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I saw this question posed in a forum for another city & I thought it was interesting:
What is your perception or opinion of Minneapolis &/or St. Paul- or even the state of MN as a whole? It doesn't matter if you've lived here forever, if you just moved here, or if you've never even set foot in the state. I just think it's interesting to see what people think of this place. Let's keep try & keep it civil, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, however negative it may be. Just one favor, please let us know where you're from if it's not already listed.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
5,509 posts, read 11,884,604 times
Reputation: 2501
Good idea.....I'll start:
Born and raised in Minneapolis proper as well as Wayzata and Edina, but have lived in St. Louis and Chicago for brief periods and Columbus, OH for college. I also have family (both immediate and through my wife) scattered throughout large Midwest cities like Madison, Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit.
I think Minneapolis stands alone in several ways: it offers the cosmopolitain style and wealth of Chicago, the sense of family and "togetherness" of a smaller city like Madison, and the overall education and knowledge base of a city on the East Coast. Plus, its large concentration of businesses and employment make it an ideal place to find a job. There are other aspects of other cities that I envy that Minneapolis either doesn't have or could be better:
weather (duh!)
size (I think I prefer the "hustle and bustle" of a city between 5 and 10 million)
ethnicity (not familiar at all with the Norweigian heritage, so I feel strange sometimes)
diversity (MUCH better since the 80's, but still lagging behind most metros -- butt of ridicule)
location (lattitude is fine, but somewhat "isolated" in that there are no major cities to the West)
I've found that, given only Midwestern exposure, MSP and maybe Chicago offer the type of lifestyle I love, and since Chicago is the Midwestern "magnet" and I have tons of family there, I chose MSP. Ohio was a strange brew of cultures: Cleveland is like a smaller, dirtier Chicago; Columbus is like the nexus of North vs. South; and Cincy is straight southern IMO. I remember loving St. Louis as a child but their overall stagnancy, Southern mentality and sub-par reviews from peers recently scare me away from moving back there (also, bad schools). Chicago is great but what I love about the city is completely different than what it's known for, and I can't afford the lifestyle I want in that city. MSP is a great compromise and I feel it would compete very well on a National level if the weather were only slightly milder (winter mostly -- summers are perfect). I realize it already gets National attention but I hope to see this city grow and evolve into something amazing and I feel like it's on the cusp but there is no clear vision yet.
Sometimes the city moves a little slow, sometimes the people move a little slow, and the overall monocentricity can make anyone feel like an outsider, but as things change/evolve I am enthusiastic about the future of the city and I hope to continue to be a part of it indefinitely.
Odd you ask - my husband and I have been searching for a dual university hire in the same dept, and this area is the only one we have come across that had a real, legal problem with that. This includes FL, Ohio, NYC, Alabama, Hawaii, CA, Arizona and Pennsylvania. We found this odd.
To answer your question about where I've lived, I'll actually quote an older post of mine:
* Military brat. Lived in Northern California, England, Mississippi, Texas, Germany, North Dakota, and Florida.
A little bit about me:
* I'm gregarious and open. Started college on a Theater scholarship, opted out of it because I'm fond of shoes and food.
* Still close to many friends I made as far back as my childhood in the 1970s in Northern California.
* Lived in Minnesota since 1998, with eighteen months north of St. Paul, and the rest in an affluent northwestern suburb of Minneapolis.
* Spent five months in Florida for technical training in 2008. Immediately made friends, with whom I communicate nearly daily.
* Currently working full-time as a professional in the IT industry.
* Freelance on the side both as a national magazine writer, and as a 3D technical artist.
OPINION OF THE AREA
Minneapolis has a lot to offer: Numerous corporate opportunities, wonderful winter-weather activities, and a good state park system. As with everywhere else, however, you have to take the bad with the good.
Which brings me to the bad:
1. The climate:
Unless you are used to dealing with genuinely frigid temperatures for months on end (realistically January through March) you're in for an unpleasant shock.
