Florida to Minnesota, anyone else do this? (Faribault, Alexandria: extended stay, crime)

[Frozen Cane]

I lived in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area for 5 years while in college but grew up in Minneapolis (18+ years). The Twin Cities area is in many ways, my "hometown," but I fell in love with Florida while there. I returned to MN after college, couldn't find a good paying job, and have since moved back to FL.

So, having lived on both side of the fence, I can say that everyone here is right and wrong, to a degree. It all goes back to personal preference.

Miami is NOT the place to live if you want a strong community, safe streets, affordable housing, or good schools. However, you can't beat the climate, sunny days, and international excitement of an international tourist destination.

On the other hand, you WILL be shocked at the winters, sky high taxes, and somwhat-difficult-to-break-into social circles in MN. I personally do not like 6 months below 50 degrees (positive) straight or two weeks of consistent overcast skies AT ALL. And, in the same vein that FL gives tax holidays for school and hurricane supplies, MN should do the same for "winterizing" expenses (coats, showblowers, snow tires, furnaces, etc.)

People on South Florida are, without a doubt, ruder than in MN, and yes, a lot of it comes from the Northeastern snowbirds and transplants. Then again, passive aggressiveness is alive and well in the midwest, and if you don't have a close circle of friends and family already established, blending into the community can take a while.

Homes are more afforable in the Twin Cities vs. Miami, if only because you get more for the same price. The neighborhoods are cleaner and better kept and no one has bars on their windows (something that shocked me when I moved to Miami the first time). While property values don't rise as fast, the impending bubble in SoFL is not as present in the TC.

Minnesotans take great pride in being tough and withstanding the (in my opinion) inhumane climate 5 months each year. Although I grew up in MN, I adjusted to FL weather in less than a year. 50 degrees is chilly for me and anything below freezing all feels the same. It is much more humid in FL, but it's nice that your skin doesn't feel like sandpaper from the dryness of winter.

So unfortunately, weather will play a larger role in your reaction than you may think. If you bring up weather with a Minnesotan, or, heaven help you, start comparing the climate to other parts of the country, be prepared for a heated debate. Community is vital, but it's the weather that makes most people love or hate MN.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

Originally Posted by Yorkie_Mom

Minnesota is a very pretty state, if you don't mind the cold you will be just fine. Like the other people have said, you have to dress for the weather, then you can do whatever you like. Our fall time of the year is beautiful to say the least, winter has been ok due to it being mild until now, below zero temps, if you can handle that.
Spring is like just waking up from a good long nap, the birds are chirpping, flowers are blooming, and everything comes to life. Summer is a little on the hot and humid side, no different from Florida, and the mosquito population, has been under control and not bad the last two years.
I think you would fit right in, the people here are friendly, I have lived here all my life, and I have always made others fell welcomed, even if it is just for a visit, I have also helped a family move that came from Montana, they are not related to me, it is the way some of us here have been raised.
If you can handle the winters, I think you would be able to get along with the rest of our seasons. Good luck, and take care.

Yorkie, you have been such a joy to correspond with that I thought I'd visit your board. Your post just described the first 30 years of my life, residing just outside of Chicago in NW Indiana. That is pretty much our weather in Chicagoland as well. It would seem, though, that our winters were getting longer with little to no real Fall season, and our Springtimes were very brief, yet beautiful as you described, with really crappy Summers. Summer was oftentimes characterized by EXTREMELY HIGH, STIFLING humidity - add to it pollution and smog with ozone levels that the news warned everyone about, sometimes on a daily basis - I have yet to encounter humidity THAT STIFLING down here. Seriously. Then a lot of our summer days never got above 70 degrees while we waited for the sun to come out. The last Summer I spent there had over one week of 105 degrees with God-only-knows what level of humidity and then the Winter brought with it the Blizzard of '99.

And YES, we were also raised like that - in that we would help our neighbors, even if we didn't know them, and also if it were someone in need that lived at a distance. Nice of you to help strangers move to your home state. The warmest people I ever met were from the midwest and north. Real "salt of the earth" people. When one grows up with such people, we tend to take it for granted and think that everywhere is the same. Not so. I don't miss the snow or ice, but I sure do miss the people!

