Looking for a place to settle down: Family of 4 (Minneapolis: best cities, real estate)

[CBaillo]

I've asked this here before, but seeing as our needs/situation has changed a little, I figured I'd ask again. Basically we are a family of four. My wife is 37 and caucasian, I'm 35, and Filipino, and we have two daughters who are 11 and 6 who are obviously mixed.

Years ago, we moved to Central NY from CA to pursue a internship at a winery with the hopes of opening our own after. Well after three of the best years of my life (we made so many friends, loved the small towns, and the people, and got along with everyone as soon as we got there, as we were always small town people at heart), my mom fell deathly ill with breast cancer, and we decided as a family to move back to spend her last days with her. It broke our heart to move away from the place we came to love, but family comes first.

Well, long story short, my mom passes away, we help my dad up on his feet, and we think about moving back to NY, but by this time a couple years have passed, our friends have moved on, and we want to stay close to family in case this happens again, so we dont have to uproot our lives again. So we chose the PNW, we live in Vancouver, just over the river from Portland, OR.

We've been here three years, and gave it an honest shot. The cost of living was deceptive for people from other states, and it wasnt as cheap as it seemed. And above all, the people. I'm not a fan of people assuming images. I like people up front, and honest. And this is the wrong place for that. There are so many hipsters here, and the annoying type of "artists". I'm SO not P.C., but this is the most PC place I have ever lived. People are wayyyyy too sensitive, and honesty is out, because itll just hurt peoples feelings. I don't mind the weather as I love gloomy and cold (i'm backwards). So we are looking at another possible place.

MN has always been one of my top potential places to live. I am an avid outdoorsman. I love to hunt, fish, hike, camp, and be out in nature as much as possible, and MN like Alaska seemed like Mecca for outdoorsmen like me. I'm also a photographer, and I feel like I could spend a lifetime in MN just taking pictures all day every day.

NEEDS:

Okay so now that the backstory is out of the way.

Personally, I LOVe living out in the sticks. I love as rural as you can get. Our last place in NY was on 2 acres, and skies so clear you could see every star in the sky. My kids and I chased fireflies and picked up tadpoles and all that, and I was in heaven. I would sit on my back porch with a bourbon and a joint every night, and just enjoy the sounds of the night, in pitch blackness.

BUT life has changed since then. We need a rural town, but one close enough to be convenient to a place with shopping options, and above all good medical care. My wife suffers from a number of health issues. An extreme case of Fibro, migraines, neuropathy, and COPD. So gone is the time where she could drive happily 30-45 minutes just to grocery shop. And we need some place where we dont have to drive an hour to the hospital.

I LOVE small towns, and love to be part of the community. We are so easy going and relaxed that we never have problems making friends wherever we move, and adapt well. We need a community open to mixed race families, with good schools as well.

So sorry for the long post, but figured it would be helpful for those wanting to give suggestions.

Thanks ahead of time for any help you can offer.

[Minntoaz]

Well I kind of can get what your saying since my husband is from the burbs of Seattle and I get the type of culture you're describing. We live in the Minneapolis metro now and I couldn't recommend it more. There are a lot of small towns surrounding the area and great medical care. Seattle obviously has good medical too with outdoorsy towns nearby but yes cost of living is higher.

[uptown_urbanist]

Minneapolis may be too PC and hipster for you. Not sure what the medical care is like in some of the smaller cities with hospitals (and specialists) -- Fergus Falls, perhaps?

[slamont61]

Many Rural towns all over the state. Way to many to list.

Any work specifics?

[r_shackleford]

You've just described Wisconsin. And I say that as a lifelong resident of Minnesota with all the requisite pride and sense of superiority over my home state's neighbors. You can definitely find good options in Minnesota, but you should definitely include Wisconsin in your search.

Outside of a handful of neighborhoods in Minneapolis and St. Paul, you should be generally safe from the PC and hipster crowds. Anywhere around the periphery of the Twin Cities metro area could strike a nice balance between your wife's medical needs and your desire for a bit more isolation. That said, you would probably be happier near some of the smaller cities scattered around the state.

You could live no more than 15 minutes from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. The catch is that you have to make sure your insurance covers you at Mayo. There are excellent streams for fly-fishing just to the southeast around Preston. Nobody would complain if you hunted crows and geese around Rochester. Southeastern Minnesota is more rivers, valleys, and fields than the lakes and forests of central and northern Minnesota. So you would not find quite the same rustic woodsy feel. It's definitely worth a look and there is no shortage of jobs in the area.

