Questions about Duluth (Minneapolis, Russell: luxury, apartments, jobs)

[hdibbi]

Hi there,

It's Mike, I have been in almost ever major city in US and also lived in different countries, cities vs, and I can tell you that every city is unique..I may have to move to Duluth in a year or so...I'll be very happy if you can answer my questions, I appreciate your time.

Weather:
I have never lived in such temperature,never experienced it therefore I want to ask some specific questions; Let's say its winter:
1) How's indoors? Do you wear sweater inside the house? Is it comfortable or outside weather is still bothering you?
2) You need to wake up in the morning but you don't want to get outside of the bed because it is very cold??
3) Do I have to heat my car 20 min before driving?
4) Please share with me your worst experiences about weather, indoor and outdoor..

Culture:
For me it is not important if a place is diverse or not but it is important how they see the idea of diversity;
1) Are people welcoming, friendly?
2) Do people have prejudgement towards different nations, believes and opinions or they are open to listen and share they ideas rather than dictate.
3) Are there any 'this is my land not your land' atmosphere?
4) How educated are they? Can you say a number between 1-10 10 being a person who cannot locate his city in a US map?

Economy:
1) What's your average heat expense in a winter month?
2) How many fine dining restaurant do you have?
3) How many Cadillacs do you see in a weekday traffic?

Thanks in advance, its a great help for me,

Have a wonderful day

[golfgal]

I can answer some but not all of your questions.

What you wear indoors really depends on what you set the heat at. I usually have a turtleneck and sweater on in the winter but my kids are fine with a t-shirt most days. Most homes are well insulated and heated so the outside air isn't an issue.

There are days that I would rather not go outside but not many. You just wear enough to keep you warm.

No you don't have to warm your car up for 20 minutes, most cars don't need that any longer.

I am not sure what you mean by 'this is my land, not your land" question. As far as education, MN is tops on the list in the US for adults with post-secondary education so I would say we rank #1 on your scale.

Average heat bill can vary widely due to house size, quality of windows, insulation, etc. It can vary from $50-$1000/month.

Cadillacs--not many people drive them in MN. You will see more BMW's, Mercedes and Lexus cars then Cadillacs. Most people realize that a Cadillac is not a very good car. What difference does that make anyway?

[duluthian2008]

I see a lot of Cadillacs here. I would say I see at least five to eight each day.

[nick is rulz]

yeah theres a ton of Cadillacs in duluth, and very few BMWs, Mercedes or Lexus.


Duluthians are not the most social creatures in the world, but its a friendly enough area.

My biggest problem with Duluth weather wise would have to be driving in snow, since most of the city is on a hill.

[acrylic]

I won't be able to answer all your questions, but I'll try:


1) How's indoors? Do you wear sweater inside the house? Is it comfortable or outside weather is still bothering you? I believe you're talking about the winter. Indoors is fine. Wearing a sweater inside is dependant on how much you want to pay for heating each month. Normally, I like to avoid sweaters. Even if it's cold, I just...don't like wearing them.
2) You need to wake up in the morning but you don't want to get outside of the bed because it is very cold?? Oh yes. It's happened. I've had days where it was even cold in the house once I awoke. That resulted from my parents turning off the heat, because it was already May. But this May was an odd one, a lot colder than normal.
3) Do I have to heat my car 20 min before driving? Nah, I'd say a lot of us Duluthians are troopers, haha. I've been known, when I was forgetful and in a rush, to just start up my car in -20 weather. It's not too great for your car, but if you have a newer car, you'll do fine. It IS more comfortable to start it with the heat BLASTING so it will be nice and warm when you come inside.
4) Please share with me your worst experiences about weather, indoor and outdoor.. Oh there's too much to even answer. Sometimes it gets so cold that you can hardly stand to be outside for more than 2 minutes. It is a struggle. It gets so cold, it feels like my nostrils stick together or something, but it's only the frosty air that's making it seem like that. I hate it here in the dead of winter.

But a scary experience was driving in the winter once, and trying to get home. The roads were glazed over and icy, and I was trying to get up a hill to go to my house...and I just stopped for a second, and started sliding down. I couldn't control my car. In the winter, you have to be careful about what hills to choose, if any.


