Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My wife and I live on the outskirts of Dallas and we're frankly sick of the whole state.
The weather here in unbearable and the environment itself isn't our kind of place. She went to Virginia once and absolutely loved the dark green grass and tall trees, aside from the great weather so I'm only assuming that the Midwest would be greener and even colder.
Questions here would be:
- How snowy does it get in Minnesota and are all 4 seasons visible?
- How is the job market? I have a Bachelors degree in Criminology and intend on working in law enforcement for maybe Twin Cities or other major cities.
- How friendly are Minnesota natives?
- What town or neighborhood would be great? Were looking for a safe, friendly suburban neighborhood in a fair distance from a big city
- Also, should we decide to rent an apartment for a while, what kind of prices am I going to look forward to?
- What political side does MN lean to? My wife is a conservative but I'm more on the centrist side
- Is it safe overall? In Texas we have many and I mean many thefts, murders, rapes, drug deals and labs and so on.
- Is there ancestral pride? In all honestly, I'm not a fan of multiculturalism and have pride in our British and Italian heritage, and I know the Northeast and Midwest has alot of White people. Frankly, nobody gets along in Texas, no matter what you are. Unity is power, I say.
- How is gun control in the state?
- Any drug epidemics?
- How snowy does it get in Minnesota and are all 4 seasons visible?
A: It depends on the season, we can have very mild seasons where the snowfall is minimal and not much to deal with (el nino), and we can have years where we get nailed by every system in the country and we are shoveling 2+ feet of snow at a time. It really depends on the season. This year was very mild. You will shovel snow, you will experience frigid temps and it will be an inconvenience.
- How is the job market? I have a Bachelors degree in Criminology and intend on working in law enforcement for maybe Twin Cities or other major cities.
A: Being a major metropolitan area I would believe your degree will be well served here in MN. We also have a Criminal degree program in St Cloud MN so many graduates to compete with I am sure.
- How friendly are Minnesota natives?
A: I would say we are friendly but we don't see eachother much in the winter... so when spring comes around and people are back outside it is always refreshing.
- What town or neighborhood would be great? Were looking for a safe, friendly suburban neighborhood in a fair distance from a big city
A: I would look to rent a place close to your employer at first. Many great communities here, White Bear Lake, Lake Elmo, Saint Louis Park, Edina, Shoreview, Eagan, Woodbury, Plymouth are all good...it really depends on where you live, commuting across town for work can be miserable here.
- Also, should we decide to rent an apartment for a while, what kind of prices am I going to look forward to?
A: Depends on location and size. Typically anywhere from 900-1500 higher for downtown living and bigger space.
- What political side does MN lean to? My wife is a conservative but I'm more on the centrist side
A: Liberal in town, conservative in rural communities.
- Is it safe overall? In Texas we have many and I mean many thefts, murders, rapes, drug deals and labs and so on.
A: Yes, North Mpls is the most unsafe, but there are pockets of good N Mpls neighborhoods as well. East Side of St Paul has some gang activity but they don't typically bother us. Brooklyn Center / Brooklyn Park area can also have some rough areas.
- Is there ancestral pride? In all honestly, I'm not a fan of multiculturalism and have pride in our British and Italian heritage, and I know the Northeast and Midwest has alot of White people. Frankly, nobody gets along in Texas, no matter what you are. Unity is power, I say.
A: YES! Huge irish community in St Paul...and we are very proud of that. We are mostly proud to be Minnesotans. I think its because we are tough and deal with the harsh winters as a trade-off to awesome springs/summers/falls.
- How is gun control in the state?
A: Not as liberal as TX. People don't typically carry openly, we do allow conceal and carry and some premises ban guns.
- Any drug epidemics?
A: Everywhere...more of a problem in rural communities but this exists in every pocket of every community in America. Keep your kids busy with positive activities which are plentiful and know the friends they keep.
"She went to Virginia once and absolutely loved the dark green grass and tall trees, aside from the great weather so I'm only assuming that the Midwest would be greener and even colder. "
Funny, i saw your similar thread in the NH forum earlier. This assumption isn't entirely on point - you have to consider the climate. MN has longer, colder winters compared to VA, so grass has a shorter growing season, and as for foliage, that will depend on specifically where in the state you're looking - the SW part of the state has relatively few trees at all compared to the east, but of the two states I would say Virginia is "greener" more of the year on average.
MN has a strong Scandinavian and Lutheran heritage, but the Twin Cities in general are quite diverse, and select other areas as well (Rochester because of Mayo, e.g.).
Costs, as well as job prospects, would vary significantly depending on where in the state you were looking. Worthington is going to be a lot cheaper than the TC, for example but also with narrower job prospects.
My family moved from a major city in the south (much like Dallas) to Minnesota last summer. We live in the SE area (Rochester) so I have limited info about the twin cities, but I will answer what I can. We were also sick of he weather, the crime (even in our nice neighborhood, the crime was crazy), the lack of seasons, etc.
Questions here would be:
- How snowy does it get in Minnesota and are all 4 seasons visible?
Yes to all seasons! Wow! It is amazing!! Spring (once it gets here, it take a month or two) is beautiful. Everything green and new, the birds (tons of bird!) singing. Its like a disney movie. Summer is hot but *totally* manageable if you are used to Texas! But I love how people love the summer time here. They really take advantage of the lakes and outdoors, and of course ice cream (which is a huge event on the weekends when it is hot). Fall is a-maz-ing. Trees turning, cold and crips, apples growing and pumpkin patches (the pumpkins are so much heavier here and last through halloween! Winter is so beautiful...and fun! This year wasnt as snowy as people are used to here. But it was 100% manageable and a lot of fun. Snow falling is so pretty and the kids love playing in it. There are tons of out door things to do in the winter. I wasnt quite prepared with clothes for me this year but next year I plan to get on top of that so I can do more outside. People complain a lot about the weather here...even when it isn't a hard year. I think they just haven't dealt with the South...then they would know bad weather!
