Towns in between Rochester and Minneapolis (Golden Valley, Northfield: find a job, living in, shop)

[kpc6dancer]

I'm considering relocating to the Rochester area for a position at Mayo, but I have a few concerns. I would probably have to live in between Rochester and Minneapolis on Hwy 52 because my spouse is in a non-medical career and may have to work in Minneapolis.

Where do people who live along Hwy 52, e.g., Cannon Falls and Zumbrota, do grocery shopping? It seems that the larger supermarkets are quite far (>10 mi.) from these communities.

How about the smaller roads leading to Hwy 52? How responsive are these communities with snow plowing and salting during the winter?

[CCbaxter]

It's a trade off you make for living in a small town. Less traffic, less crime, less food choices, slower internet, etc..
Let me say this, I used to go to Rochester in a regular basis and in the winter 52 can be an awful drive. Blowing snow creates lots of black ice on cold days.

[earslikeacat]

Don.t think it would be possible to live a happy life doing both. That commute would be a rough one to the TC. In the dark portions would be desolate and icy, to where 52 is closed often.
Mayo has many other branches around the metro. Oh, and don.t come without jobs lined up. Many are making that mistake.

[Glenfield]

It is not reasonable to commute 50 miles each way to work, not through these winters.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

It is not reasonable to commute 50 miles each way to work, not through these winters.

winters were never an issue with my +50 mile commute but sometimes the other drivers made a nuisance of themselves...now that I'm down to a +40 mile commute and not having to enter the outer ring at all, life is but a breeze...

[Umbria]

I've had some of the worst moments of my life driving 52. It's wide open so the wind blows - sometimes hard. If it's winter it can be white out conditions. My parents lived in Rochester so I made many trips there. Surprisingly, there were quite a few that commuted to Mpls/Stpl all winter - it had to be an absolute nightmare.

Perhaps your wife can find a job in her field in Rochester.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

winters were never an issue with my +50 mile commute but sometimes the other drivers made a nuisance of themselves...now that I'm down to a +40 mile commute and not having to enter the outer ring at all, life is but a breeze...

To each their own I guess. I don't want to spend 10% of my life commuting to and from work.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

To each their own I guess. I don't want to spend 10% of my life commuting to and from work.

me neither, nor spend the remaining time living in the city...but to each their own

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

It is not reasonable to commute 50 miles each way to work, not through these winters.

I commuted from Northfield to Golden Valley for over a dozen years. It wasn't that big of a deal. Only two/three times a year was the snow an issue at all. Major roads stay clear in all but the worst of storms.

And I worked with a guy who made the commute from Zumbrota (and another who drove from River Falls, and yet another coming in from Big Lake... you get the idea).

Were there downsides to the commute? Absolutely. But it was doable. And I'd guess that tens of thousands of people do it in the Twin Cities metro.

Originally Posted by Glenfield

To each their own I guess. I don't want to spend 10% of my life commuting to and from work.

Nor would I. Nor did I, ever. My 50-mile commutes didn't take up anywhere close to 17 hours of each week (10% of a 168-hour week), even when I worked 5 days/week (most of that time, I worked three 13s each week). But you didn't state this as something you'd rather not do. You said it wasn't reasonable. It is reasonable. Plenty of people are perfectly content to pass their time listening to the radio or podcasts or recorded books.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

To each their own I guess. I don't want to spend 10% of my life commuting to and from work.

Me neither. The midway point between Rochester and Minneapolis idea sounds extremely undesirable to me. Rochester is a large enough city where there should be some economic opportunities available. I'd look there and only seek employment in the Twin Cities as a last resort. Alot of jobs these days can be done telecommuting too.