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I have lived in the duluth area for going on six years now. I love it! you wont regret the move. there is enough nightlife to keep one entertained, if you are into the outdoors you will love it. The schools bring in lots of young people so the night life from the end of aug- may is better than summer. Great scenery, great summer weather. My only complaint is that the winters can get a little long. its really not any colder here than in the cities, in fact by the lake its often warmer. that said I am looking at moving away for a year or two, but will certainly be returning to the area.
I'm still debating the move and hope at some point I can get the extra push to do it. MY husband was excepted into out local carpenters apprenticeship and this can be transferred to a union in MN. Question is the demand for this there.
You could check with local #361, North Central Regional Council of Carpenters 5238 Miller Trunk Hwy Hermantown, MN 55811 Phone: 218-724-3297 but my understanding is that there is not a great deal of union carpentry going on these days in Duluth. But they would known better than I, obviously.
I've also been told that nursing jobs are not that easy to get. I've known several nurses who wanted to stay in the area but ended up moving because they could not get a job. On the other hand, St. Luke's and St. Mary's websites nearly always have nursing positions listed. Who knows?
While Duluth is gorgeous with with lots of outdoor activities, if I were moving to town with kids, I would check out Proctor and Esko school districts. I hear good things about them all the time. More parents transfer their kids into those districts than out of them and test scores are strong.
Duluth school district has gone through some turmoil lately. Mercifully, this seems to have settled down somewhat. But for years the focus has been on buildings rather than educational programming.
Not long ago, I set next to a woman whose husband had been offered an executive job with a local company. She had spent a week checking out the town. While she liked all the recreational opportunities for her family and thought the area was beautiful and the people welcoming, she had decided Duluth would not work for her family because the schools had little to offer her children.
She said she had observed numerous classrooms and was disappointed that it was read-the-chapter-turn-in-your-homework/worksheet throughout the district. Little in the way of innovative or project-based learning. Few internship opportunities for high school students for career exploration. The vocational program that her one son would be interested in was closing and the Advanced Placement courses did not seem that advanced to her. She looked at the private schools but was not that impressed either and was worried that her kids would bored and would be lose educational ground.
Also, as other states have cut back on funding social services, Duluth has experienced an influx of people from Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, etc. seeking services. Not sure if this is a temporary situation or the tip of the iceberg. But it is definitely changing the feel of downtown and the western part of town.
By the way, the Tribune printed a series on how this is not going on. Apparently, poor people move around like everyone else and presumably there are Duluthians seeking services in Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago. Perhaps.
In any case, the downtown area in particular has gone through some changes over the years and I would be concerned about these changes if I was raising children. However, if you planned to stay on the East end all the time, maybe these changes would have little impact.
Duluth is gorgeous and if you like kayaking, cross country skiing, hiking...
Yeah, there really has been a lot of turmoil with the Duluth schools over the last few years, but wow, was I proud when my daughter started school at the BRAND NEW Lester Park school. The school is incredible - way beyond what I had thought was possible in a school. I am so proud of it and I've heard great things about the other schools as well. I really hate to say it, but this was so overdue and it's about time we created schools of the future. How many other cities our size can say we now have either brand new or 100 percent updated schools throughout the entire city.
I do think it's interesting that that lady said she didn't see anything particularly innovative. I do know some of the teachers were actually waiting to get Smart Boards before they started some projects. I was actually part of the very first tele conference via a Smart Board in the Duluth Public Schools. First of all, I went to the school classroom - discussed what I did (scientist), showed them some of the things we used, and then we went live a week later to my office, where I could show them everything we had talked about at the school. They were able to see me, and I was able to see them, and we had an incredible question and answer session. It was a virtual fieldtrip to reinforce the principles I had talked about in class and it made it very real for the students. Then, I went back one week later, so we could talk about it in their class. The teacher then did the same thing with a military base in San Diego. It was incredible. The kids still stop me in the halls when they see me - it made a huge impression on them and she said it was just the tip of the iceberg for virtual fieldtrips.
In terms of the folks coming up from Chicago, etc. - some of that is true. My best friend actually moved up from Chicago. He and his gf came to get a better life - they initially relied on some support from the state, but were determined to get out from that, clean up their credit, buy a home and start a family. They fell in love with the beauty of the city, and how quiet it was when they came up to visit family. They said they can't believe how accessible the lake is to everyone here and they never get tired of seeing Lake Superior. I couldn't ask for better friends - they don't drink, smoke, do drugs, and we have become family. They buy little gifts for my kids and are heavily involved in their lives - attending their sport games and concerts, etc. They both work full time and I'm so proud of them. I have gotten to know a lot of their family too, and they are all from Chicago. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met and not one of them is into drugs or boozin it up. I think there are crummy people from all races and I just wanted to relay my positive experiences with my best friend and his fiance.
In terms of the folks coming up from Chicago, etc. - some of that is true. My best friend actually moved up from Chicago. He and his gf came to get a better life - they initially relied on some support from the state, but were determined to get out from that, clean up their credit, buy a home and start a family. They fell in love with the beauty of the city, and how quiet it was when they came up to visit family. They said they can't believe how accessible the lake is to everyone here and they never get tired of seeing Lake Superior. I couldn't ask for better friends - they don't drink, smoke, do drugs, and we have become family. They buy little gifts for my kids and are heavily involved in their lives - attending their sport games and concerts, etc. They both work full time and I'm so proud of them. I have gotten to know a lot of their family too, and they are all from Chicago. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met and not one of them is into drugs or boozin it up. I think there are crummy people from all races and I just wanted to relay my positive experiences with my best friend and his fiance.
