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I were born and raised in ND and left ND 44 years ago for Arizona. We left there after 18 months and moved to Washington State where we have been ever since. I love the west coast...all of it.
I would never move back to ND. I came from a small town which is more or less dead now.
We go back to visit now and then and enjoy it, but we're always glad to get home.
We didn't like the winters at all. In 1948 the National Guard had to open roads, drop hay bales for cattle from airplanes, etc., Once it's below zero it really doesn't matter what the temp is, it's cold. My Dad once got the car wedged between two 'drifts' (where the plow had opened the road) and had to crawl out the car window. The morning of the first snow one year, our pipes were all frozen in a trailer house we were living in while my husband attended NDSU. All the tires were flat on the car. I fell on my way to the bus, walking on ice against the wind. Worse than the below zero temps, the wind blows and blows and blows, even in the summer. I suppose that has an upside because at least the mosquitos are not feeding on your blood when the wind is strong enough to blow the hair off your head. As for the people, they are like any other place. Some are very friendly and helpful, some aren't.
There are good things, of course. On quiet summer days it is beautiful. The stark flatness of the north central area is beautiful at times...not scenic, but still there is a beauty in the amber waves of grain, the blue of the skies, and the mirages when you can see the buildings of a town sixteen miles away.
To each his/her own.
You can go to Minnesota and get the clear, un-polluted skies as well as scenery.
North Dakota- One of the nicest and most underrated states in the country. The only legitimate negative I ever see people mention about ND is the cold winters and yes they are cold but most people are inside heated buildings 99% of the time in the winter and you just have to dress appropriately and you'll be perfectly comfortable. I absolutely love cold weather though so it never bothered me at all. The positives of ND far outweigh the negative. Some of the cleanest air in the country, some of the nicest and most down to earth people, wide open spaces, great national and state parks, the badlands, a huge number of rivers and lakes, nice riverside cities with great parks along the river (Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck), lowest crime rate in the country, there's not a million people everywhere you go, etc. I've lived all over the US and ND is easily one of the best states. Very high quality of life there.
I was born and raised in ND... I ran as far away from the state as I could about 1 month after high school graduation... I've been back twice in the past 10 years... my first Christmas from college before my parents left (why they couldn't have left while I was still in school is beyond me!) and the second time was for my high school reunion. My wife still has family in that area so we visited them as the reunion was pretty uneventful.
ND is what it is... a place to live, work, raise a family, and die in peace and quiet. If you want anything more out of life it's not the place to be. So much of the family I still have there just seem to be waiting to die... they've never seen an ocean, never been on a cruise, don't imagine traveling to foreign countries, have never eatten a fine meal or see Time Square lit up like a Christmas tree at 2am on a Tuesday. They just seem to be passing time until the inevitable versus actually living life and experiencing all that the world has to offer.
It’s been an interesting thread with so many different opinions. I finally decided to overcome my shyness and say what I think about “Did anybody leave ND and not regret it?”
I’m an emigrant, and have been living in ND for over 5 years. I have nothing but good to say about people and general attitudes. During my first couple years my English was pretty bad and since I was working in retails in general, it was sometimes embarrassing not to be able to catch up quickly or be no help for customers. But I’ve seen so much kindness, desire to help and forgive, and almost everyone to whom I had to speak, was shaking my hands and welcoming me to be a part of ND. I find North Dakotans to be trustful and extremely honest people. At JC Penney, for example, on a daily basis, I saw people bringing a diamond ring or a cell phone, etc, to the register, telling that someone forgot this in a fitting room. I often, in a hurry, forget to lock my car, leaving my laptop or purse with cash, and so far so good. Needles to say, I’ve traveled around US, and sometimes I felt that it’s not worth it if one can get threatened on the gas station in a middle of bright day, or get ripped off the car door because someone wanted to have a radio (what’s the point of locking your car, anyway?). I know it’s like in any country: in warmer and more populated places, where everybody wants to be, you’ll see all kinds of people, but here, in 5 years I haven’t seen a single bum. And yet again, around US, I saw something I can’t explain: a bagger right in front of “now hiring” sign. Well, I’ll find out sooner or later.
It’s not only my opinion: my friend from a little town of population less than a thousand, gets all kind of help from her neighbors assimilating to her new life as an emigrant.