Dealing with the cold makes everything more difficult. Going out to get groceries becomes an endurance test as you have to bundle up to face the cold just to step out the door. At first this challenge can be somewhat exotic, especially if you've never faced such a hostile climate. It grates over time, however, and can rapidly become unbearable.
2. The Minnesota Transplant Syndrome:
Much has been written about the Minneapolis natives and their treatment of Minnesota Transplants. Some good reading can be found in the following links:
...as well as numerous other references in these pages.
I point these out because it's an extremely important aspect of living in the region. Simply put, if you are not born and raised in the Minneapolis area, the chances of your being accepted as anything other than an interesting outsider are extremely slim.
Case in point: Both of my children have been raised in the region, with my son starting school here when he was six, and my daughter arriving when she was all of two. Because our last name is not of Scandinavian origin, they are reminded nearly daily that they are "...not from around here."
If you find that chilling, you're in good company.
If you don't see yourself remaining in the region for more than, say, three years, than the cold shoulder of the local populace is something that -- while unpleasant -- can be endured. If, however, you expect to stay longer, be prepared to experience genuine loneliness.
3. Commuting
Minneapolis was recently ranked as having the 17th worst commute in the country. Between the winter driving conditions, the reckless summer drivers, the road construction delays, and the lack of an up-to-date mass-transit system, it's earned this rank. Additionally, since everything in the region tends to be forty-five minutes away from everything else, this is an issue that -- like the climate --fatigues a person over time.
CONCLUSION
Believe it or not, there are things I like about the area. I love my bike trails, my hiking trails, and my cross-country ski trails. The low crime rate in my city is wonderful. Lastly, the medical facilities in the region are top notch (something for which I'm extremely grateful).
Unfortunately, with the last of our Transplant friends moving away, it's become just too solitary an existence for people like my family. With our eldest graduating High School and heading for college outside of the area, we don't see a compelling reason to remain here any longer. It's finally time to move on.
I'm okay with that. Twelve years is plenty of time to give a place a decent break. We've done that, and then some. Now it's time to live our lives again.
I saw this question posed in a forum for another city & I thought it was interesting:
What is your perception or opinion of Minneapolis &/or St. Paul- or even the state of MN as a whole? It doesn't matter if you've lived here forever, if you just moved here, or if you've never even set foot in the state. I just think it's interesting to see what people think of this place. Let's keep try & keep it civil, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, however negative it may be. Just one favor, please let us know where you're from if it's not already listed.
To answer your question about where I've lived, I'll actually quote an older post of mine:
* Military brat. Lived in Northern California, England, Mississippi, Texas, Germany, North Dakota, and Florida.
A little bit about me:
* I'm gregarious and open. Started college on a Theater scholarship, opted out of it because I'm fond of shoes and food.
* Still close to many friends I made as far back as my childhood in the 1970s in Northern California.
* Lived in Minnesota since 1998, with eighteen months north of St. Paul, and the rest in an affluent northwestern suburb of Minneapolis.
* Spent five months in Florida for technical training in 2008. Immediately made friends, with whom I communicate nearly daily.
* Currently working full-time as a professional in the IT industry.
* Freelance on the side both as a national magazine writer, and as a 3D technical artist.
OPINION OF THE AREA
Minneapolis has a lot to offer: Numerous corporate opportunities, wonderful winter-weather activities, and a good state park system. As with everywhere else, however, you have to take the bad with the good.
Which brings me to the bad:
1. The climate:
Unless you are used to dealing with genuinely frigid temperatures for months on end (realistically January through March) you're in for an unpleasant shock.
Dealing with the cold makes everything more difficult. Going out to get groceries becomes an endurance test as you have to bundle up to face the cold just to step out the door. At first this challenge can be somewhat exotic, especially if you've never faced such a hostile climate. It grates over time, however, and can rapidly become unbearable.
2. The Minnesota Transplant Syndrome:
Much has been written about the Minneapolis natives and their treatment of Minnesota Transplants. Some good reading can be found in the following links:
...as well as numerous other references in these pages.
I point these out because it's an extremely important aspect of living in the region. Simply put, if you are not born and raised in the Minneapolis area, the chances of your being accepted as anything other than an interesting outsider are extremely slim.
