Looking to Relocate to Minn from FL & NC Mtns. (Minneapolis: rent, crime rate)

[TD Ryan]

Hello all I'm TD Ryan a 35y/o Nurse whose looking to relocate to the midwest somwhere I'm virtually guranteed to get some very cold weather. Lived in the Heat & Humidity of the Florida and NC sun and want a drastic change for a while.

What city would be best for me to take a visit to this spring to get an idea for the region? Also how are your residents are they friendly? I was considering Maine at one pt and always have been told their locals were very friendly, well after a few chats on the Maine site as well as a brief visit found that it's just the opposite.

Does Minneapolis offer decent living options?

How are the men to women ratio there?

I appreciate any help thanks in advance!

[savraliv]

Minneapolis I've heard has very affordable living costs compared to other big cities. It all depends on the neighborhood I'd say as far as comfort and a good fit for you (I also sent you an email with specific suggestions).

As for the men to women ratio, I really can't say, but the bar/club/venue scene here is alive and well, and seems to be more mature than you'd expect, and I don't think you'd have a problem meeting a nice, smart, and beautiful woman in this city! As they say, Minnesota nice, right? If she doesn't want to go out, maybe she'll say yes just to be nice, and you'll end up changing her mind! :-)

[golfgal]

Nurses here make a very nice salary and you should be able to live comfortably on what you make. You will also find in your profession you will be working with mostly women so that will be nice but overall the man/woman ratio is fairly normal here. If you want urban living, Minneapolis is has a lot of options for a single male. You don't have to worry about cold here, keep in mind that our summers are usually fairly hot and humid too but we have the rest of the year to balance that out.

[StilltheSame]

TD - Come on up. We moved from SFL last year. Minneapolis is a great city to visit to get a feel for the area, but where you settle depends on what your needs are. You mentioned Maine. Minn and St. Paul are more metro areas - along the lines of Chicago than smaller cities - if a metro area is what youre looking for its likely your best bet. If you prefer a slower pace there are a number of cities that can meet your needs. As a health professional you may want to consider Rochester which has a number of medical facilities and a strong medical presence.

I think housing in Minneapolis can be expensive although its less expensive than SFL - but its more than I anticipated. The area is beautiful with lots to do and really scenic. Coming from Fl with no experience in sustained northern weather - we have loved the seasons and the changes.

[poralia]

I recently moved here after living in the Sarasota area. Winters suck, seriously, but if you can deal with that, this is a great area to live in. People are honestly friendly, there's tons of stuff to do, crime rate is low (compared to other metro areas of same size), and a wide range of housing available.
As a female, I find there's lots of single men in town. I don't feel like it's as much of a 'meat market'
arena as FL can be.
I live in the Western suburbs and altho it's not the trendy part of town, it's convenient and the housing prices are fairly affordable.
Come up and check it out, I think you'll like it. Just wait til it gets warmer

[BikramYogaGirl]

I live in St Paul and like it. It has charm. The como, lowertown and highland areas are my favorite. Farmers Market, live music, quaint restaurants, biking/walking trails along the Mississippi and everywhere. Safe and central. Housing is expensive. If you buy- property taxes increase a ridiculous amount each year. Rent is also very expensive in MN. Schools are good however several have closed in the twin cities. This will cause class size ratios to increase. I bet MN school ratings decline very fast. We've always been on the top... The state isn't managed very well and we have high taxes. If you can deal with all that we have a good state. January and February are the most difficult months because of the grey, cold temps. Stay active to SAD doesn't take over.

[TD Ryan]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Nurses here make a very nice salary and you should be able to live comfortably on what you make. You will also find in your profession you will be working with mostly women so that will be nice but overall the man/woman ratio is fairly normal here. If you want urban living, Minneapolis is has a lot of options for a single male. You don't have to worry about cold here, keep in mind that our summers are usually fairly hot and humid too but we have the rest of the year to balance that out.