Good to hear a story about people who were able, with some support from the state, to get themselves on a better track. Hopefully, there are a lot of stories like this.
So many of the stories I've heard involve a woman and her children landing at the crisis shelter with tales of mistreatment back in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee... The advocates at the crisis shelter help them with the paperwork and procedures for MFIP benefits, subsidized housing, food stamps, cash assistance, medical care... Once they are situated, they are joined by the fathers of their children and/or various relatives. Sadly, many of these people are into drugs and boozing it up.
One strategy that some use is to get their utilities turned on in the name of of another person. After a few months, this person moves to Duluth and uses these utility bills as proof of residency so that they qualify for state benefits.
People do what they can to keep body and soul together and if they are not able to get the help they need back in their home state, what are they to do? Can't fault folks for seeking out assistance where it is offered. But it does change things.
When we moved to Duluth twenty years ago, you could leave your doors unlocked and stroll through the Holiday Mall without a worry. Lincoln Park was a safe, working class neighborhood and there were darn few stories in the newspaper about stabbings and shootings. Things have changed.
If I was considering moving our family to Duluth today, these are some of the factors I would want to take into account.
One, don't move here with out a job.
avg unemployment rate for the area is 13 to 9%
Most jobs are on the iron range
New home starts have all but stopped.
carpentry jobs are hard to come by.
Nursing jobs are increasing with the elderly population increasing.
Take a look at the Duluth news tribune for job listings or job service.
Schools, yea we have some new schools.
Nice ones too as there are once again increasing our property taxes around $300 a year for a 100k home to pay for them this is above and beyond the bonding and the taxes they said it was going to cost.
Our property taxes have doubled in the last 12 years.
Well over $2500 a year for a 120k home.
A declining student population makes for smaller class sizes. That's a plus
But why is the student enrollment going down?
because they are moving away
a 1%tax on all car purchases.
Welfare, some never want to get off of it, it has become a way of life for many.
Many come/ move to MN just for it.
It has put a big strain on our state.
Haven't you noticed? The state is broke, the city is broke too.
It's a nice place.
To visit.
Having said that we are planing to get out soon.
Enough is enough.
Like the old saying around town, "will the last one out, turn the lights off"
In regards to the welfare comments, a friend's parents moved to Duluth, and were recommending to others to move there too because they got Section 8 housing almost right away rather than having to wait in The Cities. It's unfortunate that people do choose to live off the system rather than make an effort to better their lives.
In regards to the welfare comments, a friend's parents moved to Duluth, and were recommending to others to move there too because they got Section 8 housing almost right away rather than having to wait in The Cities. It's unfortunate that people do choose to live off the system rather than make an effort to better their lives.
The wait for Section 8 housing vouchers can be years in some cities. I've been told by several people that the wait list is 17 - 20 years in Chicago and can be up to 10 years in the Twin Cities. Yikes!
I agree, it is too bad that some settle into living off of "benefits" rather than working. But whether they can better their lives by getting off these programs is sometimes questionable.
When the state shut down for three weeks recently, there was an article about a mother who was receiving $3,600 a month in day care assistance. Good heavens. What job could she possibly hold down where she could afford to spend that kind of money on daycare?
Many times people who rely on benefits lack the training/education to obtain a fuil-time jobs with health insurance, etc. Manufacturing jobs have all but disappeared and most entry level, retail/fast food positions are minimum wage, part-time, and don't offer healthcare. Many find they are money ahead not working.
Welfare for children is limited to a maximum of five years per mother. Most places, women are sanctioned off benefits way before five years. Many apply and appeal until they get SSI and/or SSDI, which provides cash benefits for the rest of their lives once their disability, such as depression, is established.
The mood of the country has changed since the War on Poverty was launched. Programs are being cut back all over the place. Not sure what is to become of the people who can't make it on their own even in a good economy, let alone the current one.
Oh it sure has changed. What I find sad are the people with the skills and/or the education to do something better but find how nice it is not to have to work while getting assistance. I know not everyone on assistance has the means to get off the programs. A good read for learning how hard it is to live off the income from a lot of different places. Amazon.com: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (9780805088380): Barbara Ehrenreich: Books
It's sad that so many major companies have moved to countries where labor is cheaper. But let's not get into that.
Nickel and Dimed is a terrific read. She was a single woman with a car and a $1,000 in the bank and tried to make a go of it several different times, in several different locations and just couldn't. Minneapolis was one of the cities. I believe she tried to make a living at Wal-Mart there.
Anyway, to keep this back on the topic of moving to Duluth. One of the reasons people move to Duluth is that they can get help in Duluth that they cannot get elsewhere.
The Ordeans, bless their souls, founded a home for wayward women among their many other good deeds. I think they and other goodhearted people of the time started Duluth on the path of taking care of the less fortunate. For example, Duluth was the first community in the country to develop a coordinated approach to dealing with domestic violence.
In today's paper over 14 nursing jobs.
0 carpentry jobs.
1 building maintenance job if you have 10 years (hevac) experience and heavy equipment experience (lic)
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Perhaps.
