Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Park Rapids or St Cloud (Minneapolis, St. Cloud: crime, home)

[gottagetupnorth]

My family is going to move to Northern MN. I have an 8 yr old son and hope to get my masters in Geography (GIS). I am looking at Bemidji State U or St Cloud State U. My husband will be starting a new business where ever we end up. I am concerned mostly about the schools for my son. We would like to keep him in the public schools, but want a district that is solid educationally. I would like him to go to a smaller high school like 500-600 students. Of these four choices which area has the best schools and youth sports in the community?

Also, we are looking for good fishing lakes. We like perch, and walleye mainly. Any suggestions on areas or lakes to look at? We would like a lake home or a home with enough land to roam. We have 300 acres now where we live in WI with lots of hunting (no fishing.) and don't want to lose this if we can help it.

Thank you so much for any help you could give me.

[slamont61]

Originally Posted by gottagetupnorth

My family is going to move to Northern MN. I have an 8 yr old son and hope to get my masters in Geography (GIS). I am looking at Bemidji State U or St Cloud State U. My husband will be starting a new business where ever we end up. I am concerned mostly about the schools for my son. We would like to keep him in the public schools, but want a district that is solid educationally. I would like him to go to a smaller high school like 500-600 students. Of these four choices which area has the best schools and youth sports in the community?

Also, we are looking for good fishing lakes. We like perch, and walleye mainly. Any suggestions on areas or lakes to look at? We would like a lake home or a home with enough land to roam. We have 300 acres now where we live in WI with lots of hunting (no fishing.) and don't want to lose this if we can help it.

Thank you so much for any help you could give me.

Park Rapids would be money for you child's schooling. You should just SEE the school they built there and the quality of education is second to none. Plus Park Rapids is but a small commute a way from Bemidji. I love the city of Bemidji very much but don't know much about the schools.

Park Rapids and just about all the systems around it are spot on.

[kg1701d]

SCSU has a very good GIS program. I know the City of Minneapolis will frequently look to State graduates for GIS people. Just to the west of St Cloud, Albany, has a great school, great athletics. Smallish school 150 or so students per grade. Its a pretty rural area but close to St Cloud and the Cities. Bemidji is a little middle of nowhere.

[snowblind9]

I moved to Grand Rapids last October. I too was concerned about the school system. I have a nine year old. She really likes the schools here. It has been a breathe of fresh air to have such nice teachers and community to live in. As far as fishing. Grand Rapids is in Itasca County, this county has over 1000 lakes. That should give you an idea how the fishing is around here. It is paradise. I explained to my kids when we moved here that we are living where other people vacation to get away from it all. Grand Rapids is not touristy like you will see in other cities. I highly recommend to visit. I didn't have the intention of moving here till I drove and visited it first.

[usafracer]

Just north of Bemidji is a little town of Black Duck. They have a wonderful school there. It is small k-12 and about 65-70 students per grade.

[golfgal]

There is quite a bit of difference between St. Cloud and Bemidji. What kind of business will your DH be starting? Depending on what it is, one are might be better for you then another.

Personally I LOVE the Bemidji area but the St. Cloud area has a better economy.

[nerfer]

Originally Posted by gottagetupnorth

I would like him to go to a smaller high school like 500-600 students. Of these four choices which area has the best schools and youth sports in the community?

Umm, that's a pretty big school for that area. Are you talking 9th-12th grade, so about 150 per year? If you're talking 500-600 per grade, then only St. Cloud fits the bill.

[slamont61]

Originally Posted by snowblind9

I moved to Grand Rapids last October. I too was concerned about the school system. I have a nine year old. She really likes the schools here. It has been a breathe of fresh air to have such nice teachers and community to live in. As far as fishing. Grand Rapids is in Itasca County, this county has over 1000 lakes. That should give you an idea how the fishing is around here. It is paradise. I explained to my kids when we moved here that we are living where other people vacation to get away from it all. Grand Rapids is not touristy like you will see in other cities. I highly recommend to visit. I didn't have the intention of moving here till I drove and visited it first.

I'm jelous of you. I wish I could live up there. As it is here in Sebeka, we are too live near all sorts of Resorts where the City Folk come to get away from the Rat Race. I used to be from the "city" and would aways wish I could live where I would vacation. Now I do. One does not have to travel far to find GREAT FISHING. There are SO many lakes it's insane.

For "small towns" with a tourist flare, Park Rapids is perfect. There you have the very best of both worlds. I think also that Bemidji is the perfect big town in isolation but likely so is Grand Rapids. Bemidji has a little more crime going for it but the earthen beauty of it all is way beyond the worry of it. Just being there where the Mississippi emptys into Bemidji Lake one gets the sense of the long long journey the water is under taking. A few steps away and you are in a real city. One view I just love is that lake once it's frozen. There is a city on the ice. Not since seeing the shanty towns on Lake St Clair in Michigan have I ever seen such a collection. The ice stays frozen solid on Minnesota's Lakes long enough to REALLY enjoy ice fishing.

Taking the drive from Park Rapids, up County Road 4 the nature is so perfect and Lake George is perfectly central to PR and Bemidji. Just seeing all the Nature and endless beauty of trees, bever dams, Bald Eagles and countless Deer makes the journey perfect. Two stops in this neighborhood include Dorset in the Summer, which is located on the Heritage Trail with the very finest in Eateries and then you have what is the most quaint stops, Emmaville - Population 4. This cross road has a wonderful little gas station/diner/convenience store in the area. Emmaville is centrally located around many resorts. Including the Evergreen Family Resort on Big Sand Lake with a beautiful Par 3 golf coarse.

The area between Wadena and the Canadian Boarder in Minnesota is perfect, the way life should be. Fresh Air and the abundant wild life makes it all worth it. Being able to live here year round makes me very lucky, and I work in the IT industry. I could never have envisioned having the ability to be a Programmer and beign able to work in rural bliss.

[fasttom5116]

i lived in bemidji and it sucked nothing to do and nothing for a kid to do but get in trouble and there is nothing for jobs there

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by fasttom5116

i lived in bemidji and it sucked nothing to do and nothing for a kid to do but get in trouble and there is nothing for jobs there

Pretty generic post but its true.

More rural places are nice if you can establish a nice way of income. Most basic 'jobs' dont pay well, and are probably pretty boring. You make living in those areas interesting by owning a business, or doing a special kind of work. Also think of kids. Do you want your kid raised in a backwater town with noting to do besides steal mom and dads liquor and go driving around town causing trouble. it happens-