Southwest Desert To Northern Plains (Fargo, Dickinson: house, schools, taxation)

[TwoSticks]

I'm driving to visit my sister next month in Medina. She's been there for a few years and just bought a house for an insanely low price. She says I'd love it there and should move. My wife and I were planning to return to the Midwest anyway when I retire (about five years). Looking to a small town or rural area then.

Been wondering about North Dakota. Your thoughts on different parts of the state, i. e. North, South, East, West? Agriculture? Industry, Technology?

Already know about the weather and don't care. I fact, looking forward to it. Hate the desert. Remote? Good. Want that too.

Thanks for your input.

[Corbay]

Of course not far from Medina is Jamestown.

Take a look at Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation or Welcome to Jamestown, North Dakota

Lots of recreation (hunting, fishing, parks, etc..) and a new Wally World super store.

Not too, big not too small. Fargo as Bismark are only 100 miles in each direction on I-94.

[MikeyToo]

Originally Posted by Corbay

Of course not far from Medina is Jamestown.

Take a look at Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation or Welcome to Jamestown, North Dakota

Lots of recreation (hunting, fishing, parks, etc..) and a new Wally World super store.

Not too, big not too small. Fargo as Bismark are only 100 miles in each direction on I-94.

Sounds like a big move. I think people could be of more help if we knew a lot more about what your looking for. There are a lot of far out places in North Dakota, anywhere in the state. How close do you need to be to a good Medical Facility? How far would you want to drive for groceries, clothing...etc.
Job availabilty(and type of job), type of scenery, schools. Close to skiing, lakes etc... Churches?
Might be best to make a list of your interests/priorities and post them. There are a lot of useful people here, so I think you would get some useful help.
Good Luck on you move.
I'm moving back to ND next summer(retiring) and wife and I can't wait!!

[magiccity]

MikeyToo,

I've seen several of your post on North Dakota. Did you live in the state before moving? ct

[MikeyToo]

Originally Posted by magiccity

MikeyToo,

I've seen several of your post on North Dakota. Did you live in the state before moving? ct

Yup! I grew up in Rugby. Went to school at Whap. Then went to the big city of Minnyapples, then Cali. Moving back to ND and Lake Metigoshe next summer.

[TwoSticks]

Thanks for the input, folks.

I tend to stay away from the "Chamber of Commerce" web sites; they often only show you the best face of a place and the picture can be sometimes lopsided. What I love about this site is the input from actual residents, both current and former (future too!). All of the comments, pro and con, contribute to a better overall picture of what life is really like in a place you're considering relocating to. (At least it does for me.) I haven't found anything else like it; it's the next best thing to spending time visiting.

[Cain]

Medina looks like a nice town when I drive by it. Most I ever heard about it though unfortunately was for the Gordon Kahl stuff. But at least from the highway it looks like a nice place.

[FungiGuy]

I'l tell you what I tell everyone who is considering moving to North Dakota: just don't. There are so many other nice places in this country, consider them. I grew up in Colorado, moved to Minnesota and then took a job in Dickinson, North Dakota. I have been here about three years now. North Dakota is strange, it is definitely very conservative and I would say I have met with a lot of profound ignorance in this area. Everyone talks about how friendly people are in North Dakota...I haven't really experienced this so much. It's not as if anyones rude outright, it's more of a subtle suspicion of outsiders or a reserved attitude. I'm a regular unassuming white guy but somehow it seems that people can just tell I'm not from here. My wife and I have this thing we call the North Dakota stare, which is when people just gawk at you for no apparent reason, and I'm not being paranoid or anything as several of our friends who have come to visit have noticed this same thing independently (as do the handful of friends we have in town, all of whom are outsiders)! Overall, the general feeling almost borders on xenophobia or something, some sort of underlying fear of the outside. I don't mean to be dramatic, but both my wife and I find it really weird here.

So here's my advice: move to Minnesota. Minnesota is so much nicer. You can still find something remote for nearly as cheap as North Dakota, and it's just so much more friendly and relaxed. I feel comfortable anywhere in MN, for example, going into a small dive bar in a small town is no problem, but in ND it's uncomfortable, almost hostile sometimes (it makes me wonder what it would be like if I were a minority). Small towns in MN seem much more open, as I said, but also so much more prosperous. I think it definitely stems from a more progressive attitude. I'm not saying the people in MN are leftists or anything, but you have to embrace change to survive and I don't think most people in ND realize this. Plus, MN really has a similar climate, but there are trees, which are really nice in my opinion.

I should say I am a relatively young (30 year old) professional, and this has been my experience. You may have a completely different one, but I think the fact that this state continues to lose population is the sign of a real problem, one that isn't being addressed.

[fourwinds]

Originally Posted by FungiGuy

I'l tell you what I tell everyone who is considering moving to North Dakota: just don't. There are so many other nice places in this country, consider them. I grew up in Colorado, moved to Minnesota and then took a job in Dickinson, North Dakota. I have been here about three years now. North Dakota is strange, it is definitely very conservative and I would say I have met with a lot of profound ignorance in this area. Everyone talks about how friendly people are in North Dakota...I haven't really experienced this so much. It's not as if anyones rude outright, it's more of a subtle suspicion of outsiders or a reserved attitude. ...

I should say I am a relatively young (30 year old) professional, and this has been my experience. You may have a completely different one, but I think the fact that this state continues to lose population is the sign of a real problem, one that isn't being addressed.

North Dakota has xenophobic tendencies, but they are much more pronounced in certain places. Some smaller towns really never have any "new" people move in, so outsiders (whether from across the country or across the county) are looked at as unique, curious, and with suspicion. Much of the time, the suspicion is founded on lack of esteem and limited opportunities: "Why would any outsider want to attempt to make a living here when we are struggling?" The more dynamic smaller towns have been able to better transcend the issue and turn it on its face. The issue is even more complex and profound on Indian reservation communities.

Sometimes people just need to look deeper into what a community's real needs are and begin slowly to speak life into it through actions and encouragement. Real leadership does that.

Dickinson is extremely conservative, especially among the older people: a number of people of commented on Dickinson's politics which pits non-taxation older people vs a younger business group that wants changes (i.e. rec center, business growth fund).

A city like Williston would much more likely have embraced outsiders: they know they need to in order to survive.

[Roloff1976]

Well said fourwinds. As far as the reservation towns, I must say New Town is very progressive in my experience in traveling to and through. I like the way both cultures work and play together. I like how you can go downtown to the local stores and see both cultures shopping together, working together, laughint and visiting together. So many people judge native americans, but have never even allowed themselves to meet or get to know anyone who is native american. How can someone judge someone that they have never even met.