Austin Minnesota? (Minneapolis, Rochester, Fridley: rent, crime, house)

[mr.spock]

Hello All,

I live in Fridley Minnesota and im getting tired of the BIG city life and 20% property tax increases EVERY year!, I have relatives who live near rochester and they love it!, I would like to be within a 30 mile radius of rochester, I see home prices and property taxes are unbelievably cheap in the Austin area, I could pretty much buy a house flat out (no mortgage)!, Im curious what the people are like from there?, Are their any ALL night supermarkets/stores?, What is the employment situation like?, I was told Hormel was the ONLY employer in town?, Any feedback would be appreciated.

[yellowsnow]

I responded because no one else did. I have a coworker from Austin. It's a nice small town but there aren't many jobs at all. That's why housing is reasonable!

[krink63]

I have lived in Austin all of my life. We will be moving soon and I can honestly say I'm glad. This town is not what it used to be. Crime is up considerably over the last few years. There is one or two industries -- hormel, quality pork and weyerhauser. Not very many jobs at all and an I.A. problem. The upside? It is a small town, we are getting new retail businesses and the school system is very good. Have you looking into Stewartville or cities closer to Rochester?

[tommyp1]

Since Krink has the only negative reply, mine will fit! When you enter Austin (I90) the sign sez "Austin, Next 7 exits." In most places I've lived, this would be a reasonable 'seduction' to entering something BIG! The sign should instead read: Austin, Next 7 exits too NOTHING!! If I had explored Main St (between 3rd-4th ave NE) and noticed the 'symbol' that is Austin: a half demolished block (from fire and NOT boarded up graffiti bldgs.: in most cities) that has existed all Summer and from before I arrived (2 months ago), I would have ran!! It is immoral and evil and thus affects the emotion/physical well being of Austinites, and needs to be dropped at the mayor's feet from top to bottom! This is not "Minnesota Nice," but rather, Minnesota stupid! You go to the engineer's office and get 'blank stares.'
Yes, Minnesota is more conservative (I was born here, Saint Paul, NOT Austin), but worse, has a serious leadership vacuum. I'm running from here, and I don't care if my landlord 'pockets' my deposit! Another Austin fraud: John Madden was born at the Austin hospital, but didn't grow up here: but rather in neighboring Oakland (probably why he went to coach the Raiders, instead of the "mediocre Minnesota Vikings" who haven't won a thing in my lifetime). Thanks for being informed.

[Blazer]

The Spam Museum was fun when I had out-of-state visitors.

[demtion35]

Ive been to Austin MN area and dont really recall much of it but did enjoy the local country radio station quite a bit and could get a good signal from up in Fairboult MN. at work.

The reason the radio station was so good was it played alot of classic country from the 60 70 and 80's and had some modern country thrown in. Im not a big fan of todays "Hot New Country" as most of it I dont care for.

Ok I may be mistaken (and thats ok also) but if you want to know what Austin MN. is really like, rent the movie "New In Town". It came out this past winter Im thinking and it was one of the funniest movies Ive seen in awhile now.

Though Im not sure how the locals felt about the portrail of their small town on not.

Owtonna MN. is not far from Austin, which Ive been here also, and the things that stick out the most in my mind is (its been many years now, about thirteen) is the fact of the "cruising" going on. It was a weekend in the summertime when I was there having a few beers when I noticed the wall to wall traffic going both ways up and down the local main drag.

Having to see what was going on I slipped into traffic and was not long when I noticed a sign that said "No Cruising allowed".

That must be about all there is to do down there, but the rodeo was excellent. Then it was time to head back toward home and responsibility.

Thanks

[demtion35]

OOPS! New Ulm was the "New In Town"

[Camden Northsider]

That movie's (New in Town) script was originally a book or screenplay (not sure) written by a middle-aged gentleman that grew up in North Minneapolis- I believe his mom still lives up here, and the main character in the original script was an African-American woman that the author wanted Angela Bassett to play. Many years ago the author (who I'm forgetting his name but there was a feature on him in the North News last month) met a woman that had moved to New Ulm to take a job, and hearing about her experiences there inspired him to want to write a book/play about it, which he did many years later- long after leaving Minnesota. The book garnered interest from Hollywood and by the time it hit the screen, a script that was originally somewhat afrocentric in nature (or at least had race relations in small town USA as one of its themes) came to cast Renee Zellwegger in its leading role (although I guess during production the producers hired the author back on as a consultant which allowed him to get some of his story back into the film)....I guess that's Hollywood.

[GA Griz]

My advice is to run screaming from SPAM TOWN! Unless you have a fake identity and can cross the border and come back under another name! AND get by with it!