Why move to North Dakota?

[LIDA DEUTSCH]

Questions about ND.
Some of your questions should raise eyebrows.

I live in Fargo but grew up on a farm.

Mosquitos used to be very annoying. Since the West Nile virus hit the scene, we have had excellent control in our city. Easy to make use of decks and patios and outdoor activity.

Bluegrass? What is that? Just kidding. When our lawns are not white, (on average, from late Nov. to mid April, more or less) they are very green except in Aug. Like most places, we have water concerns: too much or too little. We are working on conservation issues as well as flood control.

For $150,000, in Fargo, you can get anything from a old historic, character house built in 1900-1915, a mid-century rambler, an uban condo, a new bi-level, or any choice of size, style, age and condition. You can get around 2,000 square feet and an nice yard.
Different area of the city, of course, each have their own character.
We have no truely "blighted" areas.
Property taxes are about 2% of a houses value.
Fargo was founded in 1870, so there are not many houses remaining that are older than 100 years. Since our population doubled since 1970, many of the homes (and apt.) have been built since 1990.
Google 'homes in Fargo'.

Food for the nation. (I told you I was raised on a farm) So, here goes.
ND grows large percentages of wheat, durum, barley, sunflowers, pinto beans, dry edible beans, flaxseed, canola, sugar beets, potatoes, and oats. ND produces cattle, pigs, sheep, and turkeys as well as millions of pounds of milk. And honey too.
The "flat", treeless land that so many make fun of is very productive.
Our "mountain removal project" has been completed.

The strangest question you asked was about the worst pain we have here in ND. hmmmm
Well, I have had 3 children by "natural" childbirth and have personally had 2 kidney stones. I do not think ND has any unique kind of pain.

Come visit.
lida

[johnstoirvin]

Originally Posted by wyoman

I grew up in a small town 0n hyw 83 north of bismarck

Which town?

[johnstoirvin]

Originally Posted by bismanpokerclub

There are many places in North Dakota that are flat, but there are also rolling hills, and areas like the Badlands and Turtle mountains that are anything but flat.......even Texas has its share of flat areas.

I'm from ND and while landing in Dallas, TX years ago, I glanced out the plane window to the south and as far as I could see, all the way to the horizon, I could not detect even a bump in the landscape. I remember thinking, "damn, how could anyone live where it's this flat?"

[thrillobyte]

thank you for all your information you guys make ND sound like heaven on earth!

the weather can be very cold in the winter----winter is longgggggggggggggggg. Summer is hot and humid with lots of little flying insects that like to suck your blood. Please do not also forget about tornados or floods.

Does anyone besides me see a HUGE ? here????

[FrederickW]

Originally Posted by thrillobyte

Does anyone besides me see a HUGE ? here????

-ND doesn't have remarkable numbers of tornadoes. Severe tornadoes are rare, and even injuries resulting from tornadoes are far and few in between, nevermind deaths. North Dakota Tornadoes

-Floods are not limited to ND. They can happen anywhere, especially where there is flat terrain or a river.

-Winter is tolerable if you dress for it.

-Heat shouldn't be a problem if you stay hydrated and out of the sun.

-Mosquitoes are most active after sunset, when it's cooler. They're also less of a problem if you're away from stagnant water, since that's where they breed.

If you're looking for a Utopia, you'll never find it. Every region or community has its pluses and minuses. I don't know about you, but I would rather have cold weather for part of the year versus rampant crime, heavy traffic congestion, et cetera.

[heidihi]

Hi,

Im moving to GF in January from New Orleans and Im wondering how on earth do people cope with the bitterly cold weather, from what Ive read so far it sounds awful!! Also, as I do not own a car and cannot afford one, I was wondering whether a taxi's would be a really expensive way to get to the grocery store or are they reasonably priced?

Cheers!

[MeeptJeep]

Originally Posted by heidihi

Hi,

Im moving to GF in January from New Orleans and Im wondering how on earth do people cope with the bitterly cold weather, from what Ive read so far it sounds awful!! Also, as I do not own a car and cannot afford one, I was wondering whether a taxi's would be a really expensive way to get to the grocery store or are they reasonably priced?

Cheers!

Wow you're in for some changes. Have you ever lived anywhere with snow before? Buy some gloves and a winter coat.

I lived in GF for 5 years for college, orginally from MN. Grand Forks, well ND, can get bitterly cold. Especially because of the winds. I'm used to the cold because I'm from Minnesota, but ND was still colder and much more windy. 2003's winter was bitter for a bit. Almost 70 below with windchill. My little cavalier wouldn't start for a week. Thank god I lived on campus so I really didn't need my car.

I would recommend getting a car if you're moving there but to each their own. It is a small community so in the summer it'd be easy to get around on a bike. They do have a city bus system although I've never used it, so I'm not sure how organized or convenient it is. I'd check into it if I were you. Also, if you do buy a car make sure you buy a car up here and not in New Orleans. Up here, cars have block heaters and window defrosters. They are a MUST HAVE on a vehicle in the North.

Grand Forks is a beautiful town with lots of activity. Its a college town so a lot of activity centers around such. People are avid hockey fans (I am one of them) If you get a chance to catch a UND hockey game at the Ralph arena I highly recommend it.

You do get use to the winters. People wouldn't live here if you couldn't adapt Your first winter will probably be a little hard but stick it through. Summers are wonderful.

Cheers!