Moving To Brainerd, MN

[Radical_Car]

I LOVE BRAINERD
If you do move, you made an awesome choice on what town to live in, Brainerd is amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjch-AaMlAw

[patty3047]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

The weather here is much more severe. There's less snow, but it's much colder and doesn't get the weekly warm snaps that Michigan does. Plus, the snow blows around a lot out here because of the lack of trees, but that won't be a problem in Brainerd. On the plus side, it's much drier, so you won't have to deal with the bone-chilling humid cold like in Michigan.

I left Michigan one year ago. I drove up on a Monday and had a job offer by that Thursday. That was after looking in Michigan for a year. The market here isn't nearly as bad as it is in Michigan.

What field of work are you in? I am in retail/ customer service are there abundant opportunities in that area?

[northstar22]

I work in the receiving department for a large corporation, but I just got hired for that job today. Before that I was working for a smaller corporation in telemarketing/sales, which I absolutely hated. I'm also working independently as a freelance writer and SEO specialist.

As far as retail, I've never worked in that industry, except for a short stint at Target when I was in college. I see "help wanted" signs at places like Target, Walmart, Shopko, etc. all the time. I know here in Mankato, places like Hickory Tech are always hiring customer service people. I don't know what's up in Brainerd.

One thing to keep in mind is that the minimum wage is far lower in Minnesota than it is in Michigan. I think it's like $7.25 here. If your planning to get a minimum wage job here, you'll definitely get hired but it won't provide enough to support you. Do you have a degree or any certifications/licenses?

[Dusty Rhodes]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Most jobs in the Brainerd area are going to be in the tourist industry. What kind of job are you looking for? Brainerd has some pretty expensive real estate because of the lake properties there but I think in the town itself it would be reasonable. Housing prices in MI have dropped dramatically but I think you may find that housing in MN is still much more expensive. Go on Realtor.com and look at houses in the areas where you want to live to compare. Compare property taxes as well.

Oh wow!! Ignorance on my part would be my first guess, but.... I would never have figured Minnesota as a tourist area, I must be missing something. Yeah, I figure there may be fishing, but, if I were to go north for fishng, I would have chosen Alaska as a destination.

[northstar22]

Minnesota is actually a pretty big tourist destination. In addition to fishing, we have skiing, hunting, camping and tourist traps like the Mall of America. Midwesterners from "corn" states like Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and even western/southern Minnesota flock to eastern/northern Minnesota to experience the "great outdoors."

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Dusty Rhodes

Oh wow!! Ignorance on my part would be my first guess, but.... I would never have figured Minnesota as a tourist area, I must be missing something. Yeah, I figure there may be fishing, but, if I were to go north for fishng, I would have chosen Alaska as a destination.

The Brainerd Lakes area is a huge tourist destination for water activities but it is also a very well known golf destination with 100's of golf courses-some very top notch courses too. There are also 100's of resorts of all sizes in the area.

OH, and the Mall of America receives more visitors each year then Disnyworld.

[DeeDubb]

Patty,

The local paper is the Brainerd Dispatch. BrainerdDispatch.com | Brainerd, Minnesota

Maybe you have already found it, but it has the employment opportunities for the area. Currently most job openings seem to be in the health industry and in banking. Not nearly the number of want ads as there were a few years ago, but it is better than last year.

The area has a lot of retail and restaurant businesses. Target, Wal-mart, Menards, Home Depot, Kohls, JC Penneys, Sears, Mills Fleet Farm, Applebees, Perkins, Famous Daves, Grizzlys, McD's, Black Bear, etc.

Here is another link describing the area: Brainerd MN Lakes Vacation | Family Vacations | Brainerd Minnesota Chamber Visitor Information

The summers are great, the winters can be long but there are many activities to keep you busy if you choose to stay active, the springs are VERY WELCOMED after the winter months, and the falls are simply the best!

Oh...and it is Minnesota, so hope you do not mind a "few" mosquitoes.

[Hamidul]

I have been in the retail/client administration for a considerable length of time. I may take a gander at doing a reversal to class after the move to MN. The lodging costs may have dropped in Michigan yet so has the nature of the homes. The homes I have taken a gander at in Michigan are low quality and need bunches of work, the homes for around the same cost in MN are for the most part move in prepared. Be that as it may, with the poor economy and hard time discovering occupations there isn't quite a bit of motivation to stay in MI any longer.

[Minntoaz]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Most jobs in the Brainerd area are going to be in the tourist industry. What kind of job are you looking for? Brainerd has some pretty expensive real estate because of the lake properties there but I think in the town itself it would be reasonable. Housing prices in MI have dropped dramatically but I think you may find that housing in MN is still much more expensive. Go on Realtor.com and look at houses in the areas where you want to live to compare. Compare property taxes as well.

Being born and raised in Brainerd (well Nisswa) with my parents still there and several friends there- I'd say this is a pretty accurate assessment. There are young (20's) people there but I'm not sure how it is for outsiders coming in as far as making friends (since I left when I was 18). There are a decent amount of retail, restaurant jobs. Big tourism city though so May-October it is booming. It's very outdoorsy so I'd say it's important to enjoy the outdoors living there but not madatory. It's how people spend there time from snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, boating to bonfires. However I have a friend who doesn't like the outdoors and she fares just fine- she goes to the traveling art pub, shopping, out for drinks/dinner, etc;