Thinking about Minneapolis (St. Paul, Duluth, Plymouth: condos, crime, neighborhoods)

[t-town]

I've been thinking about relocating to minneapolis for a while. Can some people share some pros and cons with this city? How is the lifestyle, does it compare at all to NYC, I love the atmosphere there. Some experiences would be nice.

[t-town]

Hey all, I'd really appreciate some responses, I have to have a clear mindset about the city soon. Thanks!

[dicentra61]

Hi T-Town,
I may be able to shed some light, having recently relocated here myself 2 years ago from Northern NH.
The phrase "Minnesota Nice" was tossed about after I had arrived and I would say there is truth to this. Navigating in the downtown area is reasonably simple compared to driving in Boston or god-forbid NYC! I picked up the King's City Atlas the first summer here, and I use it whenever I plan a trip to the city or any other location in the state.
Minneapolis has a great network of skyways in downtown which shoppers and commuters use to keep them not only out of harm's way but any inclement weather while walking in the core of the city.
Add to that, the vast number of walking/bicycle trails within and surrounding the Twin Cities, which is just amazing! If you like to get out for exercise, to clear the head or to commingle with mother nature, this is a terrific gift that the city planners gave to its residents. Parks are everywhere too, so in that respect I am reminded of Boston with its "emerald necklace" designed by Olmsted.
I understand the Twin Cities has the highest number of theaters per capita than any other city in the US! I know that I have taken in the musical culture with not only tickets to the SYmphony but also to attend the weekly free outdoor concerts at the amphitheater on Lake Harriet, where each week you might hear jazz, bluegrass, barbershop, etc. performed in a beautiful setting on the water's edge. People come from all around with their dogs, children, significant others or just solo--and it has that "small town" feel. People will greet one another and have impromptu on the spot conversations!
There is also a week long Renaissance Festival held in August I believe in a community just southwest of the Twin Cities. I know a young woman who took part last year, complete with period costumes, games and performances. Sounds pretty cool.
I have frequented cities such as Boston, NY, San Francisco and DC in my life and I would say MInneapolis reminds me more of San Francisco--excluding the climate of course. Minneapolis is reasonably safe (for cities), culturally diverse, loaded with music/arts, and has many institutions of higher learning (2yr/4yr, private and the UMinn) and it is and clean and proud!
Caution if you are not fond of cold weather--winters can be long.

Feel free to contact me individually if you want to "talk" more.

Dicentra

[t-town]

Thanks all for your responses. I really think im going to enjoy it there! It sounds great! More reviews are welcome, I want all I can get!

[mbergstrom]

Minneapolis is great...If you are looikng to relocate here I woulod recomend living in the City of Minneapolis, or if you are looking for suburban living, the Western Suburbs. The first ring Western Suburbs are great, you may want to look in to St. Louis Park or Edina, MN. They both offer quick access to the feeling of urban/city life as wall as the suburban feel, a good mix. These two cities also have tyhe top ranked public schools in Minnesota by Newsweek Magazine, with St. Louis Park and Edina Senior High Schools ranking in the top 305 public high schools in the country. The parks in Minneapolis/St. Louis Park/Edina are great as well. Its a great place to live...although winters can be long. But the Summer where temps average in the 80s and the beautiful Fall scenery and weather make up for the winters which can be fun after a storm that leaves lots of snow.

Mike B.
St. Louis Park and Edina, MN
(Minneapolis)

[silverClimber2go]

