Anyone else here's favorite Minnesota city: St. Cloud (Brainerd, Waite Park: home, school district)

[kg1701d]

You have to look at St Cloud as what it is.... a small but growing Midwestern metro which,by the way, there are very few outside Minnesota.

For its size, it has a large number of higher education institutions in the area.
Its a retail hub, while not great jobs, an economic necessity.
Its a health care hub with nationally recognized institutions.
And its able to hold its own even with its proximity to the Twin Cities.
Downtown may not be fantastic but its far from a wreck and the architechture in downtown is worth a look for a city of 60,000+ people.
St Cloud has taken steps and attracted businesses that require college degrees so they are not hit by the ever damaging brain drain that has hit entire states like N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Iowa and even Wisconsin from the Twin Cities. All in all, St Cloud is one of the best cities of its size in the Upper Midwest.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by MattDen

I was wondering am I crazy or does anyone else here really like St. Cloud. Ive visited there several times and have a like the town alot

I lived up in the Moorhead area for a few years and didnt like it so much. But I really like the times I was in St. Cloud.

First, the set-up of the city is very nice. With Division Street having all the retail amenties not only that but St. Cloud has unusually good, very affordable restaurants. Its amazing actually!

Downtown St. Cloud is not that vibrant but the library is very nice for a city of its size and the university is right there. Its very nice they have a university so close to the downtown area not only that but they have a good amount of retail close to the university also.

St. Cloud was spotlessly clean, its amazing how clean the streets of St. Cloud are. They really take pride in the town. Its also very easy to walk around, they have bike lanes in much of the city and its very well organized.

The architecture is nice, I noticed St. Cloud has alot of very historic architecture in its center. Overall, it is an impeccably maintained community overall.

The density of the trees is also spactacular in St. Cloud area, it almost seems like the moment you cross into a valley just into the Stearns County to the NE the dense canopies of trees start.

Overall, St. Cloud is my favorite city in the state. Anyone else have such a high opinion of this great town. Not only that but its only about 50 miles twin cities so the urban-fix is very close.

Apparently you haven't seen St. Cloud from a different perspective. I think of it as the worst place in MN and one of my threads will say why.

[newcastle]

St. Cloud has its good points, but is not one of my favorite cities in Minnesota. I think that it has a very progressive attitude toward growth and is open to new business, being so close to the cities helps a lot too.

I spent some tiome camping nearby a few summers back (not by choice) It was the worst experience camping in my life. Like I said, not my first choice. However, we spent the day at a fabulous quarry pit with the best cool water I have ever felt. It was great.

However, I can't say anything I saw in St. Cloud would cause me to want to move there.

[Anarchy4sale]

Originally Posted by kg1701d

You have to look at St Cloud as what it is.... a small but growing Midwestern metro which,by the way, there are very few outside Minnesota.

For its size, it has a large number of higher education institutions in the area.
Its a retail hub, while not great jobs, an economic necessity.
Its a health care hub with nationally recognized institutions.
And its able to hold its own even with its proximity to the Twin Cities.
Downtown may not be fantastic but its far from a wreck and the architechture in downtown is worth a look for a city of 60,000+ people.
St Cloud has taken steps and attracted businesses that require college degrees so they are not hit by the ever damaging brain drain that has hit entire states like N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Iowa and even Wisconsin from the Twin Cities. All in all, St Cloud is one of the best cities of its size in the Upper Midwest.

I live here. It is a good city, and in the end when im older, I probably will live here when I settle down. I have lived here since I was 11, and I am now 25. I will probably move out of it in the next few years to get some traveling under my belt.
The post i quoted says it perfectly. I sure hope the garbage being tracked in from Chicago and Detroit doesn't ruin the city though. I could see it easily doing it if the city doesn't take care of the problems the large city's are causing it.

[Anarchy4sale]

Also, it is a toss up for me between mankato and St.Cloud. Mankato seems to have less traffic problems, and a little bit more historic, but i havent lived there so im not 100 percent sure which is my favorite.

[jerseygirlz]

im moving from new jersey to st cloud for school....am i in for a culture shock or can i expect pretty much the same? hopefully the same, jersey is great

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by jerseygirlz

im moving from new jersey to st cloud for school....am i in for a culture shock or can i expect pretty much the same? hopefully the same, jersey is great

Yes, culturally you will probably be in for quite a shock. Urban areas of NJ have nothing in common with a smaller city in MN. MN people are quite a bit more reserved and standoffish compared to NJ. I would definitely visit the town first to get a good flavor of what it is like.

[yankee.peddler]

Originally Posted by jerseygirlz

im moving from new jersey to st cloud for school....am i in for a culture shock or can i expect pretty much the same? hopefully the same, jersey is great

As a native New Englander currently living in greater St Cloud I can tell you that you will find a markedly different environment out here. Yes, people are reserved as a previous poster remarked, but they're also very kind (and not in an artifical way). The pace of life is slower, but there's a surprising amount of culture and entertainment opportunities to be had. Can't tell you whether you'll like it or hate it. You'll have to experience it for yourself.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by yankee.peddler

As a native New Englander currently living in greater St Cloud I can tell you that you will find a markedly different environment out here. Yes, people are reserved as a previous poster remarked, but they're also very kind (and not in an artifical way). The pace of life is slower, but there's a surprising amount of culture and entertainment opportunities to be had. Can't tell you whether you'll like it or hate it. You'll have to experience it for yourself.

Another difference is treecover. St. Cloud has a lot of farms nearby and fewer trees compared to areas further to the east. However, St. Cloud is a college town and many try to compare and contrast SCSU with the MSU at Mankato.

[marmac]

Here are a few drawbacks about St Cloud------

wages don't match the cost of living ( however,this is true in many places)
there is no really efficent street/road system in St Cloud.

The 2 major State Hwy ( 15 and 23) that run through them are nothing more than busy streets with stop lights every block or so ( even the most ardent supporters of St Cloud say hwy 15 should be more like a freeway with limited exits and entrances)

On the positive-----SCSU , VA hospital, and great healthcare facilities.