What is the appeal of Minneapolis/St. Paul?

[Wellstone]

Originally Posted by Astron1000

If Minneapolis/St. Paul were 1,000 miles further south, it would probably be one of the biggest metro areas in the country.

Okay, just a little facetious.

But the fact that this metro has the US's 5th largest concentration of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 corporations, and arguably among the three or four best arts scenes in the United States, and home to every major league sports team says a lot about it's industriousness, power and progressiveness

Nearly every single American comes into contact every day with a Twin Cities product or service. Looking at your credit score with Experian, TransUnion or Equifax? Then thank Minneapolis' own Fair Issac Corporation for your FICO score. Eating Wheaties? Maybe Cheerios? Buttering your toast with Land 'O Lakes margarine or butter? Using Scotch tape? Post-It Notes? Shopping at Target? Buying an iPod from Best Buy? Baking a Betty Crocker cake? Reducing fat with Yoplait? Heating up a bowl of Progresso Soup? Managing your 401k with Ameriprise? Getting a new degree from Capella University? Eating at Perkins? Staying at a Radisson Hotel? Healing your wound with a Nexcare bandage? Filtering your furnace with a Filtrete system? Scrubbing your kitchen with Scotchbrite? Eating at Olive Garden? Maybe you have a Medtronic pacemaker or stent? Eating at Oceanaire? Have a helping of Green Giant peas? Planning a trip with Carlson Wagonlit Travel? Chug some Old El Paso salsa? Bake a Totino's pizza?

You are contributing to the Minneapolis/St.Paul economy.

My goodness, there are dozens more examples.

Sure, condemn the winters. Everyone does. I do too. But not many cities in this country can lay claim to the incredible wealth, education, quality of life and amenities that the Twin Cities have to offer.

How many times have the Twin Cities topped "best of" lists in the last 30 years? Dozens. Easily. How many times has Minnesota topped the list for healthiest places to live? Longest-lived residents? Most literate residents? Best educated? Most politically engaged?

I really don't give a flying f*ck that some people consider this area to be insular or stand-offish or unfriendly.

The Twin Cities have been very successful in business, the arts and in education. It's models are not cities like New York, LA or Chicago. It's models are more like Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Zurich.

you forgot about the pearson's salted nut roll

[User032009]

Originally Posted by fitra

It's beyond warmth, it's genuine friendliness. You get that in other places. Heck, I even get people to make eye contact with me in NY of all places. MN, forget about it.

MN natives should have an honest conversation with someone from another part of the country. We like the place, but once you like a place you start searching for friendships with the people. MN people make that hard if not impossible. A huge majority of people in MN have no interest in getting to know anyone other than who they grew up with.

With the part in bold, I agree completely. The whole passive-aggressive thing turns me off, too. Plenty of people here are two-faced and like to smile in your face and talk about you behind your back. A lot of people like to shout how diverse MN is, and while there are a few different cultures here, that doesn't mean folks in MN are so necessarily tolerant and accepting.

Living here for 18 years is MORE THAN ENOUGH time for me to decide that I'm ready to live somewhere else.

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by User032009

With the part in bold, I agree completely. The whole passive-aggressive thing turns me off, too. Plenty of people here are two-faced and like to smile in your face and talk about you behind your back. A lot of people like to shout how diverse MN is, and while there are a few different cultures here, that doesn't mean folks in MN are so necessarily tolerant and accepting.

Living here for 18 years is MORE THAN ENOUGH time for me to decide that I'm ready to live somewhere else.

Everyone I hang out with i have met within the past 18 months. Before that, it was people in college that i had never met before. I find it extrememly easy to meet people. I just started a new job, and 2 days in i was asked to go to a bon fire with the people. I was out-going and had an open mind. Now maybe once a week we do something, and I have no complaints.

[acrylic]

I absolutely love the Cities. The Minneapolis area, specifically. If it was warmer, I'd stay in Minnesota after graduating college and move to the Cities, no doubt. But it's not. So I think that's the #1 problem most people have. Otherwise, I really can't think of any. You've got tons of different and diverse neighborhoods and lots of things to do (Indoors and outdoors).