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And for the weather part - I can see this, I am going to see how much the overcast gets to me. I don't really care about the rain. We've had a fair share this year here and I don't mind it. everyone has what they hate, and for me it is the bitter cold. I just pretty much hate life from January to February here. Its so bad I won't even go out side, I have no desire to feel it when its -10. It does invigorate me to get back inside When it snowed in May, that was the last straw. Now, IF you can take the cold or like it, MN is probably great! I however, am a pu**y and cannot.
As to Seattle vs. Minneapolis, overall yes, I'm not expecting a world of change. The 10% pay increase and the milder winters are what I am hoping makes the difference. They seem fairly comparable. I'm hoping the lower ratio of townies makes it a little better socially but in the end the burden rests on the one wanting to socialize.
I understand. That's partly why I moved to Los Angeles. I couldn't handle another winter. Now I'm a little older and am willing to make the trade off for quality of life.
I have friends who LOVE Seattle weather and could not stand Mpls cold and especially summer humidity. If I was able to handle the wet I would probably move to Seattle instead but when it comes to that maddening drizzle that's where *I* am a total p***y.
I'm not dissing Seattle. I consider the whole region wonderful. And for the life of me I can understand this "Seattle freeze" stuff. Everywhere I've gone in NW Washington, I've run into nice, friendly people. Granted, they don't burst into discussions of their lousy lovelife or anything intimate. But that's just fine with me. I don't want instant intimacy. Because I cconsider it phony anyway. The people I've run into who do that turned out to have personality problems. I'd rather work my way into familiarity in what I consider a normal way. I'm just saying don't expect to move yourself from this metro to that metro and all the things you didn't like suddenly are not there. For most people, moving away from a place can be the best way of discovering how good a place you left.
HOWEVER, when it is July or August and we're batting the mosquitoes, you won't out there. Insects are one of the things in MN I would never miss. Who needs 'em?
So I was lucky enough to stumble on these forums and do some research before a move to Seattle. After garnering much great information before my move, I feel compelled to sdhare my experience here in Minneapolis after a 5 year stint. I’ve had some good, some bad, so here is my review if the area after 5 years.
First the good:
Best #1: Big city amenities, small town benefits. The nice thing about Minneapolis is that I can go to a Twins game, go skiing at Afton, see Lake Calhoun full of people and enjoy concerts any day of the week at First Ave. There was no chance of doing this inmy home of Fargo. Another great thing is that you can do this in Minneapolis without breaking the bank or worrying about safety like you would in say Chicago or NYC. I can still get Thai, Sushi, and Italian or fancy Gastropub fare any day I choose. We have the light rail, and also an international airport. Rents are not cheap, but they aren’t bad either.
Best #2: The lakes, trail system, parks and outdoors. Minneapolis has definitely got it going on for a lake and park system. My road bike has proven invaluable as I am able to use the trail system to get around all the scenic Grand Rounds routes and see the lakes. Plus, we have Minnehaha, a great gem. Anotyher great feature is that you can hit Buck Hill or Afton in a relatively quick drive. People in Chicago or NY can’t enjoy this.
Best #3: Jobs. For a professional, we have a high concentration of Fortune 500 companies. That’s why I moved here (and why I’m moving to Seattle). Our unemployment is low and I think that would have to go in my top 3. There is a hard work ethic here, people show up on time, and most people are fairly educated (note: educated and intelligent are two entirel separate things!). Being abl;e to find work as a professional is quite hard in Fargo, here its much easier.
Now the bad:
Worst #1: The weather. Yes, some of you don’t mind it, some of you “like the seasons.” I’ve never heard anyone say in late January in the office “Man its beautiful today.” Never heard that, ever. My most striking point of deciding to move was going to run around Calhoun in late October. It was pretty much empty, a few souls and their dogs. Contrast that to last week where its crowded with smiling kids and people getting on paddle boats. I know Seattle weather has a bad rep, but I went there in March, it was 55 and everyone was getting out the kayaks for the lake. That doesn’t happen here, I’m sorry.
Worst #2: MN Nice. People are reserved and generally think anything past small talk is weird. That’s the vibe I get. Give directions anywhere but back to your house. In my 5 years here, my best friend was made while on a bus in Cancun. He was a transplant from Green Bay. The only non-work and non-family friends who showed up to my going away party were transplants from Iowa and Michigan. You already have your cliques, family, and limited time, and I get that. But I don’t get that whenever I visit Chicago.
