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Pennsylvania is certainly not the most progressive of states, but it's quite an exaggeration to call it "backwards."
I have an unfortunate feeling that the 2016 election gave the state a bit of a "black eye" as it shifted right from its traditionally light-blue status, but it's an absolute fluke that it barely gave The Cheeto its electoral votes and would be essentially impossible to repeat. And even then, it was a plurality, not majority, of votes.
The PA populace is much more progressive than it gets credit for. Sadly I can't same for its legislature.
By the same token, the second you get outside of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, Minnesota is pretty damn red. Trump only lost by 40,000 votes in what most people consider a solid blue state.
Minnesota is a pretty good microcosm of the country, politically. You have an extremely liberal urban area that has the majority of the state's population, and a strongly conservative rural area that covers the vast majority of the state's land area.
So I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't know that Minnesota is really much more progressive than Pennsylvania.
Just visited Pittsburgh with my wife- ncce classic American City. I could see why people in Pittsburgh would dump on it but it's pretty cool and I enjoyed the vibe. I'm actually glad I went in the winter on a low key weekend.
Lots of character, great vies, black and yellow everywhere and friendly people. Run down in parts but noting looked unsalvageable or truly depressing. The topography could make ti disheartening without a car, especially fort teens and young adults. Needs more social resources in its poorer areas.
By the same token, the second you get outside of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, Minnesota is pretty damn red. Trump only lost by 40,000 votes in what most people consider a solid blue state.
Minnesota is a pretty good microcosm of the country, politically. You have an extremely liberal urban area that has the majority of the state's population, and a strongly conservative rural area that covers the vast majority of the state's land area.
So I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't know that Minnesota is really much more progressive than Pennsylvania.
I agree that Minnesota's rural areas are just about as Pennsyltucky as, well, Pennsyltucky.
Things have shifted some in the last two decades as far as politics goes. Despite the last Presidential Election results, I still think of Minnesota as bluer than blue, not purple. The Twin Cities have always been a bastion of liberal politics from Floyd B. Olson to Hubert Humphrey to Walter Mondale. And about 60% of the state lives in the TC metro. I'd be shocked if we ever actually become a real swing state.
The rural areas used to be more 50/50, with some pockets that were Democratic strongholds like the Iron Range. Things have taken a turn in the last couple decades though. I've personally watched my hometown go from around 50/50 split in political ideology to about and 80/20 tilt towards Republicans. But we're a town of 3,500 people only. So that doesn't necessarily make a blue state purple. But rural areas just about everywhere are getting redder.
I agree that Minnesota's rural areas are just about as Pennsyltucky as, well, Pennsyltucky.
Things have shifted some in the last two decades as far as politics goes. Despite the last Presidential Election results, I still think of Minnesota as bluer than blue, not purple. The Twin Cities have always been a bastion of liberal politics from Floyd B. Olson to Hubert Humphrey to Walter Mondale. And about 60% of the state lives in the TC metro. I'd be shocked if we ever actually become a real swing state.
The rural areas used to be more 50/50, with some pockets that were Democratic strongholds like the Iron Range. Things have taken a turn in the last couple decades though. I've personally watched my hometown go from around 50/50 split in political ideology to about and 80/20 tilt towards Republicans. But we're a town of 3,500 people only. So that doesn't necessarily make a blue state purple. But rural areas just about everywhere are getting redder.
There's a similar trend in Iowa. We're becoming more urban, and our urban areas are solid blue, so I think we'll stay purple (3/4 House Reps are Dems), but the rural counties in the Driftless Area were still voting blue (at least Presidentially) in 2012. That changed in 2016. My county had the biggest swing from Obama to Trump in the country.
However, this area has frequently swung back and forth. George W. Bush won re-election in most of those counties too. Will be interesting to see where things go this fall.
I think right now it's hard to see rural areas anywhere in the country voting blue and urban areas anywhere in the country voting red.
There's a similar trend in Iowa. We're becoming more urban, and our urban areas are solid blue, so I think we'll stay purple (3/4 House Reps are Dems), but the rural counties in the Driftless Area were still voting blue (at least Presidentially) in 2012. That changed in 2016. My county had the biggest swing from Obama to Trump in the country.
However, this area has frequently swung back and forth. George W. Bush won re-election in most of those counties too. Will be interesting to see where things go this fall.
I think right now it's hard to see rural areas anywhere in the country voting blue and urban areas anywhere in the country voting red.
