Moving to St. Paul (Minneapolis, White Bear Lake: apartment, rent, condos)

[Hailstate77]

I just been given an option to relocate to Hawaii or to St. Paul, MN but I don't know anything about St. Paul like where to live, how much everything is going to cost etc. So here is what I have to work with in order to make my decision:

I'm looking to live in either a quiet suburb area or a trendier place in the city, how much would monthly rent for an apartment cost? What areas can you recommend? I'd like to spend around $1000 per month.

What are the gas prices in MN? Is there State tax?

What bars, clubs, etc. can you recommend?

I'm Asian American so I was wondering if there were any Asian Americans living in the area. Are there like asian markets or good sushi joints?

Is the weather as cold as everyone says? I went to school in PA so I just wanted to see if it was comparable.

I would really appreciate any recommendation!

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Hailstate77

I just been given an option to relocate to Hawaii or to St. Paul, MN but I don't know anything about St. Paul like where to live, how much everything is going to cost etc. So here is what I have to work with in order to make my decision:

I'm looking to live in either a quiet suburb area or a trendier place in the city, how much would monthly rent for an apartment cost? What areas can you recommend? I'd like to spend around $1000 per month.

What are the gas prices in MN? Is there State tax?

What bars, clubs, etc. can you recommend?

I'm Asian American so I was wondering if there were any Asian Americans living in the area. Are there like asian markets or good sushi joints?

Is the weather as cold as everyone says? I went to school in PA so I just wanted to see if it was comparable.

I would really appreciate any recommendation!

St. Paul does get very cold, much colder than PA. The avg daytime temperature in the TC area ranges between 20-22 degrees F. At nigh t it gets down to about 4 to 6 degrees F. Last month temperatures drop to as low as -40. Just dress properly for it and have fun. The Winter Carnival is held in St. Paul. I am not keen about clubs or bars.

As for the Asian population, Asians are the largest minority group in St. Paul, mainly due to the large Hmong population. Even Mpls has a sizeable Asian population. Mpls-St.Paul in general are both diverse in their own ways.

There are many quite places around St.Paul. I can't put my finger on a particular one, but I have a friend with a relative in White Bear Lake.

[Aylalou]

We never had -40 last month in the Twin Cities. It got down to -20 but that doesn't last long. Pirate is right regarding the avg daytime temperature. Winters last longer than in PA.

There are many Asian markets - especially on University Avenue in Saint Paul. There are clubs in Minneapolis, but I don't go so am not familiar. Mpls is a short way from Saint Paul - just cross the Mississippi River.

Gas prices now are between $1.83 and $1.91. There is state tax. Monthly rent for a two bedroom can be had in a nice place for $750-800. West Saint Paul is a lovely suburb and so close to Saint Paul you wouldn't know the difference. You can rent at this price there. You can easily find a two-bedroom for $1,000 or under.

[pirate_lafitte]

Hailstate, you might want to check out Falcon heights.

[Hailstate77]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

Hailstate, you might want to check out Falcon heights.

Would that be a trendy place or a quite suburb? What are the crime rates like in the twin cities?

Also I've read others in this forum talk about how natives are not so keen on people new to the state... what would be the best way to assimiliate into the culture in MN? I wouldn't have any friends or family in MN so it would kinda suck if no one would want to talk to me... It really not like that here in Texas.

Thank you for you advices.

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by Hailstate77

Would that be a trendy place or a quite suburb? What are the crime rates like in the twin cities?

Also I've read others in this forum talk about how natives are not so keen on people new to the state... what would be the best way to assimiliate into the culture in MN? I wouldn't have any friends or family in MN so it would kinda suck if no one would want to talk to me... It really not like that here in Texas.

Thank you for you advices.

It's not so much that the natives are not keen on newcomers, it's just the they tend to be quite reserved and somewhat clique-ish. Many minnesotans stick with the crowd of friends they've known since childhood or high school BUT there are minnesotans who go out of their way to welcome newbies and help them out. You just have to be patient and look for them.

If you join some groups (whether it's a church or a gym or volunteer somewhere) that might be a good way to meet new people. If you take any classes you can meet people there and hopefully at work too.

A trendy neighbourhood in St Paul might be Grand Avenue but a lot of students live along there too. A quieter, older place would be somewhere like Highland which has its own little "downtown" along Ford Parkway.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Hailstate77

Would that be a trendy place or a quite suburb? What are the crime rates like in the twin cities?

Also I've read others in this forum talk about how natives are not so keen on people new to the state... what would be the best way to assimiliate into the culture in MN? I wouldn't have any friends or family in MN so it would kinda suck if no one would want to talk to me... It really not like that here in Texas.

Thank you for you advices.

Honestly, you could try things Minnesotan. Other than that, from what I have heard, many Minnesotans tend to be a bit reserved. I say making friends will take time. As for Falcon Heights, I couldn't say, but I have a city-data.com profile of it:http://www.city-data.com/city/Falcon...Minnesota.html

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by chilaili

It's not so much that the natives are not keen on newcomers, it's just the they tend to be quite reserved and somewhat clique-ish. Many minnesotans stick with the crowd of friends they've known since childhood or high school BUT there are minnesotans who go out of their way to welcome newbies and help them out. You just have to be patient and look for them.

You just described people everywhere. That phenomenon is not unique to Minnesota.

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by Hailstate77

I just been given an option to relocate to Hawaii or to St. Paul, MN

Wow. I live in the Twin Cities and I like it here. But I would have made my decision by the time the "or to" had been uttered

[Ben Around]

Trendy in St Paul is pretty much confined to Grand Ave. Also, the Cathedral Hill area, which is adjacent. Emerging trendy areas are the NE Quadrant (downtown condos and apts) and the Artists Quarter (University Ave on the city line with Mpls). Quiet, safe, convenient and cozy are the aforementioned Highland, as well as Mac-Groveland and St Anthony Park. Yes native MN'ns tend to be reserved, but there are people in these neighborhoods from all over the world, so don't let the reservedness of the natives dissuade you. The people who have settled here (whether 100 years ago or this year) tend to be "above average" in terms of education, tolerance and civic involvement. It's a very comfortable place to live.