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I have been a Duluth resident for almost 27 years ( my whole life. ) I love it here, and would not want to live anywhere else. I grew up in Lincoln Park AKA: West End, up twards Skyline parkway. I still think it is a very nice neighborhood. Down twards the bottom of the hill has gotten worse, but there is revitalization in progress with the new Heritage Hockey arena and the Renewed Peidmont ave ( US Hwy 53 ) I noticed that Lincoln Park itself is alot cleaner, with paved trails a restored pavillion the restoration of bridges along Lincoln Parkway. NHS also offers grants for people who buy homes in that area to help revitalize the neighborhood.
I now live in the Gary New Duluth area and I absolutely love it! I really couldnt think of a better place myself to live. Its its own little town. Very quiet place. Everything you need is within walking distance. The people are some of the friendliest I have ever seen. Housing is very affordable, even if you are building new. There are several lots for sale. There are many outdoor activities and places to take advantage of too. The St Louis River is right there, Jay Cooke State park is only a couple miles away. There is also the Superior hiking trail. Spirit Mountain is close by, and numerous cross country ski trails along Skyline Pkwy. There is also the Willard Munger State Trail and other multiple snowmobile trails that connect to just about anywhere you want to go. All Major shopping is less than 10 miles away with the Miller Hill Mall being an exception. I could go on, and on, but I wont.
Now to Jobs, sure there are alot of $8-$10 dallar an hour jobs in the area but there are also alot of really good paying jobs too. Myself being a Union tradesman can tell that the Union workforce is gettin much bigger again. With all the new plants and mines going up on the Iron Range, Unions are having a hard time filling positions. Most of them are opening the doors and taking people left and right. My suggestion to anyone concerned about a job would be, Join a union because there is alot of good jobs waiting.
I was born and raised in Duluth and have lived here for nearly 22years. I will say that it is a beautiful place to live with many outdoor activities and I love it but the job market is so terrible and low paying that I have to move to the twin cities area so that I can actually comfertably survive.
Duluth must be doing something right because I have taken a keen liking to it, and I live nearly 1,200 miles away in Pennsylvania! I see Duluth and my hometown of Scranton, PA as being mirror images of one another in many ways. Scranton went from having a population in the mid-100k range down to about 76,000 today. Duluth did the same but has about 10,000 more residents today than my hometown currently does. Scranton is roughly 2.5 hours away from both New York City and Philadelphia. You appear to be about that far from the Twin Cities. Duluth is hoping to lure in more middle-class transplants from the Twin Cities in order to revitalize itself. Scranton is doing the same with the New Yorkers. Both cities declined heavily from the 1960s-1990s and are both just starting to rebound nicely. Duluth has the added bonus of being located on Lake Superior though, and Scranton has the added bonus of being three hours from the ocean. Both cities have some leafy historic neighborhoods and old buildings in their downtowns. Scranton is the setting for a hit NBC sitcom; Duluth is not (to my knowledge). Duluth has an aquarium; Scranton does not.
With that being said I suppose it's no wonder why I've grown so fond of Duluth when it's Minnesota's version of my own hometown! I love winter and thrive in the cold, snowy weather. I also love historic homes, culture, and socially-progressive people, and Duluth seems to possess all of these in large quantities. I was shocked to see you had an annual Gay Pride Festival; we have to drive to NYC, Allentown, or Philly to experience one even though Scranton itself has a very sizeable LGBT community. Duluth just has some sort of cozy, homey feel (for me at least), and I've only experienced it through others and through Virtual Earth.
You never know. I might just be one of those well-educated gay single professional yuppie types that you folks are seeking to help revitalize your city's core. With Scranton and Duluth being mirror images of one another you'll have to sell your city to me though. LOL!
To those who bash Duluth, you must realize that I see similar phenomena occurring here in Scranton as well. Our young college graduates flee en masse to NYC, NJ, or Philadelphia and then return after several years after they tire of the "rat race." I suspect this similar trend is occurring in Duluth as well. We also have a problem with more Section 8/government handout types moving here from the cities, just as you are struggling with this from those moving there from the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. EVERY city faces its challenges, but I feel as if you folks in Duluth should be PROUD of your community---not ashamed.
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 01-05-2008 at 10:31 PM..
Reason: Typo
Duluth must be doing something right because I have taken a keen liking to it, and I live nearly 1,200 miles away in Pennsylvania!