I have lived in MN all my life. Moved from Duluth to Mpls area when I was 18, stayed about 6 years, then moved back home. Being from MN it's hard to say what "we" are like compared to other areas, but I do know that the people in Mpls/St. Paul area are friendlier than NYC or LA, but definitely more aloof than Duluth. It takes a lot of effort to meet people, and as I just saw on one of the relocation engines, also ranked as one of the top 10 hardest cities to date in. Which I wholly agree with. However, there are some fabulous neighborhoods you can find. Most of them are nestled here and there amongst some bad ones. If you are single and looking for some interesting, fun, casual living you should look around the Uptown area, which is located right next to the city lakes (Harriet, Lake of the Isles, etc.). It's a fabulous area for young people to meet people, bike, run, relax, and work. And I think it's also a good starting place for people who want to learn the area and enjoy all it has to offer. If you decide on a suburb you are more likely to run into the sprawl, and longer travel times to work and play. LOTS of people I know have moved to Duluth from there, due to Duluth's size, events offered, and proximity to absolutely everything. However, any way you slice it it's cold here. The summer and winter highs and lows will probably be much lower than you are used to. With quality of living you sacrifice fabulous weather. Something to consider. The winters can definitely be long, and the lack of sunshine the further north you go can definitely affect the psychie (the reason I am looking at relocating out of here). If you have children the quality of living is very, very good. Education is fairly high here and different types of education are readily available, as well as decent higher education opportunities. Most people I know that have moved to MN love it, but there are the few here and there that just cannot handle the winters. Make sure it's something that's right for you. If it is, make the best of it. We have plenty of winter activities to keep you busy (skiing, sledding, ice skating, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, a nice winter festival, and lots of room for snow angels!). If you would like to contact me for more information on activities here, please do. Mpls/St. Paul has plenty to offer a person in museums, coffee shops, night clubs, outdoor adventures, shopping, etc. Enjoy!

[originaljs]

I have to disagree with a couple of points. I have found people in Minneapolis to be extremely aloof, at least in the central downtown where I officed for 13 years across the street from the IDS Center.

Downtown Minneapolis is simply devoid of charm. There is one interesting street, Nicollet Mall, from which much beauty was removed starting in the early nineties when it was converted from a pretty street to a concrete canyon. Once you get away from Nicollet Mall the downtown is drab and is dotted with unsightly parking lots in which no consideration has been given for aesthetics.

The skyway system is excellent for getting around downtown. But, a drawback has been that street level business development has suffered because people who are well-off stick to the skyways much of the time and don't venture on the street until they are ready to pick up their cars in the ramp and drive home.

Uptown is more interesting and fun.

I suppose the city is relatively safe, but crime has been on the increase. For reasons unknown to me, the city has been unable to control aggressive panhandling and boorish behavior which intimidates a lot of people and lends an air of criminality that is unfortunate.

I agree that Edina is a great place to live. I have never been that impressed with St. Louis Park. I think it, like Richfield, is an older inner ring suburb with an aging housing stock. If I were looking at suburban living, I'd go farther out than St. Louis Park and into Minnetonka, Wayzata, Chanhassen, or Eden Prairie.

[danarchy]

its a city, just like any other city. you have your commutes, your suburbs, your malls, and your airports.

[pintofury]

The Minni-apple was originally designed to imitate NYC.The area around the target center used to copy times square but all that changed in the 80's.The skyline has changed drastically since 1974 when the IDS tower opened.Minneapolis is no longer that little hick farm town it once was.
The night life goes on for hours.Lots of places throughout the city for all types of dining.Housing prices,like most of the country,have increased rapidly over the last few years along with the increase of condos and expansion of the suburbs.But if downtown shopping isn't your thing we cannot forget the Mall of America.Located near the airport on the site of the old metropolitan stadium you will find all the big stores and hundreds of little ones not to mention camp snoopy.There is always something to do and some place to go.So if you go,enjoy

[mbergstrom]

St. Louis Park may have been headed in the same direction as Richfield in the past, but is clearly different who knows St. Louis Park today. The suburb offers a wide spectrum of housing, form somewhat urban to suburban, high quality public schools with the Senior High rated in the top in the nation, and the people that live in the Park differ significantly. They are more educated (percentage of High school graduates and percentage of college graduates). The housing values are also significantly higher. There is also a variety of housing size, form small to large for everybody's needs. With the new constuction and remodeling currently taking place in the city, anybody who truly knows the western suburbs knows that they differ significantly. St. Louis Park also neighbors strong communities such as Plymouth, Golden Valley, Minnetonka and Edina.