Yeah that's what I'm looking for I dont mind the heat to much as long as there is some down time from it. In Fl it was heat all the time, when I lived in S.Fl u could walk out side and feel like u were in a sauna and have to shower once u got to work again, it was nasty. but again if the temp changed it bal out.

Thing is I've looked into moving several diff places and once I learned that the locals weren't to nice it kinda turned me off to the place. Then again I've had some site Admins tell me that I should look out for those that simply dont want people moving to their state, worried of it effecting their livelihood or whatever.

I know the last 2 places I lived in both Fl and NC had people migrating from all over the US in search of affordable living and better climates, sad thing is they are all now looking to move out again from the last report I read.

We believe the mass migration of people in the US are paying attn to the Forbes and Moneymag lists about the best places to live, cause those places do see a decent uptick in visitors and migration after their lists come out.

Thanks for the info!

[TD Ryan]

Originally Posted by StilltheSame

TD - Come on up. We moved from SFL last year. Minneapolis is a great city to visit to get a feel for the area, but where you settle depends on what your needs are. You mentioned Maine. Minn and St. Paul are more metro areas - along the lines of Chicago than smaller cities - if a metro area is what youre looking for its likely your best bet. If you prefer a slower pace there are a number of cities that can meet your needs. As a health professional you may want to consider Rochester which has a number of medical facilities and a strong medical presence.

I think housing in Minneapolis can be expensive although its less expensive than SFL - but its more than I anticipated. The area is beautiful with lots to do and really scenic. Coming from Fl with no experience in sustained northern weather - we have loved the seasons and the changes.

Now u see ur the type of person I've been looking to hear from on the various States sites I visit, cause ur from where I'm from u get what it's like down there now and why so many of the locals are hauling tail out of there.

I mentioned Maine cause I was looking at it's largest city Portland but learned that it is even small. The past 2yrs I've lived in some small towns Boone & Asheville NC while very beautiful way to small.

So i was looking for those 2 areas weather types in bigger cities and new I'd have to in all likelihood move the the NW cause the NE doesn't really get the type of snow I'm lookin for.

Most the people i know back home that are all from the NE all tell me that I'd hate livin in the snow cause they grew up in it and recall days they couldn't get out their homes and were snowed in etc, well as I told them they grew up in it and moved to the total opposite of it in S.FL, I'm tired of the heat 24/7 and no seasons so I'm lookin for a change. heck if i get somewhere and dont like it i dont mind moving.

[StilltheSame]

TD - I completely understand SFL, Its a mess down there and we had to leave because the quality of life had deteriorated so rapidly. Between the people, the prices, the commute and quite frankly the persistent heat - it was time to try something else. We are really pleased with this area - winter and all. There are TONS of living options for every lifestyle, urban, suburban, rural and everything in between. Its beautiful with a great quality of life and though a bit expensive, it doesnt feel or seem as expensive as SFl when you put it all together. The only caveat - which doesnt seem to be a problem for you - is that if you arent cold tolerant - this is not the place to even try to make it work.

I would visit in early March and consider moving in April/May - its so beautiful in the summer that you want to enjoy it so you can remember it in January! It was helpful for us to transition slowly into the seasonal changes.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want any additional information.

[TD Ryan]

Originally Posted by StilltheSame

TD - I completely understand SFL, Its a mess down there and we had to leave because the quality of life had deteriorated so rapidly. Between the people, the prices, the commute and quite frankly the persistent heat - it was time to try something else. We are really pleased with this area - winter and all. There are TONS of living options for every lifestyle, urban, suburban, rural and everything in between. Its beautiful with a great quality of life and though a bit expensive, it doesnt feel or seem as expensive as SFl when you put it all together. The only caveat - which doesnt seem to be a problem for you - is that if you arent cold tolerant - this is not the place to even try to make it work.

I would visit in early March and consider moving in April/May - its so beautiful in the summer that you want to enjoy it so you can remember it in January! It was helpful for us to transition slowly into the seasonal changes.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want any additional information.

Great thanks alot! Good to here u guys are enjoying things. It looks as if I'll be up that way sometime in May and be off to UT and CO next. Thanks again!