Being Accepted in Minnesota, should be easy, right? (Mabel: home, neighborhood)

[littleraerae]

Well, I've been thinking about places to live and Minnesota seems like a great place, although I've never been there. I'm from a small town in Western SD and I feel like Minnesota is like SD, only with bigger towns and cities.

My question is, there seems to be a lot of people saying that Minnesotans are close-minded and backwards and that it's hard to make friends. As I'm from SD I see a lot of those comments too.

I'm outgoing and social, so as long as I try, I should be able to make friends, right? Are all the people who say everyone is mean in MN the ones who are close-minded and not trying or is the rumour true?

[AriEsStaR*]

Originally Posted by littleraerae

Well, I've been thinking about places to live and Minnesota seems like a great place, although I've never been there. I'm from a small town in Western SD and I feel like Minnesota is like SD, only with bigger towns and cities.

My question is, there seems to be a lot of people saying that Minnesotans are close-minded and backwards and that it's hard to make friends. As I'm from SD I see a lot of those comments too.

I'm outgoing and social, so as long as I try, I should be able to make friends, right? Are all the people who say everyone is mean in MN the ones who are close-minded and not trying or is the rumour true?

Well, since Ive lived in Minnesota all my life.. I would have to say that its pretty easy to meet new people. But some people are close-minded. People might give you dirty looks or not even come up to you and ask what your name is. But for the most part I would think Minnesota is a friendly place. If your in a store or something.. most people will smile at you. If you wanna go downtown.. people there are much more social but also kind of critical. Just be safe and good luck with everything!

[nerfer]

Until tonight I never heard the thing about people in MN being mean. They talk about "southern hospitality" but having lived there I can tell you it's no different than the upper midwest.

You'll always meet different characters. In rural areas it may be easier for people to become eccentric and set in their ways since they don't have to repeatedly explain themselves to others or obey a multitude of laws about their property. But as long as you don't try to change how other people live, you should get along just fine.

In a city, people drive faster and move in and out of traffic, this can appear threatening to somebody not used to it, especially if you're slowing them down and they let you know about it. In a small town, when people realize you're not just a tourist there for a couple days, they'll introduce themselves and ask about you. In a city, that's not possible, so people mostly politely ignore each other. These are pretty universal constants. MN is more rural than a lot of the U.S. so some people may have trouble adapting, but from SD I doubt you'll see a noticeable difference.

[JenLee]

I agree with the previous poster, since you are from SD, you should feel right at home. I think that those of us that grew up in the northern midwestern part of the country should feel right at home here.

I think (in truth) that anyone who is genuinely interested in living here should be aware that some people here are quieter than in other areas of the country but by being friendly and not pushy or hostile, anyone can make friends here.

And that is probably true of any part of the USA. There may be more quiet and reserved people in this area because of the ethnicities or the hardships of the weather/land in former times; but I've always found that a smile and showing a real interest in something can change most attitudes others have towards a person.

It's much easier to make friends here by getting involved in something within the community (ie: adult ed or a community service project or PTA) than by trying to make friends over the back fence, however.

[crazyme4878]

I think that the people who are posting about MN being mean and such maybe thought MN was a vastly different place and are generally unhappy and missing home. So they take it out on the "MN Nice" phrase. Stupid, really.

I am from Wisconsin, grew up close to the Minnesota border, plus lived in northern MN for a few years. I have never had any problems--everyone is friendly and much like Wisconsin, so I'm sure it is much like SD. I made a lot of friends while living there, and as always, the ability to strike up conversations is very easy to do.

Ignore the MN haters that broadly complain about every MN citizen. Look more closely to the posts that have actual concerns on certain areas. That will give you a much more clear idea. Also see if they state how long they have lived in the areas.

You know, the funny thing about this whole anti-MN thing--many posters have complained that people in MN are too passive-agressive and not to your face. My neighbors here in AZ are from Long Island. They still have the heavy accent, and they are really nice people. However, they had a terrible time with the principle at their daughter's school (she just started kindergarten) so much that they had to switch her. I thought perhaps it was the accent that was offending the principle so much (he threatened to call the police, even though the father was apoligizing for his accent and saying that he's not trying to sound mean nor want to fight about the issue). But then they had another confrontation with a couple they use to babysit for. They really are nice people, not the kind to start a fist fight, but I'm thinking the "NY attitude", that one which these MN-haters are champion for being direct and telling it how it is, is what is getting them in trouble. These situations, especially with the school, has caused them a lot of heartache and trouble.

Sorry, just a little antidote in favor of not having the in-your-face attitude.

[littleraerae]

Well, this makes me feel much better about other Midwestern states. I just keep seeing posters saying bad things about MN and even WI, which I love.

So, I guess since I'm a fellow Midwestern-er I'll get along just fine.

Thanks, everyone!

[Ben Around]

I've lived in other places and have noticed the passive-agressive behavior patterns amoung some MN'ns that people are posting about. In our first neighborhood, the people who were the friendliest to us were people from other states. Eventually, we got to know and make friends with some of the MN natives. (Others never did warm up, they seemed more interested in their extended families, which seems more common here than in other states where I have lived)

But the thing is, many MN'ns DON'T act that way. There are lots of friendly, congenial people here and they are easy to find. You don't need to be accepted by ALL MN'ns. My advice is to forget about the stoney-faced ones and surround yourself with the good ones.

[Twinsfan11]

Minnesotans are verk kind and friendly. "Minnesota Nice" lived here my whole live. your from the midwest so you should know what to expect from your neighbor to the east.

[aggiemom12]

I am a Texan and still live in Texas. My father was from MN and when I went to visit I found everyone very friendly. Texas is ok because it seems like a country of it's own. But I would love to visit maybe settle down in Mabel MN. That is what I was named after. Mabel

[knke0402]

well, the thing is...Minnesotans are just really reserved people. its the Scandanavian/German background. its also the fact that Minnesotans have a really strong family background and ties. Personal life is personal life, and other times are for recreation. Just grab a few beers and walk over to your neighbors, youll be friends for life. true minnesotan way,