O-h, yes, I do whine a lot about the winters and the winds, especially when my car gets stuck in a snow and I can’t get to work or to school. Or looking out of the window in the end of April: “what’s the movie is about? Uhu, it’s again about the snow.”
If I have to move away (searching for an internship or a job for inexperienced), I know for sure, I’ll cry and miss my North Dakota. I am sure that there are plenty wonderful places to live and have friends, and I loved the hospitality in the South East (especially charming way to talk), but North Dakota will be always my second place of birth.
Last edited by ElkHunter; 09-05-2009 at 08:05 PM..
Reason: Cleaned up the fonts to make it easier to read.
I’m an emigrant, and have been living in ND for over 5 years. I have nothing but good to say about people and general attitudes. During my first couple years my English was pretty bad and since I was working in retails in general, it was sometimes embarrassing not to be able to catch up quickly or be no help for customers. But I’ve seen so much kindness, desire to help and forgive, and almost everyone to whom I had to speak, was shaking my hands and welcoming me to be a part of ND. I find North Dakotans to be trustful and extremely honest people.
Just curious, where did you emigrate from? What part of ND do you live in now? I haven't been there in many years but I was born in Devil's Lake ND, and have lived all over the state, plus I still have relatives up near the Canadian border. I think it's one of the most beautiful areas in the entire U.S.
A lot of folks in farm country still remember their grandparents who came from overseas (in ND, that meant mostly Norway and Germany) and worked hard on the farm, and they had to help each other to survive and prosper. I'm glad to hear that spirit is still alive.
now i've never LIVED in ND, but i liked it while i was there. so pls take my post w/ a grain of salt. i haven't experienced your winters yet... and i am definitely afraid of the 5' of snow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nemmert
ND is what it is... a place to live, work, raise a family, and die in peace and quiet. If you want anything more out of life it's not the place to be. So much of the family I still have there just seem to be waiting to die... they've never seen an ocean, never been on a cruise, don't imagine traveling to foreign countries, have never eatten a fine meal or see Time Square lit up like a Christmas tree at 2am on a Tuesday. They just seem to be passing time until the inevitable versus actually living life and experiencing all that the world has to offer.
i agree w/ most of ur post. it does seem like a nice place to grow up and run a muck in. a very family oriented place. but that is probably part of it's appeal.
the second part about not traveling is personal preference. you may experience all those things a little less. but because u have to travel and actually plan vacations to do them, you may cherish them more.
i lived in waikiki, hawaii for a while. i had beaches, fine dinners atleast one or two times a month. going on the boats w/ friends. i did it so much, it's over rated to me. the idea of living in ND is that it's central. u have access to east and west coast activities. yes u will have to travel but the makes it a lot more appealing since it's a trip.
and after experiencing all the madness and traffic of being in a large city, there's always the peacefulness of going home to a quiet town. a trip gives u get a balance, and the chance learn to appreciate what u have at home.
it all comes down to preference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OFeist
But I’ve seen so much kindness, desire to help and forgive, and almost everyone to whom I had to speak, was shaking my hands and welcoming me to be a part of ND. I find North Dakotans to be trustful and extremely honest people. At JC Penney, for example, on a daily basis, I saw people bringing a diamond ring or a cell phone, etc, to the register, telling that someone forgot this in a fitting room. I often, in a hurry, forget to lock my car, leaving my laptop or purse with cash, and so far so good. Needles to say, I’ve traveled around US, and sometimes I felt that it’s not worth it if one can get threatened on the gas station in a middle of bright day, or get ripped off the car door because someone wanted to have a radio (what’s the point of locking your car, anyway?). I know it’s like in any country: in warmer and more populated places, where everybody wants to be, you’ll see all kinds of people, but here, in 5 years I haven’t seen a single bum. And yet again, around US, I saw something I can’t explain: a bagger right in front of “now hiring” sign. Well, I’ll find out sooner or later.
this is the same impression that i got from while visiting. ppl are really down to earth and friendly. even in hawaii, you can't find that level of trust anymore. it seems crazy here, compared to when i was growing up.
and yes, you'll find the bums everywhere in hawaii.
I heard an Englishman who biked around the entire world interviewed on NPR a few years back, he made the statement that folk in ND were the best he ran across . Hell of an endorsement I thought !
