Duluth vs St Cloud (St. Cloud, Moorhead: relocating, hotels, vacation)

[Eurogal]

Hi guys!
We'll be relocating from South Texas this next summer. Currently, my husband is very interested in 2 locations in MN where he could get a job: Duluth and St Cloud.
What do you have to say about living there in comparison? Knowing we are a small family still young, cosmopolitan (originally from Europe and South America) and that would adapt well.
I know about the cold. I believe Duluth to be a pretty place to live when St Cloud is more of a suburb. St Cloud is expanding when Duluth is closing schools because of the declining numbers of kids.
And what about Hermantown?

And what about their universities, UMD and SCSU?

One thing we know, whatever city, it'll be a better place than our current location.

[Mark S.]

I have never LIVED in either place. But I visited both.

Honestly, I didn't care for St. Cloud. Too busy. Seemed like a city of strip malls and car lots. Really bad traffic for such a mid-sized town. Seemed to have some pretty rough neighborhoods, too. I did like some of the smaller communities around St. Cloud, but St. Cloud itself didn't make a very good impression on me.

Duluth seemed okay. If I was moving there, I'd be careful of my neighborhood. There are good and bad areas. I didn't like Superior, WI (right across the bridge) at all. If you don't like cold, don't move to Duluth though. That wind off the lake makes even late spring and summer seem pretty cool if you're not used to it. The country around the city is gorgeous. Lake Superior really is a wonder.

[aswat12389]

I've lived int St Cloud for the past 18 years, and I agree with Mark S' comments about St Cloud except there aren't really any rough neighborhoods. Yes, there are some that are lower income, but I have yet to find one that I am not comfortable driving through at night. There is no Cabrini Green or even comprable to Mineapolis's rougher neighborhoods.

I've only visited Duluth as well, and my perecptions were the same except I liked the city overall more. I have a friend though who lived there for 15 years and he absolutly loved it. He now lives in Cold Spring (20 minutes from St Cloud) and despises Cold Spring and St Cloud.

[golfgal]

I think you will find St. Cloud more diverse and more economically stable then Duluth. Duluth is a great place to visit but I don't know that I would want to live there because of the weather. It doesn't really get all that warm in the summer and the winters can be brutal. Both universities are fine and have good reputations. I don't think you would see much difference in the quality of the students attending either university. St. Cloud is a little closer to the Twin Cities so that expands your social scene a bit.

Hermantown, I don't really know anything about it other then it is a fairly small town.

[MattDen]

Duluth has a fairly bad economy, I knew some people when I lived in Moorhead/Fargo who are from there and said it was very economically depressed in Duluth. Alot of retirees also who like views of the lake and good fishing are also causing the housing prices to increase. Its sort of on its way of becoming a secound-home resort destination for retirees I think.
It is a great town for retirees though who like views of one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, the topography of Duluth is amazing. Its just a beautiful place scenery wise but not economically.

UMD is part of University of Minnesota system which has higher tuition then SCSU which is the under the Minnesota State colleges system, so SCSU is more affordable (if one can call any college affordable) and larger then UMD.

People might think I am out of it but I think St. Cloud is at the top of the list of Minnesota cities. The people are also some the friendliest I have ever met, I spent some time there when I was living in Minnesota and the quality of life overall in St. Cloud is very high and you can tell because the people seem very relaxed and happy there.

St. Cloud is a great city. Lots of nice trails, vibrant with the university, very affordable rents and less then an hour from all the amenities in the Twin Cities. The economy is very good in St. Cloud but the wages are much lower then the Twin Cities area. The Twin Cities is commutable though from St. Cloud.

For some reason alot of people dont like St. Cloud (never understood why). I think the way the town is set-up is great, its clean with very nice architecture and its also very vibrant with SCSU being there.

[snowlandcook]

I have lived in St Cloud for the past 20 years, and in my opinion, there is no really "unsafe" neighborhood as long as you use common sense caution. I would (and do) drive anywhere in St Cloud at any time of day or night and do not worry. Downtown (the bar area) can get unruly at night, but I don't hang out there so it's not an issue for me.

Yes, St Cloud has many strip malls. It's retail central! But it makes for some good shopping--competitive prices.

Traffic is indeed nasty--way too many (unsynchronized) traffic lights for the size town that it is. Poor infrastructure.

On the plus side:
Schools are very good, k12 right through college. SCSU is great--and so are St John's University and University of St Benedict, which are just down the road a pace. Also, there are many extra curricular activities for kids--like soccer and baseball going on all day in the summer at Whitney Park and swimming lessons for kids of all ages at the public schools. (Our Park and Rec Dept provides lots of opportunities.) And we have good arts (theatre, music) programs for kids.

Another plus is St. Cloud's proximity to Mpls-St Paul. The "Twin Cities" are about 1 to 1 1/2 hours away (depending which side of St Cloud you live on and traffic conditions). So if you want to take in a big name concert, watch a professional sports event, enjoy a play at the Guthrie or Old Log Theatre, or attend the MN State Fair in St Paul, they're all do-able.

I like St Cloud quite a bit. Haven't lived in Duluth, so I can't provide any insight on it. Vacationing up there is nice though!

Good luck.

[Minnehahapolitan]

I would go for Duluth over Saint Cloud. It doesn't have as good an economy as St. Cloud, but it is a lot cooler( lit and fig.), cosmopolitan city, (much more urban.) I would go for UMD over St. Cloud State any day. Duluth aslo has St. Scholastica. St. Cloud isn't bad, but it will have as many problems with growth as Duluth has with "decline". I think St. Cloud has a weird vibe to it, I won't ramble, but that's my 2 cents.

[Eurogal]

Well, thank you everybody for your input.
Duluth it will be. My husband signed the contract today.
I think we'll love the city. I just hope I will deal ok with the cold. Viva the winter sports!

[HockeyFan]

You'll love Duluth. One of the most underrated cities anywhere. Great waterfront with restaurants, shops, hotels, tourists, etc. Best place in Minnesota in my opinion. If you find a job there, you'll love it -- and it appears you have!

Winters -- actually, there are times the lake acts as a bit of a heater, especially late and early in winter. It's not as bad as people say -- still warmer than some places I've lived!

Great place, you will love it! Get involved in winter sports, it makes winter go quick. And by all means, watch hockey -- UMD and the high schools are very popular there.

Go up the North Shore, stop at Betty's Pies, spend time taking in the unique vibe of the area.

[Bhaalspawn]

If finding a job and money matters aren't issues, then you might enjoy Duluth. If you enjoy the outdoors, you can drive along the Lake Superior North Shore and enjoy scenery and waterfalls. You can also hike up a few hills (they aren't mountains, they're hills) that are along the lakeshore. You'll also be close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Now a question for you Duluthers. I stayed in Duluth for two nights last Summer and I was wondering how the heck you guys drive up and down those hills in the winter. They must be murder (or suicide) when it's icy out.