Looking to move to Minneapolis next spring (2010). (Viking: apartment, lease)

[missemilyjane]

Yeah, I know it's early but I'm looking to move here because I want out of Pittsburgh (I graduate from school this coming December) and the only other city I know someone in is Minneapolis. I know nothing about the city and have never been past Ohio. I do know that the cost of living and the size of the city is about the same as Pittsburgh, which is a good thing. I'm an advertising major and am looking to move out March 2010, since my lease at my apartment is up then. When I move, I am looking to move into a studio probably inside the city, since I won't know how to get anywhere haha. In Pittsburgh for a studio in a pretty nice area, the rent is about $400 a month (small, cute apartment). I am looking for an advertising/marketing/PR job.

But the whole point of this post is to ask what it's like? I want to get other people's point of views, that's why I'm posting here. Thanks and go Steelers hahah, I had to.

[KevinForEleven]

Prices in Minneapolis are probably much higher. A decent studio in a decent neighborhood is around $650.

There are many Minneapolis advocates on this site, so Im sure Minnehahapolitan or Camden will reply with some good advice.

All I can say is that MINNEAPOLIS is much more sophistacted, artsy, trendy and professional than PITTSBURGH. Nothing agains Pits, its just how Mpls is. Many parks, lakes, fortune 500s, nice families, 4 pro sports (3 just mpls), museums and theaters, architecture, neighborhoods- downtown, uptown, dinkytown, noreast, north, lakes, southside, etc..., clean, friendly, technological, cosmopolitan... VERY COLD.

My cousin visits Pittsburgh for 3 weeks many times throughout the year and I asked him whats the Difference between MPLS and PITT and he replied "MPLS is a lot cleaner, and less thugs". quote for quote. so idk.

[uptown_urbanist]

I don't know Pittsburgh - visited it once, but LOVED it - but I think you should take KevinForEleven's comparisons for what they are - pure opinion, based on his cousin's visits. Not the point of the thread, I know, but Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with interesting neighborhoods and architecture, as well as what seems to be a thriving cultural scene. I liked it so much I put it on my list of places to consider living. Of course you want a change of scenery, and I think Minneapolis is also a pretty fabulous city.

I think part of the reason you haven't been gettng a lot of responses may be because your question is so vague; it's hard to know where to start. Are you looking for neighborhood advice, or just to get a general sense of the place? Some Minneapolis highlights/basics: the city grew up alongside the Mississippi River, and the city's early history was heavily connected with milling. The area along the river downtown has really been built up in recent years, and if you're into nature combined with that urban industrial edge then you'll like that. The Stone Arch Bridge is beautiful. Minneapolis is also home to the University of Minnesota's biggest campus, also located along the river (spanning both sides, actually) and as a result the "U" (as they call it here) is a big part of local life. If you move here you might want to check out neighborhoods like Marcy-Holmes, which are close to both downtown and the U and will have a nice blend of people of all ages, as well as a range of housing options.

Minneapolis also has a lot of lakes, most of them (but not all) clustered in the SW quadrant of the city (that area includes Uptown). They're ringed with walking and bike paths, and in the winter you can go skating on them.

The job market is bad right now, but with luck will improve by the time you graduate. It's also not as bad in the Twin Cities as it is in many other parts of the country.

It does get very cold in the winter, and it does snow. The summers can get hot and humid.

Richard Florida Who's Your City book (a good read for anyone thinking about a move - especially someone still young and flexible) discusses different American cities and their pros/cons for different types of people (also talks about the personalities of cities). I believe that the Twin Cities were listed as among the top options for young people.

Minneapolis has decent public transportation, depending of course on where you live and where you want to go. There's a light rail line and a lot of bus lines, and it is possible to live without a car (depending on where you work).

I'm a native Minnesotan, but have lived in a number of different cities across the country. I'm admittely biased, but I think Minneapolis is a great place. Given what it has to offer, it still remains relatively affordable. I think that Minneapolis - much like Pittsburgh - is often overlooked, in part due to its distance from the coasts and also probably because not everyone wants to put up with the cold.

Good luck with the rest of your school, and with your possible move.

