Is there still "Minnesota nice" in the 21st Century? (Duluth: relocate, travel)

[Dingler]

I visit friends in Minnesota all the time and like it there (from April to October). Everyone asks me about the famous "Minnesota Nice" That term was developed by someone who found the people in Minnesota to be nicer than anywhere else in the United States. I wonder if this is still true.

Maybe the fast paced life style of the 21st Century has turned "Minnesota Nice" into "Minnesota I do not have time to talk to you"

Are the Minnesota people actually still nicer than people in our States?

[TheLastMove]

Originally Posted by Dingler

I visit friends in Minnesota all the time and like it there (from April to October). Everyone asks me about the famous "Minnesota Nice" That term was developed by someone who found the people in Minnesota to be nicer than anywhere else in the United States. I wonder if this is still true.

Maybe the fast paced life style of the 21st Century has turned "Minnesota Nice" into "Minnesota I do not have time to talk to you"

Are the Minnesota people actually still nicer than people in our States?

Dingler,
Just last night this topic came up while I was chatting with some parents at my daughter's track meet and we currently live in AL. We are moving back to MN this summer and one dad (a born and bred southern gentleman) who is attempting to run marathons in all 50 states said, "Hey, people talk about southern hospitality but some of the nicest and most helpful people I've met so far have been in MN." He ran Grandma's Marathon in Duluth and then spent a couple of days in the Cities. That being said, "MN nice" is a generalization as is "southern hospitality" and in most cases I believe the assessment of the areas are accurate...but there will always be exceptions for any numbers of reasons and MN by no means corners the market on "nice". I believe a recent survey (sorry I don't know the source) named New Yorkers as the friendliest people. There are nice people everywhere...but I do think you'll find a higher percentage of "nice" in Midwest in general and MN in particular. Have a nice weekend Dingler.

[Delaneyland]

Hey Dingler....funny you bring it up. My wife moved here from Alaska a number of years ago and after getting around a bit she told me "Minnesota Nice" didn't apply to many she met. She wasn't quite so polite about it, but I thought it was rather funny. I do quite a bit of traveling throughout MN and find folks in rural areas seem to still practice MN NICE the way it used to be. Seems the farther you travel outside of a city, the friendlier the folks are. Of course, there are nice folks everywhere but it seems city life changes people's priorities and outlooks. To be fair, with society the way it is, I guess I cannot blame "unfriendly" folks for not saying "hi" on the street, what kills me is the lack of customer service in (just about all) establishments. Treat others as you wish to be treated.....

[Mark S.]

Minnesotans are some of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met.

The only place in Minnesota I ever found where people were less than nice was Detroit Lakes. But to be fair, it was Friday night at the local mall, and 98% of the people there were rowdy teenagers, so I doubt they were the best example of the locals.

[mn_nice]

I think that Minnesota Nice still exists, but I think there are nice people all over the nation. I've travelled with my grandparents across the entire country and found genuine people all over. I think MN Nice and Land of 10,000 Lakes is all we have so we have to hold onto something.

I do feel that Minnesota is a great place to ask for directions. I was trying to find a Sam's Club in the twin cities, so while filling up for gas in Edina (an upper-class suburb of MPLS), I asked the guy next to me if he knew where one was. He wasn't sure, but grabbed his cell phone and called his wife to ask her. He gave me step by step directions on how to find the nearest one. I have had many experiences like this. So, if you are ever lost in MN, you can feel safe to ask for directions in most situations.

I do feel Customer Service is poor in a lot of check-out lanes throughout the state, but that is because I work at a Customer-focused business.

[Yorkie_Mom]

I am from Minnesota, and I am Minnesota nice, but plan on moving out of this state soon, but I plan on keeping the Minnesota nice in me and taking it on to where ever my new home will end up being. It is better to be nice and helpful, then being a crab, I would rather get the same treatment back, as I treat others. Yorkie

[Manhattan-ite]

I've heard from many people, and I kind of believe it myself, that people in the Midwest are friendly, but not all of them genuinely so.

They'll smile at you and talk to you and be oh-so-adorable, but it might not be "real". It might be just a facade, polite manners- and then once you're gone they'll backstab you or gossip or call you an idiot.

Having lived in Minnesota myself, I find that this theory could very much be true.

[QueenBee]

I feel there is a difference between "nice" and "friendly". Nice is when people smile, wave, or say "hello" but aren't necessarily interested in getting to know you better. Friendly is when someone engages in small talk with someone new and has a genuine interest in knowing something about that person. I think you will find a lot of nice people in Minnesota, but maybe not so many friendly ones. I have heard from many people who relocated here from elsewhere that it is very difficult to make friends; a neighbor of mine told me she thought for the first year she lived here that the "Minnesota Nice" expression was tongue-in-cheek . Minnesotans by and large have their circle of friends and family and aren't always interested in adding to it.

[Delaneyland]

You nailed it Queen...then again, I've experienced many folks that move here and say "Back in ______ where I'm from, we did it like this....."(fill in the blanks.)
I for one don't appreciate being told how to do this or that....

[Camalla]

I have been a resident of Minnesota all my life and I work as a Guest Services Representative for the hospitality industry. New comers to rural Minnesota might be a bit discouraged by how dull life can be in rural Minnesota. There are a lot of Mayberry RFD towns where stores close by 5pm and good luck if you want to find a restaurant open. It is best to come prepared to do your own cooking most of the time and provide your own entertainment. Rural out-state Minnesota is a very slow and sleepy place.