Rural areas in New England are still capable of voting blue (VT and ME, and even some sections of NH have proven that. And the Driftless Area of IL/IA/WI/MN could go blue again, too..
I Iowa, the strength of the Dems seesm to be in eastern Iowa, or at least Des Moines, and then heading east, and some parts of norther Iowa..
Rural areas in New England are still capable of voting blue (VT and ME, and even some sections of NH have proven that. And the Driftless Area of IL/IA/WI/MN could go blue again, too..
I Iowa, the strength of the Dems seesm to be in eastern Iowa, or at least Des Moines, and then heading east, and some parts of norther Iowa..
Right. Those parts of Iowa may go blue again. I live in the western Driftless and it's still very moderate, despite flipping Trump. I had a Republican representing me in Congress in 2017. I have a Democrat today, and I'm pretty confident she will be re-elected.
There's a similar trend in Iowa. We're becoming more urban, and our urban areas are solid blue, so I think we'll stay purple (3/4 House Reps are Dems), but the rural counties in the Driftless Area were still voting blue (at least Presidentially) in 2012. That changed in 2016. My county had the biggest swing from Obama to Trump in the country.
However, this area has frequently swung back and forth. George W. Bush won re-election in most of those counties too. Will be interesting to see where things go this fall.
I think right now it's hard to see rural areas anywhere in the country voting blue and urban areas anywhere in the country voting red.
I agree. The rural urban divide has only grown since the last election.
I agree that Minnesota's rural areas are just about as Pennsyltucky as, well, Pennsyltucky.
Things have shifted some in the last two decades as far as politics goes. Despite the last Presidential Election results, I still think of Minnesota as bluer than blue, not purple. The Twin Cities have always been a bastion of liberal politics from Floyd B. Olson to Hubert Humphrey to Walter Mondale. And about 60% of the state lives in the TC metro. I'd be shocked if we ever actually become a real swing state.
The rural areas used to be more 50/50, with some pockets that were Democratic strongholds like the Iron Range. Things have taken a turn in the last couple decades though. I've personally watched my hometown go from around 50/50 split in political ideology to about and 80/20 tilt towards Republicans. But we're a town of 3,500 people only. So that doesn't necessarily make a blue state purple. But rural areas just about everywhere are getting redder.
This has surprised me. Rural areas in Northern New England still hold onto their moderate to progressive politics despite the overall national trend. As someone who admittedly is not so familiar with Minnesota, I was actually surprised to see the rural counties swing so red in 2016. I thought the rural folks in Minnesota were someone similar to those in ME/NH/VT, but that apparently is not true.
I appreciate this one. Both are quite different than Vegas, so hopefully, there are a number of things you are looking to change!
I'm planning a trip to Pittsburgh and Minneapolis to scope them both out as potential relocation spots out of Las Vegas.
Which city is colder? Minneapolis is colder during the winter by a decent margin. It is sunnier also. Summers are maybe around the same.. but I would guess that Pittsburgh might be a bit more moderate at that time too.. don't know how to say it, but the middle and upper-middle of the country just seems... hotter/stickier on average, at least given recent experience. I never felt that growing up in Cleveland.
Which one is better for live rock/heavy metal music, culture, nightlife, theater, art galleries, museums, social events? Minneapolis is a larger metro. I can't necessarily speak to all of your categories.. but while Pittsburgh and Minneapolis both punch above their weights in both of these probably, and Pittsburgh might be even on say, museums.. but Minneapolis I think has more in a number of those other things, but especially theater. I might also give Pittsburgh a case on nightlife.. just speaking to the general level o effervescence in both regions? And the bar density in PGH that I have heard promotes really good nightlife.
Major university for events? I really don't know.. this one is tough. Minneapolis has Minnesota, a public flagship university and a number of well regarded small private colleges. But Pittsburgh has Pitt, which is a well regarded medium-size private school, and Carnegie Mellon, a borderline Ivy Leaguer. Pittsburgh has more universities overall.. but given the specific criteria.. Minnesota might win here.. it has the most overall I think of student life, big time college sports, etc. but Pittsburgh's number and quality of institutions, gives me pause.
Strong, diverse economy? Pretty positive Minneapolis here. It seems remarkably strong.
Strong sense of community/nice people? Different. Minneapolis has Minnesota Nice, and was rated as the country's most civically engaged major city. But, there is also that 'deep-freeze' socially that some speak to (I haven't personally experienced it.. but my family, given Scandinavian heritage, and travels in Helsinki and Copenhagen, I think I could relate and wouldn't mind it at all). Pittsburgh strikes me as more east-coast in your face (stereotyping, I know), but with less pretense. I would tend to assume PGH has a higher number of people that have been locals in the area a long time, and the area's attitude and sense of community are felt in sports team following, etc. similar to Cleveland in a number of respects.