Case in point: Both of my children have been raised in the region, with my son starting school here when he was six, and my daughter arriving when she was all of two. Because our last name is not of Scandinavian origin, they are reminded nearly daily that they are "...not from around here."
If you find that chilling, you're in good company.
If you don't see yourself remaining in the region for more than, say, three years, than the cold shoulder of the local populace is something that -- while unpleasant -- can be endured. If, however, you expect to stay longer, be prepared to experience genuine loneliness.
3. Commuting
Minneapolis was recently ranked as having the 17th worst commute in the country. Between the winter driving conditions, the reckless summer drivers, the road construction delays, and the lack of an up-to-date mass-transit system, it's earned this rank. Additionally, since everything in the region tends to be forty-five minutes away from everything else, this is an issue that -- like the climate --fatigues a person over time.
CONCLUSION
Believe it or not, there are things I like about the area. I love my bike trails, my hiking trails, and my cross-country ski trails. The low crime rate in my city is wonderful. Lastly, the medical facilities in the region are top notch (something for which I'm extremely grateful).
Unfortunately, with the last of our Transplant friends moving away, it's become just too solitary an existence for people like my family. With our eldest graduating High School and heading for college outside of the area, we don't see a compelling reason to remain here any longer. It's finally time to move on.
I'm okay with that. Twelve years is plenty of time to give a place a decent break. We've done that, and then some. Now it's time to live our lives again.
Best regards.
Ok, just a couple observations--first, not everyone has a Scandinavian last name-we don't, it's never been a problem. Second, a 1/2 mile section of ONE highway was ranked as 17th worst commute in the nation. I find it very strange that all through your kids' school career that you were never able to make friends with people "from" here. Our social circle is made up of plenty of "natives" and "transplants" and have never had an issue what so ever with "transplants".
Yeah, the Scandinavian name thing doesn't ring true for me, either. I'd say the majority of people in Minnesota don't have Scandinavian last names. I don't, my husband doesn't, many of my friends don't. There is a lingering Scandinavian-ness (which I happen to like: it helps give the place some local character and connections to history, even though it's pretty muted now) but in many areas you're just as likely to encounter names like Nguyen or Gutierrez or any number of generic names that aren't easily identifiable as any one ethnicity. The biggest thing with my last name growing up was that a lot of people couldn't pronounce it, but that wasn't a big deal. I don't discount some of the complaints (hassles of winter, unpleasant commutes if you live a long way from work, etc.), but I would hate for some potential new resident to come to the state anticipating that they wouldn't fit in because they're not named Larsen or something. (although to be fair, I do know more people with Scandinavian last names in MN than anywhere I've ever lived, but it's certainly not everyone, and I can't see anyone caring).
I had to comment. I lived in Eagan, MN for 13 months in 95-96. I seemed to fit in fine...I'm a RN and found a job pretty easily, though I wasn't used to a union state of mind, but that's a different topic.
Because I am a born and raised southerner (Atlanta--now Charlotte) I obviously have a southern accent and do say y'all....and a few other 'southern' words. I heard, "you're not from around here are ya?" about 3 times every day. I never really thought about it as I wasn't being accepted....I just thought the obvious. I don't talk like 'y'all', so, no, I'm not from around here.
Just interesting in retrospect. Certainly doesn't change my opinion of the area or the people as I loved both. My only complaint was the weather. 3 snowstorms (blizzards for us southerners LOL) and I was done....couldn't wait for Spring/Summer....one 'straight line wind' storm and I was DONE. OMG...I wanted to go home so bad. I wanted a good ole tornado warning or something! Just a good ole thunderstorm! LOL That weather scares me....I know you just have to be prepared for the weather, all types of weather. I obviously wasn't! LOL
I'm so sick of hearing people complain that they can't make friends. If you've been here your whole life and have a circle of friends and family, there is no need to go out of your way to meet people or take in new people. Too bad, too sad.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
5,509 posts, read 11,884,604 times
Reputation: 2501
^And that right there is the attitude people have...
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