Please convince me that your city is better then Denver (Minneapolis: home, theater)

[gearedtowardssalad]

Strange. The Portland I've seen oozes with pretention and has hipsters running a muck wishing they were the artists and musicians that Minneapolis has. There's no question Minneapolis has Portland beat for culture. I would say Minneapolis is more comparable to Seattle in that regard, but looks a bit more like Portland.

[west336]

Originally Posted by sparksals

Yes, I have been to all which is why I was so surprised.

Minneapolis Downtown actually reminds me a lot of Calgary because of the chronological streets/avenue numbers and the skywalks (which originated in Calgary and are called +15s b/c they are 15 ft above the ground). You can walk through almost entire DT Calgary through the +15s without going outside. It will take you longer, but it is a good way to avoid the cold weather outside in winter.

I consider Portland and moreso Seattle to be far more ecclectic, Artsy Fartsy than Minneapolis.

No argument here!

Maybe the "99% of the time" remark was an exaggeration, but that's the point -- that people emphasize weather so much when every American city in this country is obviously hospitable, yet everyone thinks they have it bad and/or they could have it so much better. And somehow this would change everything. I think that can be true if you are near retirement and your entire body aches, but for the average middle-aged person with a family I think it's almost a non-factor.

[Bluydgrl]

Originally Posted by vcvc

Your question is please convince me that your city is better than Denver. The reasons you list for liking Denver involve climate, lack of bugs, mountains, etc. Your reasons for liking Denver are the same as every other person that likes it out there that I know, yet they have very little to do with the actual city itself.

I know multiple people who lived in Denver and now call Minneapolis home. They say if you love the mountains, like having no bugs and like a not as cold winter, then by all means Denver is your choice. But when I ask them what made them stay in Minneapolis rather than move back to Denver the answer is almost always the same. And it's that they all prefer Minneapolis as a city. So much so that it trumps the cold, the mosquitoes the lack of mountains, etc.

I work in the city of Denver..What is so different then?

[Bluydgrl]

Originally Posted by sparksals

OP - you are in a real quandary. I think you need to weigh what is more important for you - your relationship, career, happiness, job satisfaction. Will you be able to live without regrets or resentment that you quit the job and left the city you absolutely love to move here only to find a job that is not as satisfying and to be unhappy with the different lifestyle? There's no guarantees. You may find a job you love more and enjoy the seasons here. I do think you need to read the many threads here about the plight of transplants. If you know what you're getting into, it may make it more tolerable.

When we lived in Flagstaff, AZ, I was miserable. Our marriage would not have survived had we stayed there. Luckly, DH got transferred to Tucson and we were very happy there.

I am not miserable here, but this is not a place we want to stay forever. Dh is watching for opportunities elsewhere and we have set a goal to be out of here in 3 years.

Knowing the climate in Denver, I can tell you that the winter here is different. It is completely socked in with no reprieve for 5-6 months. Denver gets the warm air throughout the winter that melts the snow. Growing up in a place VERY similar to Denver, it has been a HUGE adjustment for me and one of the reasons why I want to get out of here. I just don't want to deal with winter as I age... and I'm the same age as you.

Yes, Minnesota is friendly. But it is a surface friendly. If you are really social and enjoy meeting new people and making friends, you may have a difficult time. You will have to be VERY proactive in creating a social network.

Depending on your line of work, you may have a great deal of trouble finding a job. Would you be happy taking a significant pay cut or doing a job that does not challenge you?

Good question..I'm not sure i would.My partner says i should just go part time in MN.Just to get the medical benifits.I'm so used to working ft.I might like pt but the pay cut worries me alot.
We have both been going back and fourth about me just staying her in Denver and getting a roommate at our house until she can hopefully get back.I have 5 weeks vacation a year and she comes to Denver 1 a month.I think it would work??

[west336]

You should just do what you want. Minneapolis will never be Denver, and Denver will never be Minneapolis.

