Mankato or St. Peter (Duluth, Plymouth: for sale, apartments, rentals)

[northstar22]

Yet another Mankato thread, sorry.

Still, I have a small question. I'll hopefully be enrolling in MSU's urban planning graduate program in January, so I might be moving to the Mankato area soon. I'm not one for large cities, and I love college towns, so I'd be fine with either one (Mankato or St. Peter), but . . . which one would you recommend?

Which one is better as far as:

Housing prices (not apartments)
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Outdoor activities
Convenience
Scenery
Acceptance of newcomers
Progressiveness
College atmosphere

I really like small towns more so than small cities, and I've been to both St. Peter and Mankato, so I'm leaning more towards St. Peter. Also, I plan to work with small towns after graduation, and so living in a small town might be better for me. However, I don't have much experience with either city beyond short visits. Also, before anyone mentions it, I'm not concerned about the commute AT ALL. It's only 10 miles away - at 65 miles per hour. 10-15 minutes max. It's irrelevant.

[Radical_Car]

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

Yet another Mankato thread, sorry.

Still, I have a small question. I'll hopefully be enrolling in MSU's urban planning graduate program in January, so I might be moving to the Mankato area soon. I'm not one for large cities, and I love college towns, so I'd be fine with either one (Mankato or St. Peter), but . . . which one would you recommend?

Which one is better as far as:

Housing prices (not apartments)
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Outdoor activities
Convenience
Scenery
Acceptance of newcomers
Progressiveness
College atmosphere

I really like small towns more so than small cities, and I've been to both St. Peter and Mankato, so I'm leaning more towards St. Peter. Also, I plan to work with small towns after graduation, and so living in a small town might be better for me. However, I don't have much experience with either city beyond short visits. Also, before anyone mentions it, I'm not concerned about the commute AT ALL. It's only 10 miles away - at 65 miles per hour. 10-15 minutes max. It's irrelevant.

Well my parents around 25 years ago when they got married lived in both St. Peter and Mankato and my aunt has lived there for around 30 years, maybe more. Housing prices are probably pretty similar and lifestyle, well Mankato is bigger and has more stores. Tell you the truth, only time I been to St. Peter is driving through it going to Mankato, lol, though I have been to Mankato many,many times, so that means I have been through St. Peter many, many times. I also prefer Mankato over St. Cloud and Mankato still has their Cub Foods unlike St. Cloud

College Atmosphere, most likely Mankato since it does the the University and everything.
Acceptance of newcomers is pretty much like anywhere else in Minnesota.
Scenery-Mankato hands down.
Entertainment and Outdoor Activities-Mankato, its bigger so it will have more for entertainment and well outdoor activities, it probably isn't that big of a difference between the two.
Convenience-Well Mankato since it is bigger and has more stuff, but St. peter like you said is only around 10 miles away, so while Mankato is more convenient, that doesn't mean St. Peter is inconvenient at all.

Since it sounds like you want a smaller town, then I would just go with St. Peter. Housing prices between the two are pretty much the same and both are quite a bit cheaper then Plymouth. Plus it is only 10 miles so it only takes 10-15 minutes to get to Mankato from St. Peter.
I checked both Walmart and Targets website and St. peter doesn't have either, but again Mankato is a skip away and St. Peter does have a grocery store, not sure if it has more then one.

Also interesting story about St. Peter, you might already know this, but In March 1998 there was a pretty bad tornado storm through St. Peter and it was pretty bad. Im only 18 right now so I would of been 5 when it happened so I am to young to remember it, but when you're driving in St. Peter, all the trees lined on the road and such aren't all that tall, and thats because all of that stuff was replaced after the Tornado, so all that stuff is only around 11-12 years old.

I just googled St. Peter and I found it has its own Wikipedia article! and the article isn't really short either. They got pictures there and I wasn't aware it was quite that bad. I just learned something today It seems like everytime we drive through St. Peter someone in my family mentions that there was a tornado storm, but I never knew it was like that until I found the wikipedia article. There still wasn't any F-5's though, which is good.

Here is the article
1998 Comfrey


Oh yea, I love threads about Mankato. Keep 'em coming

[golfgal]

I love St. Peter. The tornado story is interesting. It wiped out pretty much every tree along 169 in town. The park just down the hill from Gustavus was totally canopied with trees.

St. Peter is a great place, far enough away from the cities to get the small town feel yet close enough to hop up to go shopping or whatever. Given your criteria St. Peter is an obvious choice. It is a relatively inexpensive place to live too.

[northstar22]

Thanks for the responses. No, I didn't know about the tornado, but that's really interesting. It sounds like it went directly through the city. I did notice that there weren't any tall trees, but never thought about why.

Also:

"In March 1998 there was a pretty bad tornado storm through St. Peter and it was pretty bad. Im only 18 right now so I would of been 5 when it happened"

That makes me feel really old. 1998 seems like just yesterday for me. You were only 5?!?

[Kid Cann]

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

Yet another Mankato thread, sorry.

Still, I have a small question. I'll hopefully be enrolling in MSU's urban planning graduate program in January, so I might be moving to the Mankato area soon. I'm not one for large cities, and I love college towns, so I'd be fine with either one (Mankato or St. Peter), but . . . which one would you recommend?