[Yorkie_Mom]

Thank you for visiting, and for your post. We try to be friendly up this way, some people take it for granted, and some do it just because of dealing with this weather up this way, you need a sense of humor to deal with the big changes.
We are in for the storm of the year as I write, we have gotten rain, sleet, and snow, tomorrow through Monday is to be the same. Tuesday looks good and then another storm like this back in for Wednesday and Thursday, and that is far they go with the weather for next week.
I will be glad when spring gets here and all the snow melts. Have a good night, talk to you soon. Yorkie

[Deni]

Originally Posted by whatever

We're looking to get out of south Florida (who isn't?) and have a several friends up in MN. Any transplants from FL to MN interested in posting comments about the transition?

Yes, it gets very cold in the winter. Been there a few times during tundra season. I'm mostly curious about the cultural transition. Our family is white, likes the outdoors, boats, hunts, fishes and likes offroad vehicles. Seems like a good fit, have any other Floridians had issues that I may not be thinking of?

Thanks!

You would LOVE Minnesota. It's really true....10,000 Lakes! Loads of them. Unbelieveable fishing, water sports, the arts... Snow is lovely (like being in snow globe) and the summers are so pretty. As I wrote to another inquirer, have you heard of "Minnesota nice"? It is true. We ARE nice and we would welcome you.

[KirbyJRT]

I recently moved back to Connecticut from Seattle. Years ago I worked for a company that was based in St. Paul and used to travel to MN for a week here and there. I remember the winter being brutal, but I enjoyed the Metro area and the people very much. I am currently debating on giving MN a try myself. I've made a list of possible places to live and have been doing research on each. It's great to get ideas on these forums. It seems that every where you look, there are so many negative reviews. So I think it comes down to it's not where, but who you are with that really matters. I do believe in Minnesota nice though. I've experienced that first hand.

[atpcliff]

Hi!

West of the Cities, tech work?

I'd say look into St. Cloud. Up North is great, but there's not so many good jobs unless you're working for yourself.

Duluth is another option, but it's not West of the Cities.

MN, COLD? No. Northern MN is cold. The southern half is sub-tropical, at least when compared with Grand Forks or Winnepeg. We used to live up there, and wanted to move to Fargo for better weather!!!

cliff
YIP

PS-re: 10,000 lakes. Actually, there's something like 17,000. MN is BY FAR the best state in the Midwest. The Twin Cities is the ONLY city in the Midwest that is great. If you can't live on the West Coast, but like it, The Cities and MN is a great option. I have lived in 25 places, and The Cities is way at the top of the heap.

[whatever]

Thanks for posting YIP, this describes us pretty well; can't live on the West Coast, but like it. We'll be up in a week or so to experience our first MN summer day and are looking forward to that.

[cj31young]

It sucks here in MN.

Originally Posted by monti

Wait a minute, wait a minute...

Florida is beautiful - have you considered moving to Miami? It's beautiful there all year round, great party scene, plenty of creative work, can go water skiing/swimming all year round on the coast..

Minnesota - GREAT but only for 3 months in the summer and uh oh yeah if you have bugspray OH and I forgot housing costs are through the roof, uhm but ya know... we have *TREES* and uh... hmm

*think positive*

uh well we have uh PARKS ...

but you dont get to use those for 9 months out of the year due to the frigid cold winds... but THEY'RE THERE...

lakes...

just make sure you don't swim in any of the polluted ones (all of them)

yep, so if you want to sit inside and post on message boards in the winter, get drunk at bars with a bunch of no-name no-ambition look alike (everybody wears the same @$#@$% outfit here) losers - go outside and sit around during the summer all while paying super high rates for your house then MINNESOTA IS THE PLACE FOR YOU

[Tommy01062]

I'm actually from Fargo, ND and recently relocated to the Orlando, Fl area. I have spent much time in MN and I can tell you that it is truely God's country. You will love it.

[Tommy01062]

Better to be drunk with a bunch of nobodies than a bunch of fake wannabe's who can't even speak the language. sounds like you got a chip on your shoulder from the civil war or something. I hope you get sunburned.