[Bluydgrl]

Originally Posted by sparksals

How can a west coast, rainy, temperate climate be compared to Minneapolis or vice versa? Culture, arts that kind of thing, I can possibly see, but that is only a small part of a decision to move from one place to another.

If someone thought Minneapolis is similar to Portland or Seattle, I think one of the first items they would think of is climate, housing prices, taxes etc... I would think Seattle is far more expensive on all counts.

Seattle is expensive.I lived there and also was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.Ypu want RAIN then thats where you go.
It doesn't rain that often in Denver and when it does it so nice.We get all 4 seasons.Just not as bad as MN BY A LONG SHOT

[Bluydgrl]

Originally Posted by Mezter

To the OP....Are you kidding me.!??? What part of Denver do you live in.? haha. If you can deal with the bugs here, you can certaintly deal with them in other places.! This summer in Denver has been especially bad with bug :O

Anywho....i just don't understand, but why do some people on this thread feel the need to put Denver as a city down, and Make the Twin Cities seem like Chicago compared to Denver.? No city has anything over the other (I dont think). Minneapolis has Snowboarding, though not as good as Denvers, they still have it... Denver still has many lakes, though not as much as Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Denver still has them. Food options are still the same, The city themselfs (IMO) are still the same in a way. You can't really tell theres a huge population difference as they both seem to have the same amenities.

Back to the OP's post...Its okay to try new things...though you may miss the old, the new could suit you perfectly well. Who Knows, you might even find the Twin Cities to be better than Denver.! Don't let weather get to you.! People from Minneapolis make it worst than it really is. If you have ever been to a city in the Rockies for example....Estes Park,Colorado in the middle of winter, You will defenently be able to survive the winters. If you ever miss your family/Friends, all you have to do is make a quick call, or even take a weekend trip back to denver. Thats what i do whenever i miss my family in Houston. My family in St. Paul & Richfield tell me about the humidity,bugs, and "Hot" summers, but really they arent that bad at all. I think it really depends on how you look at the situation. In this case you should look at it possitively.! I would do anything to have a cange and move somewhere like Minneapolis/St.Paul.! Thought i love both cities, it doesnt hurt to expirence the one you haven't expirenced living in before.

Good Luck with your decision.!

tHANK YOU

[Bluydgrl]

Originally Posted by smilera

minneapolis weather sucks....the summer is so bruttally hot...almost worst than the cold winter....

Denver weather so nice...

i TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU

[Bluydgrl]

[quote=gearedtowardssalad;19564934]Actually, Portland and Minneapolis are very similar in terms of all of those things. Higher taxes, fairly similar housing prices (Seattle's being highest, Portland's lowest), lots of music, art, fairly progressive politics, push for more and better public transit, all 3 are fairly "green" cities, and not to mention parts of the cities look similar to eachother. Minneapolis's economy is more comparable to Seattle's, but not Portland's.

Let me ask you, have even been to these cities? Minneapolis doesn't remind me of any other midwest city besides (slightly) Chicago. The twin cities are very laid back like a west coast city, and they have an endless amount of culture. Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis are frequently compared on this forum.[/q

Yes i have...I have lived in Seattle.Have friends in portland that i visit and i have been to Minnesota 3 time and still haven't seen much of the city

[queenswake]

Originally Posted by west336

85 is the AVERAGE daily high, not the extreme.

Preliminary Local Climatological Data - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

Click on "July" for the Minneapolis data and after the last day of the month there is an "average" figure for each set of data. Check it out. I'm NOT NOT NOT saying heat is a problem whatsoever.....just that it can (technically) be "hot" here.

I still don't believe that. I haven't lived in MN for 10 years now but I still don't remember it being THAT hot. Maybe it's because if the humidity isn't bad and if there is a breeze, 85 feels pretty good and is not hot at all.

No, I wasn't calling you out. Just posters here in general. People already have a perception of MN having a super cold winter, which it does. So I don't like when people further try to scare people away by complaining about the heat and the bugs, which are, to me, very minor problems that don't really deserve mentioning. Especially if they end up scaring people away from ever considering a move to MN.