[DaPerpKazoo]

The majority of my extended family lives in Pittsburgh, so I've spent a good amount of time there and have a decent feel for the city and surrounding suburbs.

The biggest difference you'll notice right away is how the terrain effects the city and suburbs. In Pittsburgh things are largely fragmented by the steep hills, ect, and development tends to follow along valleys, making cookie-cutter sprawl less common. You will find right away that Minneapolis is a lot more sprawling than Pittsburgh. Yes, our metro has a larger population than the burgh, but it's more than that.

Second, our winters aren't as different as you might imagine. In my experience ours are only a few weeks longerat each end, though we get less warm snaps throughout. You'll also find that we have an extremely efficient plow system and people know how to drive in snow, unlike Pittsburgh, where no matter how often it snows, two inches will still close schools.

Also, though we tend to have more sprawl here, our freeways seem to be more direct and less congested, this shorter commutes from the far-away areas.

If you're looking for neighborhood comparisons, I can do that too.

[missemilyjane]

Thanks for all your replies! Again, I'm not sure I'm even going to do this. I may even wait another year or so or go somewhere else by then, I have nooo idea. Yeah, the cold would probably be even worse than Pittsburgh's, haha. I dunno what it is about Pittsburgh though, I like the thought of leaving it for a new city but then again the thought of leaving it is kinda sad haha.. I've met people like that from here and I never could understand why, it's werid.

[BarbaraMN]

The biggest differences--there are street signs here (and no "Green Belt"--giving directions is much easier here) and on football game day you won't find 75% of the population wearing Vikings clothes.

I grew up in Pittsburgh and my parents still live there. We visit every year. The cities are different from each other, but I think you'll find it an easy transition. People here are friendly, but not quite the same as Pittsburgh where people strike up conversations with strangers in grocery store lines (although I still do that and nobody seems to mind). It's more cosmopolitan in Minneapolis--with a generally higher education level and socio-economic status than Pittsburgh.

You'll miss the hills and the forests, but you'll find a much better selection of activities, dining, shopping and museums. Minneapolis also gets a lot more sunshine (and less fog) than Pittsburgh--even though it is colder.

It is more expensive here but it's not a huge difference. Rent and groceries will cost more but, again, you'll have a much better selection.

I've been here for 10 years now (SW Mpls) and I can't imagine I'll ever leave.

[uptown_urbanist]

Just my two cents, for whatever it's worth - you're still young, and you don't have to think of your (potential) time MN (or any other city or state) as a permanent thing. Try it out, maybe you'll love it and stay forever, but if you don't - or you just miss family and "home" - then you can move back.

In my own life I've found that living in other cities helps you appreciate the pros and cons about your home town. You might end up settling long-term in MN, PA, or somewhere else entirely, but you'll have had some good experiences in the meantime.

[ThisIsAMinneapolitan]

Minneapolis is a fresh city. A lot of art, cool buildings, smart people, great music scene. And if your into Public Radio, we have the best of. Its cold too, but we get all four seasons, and they all come vividly blasting colors of all kinds.

[missemilyjane]

Originally Posted by DaPerpKazoo

If you're looking for neighborhood comparisons, I can do that too.

If you could that would be great!

[DaPerpKazoo]

I'm not entirely sure what neighborhoods you like in Pittsbugh a couple of comparisons:

Uptown in Minneapolis is a lot like Shadyside in Pittsburgh. Perhaps Uptown is still a little less gentrified than Shadyside, but it's rapidly moving inthat direction. It's certainly a bit less expensive.

The Warehouse District/ The North Loop is a lot like The Strip District in Pittsburgh. The architecture is very similar, consisting mostly of converted warehouses and often featurng the same loading dock turned storefront that is so common in the strip. This is where you would find Parmini Brothers-esque restaraunts, ect. The eastern part, closer to Hennepin is where you find all our local Club Zoo equivalents. We have a large farmer's market in The North Loop, similar in size and feeling tothe one in the strip, but not as central. There's also more housing. But it's also a bit like The North Shore, also home to the Target Center (pro basketball) and the under-construction Target Feild (MLB).