Mill was, though!