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Old 04-18-2009, 04:58 PM
 
Location: North Eastern Minnesota
563 posts, read 1,023,483 times
Reputation: 311

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Duluth07 - Thank you for writing that post! Really, THANK YOU!! You made my day!
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Old 04-18-2009, 05:06 PM
 
Location: Not where I want to
21 posts, read 59,945 times
Reputation: 16
Hi Duluth07....Modern Day Hee-Haw, funny! Are you sure you've never officially lived there? Just kidding; it doesn't take too long to figure out the place and you did a good evaluation.
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Old 04-20-2009, 08:12 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,267 times
Reputation: 11
Duluth07 is close to right on. We have lived in Intl Falls for 12+ years and we are looking to get out. I can have a 5 minute conversation with someone and tell if they are life time residents or not. I know some people that have never been to MPLS or the last time they left I Falls was for a family vacation when they were in grade school. The only reason we moved her was for Rainy Lake. The town of I falls is dirty, smelly, lacks vision and with its “good ol buddy” leadership is poorly lead. We often call it the Boise Mentality (unionish “what can you do for me”). But personally, I think the lack of pride is the most troubling. School events are poorly attended, personal property is often cluttered and in disrepair, and even individual pride. Heck I even see people at K-Mart fresh out of bed still in their pajamas! I know this is not wealthy community but my mother always told me “cleanliness does not cost a dime”. For this town to improve it has to want to improve, and I just don’t see that. We have made friends with some wonderful people and Rainy Lake is second to none. But the town in general is emotionally draining. We will be out as soon as the right opportunity presents its self.
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Old 04-21-2009, 09:02 AM
 
Location: International Falls MN
13 posts, read 72,239 times
Reputation: 31
Maybe some of our city leaders should be reading these comments.
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Old 04-21-2009, 11:59 AM
 
Location: North Eastern Minnesota
563 posts, read 1,023,483 times
Reputation: 311
upnorth500 - We also moved up here for Rainy Lake but made the mistake of buying a place in a town that brings us 20 miles further away from Rainy. If we were closer to Rainy at least there'd be some justification for this blunder of ours. I was ready to leave after a year and we haven't even been here two years yet. Anyway, I agree with everything you said (I don't have first-hand knowledge of school activities though) and especially liked your quote: "But the town in general is emotionally draining". Sad but true. I am looking for my opportunity to leave also. Best wishes.
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Old 04-21-2009, 02:23 PM
 
Location: North Eastern Minnesota
563 posts, read 1,023,483 times
Reputation: 311
P.S. There are many beautiful places in the U.S.A. and Rainy Lake is just one of them.
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Old 05-12-2009, 10:39 AM
 
Location: Not where I want to
21 posts, read 59,945 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by monte385 View Post
Maybe some of our city leaders should be reading these comments.
So true. Did you call them yet or shall I?
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Old 05-15-2009, 08:28 AM
 
Location: Houston, TX
17,029 posts, read 30,784,699 times
Reputation: 16265
Sounds like one of the many 'Towns that time forgot'. Sadly there are many who are scared to change with the times. But there is no reason to be unclean.
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Old 06-11-2009, 11:58 AM
 
2 posts, read 6,828 times
Reputation: 13
I lived in Central Minnesota and the Mpls/St. Paul area suburbs before moving to Int'l Falls 25 years ago. I stay because I really like it here.

It's a physically beautiful area with opportunities for many outdoor activities. Red and White Pine surround countless lakes in the Canadian Shield to the East and North. Popal and Ash with many rivers are found to the West and South. Rainy River - What the Voyageurs called "one of the most beautiful rivers in the world" defines the border between The US and Canada - between International Falls, MN and Ft. Frances, Ontario.
Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Quetico Provincial Park, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are close - and in each of those you could spend many years and not experience everything they have to offer.

It can be cold - Yes, we are known for (and have played up our) extreme temperatures.
But in fact, all four seasons are distinct, full of unique beauty, and intense. Summer is amazing with comfortably warm days and cool nights. Fall brings vivid colors, crisp days and a sense of urgency. Winters can be bitter cold, extremely beautiful and serene. Because of the Winters, Spring is welcomed here like few other places.

If you need to be entertained by a town - this place isn't for you.
It is a small town with just few restauraunts, (probably what I miss most) a small arts community, and not much shopping. Yet, all of that is just 3 hours away in Duluth.

The crime rate is low here, and people are generally friendly (if not immediately warm.) The pace of life and daily stresses are far less than the Twin Cities. The is no traffic problem, with the exception of an occasional line to go to or come from Canada on a busy summer weekend. I know my neighbors, area business people, and government leaders personally. If I want change I can be heard.

It's not a perfect place. Like any other city there are problems to be addressed, and like any small town there are limited job opportunities.

But, It is a good place to live.
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Old 06-11-2009, 01:30 PM
 
Location: Minneapolis, MN
10,244 posts, read 16,285,001 times
Reputation: 5303
I recently visited a friend in International Falls and here are my thoughts...

-Rainy Lake area is beautiful. We hung out at a bar right off of it called Sha Sha or something like that. It was one of the cooler bars I've been to with the log cabin look and peninsula location with ample outdoor patio seating.
-The whole town reaks as a result of the paper mill. My buddy's house is a few miles away and all it took was a slight breeze and my nose was instantly burning with the horrible scent. It is one of the worst smells possible and something I know I could never get accustomed to.
-I was disappointed with my dining experience at the Chocolate Moose. I ordered a Chimichanga with tropical salad meal. The Chimichanga was soaked in gas station style fake nacho cheese and the tropical salad was straight out of a can. I guess I didn't expect the food to be same day fresh but that was a little extreme, it may have been the worst casual dining restaurant meal I've ever had.
-On our way to Canada I went to buy Canadian currency and the lady working at one of the convenience stores a block from the border told me not to bother because "everybody in Canada accepts visa and they all accept US dollars and that they were all avoiding Canadian dollars like the plague." I asked her if that was the case even in Winnipeg and she said yes. Well, that was a flat out lie and I had a few uneccesary issues with purchases in Canada as a result. I would love to go correct that lady if I'm ever there again.
-The town itself is unimpressive. The neighborhoods I saw had sub par housing stock, overall poorly maintained homes and yards and there were alot of intersections without stop signs....how there aren't more traffic accidents there is beyond me.

Overall it wasn't a bad place to hang out for a day or two but the odor from the paper mill is reason enough to not want to live there.
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