offered a place in grand rapids (Duluth, Brainerd: Home Depot, employment, college)

[vincubus]

hello all, am new here. i have been offered a place on land contract in grand rapids. i have never been there, but understand there is a paper mill and that the town is smallish (which doesn't bother me) but i am concerned about employment opportunities and then wonder if someone can give me "pointers" of general intel about grand rapids?

thanks

[jasper1372]

I am quite familiar with Grand Rapids since I spend quite a number of years living just outside of town.

I have to say Grand Rapids in my opinion is one of the nicest towns in Minnesota. You're right when you say it's smallish population wise....but if you drive around town you'd swear it's much larger than the population says it is.

There are copious retail shopping opportunitues in a broad catagory of items available around town. There's a Target, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and many of the other retail "chains" present along with many chain restaurants like Applebees, Ground Round etc...

My job took me from the Grand Rapids area to the Cloquet area which is also decent except for two facts. One is that the weather in Grand Rapids will almost always be warmer in the summer since Cloquet suffers somewhat from the "Lake Superior effect" called COLD. Secondly Cloquet has a larger population than Grand Rapids...but about 25% (if even that) of the retail shopping opportunitues that Grand Rapids has.

I'd move back to Grand Rapids in a heart beat if I could get my old job back. That being said however, once our daughter finishes college we're heading to Arizona since I've had way to many cold winters, cold springs, cold summers (this one included) and cold falls.

[demtion35]

The area is a fishing hot bed, and general hub for the summer tourists to head for. Grand Rapids is a very nice town, close to Cass Lake, Bemidji, Duluth, Park Rapids, and Walker. Brainerd is in the area also, all of which are great for fishing and the north woods feel that so many like.
There are alot of resorts in these areas also, should be fun.