Is Minneapolis A Friendly City? (Madison: HOA, to live, moving)

[evesadam]

It sounds like a great town to visit. I'll do a bit of research on some fun events to make a long weekend of it for summer or early fall then.

[green_mariner]

The only thing I can say to the OP is to give Mpls the old college try. I have only been here once and that was to see my family. No problems for me(other than my aunt's dog). I hear things regarding whether or not Minnesotans are friendly. My own personal experiences have been rather nice when dealing with the Minnesotans I have met(I met them all in Atlanta). Going to the TC area is another matter. There will be a different culture here, different things, but over all, just give it a try. I am realizing that is all I can do as well if I ever move anywhere.

[dirk13]

It's "friendly" sure, but that friendliness can also lead to a "passive agressiveness". Just because people are friendly doesn't mean they don't have negative personas, and unfortunately that can then culminate in a far more frustrating delivery method. I can not tell you how annoying both my professional and social life has been since coming back due to this issue.

As a for instance, you know how many times I've been actually "dumped" since I got back dating wise? Almost zero. Is it because I'm that awesome? no. It's because people are so "nice" that it's difficult for them to be honest and/or direct, especially when they're the type that would normally dump you like a bad habit, but instead make it a habit of just quietly trying to phase you out, or even worse just dump you but not tell you about it (which can lead to some obviously weird situations :P ).

Anyway, I just think that there's quite a bit more of that than in other places, so beware.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by dirk13

It's "friendly" sure, but that friendliness can also lead to a "passive agressiveness". Just because people are friendly doesn't mean they don't have negative personas, and unfortunately that can then culminate in a far more frustrating delivery method. I can not tell you how annoying both my professional and social life has been since coming back due to this issue.

As a for instance, you know how many times I've been actually "dumped" since I got back dating wise? Almost zero. Is it because I'm that awesome? no. It's because people are so "nice" that it's difficult for them to be honest and/or direct, especially when they're the type that would normally dump you like a bad habit, but instead make it a habit of just quietly trying to phase you out, or even worse just dump you but not tell you about it (which can lead to some obviously weird situations :P ).

Anyway, I just think that there's quite a bit more of that than in other places, so beware.

I don't think this is a Minnesota thing. This is more like a flaw in human nature. I have been treated in a "passive aggressive" and people have "phased" me out. None of this happened in Minnesota. It all happened in Georgia.

[dirk13]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I don't think this is a Minnesota thing. This is more like a flaw in human nature. I have been treated in a "passive aggressive" and people have "phased" me out. None of this happened in Minnesota. It all happened in Georgia.

I'm not saying that Minnesota is the exclusive home for passive agressive behavior, just that's the capital of it :P .

And most people will agree with that notion, just as much as they would agree that people there are also friendly (just as you could easily attest to have met people who are friendly in other states, even if they don't have as much of an obvious reputation for it).

[drary89]

it's very friendly, i've been there only 3 summers but loved it.people will smile at you when shopping and tend to start a conversation most of the time, which was not really what i wanted since my english isn't perfect and sometimes couldn't understand what they said!
but i've never been rejected by people here. and specially i love spending my summer there, walking around the lakes and bands are playing ... and it's america's safest city according to forbes.
i'm looking forward to going back this summer.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by dirk13

I'm not saying that Minnesota is the exclusive home for passive agressive behavior, just that's the capital of it :P .

And most people will agree with that notion, just as much as they would agree that people there are also friendly (just as you could easily attest to have met people who are friendly in other states, even if they don't have as much of an obvious reputation for it).

Georgia doesn't have much of a reputation for "passive aggressive", even though it is very thick here. Alot of "backstabbing" goes on here. Georgia just hasn't developed a big reputation for it though.

[losadair]

I lived in Minneapolis for 15 years and just recently moved out of state. Minneapolis is a great city, a very Scandanavian feel to it - even visually, with the neatly trimmed parks, the extensive bike/walkways, careful organization and signage, and beautiful sparkling lakes. Great art and performance scene too. People are almost unfailingly pleasant and polite. The Somali, Hmong, and more recent Latino (many Mexicans from Michoacan & Puebla states, fair number of Ecuadorians) immigrants add a lot to the city too.

The downside is that, apart from immigrants from other countries, most people come from the metro area or from nearby small towns in MN and WI, and many seem to eternally keep the same group of friends they had in college or even high school. It's quite easy to meet people to socialize occasionally and superficially, but very difficult to make good friends. If you work in an industry where you'll be around lots of people from out of state, it might be easier.

When I moved out of the upper Midwest, one of the most surprising things to me was that when people said - "we should grab a coffee/beer," they meant we should ACTUALLY go. Now, or at some real time in the near future. In Minnesota, that sort of statement is not, in most cases, an actual invitation. People are pretty indirect, and it can be hard to decipher social situations if you're not used to that. People will be nice, but it sometimes feels like a cool-ish nice. You might work or live side-by-side with someone for years, talk to them every day, enjoy each other's company quite a bit, but never be invited to their home.

That was my experience anyway.

[Brssplr]

Originally Posted by losadair

When I moved out of the upper Midwest, one of the most surprising things to me was that when people said - "we should grab a coffee/beer," they meant we should ACTUALLY go. Now, or at some real time in the near future. In Minnesota, that sort of statement is not, in most cases, an actual invitation. People are pretty indirect, and it can be hard to decipher social situations if you're not used to that. People will be nice, but it sometimes feels like a cool-ish nice. You might work or live side-by-side with someone for years, talk to them every day, enjoy each other's company quite a bit, but never be invited to their home.

That was my experience anyway.

I used to live in Louisville but recently moved to Indianapolis. I have picked up the same vibe in Indy as you're describing in the Twin Cities. When I lived in Louisville, it was very easy to be welcomed into peoples' social circles, but in Indy it's just as you described Minneapolis-St. Paul. I would not recommend anyone moving to central Indiana for any reason.

[keepthefaith]

It's a friendly city. Go for it!