I can't comment on the health care in Duluth, but the area would be great for outdoor recreation. I like the Mankato area, but other than some lakes to the east the surrounding area is mostly prairie. Depending on the types of outdoor activities you like, it may warrant a closer look. Areas near Fargo or Grand Forks North Dakota might be worth a look, too. The immediate area is very flat but it's not too far from the woods and lakes of northern Minnesota.

In general, Wisconsin has more options with a city of 50-100k surrounded by otherwise rural area. It's really the subtle cultural differences that prompt me to steer you towards Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, life is having a beer, a brat, and some cheese curds with family and friends. Minnesotans are just a bit more uptight. You will not find "up front honesty" in Minnesota or really anywhere near Minnesota. Even within the bigger cities in Wisconsin, the culture feels more "country". Whereas, even Rochester and Mankato feel slightly distinct from the surrounding areas. The biggest downside to Wisconsin culture is the obsession with the Packers and Badgers can be downright obnoxious. To the extent that I can infer a person's personality from a few paragraphs in an internet forum, you sound like you'd like Wisconsin.

I've perhaps exaggerated the differences between states and even cities within Minnesota. You'll be able to find all of what you need and most of what you want somewhere in Minnesota or one of its neighbors.

[aluminumpork]

Originally Posted by r_shackleford

I can't comment on the health care in Duluth, but the area would be great for outdoor recreation.

In general it seems that Duluth's healthcare systems are relatively highly regarded. Essentia Health is headquartered here and is quickly becoming a large regional healthcare provider with clinics/hospitals in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Idaho. We also have St.Lukes, which is smaller but largely considered less "corporate". In either case, you have two large hospitals to choose from with more and more services being offered every year.

As for rural living, I grew up on ~50 acres about 20 miles outside of Duluth in Normanna Township. It sounds like it's similar to what r_shackleford was talking about for the Rochester area; you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. The townships around Duluth are beautiful with huge lots and still many gravel roads. Swimming holes, rivers, streams, ATV/snowmobile trails, etc dot the landscape. I always thought I would buy some land, build a home and enjoy country living myself, but I fell in love with city living and can't imagine any other way at this point.

If you're curious, check out Normanna Township, Lakewood Township, and Rice Lake Township. All are within ~25 minutes of Duluth proper and have large land parcels. The only potential downside may be availability, as these areas are quite popular (especially Lakewood in my opinion).

I'm less familiar with the surrounding townships, but you could also check out the Two Harbors area. Two Harbors offers enough amenities for daily grocery shopping, restaurants/bars but is still close enough (~35 minutes) from Duluth for everything else. Two Harbors is small (3,745) but has the same beautiful shoreline as Duluth with trails and parks.

But anyways, you're spoiled for choice in Minnesota. Good luck!

[CBaillo]

Awesome information guys, I truly appreciate it.

Wisconsin was always a top choice for me as well. Before we came up with the winery idea, we were looking at areas around Milwaukie, and Eau Claire. But I'll look into the other areas.

My main concern with WI though is that I have a really good friend who lives in Milwaukie, and he is considering leaving the state, because he feels the government is running the state into the ground, and because things are more segregated than they seem on the surface, between the races.

[HighFlyingBird]

Perhaps near Rochester? They have the mayo clinic and you can live outside the city and have land and a nice house for not much. Plus not too far from MSP airport and the amenities of the city.

Rochester often is in the top 5 of best cities to live in and to raise a family in. We are moving there, so besides one visit, I can't give too much help. But it seems ideal if you want world class medical care near by. I thought it was funny. I was looking at a house "in town" but 15 minutes from the center with a few acres and my real estate agent said that people thought of that area as being far out LOL.

[601halfdozen0theother]

There are several wineries in smaller towns in Minnesota, if that is your occupation or dream occupation. Follow this link to see many listed: Wineries : Minnesota Farm Winery Association . Buffalo, Cannon Falls, and Winona would be easy drives to the Mayo clinic in Rochester, and Janesville is also just about an hour away. I noted that Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery is not listed on that website. It is very nice, and is located in Spring Valley, which is very close to Rochester. It's worth looking at these towns and this area.

[fromupthere]

I also agree with the Rochester area. There are many small towns around here that are very nice, and Mayo is top notch in health care.