Which one is better as far as:

Housing prices (not apartments)
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Outdoor activities
Convenience
Scenery
Acceptance of newcomers
Progressiveness
College atmosphere

I really like small towns more so than small cities, and I've been to both St. Peter and Mankato, so I'm leaning more towards St. Peter. Also, I plan to work with small towns after graduation, and so living in a small town might be better for me. However, I don't have much experience with either city beyond short visits. Also, before anyone mentions it, I'm not concerned about the commute AT ALL. It's only 10 miles away - at 65 miles per hour. 10-15 minutes max. It's irrelevant.

FLYINGWRITER-

I Know about 10 people that have gone to the MURP program at Mankato and know about 5 there now. PM me if you have any questions, as I was accpeted there enrolled, but I never showed up, I'm scared of Mankato!

I do know that it's hilly down there and a Tornado destroyed St. Peter in 97'. Or was it 99'?

[Radical_Car]

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

Also:

"In March 1998 there was a pretty bad tornado storm through St. Peter and it was pretty bad. Im only 18 right now so I would of been 5 when it happened"

That makes me feel really old. 1998 seems like just yesterday for me. You were only 5?!?

Oh yea, I just turned 18 less then a week ago So I was born in 1992 and the tornado happened in March 1998 and I would of turned 6 in July 1998, so I would of been 5 in March 1998 when it happened

Originally Posted by Kid Cann

I'm scared of Mankato!
I do know that it's hilly down there and a Tornado destroyed St. Peter in 97'. Or was it 99'?

The tornado was in 1998, and there isn't nothing in Mankato to be scared of, lol. Mankato is smaller then St. Cloud and also much smaller then Duluth, so you really shouldn't have problems getting lost or anything. I don't know what the city is like in the winter though, I don't think I have really been to Mankato in the winter, but I guess ice on the hills could be a concern, though they probably aren't that big of a problem. I also wouldn't let the tornado scare me, but some people do get scared of those things which is perfectly fine. I still get scared at times in the middle of the night of someone randomly breaking in Plus my oldest sister, shes 23 and moved out, shes afraid of the dark still.

[mgrjenny]

I have lived in st.peter for the last year, I am just about to move to mankato, only beciase I hate driving in MN weather and my job is there, this area is pretty. House prices are the same, but mankato has more houses to choose from. If your going to rent here in sp, not alot to choose from. I am buying a house, and in SP nothing for sale under $80,000 unless u want a BIG fixer upper, the quality of house in kato is better for that price range. Here that price got me a 2 bedroom house, but in kato $80,000 is getting me a nice 4 bedroom with 4 season porch. I have a teenager so it it makes more sense for me to move to a bigger city for things for her to do, too many small towns we have lived in and she is bored silly, and she is getting into modeling in kato, so more sense for us to move there, save on the gas for my big suv....I can tell you though, people in st. peter are very nice and so are people in kato. Both are college towns and they dont have walmart here or any big stores, because kato is so close, they had discussed bringing a walmart or menards in but everyone is use to going to kato and probly wouldnt do the best of business so they didnt build them. If u go to school in kato u can just swing by stores on your way home, wont be out of your way and drive to kato is a nice relaxing one, so its not too bad...Anymore questions about housing, let me know, I was just looking at rentals and buying, so I can give you my opinion on both...I use to sell homes and rent them as well....Good luck to you...

[northstar22]

Thanks for the post. This thread is a few months old, so I've already made my move - I ended up in Kato, and I love it here. I did consider St. Peter, though, and it's still a nice area. I'm looking to buy a house in Mankato in the next 12-24 months, preferably an older place downtown.

[Radical_Car]

Originally Posted by mgrjenny

House prices are the same, but mankato has more houses to choose from.

If I remember right, Flywingwriter wanted to move to St. Peter but couldn't find housing there and ended up in 'Kato, and he told me hes very happy with his move and is happy he ended up in Mankato instead of St. Peter

I also LOVE the drive from St. Peter to Mankato. So beautiful and hilly! The drive from St. Cloud to Monticello or the drive from St. Cloud to Clearwater or the drive from St. Cloud to Little Falls or the drive from St. Cloud to any nearby town are all very boring and flat.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

If I remember right, Flywingwriter wanted to move to St. Peter but couldn't find housing there and ended up in 'Kato, and he told me hes very happy with his move and is happy he ended up in Mankato instead of St. Peter

I also LOVE the drive from St. Peter to Mankato. So beautiful and hilly! The drive from St. Cloud to Monticello or the drive from St. Cloud to Clearwater or the drive from St. Cloud to Little Falls or the drive from St. Cloud to any nearby town are all very boring and flat.

You'd be right. I love 'Kato, and I'm happy I'm here instead of St. Peter. There's just more to do, and the scenery is amazing.

The drive to the south from Kato to Good Thunder is also amazing, with the river and bluffs. There's also plenty of flat prairie/farmland around too, which is also beautiful -- totally flat, big sky (not like the semi-flat forest land around St. Cloud and the Twin Cities).