Considering a move to the Twin Cities!! (Willmar, Marshall: fit in, transplants) - Minneapolis - St. Paul - Minnesota (MN) -Twin Cities - City-Data Forum

kyler0419 · 05-05-2010, 06:38 PM

Hello All! I am a mid-20's single male looking for job and great place for recreation! I am looking for city, county, or state government work (non-police work), and am curious if job opportunities are abundant in the Cities in this regard (I will graduate with B.S. degree in Criminal Justice in the Summer).

My recreation involves mostly organized sports like hockey and baseball. Are there plenty of groups to join? Are people kind to outsiders (coming from Northwest Arkansas, but was raised in MN early in childhood)?

I know cost-of-living could be a possible problem. Some of my relatives who live in the Cities complain of the taxes put upon them. Coming from a low cost-of-living state (Arkansas), will the transition be difficult or a shock?

Weather is not really an issue, as I love having a great variety of seasonal changes!

I am not too interested in the "club scene" or bars. I have a low-key life. I like to go to coffee shops, movies, or sports games. Would I fit in well?

I am also considering other midwestern cities like Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines, and Sioux Falls.

Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

MN55 · 05-05-2010, 10:06 PM

You will be in luck! Tons of options for the things you like. You say you like hockey? Well MN is the State of Hockey and we have the most hockey related stuff going on anywhere in the country. From the Wild, to the Gophers, to about 150 hs teams around the state, you will not have to look hard to find this sport. There are adult leagues all over the cities. Plus our baseball team right now ain't too shabby.

uptown_urbanist · 05-05-2010, 10:42 PM

I don't know what the job situation is like in your field right now, but other than that I'd say it sounds like the Twin Cities would be a very good fit. There are lots of organized sports options, and skating rinks everywhere. Lots of coffee shops, too, of all styles and feels. In some neighborhoods it feels like there's a coffee place on every corner, sometimes two on one corner. And MN55 makes a good point about the Gophers; if you're into sports its nice to have both the University of MN in town as well as the pro sports.

golfgal · 05-06-2010, 05:25 AM

It might be difficult to find a state job in the criminal justice field right now with the state cut backs. You might want to look at the state employment websites for the various areas you listed and see what is available now. Since you don't seem to want to live right in the city something outstate might be a good option. Many towns outstate have a lot of adult leages for baseball, hockey, etc. Town baseball is pretty big in rural MN so if you are a descent ball player you could play on the town amateur team. Also, living outstate will save you a significant amount of money.

Would you want to work in a prison setting? What type of job are you looking for specifically?

Radical_Car · 05-08-2010, 04:25 AM

Twin Cities is awesome

kyler0419 · 05-08-2010, 07:18 PM

I've considered an entry-level prison position. I've read a book by the Warden of the Federal Prison near the Cities. Interesting stuff to say the least! haha Im also looking into some law firms to work as a legal assistant or paralegal. Wouldn't mind some non-profit work either.

Are taxes substantially worse in the Twin Cities as compared to out-of-town taxes? Is there a drastic difference in apartment rent prices between the two? Any areas of suggestions?

Thanks everyone for the help!

golfgal · 05-09-2010, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyler0419

I've considered an entry-level prison position. I've read a book by the Warden of the Federal Prison near the Cities. Interesting stuff to say the least! haha Im also looking into some law firms to work as a legal assistant or paralegal. Wouldn't mind some non-profit work either.

Are taxes substantially worse in the Twin Cities as compared to out-of-town taxes? Is there a drastic difference in apartment rent prices between the two? Any areas of suggestions?

Thanks everyone for the help!

Taxes, it depends on the town but generally yes, they are lower, cost of living outside of the metro is significantly less then what you will find in the metro area. Apartments in some of the smaller towns like Marshall, Bemidji, Willmar will run under $500 for a nice 2 bedroom apartment, to get that in the cities it will be close to $1000.

sparksals · 05-13-2010, 11:03 AM

If you are a social person, you may experience the Minnesota Nice phenomenon. It is difficult to make friends here. You must be extremely proactive.

The people here are 'kind' to 'outsiders', but outsider is the formative word. Minnesotans have a long history here, they have established friendships and social circles with little to no room for new people.

To combat it, I had to be extremely proactive in joining social groups, mostly on Meetup. I would love to have some friends from here, but that hasn't happened. We have lots of friends, it took a great deal of work and they are all from other areas.

Search these forums for Minnesota Nice and/or Transplants and you will see the great debate.