Culture:
For me it is not important if a place is diverse or not but it is important how they see the idea of diversity;
1) Are people welcoming, friendly? I'd say they are, more so than a bigger city. You have the opportunity to know your neighbors.
2) Do people have prejudgement towards different nations, believes and opinions or they are open to listen and share they ideas rather than dictate. I have foreign parents, and I don't think anyone thinks any differently of them. At least, I'd hope not.
3) Are there any 'this is my land not your land' atmosphere? Absolutely. You got the people that live out in the country more often that are like that. hicks, I like to call them. Some people would scream at you for being on their land. My dad stepped onto a ladies property one time for not more than a minute, and she started screaming at him. Some people are just crazy though.
4) How educated are they? Can you say a number between 1-10 10 being a person who cannot locate his city in a US map? I'm sure everyone can locate Duluth, it's on the tip of Lake Superior. Now, locating other countries? Hah, good luck. I may be mistaken, but it feels like Americans in general don't know too much about the world. But maybe I shouldn't be talking. I wouldn't be able to tell you what the capital of Maine is, or anything like that.

Economy:
1) What's your average heat expense in a winter month? That, I don't know. If you want a comfortable setting where you don't need to wear a sweater, you'll be paying more.
2) How many fine dining restaurant do you have? I don't really go to fine dining places. I don't believe in those all too much. Overcharging just for food is such a shame. BUT: I'd say we have some. I'm not quite sure what you totally consider fine dining.
3) How many Cadillacs do you see in a weekday traffic? Two words: A lot.

[aluminumpork]

Originally Posted by nick is rulz

yeah theres a ton of Cadillacs in duluth, and very few BMWs, Mercedes or Lexus.

I guess I'm not sure what Duluth you're living in but it seems Audis, VWs, BMWs and the like are very prevalent, especially in East Duluth. Heck, I myself drive an Audi. If you're comparing to the Twin Cities, then of course there's far fewer, but the population is also more than 10 times that of Duluth.

I guess I don't understand what how many Cadillacs there are somewhere has anything to do with a move decision, unless you're trying judge a place by using a stereotype about people who drive Cadillacs.

In the winter time a lot of people keep their heat turned down a bit to save money and do wear warmer clothes, but it's completely up to you. That kind of applies to your next question also. There are definitely mornings that you don't want to get out of bed due to it being a bit chilly, but again, that's only if you keep your house a little cooler.

Most homes are very well insulated here, so you shouldn't have any trouble keeping it warm. In a few of the homes I've lived in, it's almost been too warm.

You don't really have to warm up your car before you leave. I prefer to however, especially if you get a remote car starter. It's really nice to jump into a toasty car (especially if you have leather! )

I guess I haven't really had any bad experiences with cold weather, I've grown up here and I'm used to it. Just have to be smart, bundle up and keep some basic necessities in your car in case of car trouble.

People are for the most part very friendly, there are of course exceptions. Most Minnesotans are a bit reserved before they open up to you. There's actually quite a bit of "hippy" culture in Duluth, which can be breath of fresh air. Many very friendly young people that are very open to people from all places. Duluth itself has three great colleges, two them quite prestigious. One of the problems Duluth currently has is that a lot of the people that go to school here, don't necessarily stay due to a lack of skilled labor jobs. Of course, a lot do stay and it seems most people you talk to here are quite intelligent and more informed on world affairs that some may assume.

As far as heat bills go, as previous posters have stated, it varies heavily from home to home. I currently live in the upper unit of a duplex that is heated with natural gas. My monthly bill in the coldest of winter months is only $80. I've have yet to own a home, so I can't really comment on that. Insulation and high quality Energy Star rated windows plays a huge roll in that monthly bill.

Fine dining has actually been on the rise in Duluth lately. I suppose your definition of "fine" may be different and I can think of at least 5 very nice places off the top of my head (The Pickwik, Midi, Restaurant 301, Belisios andValentinis). Also a lot of "hole in the wall" places that serve unique food if you feel inclined to explore a little.

I hope some of that helps! Have you ever visited Duluth? What made you want to live here?

[CrystalIce]

The one type of car you don't see very much during the winter are convertibles. You only see these maybe three months out of the year (which is how long our summer is) You don't see the luxury cars in Duluth that you do in the Twin Cities and especially not like you see in California or Florida. You still see a lot of SUV's and all-wheel drives as they are a necessity in the winter months. The one thing you do see is rust on cars. That is one thing Minnesota has a problem with over other parts of the country that don't have to salt their roads in the winter. And yes, sometimes it is so cold outside not even my dog wants to go out.