- How is the job market? I have a Bachelors degree in Criminology and intend on working in law enforcement for maybe Twin Cities or other major cities.
Sorry I don't know
- How friendly are Minnesota natives?
This is an interesting issue. I have found they are friendly, quite friendly. But much more distant then southern people. Minnesota nice is a real thing, sad to say. Its so easy to rock the boat, just by saying what you are actually thinking. Natives tend to get defensive when people are up front about not liking something or wanting something to change. Also, there was a more familiarity down south with people. That said, people are very nice. There is just a little twist to it...its almost hard to explain.
- What town or neighborhood would be great? Were looking for a safe, friendly suburban neighborhood in a fair distance from a big city
Don't know
- Also, should we decide to rent an apartment for a while, what kind of prices am I going to look forward to?
I know MN doesn't have a high cost of living, but you can google how it compares to your current area.
- What political side does MN lean to? My wife is a conservative but I'm more on the centrist side
Its left leaning, but it has some conservative values...I think connected to a lot of church goers here. The drinking laws are much stricter here, that is for sure! Which I really like, personally (i.e. you can't get wine or beer above 3.?% anywhere but in the liquor store which has limited hours). Also being a big hunting community, it seems pro-gun.
- Is it safe overall? In Texas we have many and I mean many thefts, murders, rapes, drug deals and labs and so on.
I don't live in the cities but I have been there many times and never once felt unsafe like I did in my own neighborhood down south. I am sure there are crime stats to help decide...but it feels much, much safe.
- Is there ancestral pride? In all honestly, I'm not a fan of multiculturalism and have pride in our British and Italian heritage, and I know the Northeast and Midwest has alot of White people. Frankly, nobody gets along in Texas, no matter what you are. Unity is power, I say. I am not answering this because it seems like thinly veiled racism. This is also a multicultural state...less then Texas but still is. But since you aren't Scandinavian (and raised that way), you aren't going to fit into the main culture here...welcome to the other side.
- How is gun control in the state?
No idea, you can google it. There is a strong hunting culture here.
- Any drug epidemics?
I know the doctors are *freaky* about prescribing potentially addictive medications *at all* (even when needed) because there has been a big problem with pills and then heroin. How it compares to other states, I don't know.
The above poster must be familiar only with the west side of the state or only the urban areas.
The entire eastern side of the state, and much of the northern tier, is very forested.
I'm from SE minnesota, where the farms turn into the driftless. And when I worked for the DNR I lived in Crookston, East Grand Forks, Bemidji, Grand Marais, Duluth, Roseville, Minneapolis, St. Paul and now Taylors Falls and Highland Park... so....... I am familiar with most of Minnesota's vegetation.
Minnesota is not very forested compared to Virginia. Virginia has 60% forest cover and Minnesota has 28% forest cover.
Indeed there are more forests on the east along the rivers, and up north... just like I said in my post.
- Is there ancestral pride? In all honestly, I'm not a fan of multiculturalism and have pride in our British and Italian heritage, and I know the Northeast and Midwest has alot of White people. Frankly, nobody gets along in Texas, no matter what you are. Unity is power, I say. I am not answering this because it seems like thinly veiled racism. This is also a multicultural state...less then Texas but still is. But since you aren't Scandinavian (and raised that way), you aren't going to fit into the main culture here...welcome to the other side.
.
Agreed.
As a 14 year resident of TX and someone born and raised in MN, I was ready to give my input to the OP, but when I got to this part of his post I cringed. What was especially troubling to me, given the current troubles with law enforcement and the African American community in this country, is that the OP has a BS in criminology and yet outwardly expresses this provincial, ignorant, and ultimately fearful kind of thinking. Also, it is absolutely NOT true that "no one gets along in TX". I see a lot of friends and spouses that cross racial / ancestral lines here. Most folks (even some with less access to education than you have had) realize that the place of origin of our (distant) ancestors is extremely unimportant. How much time have you spent in Britain and Italy?
OP: Since you asked, Minnesotans are indeed nice, but most of them will not approve of your thinly veiled racism. You might try Northern Idaho instead, or, easier, head for the golden triangle of TX.
As a 14 year resident of TX and someone born and raised in MN, I was ready to give my input to the OP, but when I got to this part of his post I cringed. What was especially troubling to me, given the current troubles with law enforcement and the African American community in this country, is that the OP has a BS in criminology and yet outwardly expresses this provincial, ignorant, and ultimately fearful kind of thinking. Also, it is absolutely NOT true that "no one gets along in TX". I see a lot of friends and spouses that cross racial / ancestral lines here. Most folks (even some with less access to education than you have had) realize that the place of origin of our (distant) ancestors is extremely unimportant. How much time have you spent in Britain and Italy?
OP: Since you asked, Minnesotans are indeed nice, but most of them will not approve of your thinly veiled racism. You might try Northern Idaho instead, or, easier, head for the golden triangle of TX.
I had not read all the way so I didn't notice until I had written a bunch. I thought I would just leave it for anyone in the future that might be interested. But yeah, I am with you. And I also don't think any form of racism is widely excepted in Minnesota. Id be happy if that kind of thinking (and cop) stays far, far away. It fits in in Texas from what I have experienced. But I also know lots of people of many races who get along just fine, even in the same family. if anything, I have noticed here in Minnesota, there is even more transracial families.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am not answering this because it seems like thinly veiled racism. This is also a multicultural state...less then Texas but still is. But since you aren't Scandinavian (and raised that way), you aren't going to fit into the main culture here...welcome to the other side. 
