Moving to Minneapolis (St. Paul, Dayton: fit in, to rent, condos)

[abracq]

Hi,

I am planning to relocate from a small town in Maine within the next couple of years and Minneapolis is one of the places I'm considering. Would appreciate your opinion on whether this might work for me. I'm a 54 year old widow...my kids are grown and gone and I'd like an adventure. I'm looking for a not too big city (I lived in Boston for 15 years) that has arts, culture, theatre, diversity, decent economy (I'm a professional w/advanced degrees and have worked in nonprofit administration for many years) and especially where people are relatively open and friendly to outsiders. There are some wonderful places to live in Maine, but I found the town I live to be very insular and want to live in a bigger city than Portland. (I don't want to live in Mass. again). I'm used to winter, have friends of all ages (most outside of Maine and a very good one in Minn) and would like to rent at first in an interesting, relatively safe neighborhood. Of course, I'd like to meet a good man again, but finding kindred spirits for friends is most important. I was in MN recently and liked it a lot. Any thoughts on neighborhoods, jobs, etc. would be great. Thanks!

[Ben Around]

From how you describe your situation, I think you'd like living here. I'm not as familiar with Mpls, but you should give St Paul consideration, too. Some neighborhoods to check out are Cathedral Hill, Crocus Hill and, if you are adventurous, Dayton's Bluff. There are lots of new condos in downtown St Paul, also. Some are new construction, others are renovated warehouses (including an "artists colony"). While downtown StP isn't as bustling or exciting as downtown Mpls, it still has its charms, with restaurants, coffee shops, bars, clubs, the Farmer's Market, and entertainment venues like the Ordway Theater, the Xcel Center and the Fitzgerald Theater. There's another, newer "artists colony" on University Avenue wither the city limits of Mpls and St Paul meet. Lots of condos there, and the area seems to be getting more lively as of late.

Good luck!

[Camden Northsider]

Hey abracq, it sounds like you would enjoy Minneapolis or St. Paul, and you will find a diversity in neighborhoods in both that folks could advise you better on with a little more information on what you want from a potential neighborhood.

As for the nonprofit economy here, I can speak somewhat knowledgably on that. Right now many local nonprofits are in the layoff/ hiring freeze mode due to decreases in public/ private funding - our agency currently has a position opening for a pretty entry level position requiring only an A.A./ 1 year experience and I've seen numerous applicants with MPAs, JDs, and other advanced degrees which is pretty unusual and a sign of the times. Your numerous years of experience would be helpful in your search, it might be helpful to possibly volunteer with an org or two once you get here to develop knowledge of local resources, community orgs, funders, etc.

But I'm sure you're familiar with the Brookings study projecting a huge need for nonprofit managers in upcoming years, and hopefully the outlook for nonprofits in MN looks a little better in the next year or two (in general, there has been a very diverse and thriving nonprofit industry in MN - one of the strong points of the state that will hopefully weather the current economic storm). But to keep your eye on the nonprofit industry and/or jobs (and to familiarize yourself with orgs here), keep your eye on the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits website and make sure to check out their job board. Good luck with your decision-

[Sun_Country_Greg]

I only have experience with MPLS, but I'd consider looking around Loring Park. It's near museums and theatres, parks, and close to downtown.

[MRNorthSide]

Originally Posted by abracq

I'm looking for a not too big city (I lived in Boston for 15 years) that has arts, culture, theatre, diversity, decent economy (I'm a professional w/advanced degrees and have worked in nonprofit administration for many years) and especially where people are relatively open and friendly to outsiders ... interesting, relatively safe neighborhood ... kindred spirits for friends is most important.

I would suggest checking out NE MPLS "Arts District". "Arts District" may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but they are working on it.

The boundaries of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District are the Mississippi River on the West, 26th Avenue on the North, Central Avenue on the East and Broadway on the South.

NE MPLS has a great mix of people and cultures. The Polish Cultural Center is right next to the Islamic Cultural Center, if that gives you any indication of the diversity. There are also as many churches as there are bars, which is a lot.

Another place you might want to check out is the West Bank. There is a lot of diversity, tons of arts, and a lot to do; however, you may be sacrificing some safety.

Good luck!!