Considering Minnesota for Grad School (Minneapolis, St. Paul: apartments, low crime, home)

[kaseyg]

Currently I am finishing up my senior year for my undergrad and am looking at grad schools. One that I am considering is UMinnesota-Twin Cities. Right now I am in NJ and am really open to any location. Can anyone tell me anything about the area? The good, the bad, the ugly? Unfortunately I don't have the ability to visit every location that I am looking at schools so I thought this might be a good way to at least get a feel for the area.

Thanks!

[knke0402]

Ive been to NJ and can tell you it holds NOTHING to MN, the Twin Cities are the shizz.

If you can handle winter, MN is probably pretty great for you.-Nice people, cleanliness, hospitality, UofM is a great school...not much else I can say.

Good: Clean, nice, friendly, women to men ratio, quality of life, job availibility, professional sports, night life, recreation, parks, Mississippi River, Lakes, Lakes and more lakes, Mall of America, Twins, Wild, Vikqueens, Gophers, low crime (people here will cry about 'some parts' of MPLS to be bad in crime, fact of the matter is-MPLS is pretty low-key.

Bad: Congestion, taxes, increasing rents, many left-wing-art-coffee shop-aging-hippie liberal douches in the Twin Cities...too many to be exact

Ugly: Nothing. Well, Cedar Riverside Somali apartments are pretty ugly.North MPLS after 11pm.

[kaseyg]

Thanks so much for your honesty - I have been a NJ person all my life...don't get me wrong - I love it. I know that nothing will ever be home like NJ has been for me. But, I know I want a change and I know that I need it as well. It's just a matter of where I end up. I am really interested in MN - I love the cold and the snow so I think I just might be able to handle it.

I appreciate your input!

[knke0402]

Where in NJ are you from?

I think NJ is interesting. Its a very urban State, however there are vast rural areas too. And the shore-. I went to AC once too, that was a blast.

Interestingly enough, I have met a bunch of people who have moved here from NJ and like it.

The accent will hit you, its pretty stong here, and people from out East hear it more from what i have learned.

[stan4]

My bro went there for grad school. He LOVED it.

Great, clean city. Lots of cultural mix.

[Haver]

The only people who seem to have a problem here from what I've observed in the forums (besides the obvious "winter thing") are some of the in-your-face-type New Yorkers and some of more rabid anti-tax folks. We're a bit on the subtle side in so far as communications and relationship, almost European in some respects. If that's not a style you can work with you'll end up wondering if we're all frozen Nordic pod people.

[Prple]

Here is some good info from the U of M's website:
The Graduate School : Twin Cities

[Slig]

I'm not sure what grad school program you're looking at. I am enrolled in the Carlson School of Management MBA program and I have nothing but good things to say about it in regards to the facility, faculty, curriculum, etc. The only gripe is tuition but it would be no different than any other top 30 MBA program.

As far as Minneapolis/St. Paul, I like living here. Winter is really the only downside but if you're coming from New Jersey you should be able to tolerate it. If you like parks, lakes, rivers and things like that it is probably the biggest upgrade over the New Jersey area. Traffic still sucks here but it probably isn't as bad as there. People here are a little more laid back too which is nice.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by knke0402

left-wing-art-coffee shop-aging-hippie liberal douches

Send that one into Pat Sejak. Love to see it on the wheel of fortune.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by knke0402

MINNESOTA: HOME OF THE HANDOUTS!

Yeah, socialism looks to be the biggest downside to an otherwise nice place. I'm somewhat a libertarian/conservative, but I think I could survive Minnesota's politics (Al Frankin! Are you people KIDDING!?), considering most other aspects are positive. I'm not too outspoken about politics in person, so I'd just vote my way and leave it at that.