Albuquerque to Minneapolis for job? (Montgomery, Cleveland: rent, house, neighborhoods)

[violent cello]

Hi there,

I have been shortlisted and offered an interview for a job at a Minneapolis public school, and I'll be going up there next month. Obviously I'll have a look around as much as I can when I'm in town, but for now I just wanted to get some feedback from people here about whether Minneapolis would be a good fit for me...

I've lived in Albuquerque for 9 years, Manhattan for one, and before that I lived in London all my life. My husband is originally from southern California but has lived in Albuquerque for 13 years. We have a dog and two cats. We like the outdoors but we're also into alternative music and cinema and general alt lifestyles,particularly tattooing (we're both pretty inked). We are not intending to have kids so schools aren't a concern, and we are not religious so we're not worried about finding a good church. We do like the New Mexico climate though - I'm used to wind and rain and cold, but not on a Minnesota scale. This will be the first cold climate we've lived in and I'm worried about how we'll take to it.

So - providing my job works out for me, do you think we could feel at home in Minneapolis?

Thanks, and I look forward to visiting Minneapolis next month!

[Minnehahapolitan]

You will find Mpls. to be a very outdoorsy city. There is a park within 6 blocks of every house in the City, and they are well-used. People are out around the lakes even in winter.
The music scene here is pretty great. There are multiple radio stations worth listening to, and there are great music venues all around the City. The film scene isn't as good as the music scene. Its not bad, but not great either. There are three Landmark Theaters in Mpls. and a couple independent theaters that show a little of everything.
Minneapolis is quite tolerant of bohemian and alternative personalities. There should be absolutely no problem in those regards.
The climate here isn't particularly windy. It is really Continental -- hot summers and cold winters. Winters can oftentimes be pretty sunny and dry (not a wet cold like the East) and snow isn't heavier than most other Northern cities, its the temperature that sets us apart.

[violent cello]

Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan

You will find Mpls. to be a very outdoorsy city. There is a park within 6 blocks of every house in the City, and they are well-used. People are out around the lakes even in winter.
The music scene here is pretty great. There are multiple radio stations worth listening to, and there are great music venues all around the City. The film scene isn't as good as the music scene. Its not bad, but not great either. There are three Landmark Theaters in Mpls. and a couple independent theaters that show a little of everything.
Minneapolis is quite tolerant of bohemian and alternative personalities. There should be absolutely no problem in those regards.
The climate here isn't particularly windy. It is really Continental -- hot summers and cold winters. Winters can oftentimes be pretty sunny and dry (not a wet cold like the East) and snow isn't heavier than most other Northern cities, its the temperature that sets us apart.

Thanks! This all sounds pretty good. How is the ethnic diversity in Minneapolis? I like to be in a diverse area.

The temperature worries me but I'm particularly worried about how long the winters are. I've done a New York winter before, and I've also visited South Dakota and Nebraska in the winter...I didn't really enjoy any of them, except for some cool snowball fights, but I found it boring as opposed to soul-crushing. I'm worried that Minnesota is a whole different ballgame though

[uptown_urbanist]

Parts of Minneapolis are very diverse, although other areas are pretty white. Like Minnehahapolitan said, it's not particularly windy, or particularly wet, either. It's the cold that's the problem. Still, if you can handle a NYC winter you can do a MN winter. I don't particularly like the cold, but there are other benefits to balance out that negative.

You'll have many potential good neighborhoods to choose from, but based on what you've said so far I'd check into Lyn-Lake, the Wedge, or Whittier (those sort of overlap, and partially overlap with the area known as Uptown; if you investigate formal city-identified neighborhoods then some of the names to look for would be Lyndale, Whittier, Lowry Hill East (LHENA, aka the Wedge), and CARAG. Depending on where you are in those areas you'd be within walking distance to independent movies and theaters, not to mention tattoo parlors, "alternative" coffee shops, and a lot of great restaurants. East of Lyndale Avenue is overall more ethnically diverse than the neighborhoods west of Lyndale. Uptown itself is great, too, (and has the lakes) although the more independent stuff is at the moment more towards Lyndale. (my personal compromise is to hopefully buy a place in the Wedge or the northern part of CARAG, which would put us in walking distance of both the stuff along Hennepin as well as along Lyndale.)

