the "BIG 4 BATTLE ROYAL": Fargo v Bis v GF v Minot (Bismarck: apartments, condo)

[Roloff1976]

1. Bismarck
2. Grand Forks
3. Minot
4. Fargo

In the order that I find the towns appealing and inviting. Before I moved to ND, I traveled all of these cities. The order I placed my choices, were my first impressions and lasting impressions while visiting each city based on scenery, feel, people, friendliness, available shopping and eating establishments. I know many here love Fargo. Yes, Fargo is the largest with the largest choices of places to shop, eat, party, etc.. but the numbers of places cannot beat the quality of places. I felt Fargo was flat, cold, the people kind of rude and arrogant...like they knew they were the largest city in ND, and wanted you to know they were. typical to many cities its size...nothing special about it, except it is the closest to Mpls-St.Pl; I think Bismarck is by far the best looking, best feel, busy, friendly, ...and it continues to grow and expand tremendously (as does Fargo). But Bismarck gets my vote.

[Weiserheiser]

Dont forget Dickinson. Weather... The best. Scools... The best or close to it. Jobs... Well if you want to work patch or construcion you will be working by noon!!! The View 20mins form the bad lands and TRNP should I say more!!!

[SCGranny]

This is all real helpful and great; but I need a rating for small towns/country areas! I need to know where is the best place for
1)hunting
2)growing things
3)animal husbandry
4) cheerfully insane people who like other eclectic folk (I'm a ceramic artist along with everything else)
Grin. All help appreciated!

[TylerJAX]

Just about all of ND is great, I was stationed up in Minot, and you guys are probably the friendliest state I've ever been too.

[Roloff1976]

What happens when West Fargo becomes the 4th largest town in ND. I'm guessing this will be happening soon at the rate it is growing? Didn't it go from 12,000 to over 20,000 in the last decade? I'm thinking it will probably hit close to 30,00o when they do the next census in 2010. Do we then move on to the big 5?

[MikeyToo]

Not sure why there is only the big 4 for NoDak Everyone knows that the whole state really has potential. It all boils down to crops/coal or oil. All beinig so important these days. I think too much has been focused on corn, for ethenol. I think its a big mistake to put corn, a food crop, to become too focused in the area of energy. We need to focus on coal/oil/nuclear energy, with alternative energy sources that run in parallel with the fossel fuels. Just my opinion...

[NODAK1979]

1. Fargo - Biggest city in the state, and closest to Mpls.

2. Bismarck - Very clean city, good shopping.

3. GF - Very cold, less to do.

4. Minot - Nowhereville. nothing to do.

[ebitdadada]

Originally Posted by Roloff1976

What happens when West Fargo becomes the 4th largest town in ND. I'm guessing this will be happening soon at the rate it is growing? Didn't it go from 12,000 to over 20,000 in the last decade? I'm thinking it will probably hit close to 30,00o when they do the next census in 2010. Do we then move on to the big 5?

Interesting question - I think when people talk about the Big 4, they're talking about the greater area - So West Fargo is part of Fargo & Mandan is included with Bismarck but that's just my read.

Another future thought - If Minot keeps shrinking & GF keeps steady while Bismarck-Mandan & Fargo / West Fargo grow, do we at some point get a big 3 or even a big 2? - Its not outside the relm of possibility that within 20 years half of ND will either live in Fargo-West Fargo or Bismarck-Mandan.

Maybe if the Oil boom keeps up, Williston replaces Minot & we get a new big 4?

[Old Surrender]

If there's another oil bust, I suspect Willyston (like my spelling?) will shrink again, so I see no need to think of them in the "Big 4".

[SCGranny]

Ditto, Mikeytoo.
It costs one gallon of consumed fuel to manufacture/distill corn to become one gallon of ethanol. Somehow that doesn't strike me as cost effective. It might make greenies stand up and cheer and feel like they are doing something productive but they aren't, it isn't, and the price of corn is going up because of such foolishness.