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I don't really get this Seattle comparison, either. Minneapolis is 16th of the 52 most religious cities, Seattle 49th. Most And Least Religious Cities In America (PHOTOS) That makes a big difference in a city's culture. Just one big difference. And yes, Minneapolis is midwestern.
That's a really weird thing to point out. I have never once heard someone refer to the Twin Cities as noticeably "religious"; I've lived here my entire life and have never felt like it was a notable part of the culture. Most people who are religious here don't talk about it openly and keep it to themselves. We're right at the top of the list of most progressive and liberal cities in the country.
If anything, the only real cultural impact comes from the huge Somali immigrant community, who are devoutly Muslim — so much so that they mostly segregate themselves from the rest of society.
That's a really weird thing to point out. I have never once heard someone refer to the Twin Cities as noticeably "religious"; I've lived here my entire life and have never felt like it was a notable part of the culture. Most people who are religious here don't talk about it openly and keep it to themselves. We're right at the top of the list of most progressive and liberal cities in the country.
If anything, the only real cultural impact comes from the huge Somali immigrant community, who are devoutly Muslim — so much so that they mostly segregate themselves from the rest of society.
Well, if you've never lived anywhere else, you probably think what goes on in Minneapolis is the norm. Yes, I know you guys think you're at the top of everything.
Well, if you've never lived anywhere else, you probably think what goes on in Minneapolis is the norm. Yes, I know you guys think you're at the top of everything.
So are you saying that I'm "blind" to religiosity in the Twin Cities? It's just not really a notable feature of the culture here. I mean, the most famous cathedral in the Twin Cities (Cathedral of St. Paul), which is arguably the most beloved "holy" place in the entire metro, lets the blasphemous Red Bull Crashed Ice erect a gigantic downhill ice course on its front steps every winter. The local parishioners and Archdiocese don't even blink an eye.
If you're going to use Huffington Post to argue that the Twin Cities is "16th Most Religious" in the country, then I guess that seems to have zero baring on the fact that we're basically the Midwestern equivalent of San Francisco, at least socially. According to multiple sources, Minneapolis is generally regarded as the 6th most liberal city in the country:
I don't really get this Seattle comparison, either. Minneapolis is 16th of the 52 most religious cities, Seattle 49th. Most And Least Religious Cities In America (PHOTOS) That makes a big difference in a city's culture. Just one big difference. And yes, Minneapolis is midwestern.
I'm not really sure what the relevance of this would even be. Speaking as an agnostic, I've never found religious attitudes to permeate the culture of Minneapolis the way they do in many cities which are dominated by the religious right. To the extent that people here are religious, they tend to be connected more with relatively tolerant liberal protestant ideologies than with anything else.
Having lived in both cities, I find that In terms of political and social progressiveness, Minneapolis is actually very close to Seattle.
As to the OP, Minneapolis shares its location in The Midwest with Chicago, but Chicago obviously exists on a different tier than Minneapolis. So it's hard to argue strongly for Chicago. On the other hand, Seattle and Minneapolis are in the same tier of cities, but are in different geographic regions.
If forced to choose between the two options, I think Seattle is the better choice, but I would prefer to cop out on the question and say neither.
Fair question I think but I'm not sure. Chicago is an alpha world city with only about 3-4 national rivals, or cohorts, and does not feel or move like MSP given its sheer size, and Seattle I have no idea? I have heard from my buddy who lived in Chicago at the time that MSP reminded him a lot of Seattle when he went to visit in 2009. Of course this was his personal take on it and he had no dog in the fight. So if I had to choose I would probably say Seattle given that both areas are similar in population, education attainment, salary (at least in my profession), politics, number of cultural amenities (vs that of Chicago), quality of life, etc…by most objective measures they are in the same category time and time again.
Of note, I think MSP is fine being MSP and doesn’t go around seeking external validation. People here aren’t walking around sulking about being compared with other cities because they realize what a great place it is already. For the most part the comparisons are usually on these forums when someone is either A) trolling, or B) genuinely interested in either place, probably because they match up so close on paper.
I think the reason Seattle and the Twin Cities are compared frequently boils down to three major elements. #1, they are both northern cities with a Scandinavian influence, #2, they both are of similar metro size. And #3 they tend to be the #2 or #3 metros in their regions. Minneapolis is behind Chicago for certain, and Seattle competes with L.A. and the Bay Area. I don't see anything wrong with this comparison at the end of the day.
By the way, Minneapolis was once known as the Northwest. Seattle now is, but only due to westward movement over the past 150+ years, just a second in history.
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It's just not really a notable feature of the culture here. I mean, the most famous cathedral in the Twin Cities (Cathedral of St. Paul), which is arguably the most beloved "holy" place in the entire metro, lets the blasphemous Red Bull Crashed Ice erect a gigantic downhill ice course on its front steps every winter. The local parishioners and Archdiocese don't even blink an eye.
