Planning Move to Duluth (Hermantown, Herman: real estate, rentals, houses)

[BlueNoodle]

Hi all, first post.
Been lurking and reading a bit around this forum.
My family is planning a move to Duluth or that area, hopefully in one year.
I know it's a little premature and many things can change before that time but I'm a planner!
So I am curious about the housing market and rentals and what neighbourhoods are good and which ones to steer clear of, schools and what kind of retail and art district their might be.

Oh and I guess just basically what's it like living there...I currently live in Mississippi and before that Florida so I know that the temps are going to kill me for a while.

Oh, and my next question is, does anyone know anything about the Cirrus Factory/UND Aerospace good/bad/otherwise cause that is the reason we are moving to Duluth. DH is a pilot.

[MidniteBreeze]

Duluth is in a beautiful area at the tip of Lake Superior. If you like woods and lakes, you're coming to the right place! Yes, the weather will be a shock to you. If you've never lived outside the south, our winters will be a BIG thing for you to get used to.

The schools are overall pretty good, but going through some budget issues due to declining enrollment, aging buildings, etc. You'll quickly learn that there's a definite east-west divide, with the east side of town being "rich" and the west side being "working class." Not surprisingly, the east side schools tend to have a better reputation, as does the Hermantown district (Hermantown is sort of a "suburb" of Duluth.)

As far as neighborhoods, most people will probably tell you to stay away from the central hillside ("ghetto") and the west end/Lincoln Park ("white trash on the verge of ghetto")...lots of lower income people who live in often-neglected rental properties. There are some "renewal" projects going on, but most middle to upper class people tend to avoid these neighborhoods.

Real estate prices are still below the national median (I believe), but high when compared to the average wages in the area. You won't find a lot of "cookie cutter" type developments in Duluth, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Lots of older housing stock, but some of those homes in the better neighborhoods are well kept and beautiful. You CAN find a newer home in Duluth, but not as easily as the more rapidly growing urban/suburban areas in the country.

Shopping and art. "Over the hill" in the mall area you will find most of your typical chain and "big box" retail stores and restaurants. The canal park area is very touristy so you'll find plenty of restaurants and shops there as well...some chains, but some unique places that are actually worth a look. The Fitger's brewery complex has some interesting shops and restaruants as well. There are some art galleries downtown and UMD has the Tweed museum of art along with some decent on-campus music/theatre productions. Duluth is home to the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra as well as the Minnesota Ballet (they do a production of the Nutcracker every Christmas.) For a town of its size, there's acutally a decent amount of "culture" to be had.

I can't help you with Cirrus, but hopefully someone else can.

Good luck on your possible move!

[BlueNoodle]

Thanks so much for all this good info.
I've been in the southern part of the U.S. for 7 years now, originally from Kansas so I do actually know what nasty and cold is. We'd get mostly ice and sleet and just basically miserable weather there.
I know I'm going to die in Duluth cause it's 43 right now here and I'm sure I'm going to freeze to death tonight.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by BlueNoodle

Thanks so much for all this good info.
I've been in the southern part of the U.S. for 7 years now, originally from Kansas so I do actually know what nasty and cold is. We'd get mostly ice and sleet and just basically miserable weather there.

Uh... Believe me, Kansas does not get all that cold in the winter.

[BlueNoodle]

Single digit and below zero temps aren't all that cold?
The Weather Channel may say the average is low 20's but believe me when I tell you that when I was there last year it was 1 and not even any snow to show for it.
Just ice.
Now of course it doesn't stay as cold for as long but 1 degree is bloody cold.

And I would also never argue that -52 wasn't absolutely crazy cold.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by BlueNoodle

Single digit and below zero temps aren't all that cold?
The Weather Channel may say the average is low 20's but believe me when I tell you that when I was there last year it was 1 and not even any snow to show for it.
Just ice.
Now of course it doesn't stay as cold for as long but 1 degree is bloody cold.

And I would also never argue that -52 wasn't absolutely crazy cold.

It depends on the time of the year. 1 degree in November is cold, 1 degree in late February is balmy .

[newcastle]

As far as Cirrus Design, it is a fast growing company with expanding opportunities. Just like any place of employment, many people are incredibly happy at Cirrus and then there are the loud vocal minority that are unahppy about everything. I have many friends who work for Cirrus who wish that the pay was better for production line staff, but as far as administration and management, I understand they are paid pretty well. UND Aerospace, of course, is in North Dakota and not Duluth. Cirrus has another production facility in Grand Forks. Lake Superior College in Duluth is expected to add a flight training program, it may already be up and running.

MidnightBreeze gave you good info on the neighborhoods in Duluth. The Duluth Art Insititute is located in the Depot Downtown and has many exhibits from local artists and a building in Lincoln Park that houses more hands on creative stuff, more of a working studio environment.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by BlueNoodle

Single digit and below zero temps aren't all that cold?

Not really. We sometimes get down into the teens here in Atlanta at night, but in the daytime it's still warm ... and I'm still wearing shorts all the time (day or night).

"Cold" for me is when the highs don't get above -20 F or so and I have to go out to start my car in the middle of the day so it'll start for me later on in the evening. Not a common occurrence in the Twin Cities, but it isn't unheard of. Once or twice a decade you'll see such a cold snap in the Twin Cities. Maybe.

I guess it's all relative, though. Some folks think Atlanta is too cold in the winter -- I've heard multiple people from Florida complain about the winter weather here. I think it's a pleasant long fall...

Now of course it doesn't stay as cold for as long but 1 degree is bloody cold.

It's all relative. When it's been -20 or -25 at night for the past several days, -1 is light jacket weather. :-)

And I would also never argue that -52 wasn't absolutely crazy cold.

Yes. -52 F is crazy cold. -52 C is crazy cold. -52 K is probably deadly cold.

I've never been in anything colder than maybe -30 F not including windchill, and that's cold enough that you need to be very careful about dressing and wind exposure. Anything below zero is that way, actually. But there *is* a difference between -1 F and -15 F or so. The air changes, and sound gets compressed a bit. It's hard to explain, but a jet airplaneflying overhead definitely sounds different when it gets colder, and things (to me) seem to get a lot quieter.

[BlueNoodle]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Not really.

LOL, okay well to *most* everyone else in the free world...that's just cold. You must have molasses thick blood running through your veins.
When we lived in South Central FL and it'd get down in the 40's-50's you could always tell the long-timers/natives between the Northerner's.
Shorts and tanks vs. long pants and wool coats.

[MidniteBreeze]

Originally Posted by BlueNoodle

LOL, okay well to *most* everyone else in the free world...that's just cold. You must have molasses thick blood running through your veins.

I read somewhere once that when you live in a cold climate, your body DOES actually make physicological changes to adapt to it. That's why 30 (above) feels cold in November, but 30 in January feels like a spring day!

The school district I work at doesn't close school unless it's -30 (actual air temp) or colder. -25, you still have to go to school!