young and from Maine...move to North Dakota? (Fargo, Bismarck: apartment, travel)

[sheepfleece]

I was born and raised in Maine and just this past year moved to Long Island to be with my boyfriend. The good thing about moving here is that I realized pretty fast that I NEVER want to live in a place like this again! (Grossly overpopulated, traffic, highways, you know the deal.) I'm a young female trying to find a new and interesting place to live (for at least six months) that has a unique culture all of its own. I've been doing some research on North Dakota and reading the forums and I have a few questions:
1.) Is North Dakota a good place for young people? Where I come from in Maine it's a great place to raise a family, but doesn't have much going on for people in their early twenties. I don't need the hippest bars and clubs, but just knowing that younger people will be around to possibly make friends with would be nice.
2.) I'm looking for a place that is scenic, safe, isn't congested, and has cheap apartment rentals but also job opportunites (errr..does this even exist? lol!) I'm thinking Bismarck?
3.) I'm no stranger to winters that start in october and don't end until late april. This is a bit of a random question, but does snow accumulate in North Dakota or does it just blow around and drift?

Thank you!!

[Old Surrender]

I'd say you'd want to move to Fargo-Moorhead. There's plenty of jobs and cheap rentals available. There's four universities/colleges so there are plenty of people 18-30 and downtown is littered with bars that cater to different nightlife niches. North Dakota State provides some exciting collegiate sports to watch. There's a couple art museums and independent galleris. It also attracts a fair amount of out-of-town musical acts, ranging from indie hip-hop to Bon Jovi.

As far as number two is concerned, you're about an hour from lake country in Minnesota so there's camping and prettiness abound.

And number 3 ... both.

I don't know much about the rest of the state. Bismarck has a lot of job growth I've heard but as far as things to do, I'm at a loss, and the western half is on a verge of major oil boom, so there will be jobs but housing is in short supply. Grand Forks has a lot of college-age youth but I don't know what to job situation is.

Good luck!

[sheepfleece]

Thank you! Your answer was very helpful

[brian.mernitz]

yep move to fargo there are a lot of fun people there and decent jobs the snow does accumulate but melts away quick and will do so a few times a winter

[Old Surrender]

Originally Posted by brian.mernitz

the snow does accumulate but melts away quick and will do so a few times a winter

Yeah ... in April.

[JD1266]

[quote=sheepfleece;3698659]I was born and raised in Maine and just this past year moved to Long Island to be with my boyfriend. The good thing about moving here is that I realized pretty fast that I NEVER want to live in a place like this again! (Grossly overpopulated, traffic, highways, you know the deal.) I'm a young female trying to find a new and interesting place to live (for at least six months) that has a unique culture all of its own. I've been doing some research on North Dakota and reading the forums and I have a few questions:
1.) Is North Dakota a good place for young people? Where I come from in Maine it's a great place to raise a family, but doesn't have much going on for people in their early twenties. I don't need the hippest bars and clubs, but just knowing that younger people will be around to possibly make friends with would be nice.
2.) I'm looking for a place that is scenic, safe, isn't congested, and has cheap apartment rentals but also job opportunites (errr..does this even exist? lol!) I'm thinking Bismarck?
3.) I'm no stranger to winters that start in october and don't end until late april. This is a bit of a random question, but does snow accumulate in North Dakota or does it just blow around and drift? End Quote

Here you go awnsers to the questions


1. North Dakota is a good place for young people but you will want to stick to the bigger towns. Grande Forks or Fargo. Both have decent down town areas with a decent population of young people. Fargo would probably have a little fore of this.

2. Not much for scenery in ND exept far west but then there is not many people out there. But Fargo and GF are both close to lake country in Minnesota.

3. Winters will be cold -20 common and snow will accumulate to about 1 or 2 feet threw the year but good road crews will keep the steets clean so nothing to worry about

[ryperry]

I am also from maine and I just moved out here to dickinson north dakota to help start churches. I am a pastor and lived in presque isle almost all of my life. If you want a nice area come to dickinson. North dakota is beautiful. You will have no problem at all fitting in. People are very friendly here just like maine. You will have no problem with winters. You and I know what that means. In pi last year we almost got 200 inches of snow. whenever I tell the people here that, they get jealous because it is very dry here right now. Much of North dakota is actually on a burn ban. Send me a direct message sometime if you have any more questions. The one person who told you to go to fargo, that is where the snow would be. But the southwest where I am is really nice.

[bschott]

Living in Fargo nearly all my life (though I traveled around the US in my post-high school years to find who I really was and not what I was told to be.) I can tell you that Fargo would probably be your best bet.

Bismarck, while the state's capital, shuts down around 9pm and besides a couple of bars and a movie house or two, that's it. Grand Forks is better but again, not much life up there at night beyond cruising the main strips.

Fargo, on the other hand hand has many activities, multiple nightclubs (in fact there is one building that houses eight drastically different clubs...so depending on your mood you have a one-stop place to go), and many groups to join. Fargo-Moorhead has NDSU, MSUM, Concordia, NorthWest Technical, Rassmusin, and St. Mary's colleges, so the 18-30 crowd is fairly large.

The only complaints I have heard would be the weather in the winter, and lack of match-making services (both I kind of chuckle at).

[waylan]

I was born in Valley City n.d.and moved to SO.CAL when i was 7. After high school i moved back to MINN. You would like Valley City,it has the Sheyenne River winding through it- You can walk or jog around town -7 great little foot bridges to cross-A state college lends culture and students to keep it lively.A great hospital-friendly people-if you miss the big city FARGO is 60 miles away.Check it out ,you will like it. WAYLAN

[tinker57]

minot has the base and there is mostly young people here i think there would be tons of people to make friends with