Less crime? I'm pretty positive Minneapolis, though I've been known to be wrong before.
Cleaner air? I would tend to think Minneapolis. I think it ranks well among US cities in that regard, and I was surprised at the not great air quality last time I was in PGH.
Better doctors? Within Pittsburgh itself, I think it wins with UPMC... but then, Mayo Clinic is hard to account for here. Not sure how much influence it has in MSP itself, but Mayo Clinic is about an hour from the southern end of St. Paul, so most residents would at least have access to their facilities in commute sense.
Schools? Pittsburgh has more highly acclaimed colleges and universities. I am not positive, but I would perceive MPLS to win on K-12.
Most educated? Minneapolis by a healthy margin.
Do both have toll roads? Within the metro area yes... But I don't know how ubiquitous they are in each compared to one another.
Cigarette bans? Don't know.. hope this doesn't offend and such, but while I have libertarian tendencies.. I don't like enhaling smoke, even when in public parks. Not saying they should be banned (they shouldn't), but their public use should be limited IMO so others aren't forced to enhale secondhand smoke.
I like Pittsburgh's location for road trips and being close to major east coast cities. Minneapolis seems a bit land locked.
I'll play Devil's Advocate with ya on this one:
1. Landlocked: Perhaps.. but the Mississippi River offers numerous water based activities and the MPLS area is filled with lakes (land of 10,000). Also, Lake Superior, which truly feels more like a massive inland sea, is only 2 hours from Minneapolis. It is... IMO, stunning. To me, perhaps as much or more so as any natural area in the US... the upper great lakes are just crystal clear on a level that is hard to define.. and combine that with mountainousness (relatively speaking), and lush forest, along with impressive geologic features, and I tend to think you have a landscape you can't find anywhere else in the US.. From Pittsburgh, you are closer to the actual coast.. but still 6 hrs. drive or so, so it's not like you're necessarily gonna be regularly driving there on the weekends.
2. Isolation: Perhaps this is another argument... But Minneapolis IS around the same distance from Chicago that Pittsburgh is from NYC.. maybe a little less. You also have a number of other distinctive and fu cities around including Madison, Des Moines, Duluth, Sioux Falls, Fargo... okay yeah I'm gonna stop because that isn't helping Minneapolis' cause in a road trip sense even though those are decent cities Can't compare to PGH access to east coast. BUT. Perhaps if MPLS is less accessible.. perhaps it's more exotic? I mean, I know you've already lived out west and seen these landscapes.. but for instance, you can potentially long weekend to the Badlands/Black Hills area. Also.. and I know this is gonna show me forever as being peak midwest (I might as well have just said "ope"), but in a driving day that might pass like a kidney stone... you can drive to Rocky Mountain/Front Range.. or even Yellowstone/Grand Teton.. so I guess that's cool. My LAST attempt to offset this one though.. air travel. Because that's probably how you'd get to many of these places anyways. MPLS is a larger airport with more flights. Because you are in the middle (relatively speaking) of the continent... you can get to Seattle in 3.5 hrs., Miami in 3.5 hrs., Los Angeles in 3.5 hrs., and Boston in less than 3.5 hrs. Sun Country Airlines is HQd there.. meaning relatively cheap and quick travel to anywhere in the country.
I was just in St. Paul. I hear it's similar more similar to Pittsburgh.
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Can't compare to PGH access to east coast. BUT. Perhaps if MPLS is less accessible.. perhaps it's more exotic? I mean, I know you've already lived out west and seen these landscapes.. but for instance, you can potentially long weekend to the Badlands/Black Hills area. Also.. and I know this is gonna show me forever as being peak midwest (I might as well have just said "ope"), but in a driving day that might pass like a kidney stone... you can drive to Rocky Mountain/Front Range.. or even Yellowstone/Grand Teton.. so I guess that's cool. My LAST attempt to offset this one though.. air travel. Because that's probably how you'd get to many of these places anyways. MPLS is a larger airport with more flights. Because you are in the middle (relatively speaking) of the continent... you can get to Seattle in 3.5 hrs., Miami in 3.5 hrs., Los Angeles in 3.5 hrs., and Boston in less than 3.5 hrs. Sun Country Airlines is HQd there.. meaning relatively cheap and quick travel to anywhere in the country.
