Best town in minnesota (Minneapolis, St. Paul: low crime, schools, university)

[natepickle]

Hi,
My family and i are ready for a change we live in virginia about 2 hrs west of DC we have found the mountains still have the DELIVERANCE feel to them.

What is the best town there for a family with a 10yr and 6 yr old, they love to swim on swim teams. We thought Shenandoah valley here got snow but we havent seen any in 2 yrs. We want to see snow with bright sunny winter days, close to water not right on it but a short drive to it, a pet friendly place with outdoor activities

We would like to be within 2 hrs of museums like DC has, as town where kids are safe, a sense of community, great job growth, low crime.

I grew up all my life at the beach of NC and i miss friendly people, the kind that invite you to dinner to welcome you. where a hand shake means something. Almost a Mayberry feel with modern stores nearby.

Are there any towns like that there?

[c0ldfuse]

I actually covered a long discussion of this in your North Dakota thread and even there suggested you check out the following MN cities (I'm leaving the ND ones out and keeping the MN ranking)

(1) Duluth, MN
(2) Moorhead, MN (on boarder with Fargo, ND)
(3) St Cloud/Sartell, MN
(4) Rochester, MN

[MplsTodd]

I live in the Twin Cities and so probably have a bias in favor of living in the Metro area, where I think you could satisfy all your conditions.

But since you referenced towns, I'd suggest the following:

Red Wing: scenic, historic town along Mississippi River
Winona: attractive small city w. university
New Ulm: very Germanic, but nice looking main street
River Falls/Menomonee WI: includes university
Owatonna: good reputation for econ growth

[LaceyEx]

Alexandria has it all and is 2 hrs. west of Minneapolis and 1 hr east of Fargo.

[jojajn]

For a family-I highly recommend Rochester. This city has excellent schools. Plenty of opportunities for swimming. Good economy with jobs. Low crime. International airport. Excellent access to healthcare. Beautiful city with parks and lovely downtown.

[golfgal]

What size town are you looking for? From your description I would say that Stillwater fits the bill. It is a valley town on the river, great schools, community feel, safe, great swim teams and a lot of activities for the kids and your family. It is also about 30 minutes or less from the museums and whatnot in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

[uptown_urbanist]

Red Wing and Stillwater are nice towns by the water but still within easy reach of the Twin Cities. Other parts of MN also have nice museums and culture, but realistically the only place that can come close to offering anything like the variety offered by DC would be the Twin Cities. There are even some "Mayberry"-like areas within the metro area (St. Anthony area of St. Paul comes to mind) but they're expensive. I'd look into the various towns south along the Mississippi (from the Twin Cities) and see if any of them are what you're after.

And, fun fact, water skiing was invented on Minnesota's Lake Pepin? (not really a lake, but the widening of the Mississippi.) You'll find plenty of snow everywhere here, not to mention plenty of water options (small lake, big lake, Great Lake, rivers, etc.)

Wisconsin has some very nice towns within two-hours of the Twin Cities, too. Or, if you end up liking the Lake Superior shoreline best, my visits to Bayfield, WI have always been very pleasant; I've only been there as a tourist in the summer, but have chatted with the mayor, attended little league games, and overall really liked its sense of community. The tourist aspect gives it some additional dining options and other amenities not usually enjoyed by towns of its size. It's not too far from Duluth. Jobs could be tough, though.

[aecp]

Originally Posted by jojajn

For a family-I highly recommend Rochester. This city has excellent schools. Plenty of opportunities for swimming. Good economy with jobs. Low crime. International airport. Excellent access to healthcare. Beautiful city with parks and lovely downtown.

How is the nursing field holding up in rochester? It seems to be not doing so great in the rest of the state. I just looked on mayo's website and it seems like there were tons of nursing jobs that were full time even.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by natepickle

I grew up all my life at the beach of NC and i miss friendly people, the kind that invite you to dinner to welcome you. where a hand shake means something. Almost a Mayberry feel with modern stores nearby.

Are there any towns like that there?

You might want to do some research into Minnesotan and Scandinavian culture. Many natives here are more likely to invite you over to dinner after getting to know you first. They are not trying to be unfriendly, it is just the local culture in this part of the country.

[heidilynn]

Hey.. I live outside of a pretty neat small town called Ely. Its 2 hours from Duluth. There are a ton of lakes around and all sorts of outdoors activities. Its a safe, clean, friendly town. Check it out ]