Going to be moving to MN soon! (Minneapolis, St. Cloud: rentals, house)

[SweetRay]

Hello,

I had a phone interview yesterday and everything went great. If we (child and I) get to move out there, we'd be moving to the Willmar area. I've done a lot of research for over a year on where I'd like us to be and feel it would be a good fit for us. I have a friend that lives near there, but I'd like to ask you all about the area.

Are there any parts of that town that I should stay away from? Does the town keep the roads plowed good in winter? I heard Minneapolis has some car washes that washes the underbelly of the vehicle. Are there any like that in Willmar?

And please don't worry about this person trying to change anything about your state. You guys have a beautiful state and I'm really looking forward to being there. If I wanted to change it, I'd just stay where I'm at...lol.

[golfgal]

Willmar is a nice area. There are a few places around town that are iffy but you will be able to spot those pretty easily. Yes, they keep the roads in good shape even in the worst snow storms, things in town do not get very bad. If you drive outside of town in blowing snow, things can be pretty ugly so just be careful. Car washes will not be an issue.

Willmar has great schools. They have really good cross country and track program so if your child is so inclined, the would be good teams to join.

Willmar is really the start of the lakes region in MN so the area around town is lovely.

[Radical_Car]

Where are you moving from? I'm only saying this because it may or may not be a culture shock for you. If you're coming from a city of like 500,000 people then it's going to be a huge change. But if you're coming from a similar sized town already, then you'll know what to expect.

Willmar is a nice area, kind of secluded, about 80 minutes from St. Cloud which has around 60,000 people, and only slightly further then that to the Twin Cities. Their Kmart is closing, but they do have a nice variety of stores. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Walgreens, Office Max, Dollar Tree, JCPenney and many more.

Bad areas? Nah, absolutely nothing to worry about and nothing to avoid. Obviously you wouldn't want a 5 year old walking around outside by themself at midnight, you get what I mean.

And Ridgewater College has a campus there. Just so you know Lol

[iNviNciBL3]

In Willmar you have that small town feel with the little downtown area and older homes and buildings. More outside town you have large stores like Menards and Herbergers. Resturants like Arbys and most importantly Culvers!
What i really love is all the city parks in the town and on the lake, very nice for kids!

[SweetRay]

Thanks GG, Radical and Bob! Great info

I'm coming from near Seattle. We're actually having the worst snowstorm in I don't know how many years, but it's making CNN news...lol. We don't get thunderstorms here. When we do it's about one or two claps of thunder and maybe one strike of lightening. I know you guys can get some storms and I'll probably jump every single time till I get used to them. Haha. And with snow, we don't get much when we do and it typically goes away after a couple of days. (this one being an exception though) I do know you guys can get quite a bit of snow and can be on the ground for months. Which I'm willing to learn how to drive in it...lol. Our 'towns' are all connected to one another. I know Willmar is a town by itself when it comes to that, which is totally ok with me.
I'm currently going to school through a college here but it's all online, so I can move anywhere and still be able to do my schooling. I have heard about Ridgewater and after I'm doing with my school here and get established there, I plan on maybe going to school there for something else.

What are the Menards and Herbergers stores like? What kind of restaurant is Culvers?
Also, are the people nice in Willmar? I have heard about people bringing their battery in from there car or plugging it in, does everyone do that or will my car be ok?

Sorry for all the questions!

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by SweetRay

What are the Menards and Herbergers stores like? What kind of restaurant is Culvers?

Culvers is basically a hamburger chain. It is based out of Wisconsin and they have a niche of serving custard instead of ice cream. As far as a hamburger joint goes, it is pretty decent. They use real cheese instead of yellow stuff that looks like cheese.

Herbergers is a department store that is fairly mainstream. Probably comparable to Mervin's California if you had those. a notch down from Nordstrom or Macys.

Menards is a regional home improvement store. Roughly comparable to Home Depot or Lowe's. They end to have more bargain brands, which works for me.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by SweetRay

I have heard about people bringing their battery in from there car or plugging it in, does everyone do that or will my car be ok?

The block heater is something that can be helpful in very cold temperatures. Especially if you do not have a garage or don't drive every day. Probably not something you need until it gets below 10 degrees or so. Also, most cars now have fuel injection which start much easier than older cars with carbs. A good number of cars have the block heaters from the factory, but installing one is not terribly expensive if you think you need one. You probably do want a rock solid battery. 650 or more cold cranking amps is pretty standard, but it does depend on your car in terms of what you really need. Bigger motor is going to need more power to crank over the motor. Last thing is the oil matters. Synthetic oil can help. It does not turn into semi solid as much as standard oil does.

[sholomar]

Good luck with these temps! Big change from Seattle. Other then that, looks like a nicer area than mine. Large lakes and varied terrain just to the north. Not that far a drive from the twin cities.

My car has always started, I use Mobil 1 0W30 in the winter now (synthetic really is much more fluid at low temps) change it every 5000-6000 miles , but it started fine with regular 5W30 too, but the power steering fluid cavitates when it gets to 10 below and under., even with new synthetic fluid in it. Make sure your coolant to water ratio is around 60% coolant 40% water to avoid problems when it gets to -30.

Culvers is my favorite "take out" burger place.

[disneyrecords]

The north side of Willmar is the nicest. Around the lakes there are new constuction homes. Most of the business district is on the south side. Communities north of town, Spicer and New London, are wonderful and an easy commute. Find a good realtor to show you around. In Minnesota, especially the rural market, the agent represents the seller. I'm going to get some flack for saying this but if you see a home you particularly like and an agent hasn't shown you, call the agent on the sign directly. Since all agents in rural markets are likely to represent the seller (I'm sure Willmar is the same) play them all.

[SweetRay]

Originally Posted by stockwiz

Good luck with these temps! Big change from Seattle. Other then that, looks like a nicer area than mine. Large lakes and varied terrain just to the north. Not that far a drive from the twin cities.

My car has always started, I use Mobil 1 0W30 in the winter now (synthetic really is much more fluid at low temps) change it every 5000-6000 miles , but it started fine with regular 5W30 too, but the power steering fluid cavitates when it gets to 10 below and under., even with new synthetic fluid in it. Make sure your coolant to water ratio is around 60% coolant 40% water to avoid problems when it gets to -30.

Culvers is my favorite "take out" burger place.

Yeah the winter temps for sure is something that we'll have to get used to. But we'll be prepared... Went for a walk the other night when it was just 25 degrees but with wind it said it was like 15. I layered my top half but for the bottom only had a pair of jeans on. Half way to the store, I was cold!!! I know that's nothing compaired to what MN gets, but it was a reminder that's it's gonna be a lot colder than that..lol.

My car already requires synthetic. Had my oil changed last saturday and found out that's what they're required to put in for my car. So that'll be fine. Thanks for the tips on the other stuff

Originally Posted by disneyrecords

The north side of Willmar is the nicest. Around the lakes there are new constuction homes. Most of the business district is on the south side. Communities north of town, Spicer and New London, are wonderful and an easy commute. Find a good realtor to show you around. In Minnesota, especially the rural market, the agent represents the seller. I'm going to get some flack for saying this but if you see a home you particularly like and an agent hasn't shown you, call the agent on the sign directly. Since all agents in rural markets are likely to represent the seller (I'm sure Willmar is the same) play them all.

Thanks! I won't be looking for a house to buy but I will be looking to rent one. Just hope I can find some decent 2 bed house rentals.