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As much as I love KC, Minneapolis wins in most categories.
I could easily live in either, but maybe Kansas City has a slight edge there. Not because of weather, but because it would be a little better fit for me personally for other reasons.
I would love to be a KC homer here, but It's not even close. Minneapolis is just on a whole different level. KC can compete or may even surpass Minneapolis as far as architecture, but Minneapolis wins in just about every other department I can think of unless you hate hate colder winters. But even with the colder winters, there are more people biking in MSP in the winter than in KC in the summer. It's just a more active city.
Most people will choose Minneapolis from a somewhat shallow perspective based on the criteria given.
And that's fine. Minneapolis has a lot going for it. Minneapolis is a fine city and I understand the appeal. KC is altogether a different city from Minneapolis.
If you've never been to KC you really can't understand the cultural, musical, artistic and soulful qualities it has that make it a great city. KC's appeal is not in the number of Fortune 500 companies and shiny towers. KC's appeal is in the nooks and crannies. It has all of the soul of Memphis but larger, cleaner and more things to do. It has all the grit of Philly, only smaller and much cheaper. It's history is steeped in the American experiences of the Pony Express, the Civil War, Prohibition, and the musical development of Ragtime, Jazz and the Blues. Mafia and political bosses and great and tragic floods influenced the city's development and course. The food culture is deep with soul food roots, steak and BBQ. Hallmark Cards and the KC Art Institute nurtured and established an artistic atmosphere here many decades ago and the arts scene is very deep. The Crossroads Art District is completely unique from anything in almost any city outside of NY. The Plaza District is also a unique experience from any other city.
The low cost of living, and quality of life allow KC to grow at a moderate pace while staying the same "down home," easy place to live and breath. That's why those that love it do. These are intangibles that Minneapolis cant' touch in a million lifetimes. Both cities have many great attributes, but they couldn't be more different.
To be fair, Minneapolis (and even more so St. Paul) have their own soul and history. Afterall, they are pretty much the same age as KC. But, yes, the characteristics and soul of both are indeed different.
I've lived in KC for the last 17 years and as much as I love this city and the growth that we are experiencing, this is not even a conversation. We have a long way to go to reach cities like Denver and Minneapolis. Hopefully we will get there within the next 10-15 years but as of now... no.
Most people will choose Minneapolis from a somewhat shallow perspective based on the criteria given.
And that's fine. Minneapolis has a lot going for it. Minneapolis is a fine city and I understand the appeal. KC is altogether a different city from Minneapolis.
If you've never been to KC you really can't understand the cultural, musical, artistic and soulful qualities it has that make it a great city. KC's appeal is not in the number of Fortune 500 companies and shiny towers. KC's appeal is in the nooks and crannies. It has all of the soul of Memphis but larger, cleaner and more things to do. It has all the grit of Philly, only smaller and much cheaper. It's history is steeped in the American experiences of the Pony Express, the Civil War, Prohibition, and the musical development of Ragtime, Jazz and the Blues. Mafia and political bosses and great and tragic floods influenced the city's development and course. The food culture is deep with soul food roots, steak and BBQ. Hallmark Cards and the KC Art Institute nurtured and established an artistic atmosphere here many decades ago and the arts scene is very deep. The Crossroads Art District is completely unique from anything in almost any city outside of NY. The Plaza District is also a unique experience from any other city.
The low cost of living, and quality of life allow KC to grow at a moderate pace while staying the same "down home," easy place to live and breath. That's why those that love it do. These are intangibles that Minneapolis cant' touch in a million lifetimes. Both cities have many great attributes, but they couldn't be more different.
This partially explains why I could just as easily live in KC.
To be fair, it's a genuinely nice town in it's own right. Vastly better than any southeastern city in my opinion, but not on the same level as Minneapolis when all the things people expect from a city are considered.
Speaking of grit, I was in Downtown KC Memorial Day weekend and it was cleaner than Downtown Minneapolis. Minneapolis seems to be ,at least to me, an increase in the homeless population as of late. Maybe it explains why the city does not seem as clean as in the past.
But being that far north adds to its charm and uniqueness IMO. It always amazes me how active the city stays during the winter, plus the KC summers with the humidity can be torture.
Twin Cities aren't that far north at all, the US is a southern oriented country in terms of latitude compared to most of Europe and Canada obviously. KC summers are infinitely worse than Twin Cities winters with brutal heat and humidity along with torrid sun angle. Twin Cities has a better economic future overall, very diverse economy, healthier population, better educational attainment across the board, and being the only major metro area in the Upper Midwest is a huge advantage.
As much as I love KC, Minneapolis wins in most categories.
I could easily live in either, but maybe Kansas City has a slight edge there. Not because of weather, but because it would be a little better fit for me personally for other reasons.
Twin Cities are much closer to all areas Up North with infinite number of lakes, trails, and outdoor recreation. The Ozarks aren't even a remote comparison.
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