Glad to see someone so energetic about my home town! I do indeed hope Duluth is doing something right. I've very proud of my city and am trying to get more and more involved in it. I see many of my friends leave for big cities right after (or even before school), only to return a few months later.
I have to chuckle reading all the posts from people who "have been to Duluth twice and want to move there" and seem to think they know all about the city after taking a few family vacations there. To the non-resident visitor, Duluth probably does appear to be a great place to call home. To those of us who lived there for 20+ years, there are several factors to consider when planning to relocate to Duluth...
Crime. Crime has been increasing over the past five years at a very scary rate. I spent the first 12 years of my life in West Duluth and never thought twice about roaming around after dark or going on bike rides by myself. Nowadays, you might as well be traveling through North Minneapolis. The drug dealers keep relocating there - and they aren't all from Minneapolis like one poster stated. They're coming from all the neighboring large cities (Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and the Twin Cities). The gangsters have decided they run the city and the Westside has too small of a police presence to adequately handle things. (My stepfather was a police officer in Duluth for 30 years, so I know what I'm talking about.)
Weather. For people with Seasonal Effective Disorder, Duluth is NOT the city for you. The sun isn't a common sight in Duluth. It seems as though a gray cloud permanantly resides over the city. Wind is another major factor. It's incredibly common to have an overcast day with a 25mph east wind making the wind chill about 45 degrees on a summer day. Summer - you don't get much of it in Duluth. Yes, there are three months alocated to what we call summer, but Duluth sees about one month worth of typical summer temperatures. And winter - it's brutal. Enough said.
Jobs. I left Duluth at age 23 after graduating from UMD because of the lack of a job market, not to mention low pay. There is very little opportunity for a solid, decent paying job in Duluth, unless you are lucky enough to get in at UMD.
Location. I spent 2/3 of my life in Duluth - the first third in West Duluth, the second third on Park Point. West Duluth is still a great area if you choose a nice pocket. There are also several pockets of gang bangers and drug dealers. Do your research. Park Point is a very beautiful peninsula but it's crowded with people from April through September and driving through the bottleneck of Canal Park is beyond frustrating.
Hills. Be prepared to have repeated brake work done on your vehicle after driving down hills.
Now, there are other positive factors about the city, too. It's not ALL bad...
Scenery. The city is beautiful. I have paintings of the Ariel Lift Bridge and Park Point in my home. I love looking at the lake. If you are moving somewhere solely for the views, then Duluth is the city for you.
Schools. For the most part, all of Duluth's schools are good. The teachers are dedicated and it's not uncommon for them to be Duluth school alums. UMD is a fabulous university, too.
Traffic. There isn't a rush hour in Duluth so you don't have to worry about being stuck in traffic. You might get stuck on one side of the Lift Bridge, though, so be prepared to wait anywhere from 10-40 mins depending on the number of boats/ships and how quickly they're moving.
I moved away from Duluth in 2002 and have lived in the Twin Cities for the last 5.5 years. My entire family is in Duluth so it was hard for me to leave and after two years, I finally didn't have the desire to move back anymore. Now when I go up for a weekend visit, Duluth still feels like "home" but it just seems darker, older and dingier than it was when I lived there. Once you leave and experience life in another setting, Duluth isn't all that appealing - especially for young/middle-aged people. I wouldn't mind retiring there someday, but for a 30 year old, Duluth isn't the place to be.
Weather. For people with Seasonal Effective Disorder, Duluth is NOT the city for you. The sun isn't a common sight in Duluth. It seems as though a gray cloud permanantly resides over the city.
That portion of your post seems odd to me. I've always thought that one of the nice parts about our winters, is that the sun is always shining. Always blue, sunny and COLD . It seems like half the time I wake up to -35 degree temps, the sun is out, and everything looks happy and cheery. I get into my car, and the seat has been warmed from the sun.
Otherwise I feel you hit a lot of good points and as much as I want people to move here, they must completely weigh the pros and cons. Duluth is absolutely not a city for everyone. If people visit here in the summer, it is very warm and practically the perfect temperature. People have to understand that when we say the winters are cold, the winters ARE cold. Of course, that applies to pretty much any other city at this latitude and father. Just look at Fargo and all the good things that are happening in that city, yet they get just as cold, only with MORE wind.