On the other hand, it will make life a lot easier if you live near your work. If your school is in South or Southwest Minneapolis then those neighborhoods would work fine. If you're towards the eastern part of the city then Seward is another neighborhood to check out. I don't know the north part of the city as well, but there are some interesting neighborhoods in that direction, too. Commuting anywhere in Minneapolis wouldn't be that bad if it turns out that you fall in love with a particular neighborhood in a different part of the city than your school.

In any case, I think from the cultural point of view you will be fine in Minneapolis. The weather might be a different story, but hopefully the other benefits will make it worth it. If you like outdoors then there are a lot of nice winter activities around the area; skating outdoors on the lakes is a lot of fun, and there are some nice cross-country skiing trails.

If you're into biking then you will appreciate Minneapolis; I'm not a biker, but people in the Twin Cities are pretty hard-core about biking for both pleasure and for transportation. I think I read somewhere that Minneapolis either has or is about to overcome Portland for the percentage of residents who commute to work on a bike. Not bad for a place with snowy winters and humid summers.

[MPLSCleveland]

I lived in ABQ for 3 years (2001-2004) and other than winter, I love it here. Trust me, your skin is going to love the fact that there is actually some humidity here outside of winter.
Both Minneapolis and Saint Paul have a good amount of diversity. A couple of the inner suburbs do also.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by violent cello

Thanks! This all sounds pretty good. How is the ethnic diversity in Minneapolis? I like to be in a diverse area.

The temperature worries me but I'm particularly worried about how long the winters are. I've done a New York winter before, and I've also visited South Dakota and Nebraska in the winter...I didn't really enjoy any of them, except for some cool snowball fights, but I found it boring as opposed to soul-crushing. I'm worried that Minnesota is a whole different ballgame though

Winters in MN aren't terribly different the NY with the exception of a few days here and there. Generally you can expect temps to hover around 20° but you will have some days where the wind chills will bring the temps down to -40°. Learn to cross country ski if you like the outdoors and winter will be welcome each year. Most of the county and state parks rent skis so you can try it (or snowshoes). It was 80° here yesterday so it isn't like we have winter all year round. You will find the summers very warm and humid so we get a little bit of everything.

[Repubocrat]

I lived in ABQ for about a year(San Mateo/Montgomery area) and moving from Albuquerque to Minneapolis will be a culture shock. Albuquerque has a lot of problems but the weather is just great, you are going to miss those beautiful blue New Mexico skies and the near perfect weather there. The winters here are HORRIBLE but people find ways to deal with it. New Mexico has some of the worst public schools anywhere in the country, not only Albuquerque but the schools in Espanola, Alamogordo and many other smaller cities are totally dysfunctional and there is a huge gang problem even in rural New Mexico. Minnesota schools in comparison are infinitely better!

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Minneapolis isn't New York by any means in regards to diversity but it's diverse enough. Given your hobbies and interests I think you and your husband will really enjoy the culture in Minneapolis. I can visualize you both being a perfect fit for Whittier/Lyndale or eastern portion of the wedge (Lowry Hills East neighborhood) in south Minneapolis.

Like mentioned by almost everybody else, the winter is the only thing you are going to find difficulty adjusting to.

[violent cello]

Originally Posted by MPLSCleveland

I lived in ABQ for 3 years (2001-2004) and other than winter, I love it here. Trust me, your skin is going to love the fact that there is actually some humidity here outside of winter.
Both Minneapolis and Saint Paul have a good amount of diversity. A couple of the inner suburbs do also.

I think my skin will love it! My hair, on the other hand...

[violent cello]

Originally Posted by MPLSCleveland

I lived in ABQ for 3 years (2001-2004) and other than winter, I love it here. Trust me, your skin is going to love the fact that there is actually some humidity here outside of winter.
Both Minneapolis and Saint Paul have a good amount of diversity. A couple of the inner suburbs do also.

Is there less of a car culture in Minneapolis than Abq? I am actually able to walk to work and restaurants and parks and Downtown, but my friends in Albuquerque think that's really weird - plus I still have to drive when I want to go to the gym, Target, etc. I guess it's the London girl in me, I want public transport and walkability. Minn. has light rail, right?