[Duluth07]

I'll go off-topic a little and delve deeper into your questions as they seem to be from someone who is somewhat used to an urban lifestyle (like me!). I grew up here and vowed never to return after turning 18. Ten years later and tired of Minneapolis, I found the reasjustment not that bad. You can find your niche here, you just have to look hard, be comfortable with being alone and realize social networks take a lot of time. This is still very much a couples or people with kids place. Not much for single childless adults or gay and lesbian folk here. Racially things have changed a lot in ten years but again most have kids and I've talked to friends of color that they see few if any working professional jobs that require masters level education. Downtown is picking up but still not great - as a downtown lover I wanted to see the new Bridgeman-Russell Apartments which are fabulous but ridiculously overpriced compared to downtown Minneapolis, for example. And at night you'll still find mostly drunks or homeless downtown.

I utilize the bus (Duluth Transit Authority, Duluth MN) which gets me to where I need to go. A monthly unlimted pass is $35; not bad when looking at $4 gas. People are generally very nice here. Much more acceptance of gay people, biracial children, men and women working non-traditional gender assigned jobs. I feel safe here.

[CrystalIce]

As for the sweater question - inside in the winter. Heck I'm wearing one right now and it is June!

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by hdibbi

Hi there,

It's Mike, I have been in almost ever major city in US and also lived in different countries, cities vs, and I can tell you that every city is unique..I may have to move to Duluth in a year or so...I'll be very happy if you can answer my questions, I appreciate your time.

Weather:
I have never lived in such temperature,never experienced it therefore I want to ask some specific questions; Let's say its winter:
1) How's indoors? Do you wear sweater inside the house? Is it comfortable or outside weather is still bothering you?
2) You need to wake up in the morning but you don't want to get outside of the bed because it is very cold??
3) Do I have to heat my car 20 min before driving?
4) Please share with me your worst experiences about weather, indoor and outdoor..

Great questions!

1) Depends on how good your insulation is. At our store (built ~ 1900), it can be positively freezing in the winter. Hands are worst affected. Newer buildings don't suffer as much. Our house is under work right now, so sometimes when there's a strong east wind my east-facing room gets cold. But I never wear a sweatshirt around the house - in fact, during the winter I'm probably more often in shorts and a T-shirt than in the summer because I rarely go out when it's so cold!
2) Yes, quite often in the winter
3) There are several days when I start it 10 - 20 minutes early so it's warm enough. Kills gas mileage.
4) Indoor, the store is really cold in winter and can get quite sticky in the summer (no A/C). At home, I'm a little better off. The worst thing about Duluth's winters isn't their intensity, but their length. It can stay sooo cold for sooo long, and after a while, it just doesn't seem worth it living here. Summers are the flip side of the equation...after mid-June, they're usually great. Early June can be cold and rainy.

Culture:
For me it is not important if a place is diverse or not but it is important how they see the idea of diversity;
1) Are people welcoming, friendly?
2) Do people have prejudgement towards different nations, believes and opinions or they are open to listen and share they ideas rather than dictate.
3) Are there any 'this is my land not your land' atmosphere?
4) How educated are they? Can you say a number between 1-10 10 being a person who cannot locate his city in a US map?

1) I would say so.
2) Pretty average I'm guessing.
3) Maybe a little bit.
4) Haha, I think that would be a scale of how uneducated the population is. I'd put it at 4.5 for Duluth.

Economy:
1) What's your average heat expense in a winter month?
2) How many fine dining restaurant do you have?
3) How many Cadillacs do you see in a weekday traffic?

Thanks in advance, its a great help for me,

Have a wonderful day

1) We get heating assistance.
2) Duluth caters to a lot of tourists in the summer and fall, so there are a few finer restaurants here. Nothing really special - but fancy enough. Off the top of my head I can think of North Shore Cafe and Nokomis (both probably fit into the "New American" category), Bellisio's (Italian), and The Pickwick (Traditional American). I'm sure there are others.
3) Cadillacs? I don't really notice them much. I think quite a few are driven by older people not exactly the newest models. You do see some Escalades. I think BMW's, Porsches, and Benz's are a better indication. If you use that, Duluth probably has fewer than a lot of places. However, I have seen a lot of BMW's around lately.