I too was an emigrant to ND. We've lived in Fargo for 12 years; I am now not in ND anymore. Of all the years of living there I can say this, ND in general, and Fargo specifically, I loved it there. If it wasn't about the brutal winter and the lack of diversity, Fargo is the place to live and raise family. Even in Fargo, I loved the fact that we can pretty much get to places (grocery stores, theater, downtown, parks, mall ect.) within 5-10 minutes driving. Sometimes it was kind of a down side because we just hopped in the car and we are at the destination already, not even finished listening to a 5-minute song in the car.
As far as diversity goes, Fargo (or ND) is still far from that aspect. We came from southeast asia, when we lived in Fargo we used to drive to Mpls very frequent to have good native food and buy native groceries. Though we didn't mind the driving to Mpls but it got old after so many trips and the harsh winters made it hard to travel. That was one of the reasons we decided to move. And I doubt that Fargo will get any more diverse as it goes becaus of the number of people moving in vs moving out.
As I've stated earlier, Fargo (or ND) is a place to live and raise family, but there is not much for teenagers to do. You can be in sports, winter sports ect, but sometimes off from all those activities, you need a place to go hang out like an amusement park, a fair, a mall (well there is West Acre Mall but not much is going on there exept some clothing stores). And before you prove me wrong, because of the lack of amenities folks from ND are still taking their families to the neighboring Minnesota for family activities and fun like going to the MN state Fair, Valley Fair, Renaissance Festival, games, museums ect.
All in all, ND is a great place, Fargo specifically. Just like any other states each has prides of its own; just like everyone has their own cup of tea to savor. Fargo was so good for us then. Thank you, Fargo, for all the hospitalities of all the years you have granted us while living there. Thank you for the opportunity to get to know some of the wonderful people as well. But there are many more wonderful places around the country to raise a family, not just Fargo. You don't have to live in a large urban city where you grow to hate. There are many small tight knit communities all over the country where you can raise your family with great sense of values but with decency weather; it doesn't have to be in Fargo or ND. I will definately visit Fargo on occasion to bring back memories but to move back there is beyond my wish.
I was in North Dakota a year ago, stayed in Marmarth for a month. I left the area and went back to Tennessee, and ever since I was there, I miss it extremely. I have lived in six states- NY, VT, PA, TN, TX, NV- and I have been to 39, and of all the places I have been, ND is definitely different. Yes, it is cold, and yes, it is rural, but that is a small price to pay for living in a place where you dont hear gunshots every night, where you dont have to worry about your car being stolen or vandalized, or get stuck in traffic jams. There are fifty different states and many different cities in North America, and what is right for one person isnt right for another, but for me, I miss that area. I miss it so much that I am about to quit college and move back there next month. North Dakota is still the America of the 1950's or before in many ways, and for a straight White male such as myself, that is definitely a good thing.
I was in North Dakota a year ago, stayed in Marmarth for a month. I left the area and went back to Tennessee, and ever since I was there, I miss it extremely. I have lived in six states- NY, VT, PA, TN, TX, NV- and I have been to 39, and of all the places I have been, ND is definitely different. Yes, it is cold, and yes, it is rural, but that is a small price to pay for living in a place where you dont hear gunshots every night, where you dont have to worry about your car being stolen or vandalized, or get stuck in traffic jams. There are fifty different states and many different cities in North America, and what is right for one person isnt right for another, but for me, I miss that area. I miss it so much that I am about to quit college and move back there next month. North Dakota is still the America of the 1950's or before in many ways, and for a straight White male such as myself, that is definitely a good thing.
Many of those things are why I want to move to North Dakota myself. I mentioned it before on a couple of posts that it's like stepping back in time 50 years. How true.
Good luck in your move up there. I'm hoping to be moving up to ND in a year or 2 - at least part time and full time in a year or 2 after that.
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The only legitimate negative I ever see people mention about ND is the cold winters and yes they are cold but most people are inside heated buildings 99% of the time in the winter and you just have to dress appropriately and you'll be perfectly comfortable. I absolutely love cold weather though so it never bothered me at all. The positives of ND far outweigh the negative. Some of the cleanest air in the country, some of the nicest and most down to earth people, wide open spaces, great national and state parks, the badlands, a huge number of rivers and lakes, nice riverside cities with great parks along the river (Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck), lowest crime rate in the country, there's not a million people everywhere you go, etc. I've lived all over the US and ND is easily one of the best states. Very high quality of life there. 
ND is ND:You either like it or you Don't
