Anyone move to ND from Southern Calif? (Fargo, Bismarck: low crime, credit card)

[Sassenach]

I'm considering it, and people around here think I'm crazy. [Of course, they know nothing about ND.]

Was the adjustment difficult--especially to the winters? The coldest place I've ever lived is NYC, so I'm concerned about driving in snow.

Are you glad you moved?

I want to live in a smaller, friendlier and more affordable area. I'm considering both Bismarck and Grand Forks.

[la0508]

Hi--I'm sure you would prefer an answer from someone who has already relocated to ND; however, I'm a life-long, 4th generation Californian who is so happy to be moving to ND in January '07. I suppose every region has its own brand of provinciality. One thing is consistent in a provincial outlook wherever you go, and that is, that people think that they are, and where they live is, the pinnacle of creation. In SoCal we think we are the most advanced, blah, blah, blah, and that if you move to the MidWest you'll be stepping off the edge of the planet. Sort of a variation on the world is flat theory, now discredited, I hear. My hubby and I traveled through the midwest last summer, and were delighted to see that, as soon as you get out of California, people behave a lot more civilly. I was so amazed to see some gas station accept checks for pumped gas, and many places had you pump before you pay--I haven't seen that in California since sometime in the fifties. (not that I was pumping gas, then--but am old enough to remember). A certain level of stress and tension just falls away as soon as you leave California. I look forward to not having to sit in a gridlock of cars everytime I got to the market, and to be in an area where agriculture is still predominant (though unfortunately undervalued currently). It breaks my heart to see the last of the beautiful perfumed orange groves in the Inland Empire be plowed under to make way for ticky-tack housing projects. As for the cold in ND, should be an adventure, don't you think? And if culture is important to you, Grand Forks has it all. So take a chance, make the leap, all you can gain is an interesting experience, at worst. Very best wishes to you--I'll let you know how ND feels when I get there--early in December I'm going to make a grand tour throughout the state as I house hunt.

[rapeters]

great place to live . hope you like it here

[DaninEGF]

Hello

I moved up to ND from southern Missouri and am orginially from Kentucky. While I have not met anyone from California up here, there have been several folks from New York state and one from Louisiania who have moved up here and work at the same place that I do. I would say North Dakota is what you make it. I love it here and have corresponded on this forum to some folks who are moving to ND. But you do have to want to come here....and it all depends on what you want out of life. The fast life, make lots of money, idea doesnt work too well up here. Things are much slower paced, I dont worry about crime at all, sure it happens, kids going around sometimes breaking windows in cars, etc....but no major stuff. I visited a state where I did have to pay at the pump before I pumped gas and it was very awkward. How are you supposed to know how much it will cost to fill it up. We dont have the pay before you pump stuff here (or anywhere else in the Midwest that I know of).

Jobs are plentiful...as with most of the country...more in service/retail industry than anything else....but the economy of ND has been booming the last 10 years and there has been lots of new construction of homes/businesses in the 4 major cities (Bismarck, Fargo, GF, and Minot). I know you just mentioned GF and Bismarck...surprised you did not mention Fargo as it is the largest city in the state and has lots of different shopping/eating choices and gets the big name concerts more so than other places in ND.

But above all, you must like the colder weather to really like living here. Some winters are much colder than others....and even the worse winters will only have a week or two of extreme cold (below -20F) and some winters will not have many extreme cold days. But the cold season or non-green season lasts from mid October til mid Apirl....usually have first freeze sometime late September and leaves off trees by mid to late October....then trees sprout leaves pretty quickly by Mothers Day. So....if the cold doesnt bother you then North Dakota and surrounding areas has the nicest down home people there are. They havent been around "bad people" enough to fear anyone so most are very happy to welcome you. It takes a hearty person to enjoy life in the high plains....ask our ancestors who started farming here in the 1880s.

Dan

[Blue Ribbon]

Having moved from south of New Orleans to Minot ND, I saw some immediate, very pleasing, surprises. As one of the previous responders mentioned, no gas prepay, the clerk dosn't have to lear out the window and see if you're a run-off or not. People here are generally more trustworthy than average.
One giant difference is the extremely low crime stats. Having been numbed by 300+ murders a year, it is a pleasure to see law abidding citizenry.
No longer do I have to put up with rude or obnoxious clerks, waitstaff, or chance encounters. Politenss is rampant here. Gentlemen are gentlemen and the ladies like it that way. (I can only think of a few exceptions, but they're too few to bother with.)
Les sez le bon temps roule! Fear not! Enjoy your adventure!

