Moving from Boston, MA to Minnesota

[Gibby3000]

If you are serious about an acre lot, nature, trails, lakes, etc. and that is more important to you than having a new luxury home I would recommend you consider looking in North Oaks. It's 12 miles north of downtown St. Paul and less than 20 miles from downtown Minneapolis - not a bad commute. Some people will tell you it's an elite community but there are quite a lot of modest homes built in the 50s, 60s, 70s on one acre and larger lots - many wooded and completely private. It's an incorporated city but the roads, trails, etc. are privately owned and maintained by the homeowners association so it's not "open to the public". There are a number of homes currently for sale for less than $400K or slightly above - they would most likely need a bit of updating. It's a great place to live if you love nature, wildlife, etc. but still want to live close to the city. Half of North Oaks is in the Moundsview school district which is very good - half is in White Bear Lake school district which is not as good.

[emersonheights]

I have lived in the Minneapolis area for 35 years, here is my take on it:
1. The people are generally Nice. It is more of a superficial nice. I find it hard to get people to talk here. I just recently went to Seattle and I couldn't believe how friendly people there were to me. I said to my wife that I talked to people more in 3 days out there than in back in MN in the past 3 years. I think people really love to only talk about Weather, Crime, and Sports.
2. Go on grumbling
3. They are spread out. Any companies that you want more info on?
4. Traffic is everywhere, but its not overwhelming like other cities. People complain about it, but once you traveled alot than you realize how easy it is here compared to other cities.
5. I would recommend suburbs over Minneapolis. I lived in MPLS for 22 years. If you dont like crime move to the burbs. We moved out cause everyday there was an issue. And we owned a 450,000 home in a trendy neighborhood. Better schools outside of the city. Check out the weekly crime maps at the city of mpls website if you are thinking of living in the city.
6. tons for outdoor stuff here. never boring for outdoor stuff.
7. Its a mixed bag, any areas in mind? I have lived in MPLS, Plymouth, Burnsville, Eagan, Famington, and Lakeville. I have worked in Golden Valley, Minneatonka, Fridley, Saint Paul, MPLS, and Eagan. I can share my experiences with them.
8. Usually from my experience parking is passed off to the employee. But is is much cheaper than like Chicago. My wife is from Chicago and we always laugh when we parked downtown for an concert and parking is like 10 bucks. City hospitals make you pay for parking and there are in bad areas. My mom worked in hospitals and they always needed a security guard to walk them to their cars. The suburbs are different, free parking at hospitals.
Hope this helps, I know alot of people will defend some of this. It just my take on it from my experiences

[AMPL]

It has taken us a while to reply, sorry about that -our internet was down.

Are there any business centers around Minneapolis/St.Paul where companies tend to gather (e.g. engineering)?

In terms of traffic we have been looking at traffic maps from news stations. It seems like the Apple Valley area/Eagan to Mlps/St. Paul looks like an easy commute - is that right?
What about Eden Prairie to Mpls/St.Paul and Minnetonka to Mpls/St. Paul?

[demtion35]

6. You for sure can hike, bike and canoe around the metro for sure.

But you mentioned "any nearby towns as having hiking and biking trails nearby.
What about canoeing? Also loving nature so out with more trees open fields and space would be great." "In general"

Well then when you want to get away and still do all this stuff, great stuff, for say the weekend or longer then Id recommend going up to Northern Minnesota maybe a six hour drive from the metro ( I know kind of far right) ?? Up into the Superior National Forest for a weekend camping trip for free. Here you will be able to stay on the edge of the Boundry Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Imagine a perfect campsite on the edge of one of the last remainging true wilderness areas! Paddling the canoe on a day trip also for free, going over a portage to get to the next lake, seeing hopefully moose, listen to the mournfull cry echo of a loon the Mn St bird. watch an eagle soaring in the sky overhead. Watch deer and a beaver at work, enjoy an evening campfire out with nature on a dark couldless star filled night sky.
Listen... whats that in the distance? A wolf, sending up its mounfull howl. What an awesome experience!

For another camping experience drive into Sawbill Landing and for a small fee camp here. There is a store, and hiking, biking also, and best of all you will once again be able to canoe into the BW from here for a day trip, again for free.
If you dont have a canoe that you own, you will be able to rent one from Sawbill.
The Superior National Forsest sets just below the BW on the Mn. side. The Canadian version of the park is The Quetico. Above the Q is known as Caribbu Woodland.

Many tales and stories about the North of Mn. can be found in books. One which comes to mind is a book written by Sigurd F. Olson.
"The Singing Wilderness"

"The Singing Wilderness has to do with the calling of loons, with northern lights, and the great sileneces of land laying Northwest of Lake Superior. It is concerned with the simple joys, the timelessness and perspective, found in a way of life which is close to the past. I have heard the singing in many places, but I seem to hear it best in the wilderness of the Quetico-Superior where travel is still by backpack and canoe, over the ancient trails of the Indians and voyageurs"
He writes on the ways of a canoe, of flashing trout in the pools of the Isabella, tamarack bogs, Caribou moss, the flight of wild geese, timber wolves, and the birds of the ski trails.
It is a book that no lover of nature will want to be without. To anyone who contemplates a vacation in the Lake Country of Northern Minnesota and Canada, it is the perfect
vade mecum.

If you decide to make the move up here to Minnesota, it will be the blessing not to be forgotten.

AMPK if youd like more information just send me an email Id be happy to assist with anything that I can. Most technical Metro info is best answered by someone else though, beings I live in Duluth Mn.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Minnesota Hiking Trail finder

Arrowhead Region & Superior National Forest Mountain Biking - Mountain Bike Trails
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters>Sawbill Newsletter>Archives>August 2008

http://www.shta.org/

Thanks
d

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by AMPL

It has taken us a while to reply, sorry about that -our internet was down.

Are there any business centers around Minneapolis/St.Paul where companies tend to gather (e.g. engineering)?

In terms of traffic we have been looking at traffic maps from news stations. It seems like the Apple Valley area/Eagan to Mlps/St. Paul looks like an easy commute - is that right?
What about Eden Prairie to Mpls/St.Paul and Minnetonka to Mpls/St. Paul?

Businesses are spread all around the metro area. There isn't one specific area where you will find "engineers". Most of the larger companies that hire engineers are not in Minneapolis or St. Paul proper but are in the suburbs-3M, Cargill, Flint Hills and Lockheed/Martin are some that come to mind and they are spread on the east, west and south metro areas.

Apple Valley/Eagan are is a fairly easy commute into Minneapolis and St. Paul if you need to get into downtown. Eden Prairie isn't bad but you don't have as many route options so traffic tends to be worse.