That portion of your post seems odd to me. I've always thought that one of the nice parts about our winters, is that the sun is always shining. Always blue, sunny and COLD . It seems like half the time I wake up to -35 degree temps, the sun is out, and everything looks happy and cheery. I get into my car, and the seat has been warmed from the sun.
Otherwise I feel you hit a lot of good points and as much as I want people to move here, they must completely weigh the pros and cons. Duluth is absolutely not a city for everyone. If people visit here in the summer, it is very warm and practically the perfect temperature. People have to understand that when we say the winters are cold, the winters ARE cold. Of course, that applies to pretty much any other city at this latitude and father. Just look at Fargo and all the good things that are happening in that city, yet they get just as cold, only with MORE wind.
If it snows and the lakes freezes solid I am happy because I can skate on the ice and play in the snow. No problem.
"Duluth has the added bonus of being located on Lake Superior though, and Scranton has the added bonus of being three hours from the ocean. Both cities have some leafy historic neighborhoods and old buildings in their downtowns. Scranton is the setting for a hit NBC sitcom; Duluth is not (to my knowledge). Duluth has an aquarium; Scranton does not. "
Well, Duluth isn't the setting for "The Office" but it is the backdrop of the new movie "Leatherheads" George Clooney and Rene Zellweger (sp) were here in town today promoting their film. So Duluth too will have its 15 minutes of fame.
Anyway, I am proud of my community and as another poster said, "it looks gloomy and dirty" or somehting to that effect-well maybe so, but that only makes it more of a real place to me and not some artificial planned community on the outskirts of a city that looks just like everywhere else with a Starbucks or Caribou Coffee on every corner.
missterijo, I have to post a friendly counterpoint to what you've said. My trips to Duluth were to look at a business opportunity (that I still hope to pursue eventually) and included driving ALL OVER the city. I didn't just stop at the touristy spots and I made a point of talking to everyone I could to get their impressions of Duluth.
Crime: If you've lived in Duluth 20+ years, I'm sure that the rise in crime can be alarming. It certainly needs to be taken seriously. But keep in mind that if you've lived in any large city, Duluth has nothing that can compare on the negative end. There is no place in Duluth that I would have a problem with walking after dark. Statistically, the crime rate in Duluth is nearly half of Portland's; and I consider Portland a relatively safe city (though there are neighborhoods I wouldn't be caught in after dark here!).
Weather: If you suffer from SAD, it's the amount of sunlight (direct or diffuse) that is the issue. High gray clouds with snow on the ground don't present much of a problem as there is A LOT of diffuse, ambient light in that situation. Low wet dark rain clouds like we get in Portland DO have a major impact. I check the webcams daily, and I like what I see in Duluth compare to Portland on most days.
Jobs: Alright, this is legitimate. But I'm optomistic that the new iron range plans and all the national press Duluth has been getting will help fuel a turnaround.
Hills: If it weren't for the hills, Duluth wouldn't be nearly as desireble a place to live!
Scenery, Schools, Traffic: Three HUGE positives (despite the red plan controversy) that have me interested in Duluth!
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I see Duluth and my hometown of Scranton, PA as being mirror images of one another in many ways. Scranton went from having a population in the mid-100k range down to about 76,000 today. Duluth did the same but has about 10,000 more residents today than my hometown currently does. Scranton is roughly 2.5 hours away from both New York City and Philadelphia. You appear to be about that far from the Twin Cities. Duluth is hoping to lure in more middle-class transplants from the Twin Cities in order to revitalize itself. Scranton is doing the same with the New Yorkers. Both cities declined heavily from the 1960s-1990s and are both just starting to rebound nicely. Duluth has the added bonus of being located on Lake Superior though, and Scranton has the added bonus of being three hours from the ocean. Both cities have some leafy historic neighborhoods and old buildings in their downtowns. Scranton is the setting for a hit NBC sitcom; Duluth is not (to my knowledge). Duluth has an aquarium; Scranton does not. 
I love winter and thrive in the cold, snowy weather. I also love historic homes, culture, and socially-progressive people, and Duluth seems to possess all of these in large quantities. I was shocked to see you had an annual Gay Pride Festival; we have to drive to NYC, Allentown, or Philly to experience one even though Scranton itself has a very sizeable LGBT community. Duluth just has some sort of cozy, homey feel (for me at least), and I've only experienced it through others and through Virtual Earth. 
With Scranton and Duluth being mirror images of one another you'll have to sell your city to me though. LOL! 
Consider the factors
