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Minneapolis wins in every category. It is a much more forward thinking metro that has the right ingredients necessary to be a very strong economic power for a long time to come.
Minneapolis wins in every category. It is a much more forward thinking metro that has the right ingredients necessary to be a very strong economic power for a long time to come.
is there something in particular that tells you kansas city does not possess the same qualities?
is there something in particular that tells you kansas city does not possess the same qualities?
Hmm, the state line is a big one. It keeps Kansas City metro from being much more cohesive and stronger overall. Kansas and Missouri are bitter rivals and that translates into a corporate welfare contest in the metro on both sides of the state line. This has resulted in a general decline in Jackson County, MO (KCMO) while Johnson County, KS (JOCO) has mostly benefited. This trend has been 50-60 years in the making.
is there something in particular that tells you kansas city does not possess the same qualities?
Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteStater
Hmm, the state line is a big one. It keeps Kansas City metro from being much more cohesive and stronger overall. Kansas and Missouri are bitter rivals and that translates into a corporate welfare contest in the metro on both sides of the state line. This has resulted in a general decline in Jackson County, MO (KCMO) while Johnson County, KS (JOCO) has mostly benefited. This trend has been 50-60 years in the making.
This.
The lack of cooperation across the state like has kept (or dropped) KC to a fourth tier city when it could be a very strong third or even second tier city (like Mspls or Denver). KC gets by and that's about it. They have incredible amenities (sports, arts, museums etc) and amazing potential but the city as a whole is just not competing anymore with cities it should be competing with because the metro continues to self destruct by subsidizing so much sprawl usually at the expense of the urban core. That lack of regional cooperation and even regional pride in metro KC is keeping the city down. Everything in KC now revolves around Johnson County, Kansas which will do anything to harm KCMO if it's in their interest to grow as a suburban area. They refuce to be a part of regional transit, they refuse to help the region fund regional assets (stadiums, zoo, museums, transit, etc), yet they will spend 20 million to bring 200 jobs from downtown KCMO over to KS with zero net gain in residents or taxes leaving dozens of empty office buildings vacant that once housed long time kcmo based companies. So despite millions of sq ft of office space in Johnson County going up and the demographics looking good there, the metro as a whole suffers tremendously. The state line is the main reason I have no desire to ever live in KC again myself.
Minneapolis/St Paul compared to Metro Kansas City is heaven. There is regional respect, cooperation and pride and that is why the area is more progressive has a better overall economy (rather than just one suburban county that is doing well because they take and freeload off neighboring counties). Light rail will soon connect Mnpls and St Paul. KC can barely get a city bus to cross the state line.
I love KC. It's home and they have really tried to bring back the city with public investment (private has not followed, still goes to burbs), but I would choose MSP in a heartbeat over KC.
StL has regional issues too, but KC is MUCH worse. Imagine if St Louis County were in IL and the MO side of StL was just the city and maybe St Charles county (which is not exactly the most cooperating suburb either, but would compare to Lee's Summit etc).
Now remove the Mississippi River and just have a nice little road where everybody can easily get to the city and take advantage of it, yet be behind a state line and not be responsible for a single thing in the city. No more free zoo or science center. The botanical gardens would be underfunded etc. Now forget about bistate metro rail. That would never happen. Must keep the city people out of StL County IL. But then take nearly every large company in downtown StL and place them over in St Louis County IL because over time, StL County IL has lured most of the STL economy to IL via incentives. You think the Clayton Skyline is big now? OH and StL County IL is now never threatened with desegregation with StL City schools. Never. They are safe. StL City is left with the all the expensive cultural attractions, aging infrastructure and shrinking economy to pay for it etc while its biggest competitor is not Chicago or Dallas or Atlanta, but St Louis County, IL.
That's KC.
Despite all of these handicaps and a state next door that would literally destroy KCMO if they could benfit even slightly from it, KCMO has really done very well. They have done about as much as they can do now. It's now up to the region to respond. Companies need to move back downtown or stay there, the region needs to fund transit, museums, zoo, stadiums, etc so KCMO can fund its basic infrastructure. If metro KC ever were to get on the same page, look out Minneapolis, Denver etc.
I spent two nights in Kansas City and loved it. It is a great city and extremely underrated. Still, I think Minneapolis has more to offer overall.
I agree Minneapolis has more to offer overall, but i think people are overlooking that KC has a metro population of 2.1million and Minneapolis has a metro of 3.3million. Of course Minneapolis is going to be ahead in many areas!
I agree Minneapolis has more to offer overall, but i think people are overlooking that KC has a metro population of 2.1million and Minneapolis has a metro of 3.3million. Of course Minneapolis is going to be ahead in many areas!
If you slapped St Paul onto the side of metro KC, you would pretty much have MSP.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Quote:
Originally Posted by northstar22
Minnesota is very similar to Michigan, except for more sunshine and a better economy. If you can't find a job in Michigan, I'd suggest Minneapolis. Missouri is very conservative.
Outside of KC and STL, yes I'd agree. But don't brand the whole state as conservative, especially since Missouri has a history of being a swing state.
I would say move to Minneapolis. Better economy, stronger state, less conservative. I don't hate KC but Minneapolis is a better option IMO.
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