[la0508]

Regarding DaninEGF's query how do you know how much to pay before you pump in the far West, you don't, usually. Here's how it goes: Most people swipe their credit card at the pump, and the total is automatically tallied. If you only have cash, you leave a set amount amount with the station attendant in the store, and then go back for the change, if any. The pump will automatically stop when the cost of the gas pumped equals the amount you prepaid. If the swiper is not working at the pump, and you have no cash, then you have to leave your credit card in the hands of the attendant inside the store. They'll swipe it for you, before you can pump, and they hold it while you are outside pumping. Afterwards you go back to the store to retrieve your valuables and finalize the transaction. This is kind of scarey, but you have no choice. You absolutely will not be allowed to pump, then pay. There's so many people in California, everybody is basically in everybody else's face; and due to the fact that there are so many people, laws and regulations have proliferated, but this doesn't seem to slow down the rate of crime. Don't think, though, that all California is a concrete jungle: it is still amazingly beautiful and varied in its topography. We have the highest mountain in the continental US (no, it's not in the Colorado Rockies)--in Lone Pine, CA, about 3 hours from where I live, right next to the lowest point, Death Valley, gorgeous gorgeous valleys mountains beaches. And there are a lot of unpopulated areas, that are beautiful and out in the country. Beautiful farm areas and grape-growing areas, too, along with hot springs and the like.
Still, I am very much looking forward to the move to a quieter place with more uniformly good values, some place far from the influence of Hollywood. I guess I have rambled far from the main issue--pumping gas. Sorry.

[DaninEGF]

la0508

thanks for the info... best of luck on your move....getting cold for you kow....and we got a little ice/snow earlier today (Tuesday)...unfortunately the ice will stick around under the snowcover for quite some time now as we are headed into the coldest part of winter.... they plowed the street where I live and we have some chunks of ice/slush balls at the end of the driveway that are now solid as rock. We just got a dusting of snow though....devils lake area got several inches and so did out in western ND. Going to have highs 10-15 and lows around zero next few days. Not too unusual though as can be much colder as we enter early December.

Dan

[Joestoes]

Hi,
I did move to Fargo from So Cal. I've lived all over California and in Washington. If you have children, Fargo is a great place to be in my opinion. The communities are tightly knit and sometimes I feel like the only one who doesn't have family around me but if you reach out people will respond. People are reserved but helpful and friendly. The food leaves much to be desired compared to CA cuisine and it can get windy. It is difficult/expensive to "get away" when you want. Airfare is expensive and Minneapolis is a 4 hour drive so it's a bit isolated but the airport is expanding its flights. There are many Californians here and we all agree that the weather and food deficits do not outweigh the pleasures of living in a friendly, low-stress, fun community. There really is a sense of community here. The symphony is great, the downtown revitalization projects are very impressive and the city has a great rec program for kids. Property taxes are very high and housing variety is slim. Move to the north side if you like trees and more pedistrian friendly neighborhoods. The lakes of Minnesota are 45 minutes away and extrememly beautiful and accessible. We have a minor league baseball team and 3 universties here. Accessibilty makes sporting and other events enjoyable. Not an exciting place to be for a single person I would think but I don't know for sure.
Ask other questions if you'd like.
Best wishes to you

[Sassenach]

Thanks for the info. Apparently California expats are not as unusual as I thought!

[la0508]

Hi--I wrote to you earlier and told you I would respond again after I visited northeastern ND in December. Just got back, and want to let you know I really loved it. Grand Forks is good, the University is terrific and quite impressive, and the small towns I visited were wonderful. I actually bought a house there. I know this isn't too informative, but it's late and I just wanted to touch bases and give you a preliminary impression. Wherever you go, it is quite relaxing, and I always had the feeling that if I needed help I would get it. Although I am naturally a worrywort, I had no fear driving on the rural roads at night, because I felt help was always close by if needed. The thought of getting stranded at night by the freeway or in a rural area of California however strikes me with a bit of terror. Maybe you'll be lucky, but maybe you won't. Anyway, those were my feelings. Probably you have specific questions, which I'll be more than happy to try to answer to the best of my ability, after a good sleep. See you in North Dakota!