Worst #3: Limited diversity. Yes, we do have a big Somali population. Yes, we do have a Hmong population. Yes Lake Street is like little Veracruz. But I can count on my hand the number of black people I see at Stella’s on a summer night and its usually only one hand if that. It’s not as white as Fargo but its pretty close. Races here don’t mix. My dad’s neighbors hook us up with Mexican BBQ in Houston, but they don’t seem to mix much. And I really wouldn’t want to be black here, man, dating would suck if you are trying to get a white girl from Edina or Minnetonka.
So there it is people. Not trying to bash any of you. It’s a hell of a lot better than Fargo, and I would consider returning at some point in time if the clouds of Seattle do me in. Your city has provided some fun, and some disappointment.
But in the end wherever you go, there you are
Sounds like you spent a lot of time in uptown. Definitely your biggest mistake
"Races here don't mix". To some degree, that's true everywhere. We have a black church a half block away. It would be easy for all the white folk within a block or two to show up. But I don't think they do. I think church services will be purely what keep the black parishioners coming back. There are Hmong congregations, Taiwanese, East African. I don't think anyone is starting one that has some sort of international mission from day 1. Be hard to do I think. I think some artistic venues have slightly better luck. There are musicians who attract audiences from all sections of society. But I don't think Ma and Pa Minnesota show up big for the gangsta rappers on tour. And I don't think One Direction would draw a huge black crowd. We have distinct ethnic tastes. Will you somehow find that different in some other town? Maybe New York City. Maybe New Orleans. Seattle? My visits really haven't told me that much about how it works there.
The reason you don't see blacks at Stellas is because Minneapolis lacks a substantial black middle class. People tend to hang out at places where there are others like them. In cities where there is a large black middle class, you go out to a restaurant and people of all ethnicities are there.
The reason you don't see blacks at Stellas is because Minneapolis lacks a substantial black middle class. People tend to hang out at places where there are others like them. In cities where there is a large black middle class, you go out to a restaurant and people of all ethnicities are there.
I agree. Stellas is in Uptown where all the hipsters (mostly white people) live. If this person decided to go to either downtown (STP or MPLS) they would have seen a very diverse crowd. Also (and this isn't addressed towards you in particular), if you ask me, I love everything beyond small talk. Small talk is the reason I hate getting my hair cut. In most places small talk is considered a great conversation starter, but in Minnesota it is a turn off, people can't wait to get away from it.
So I was lucky enough to stumble on these forums and do some research before a move to Seattle. After garnering much great information before my move, I feel compelled to sdhare my experience here in Minneapolis after a 5 year stint. I’ve had some good, some bad, so here is my review if the area after 5 years.
First the good:
Best #1: Big city amenities, small town benefits. The nice thing about Minneapolis is that I can go to a Twins game, go skiing at Afton, see Lake Calhoun full of people and enjoy concerts any day of the week at First Ave. There was no chance of doing this inmy home of Fargo. Another great thing is that you can do this in Minneapolis without breaking the bank or worrying about safety like you would in say Chicago or NYC. I can still get Thai, Sushi, and Italian or fancy Gastropub fare any day I choose. We have the light rail, and also an international airport. Rents are not cheap, but they aren’t bad either.
Best #2: The lakes, trail system, parks and outdoors. Minneapolis has definitely got it going on for a lake and park system. My road bike has proven invaluable as I am able to use the trail system to get around all the scenic Grand Rounds routes and see the lakes. Plus, we have Minnehaha, a great gem. Anotyher great feature is that you can hit Buck Hill or Afton in a relatively quick drive. People in Chicago or NY can’t enjoy this.
Best #3: Jobs. For a professional, we have a high concentration of Fortune 500 companies. That’s why I moved here (and why I’m moving to Seattle). Our unemployment is low and I think that would have to go in my top 3. There is a hard work ethic here, people show up on time, and most people are fairly educated (note: educated and intelligent are two entirely separate things!). Being abl;e to find work as a professional is quite hard in Fargo, here its much easier.
Now the bad:
Worst #1: The weather. Yes, some of you don’t mind it, some of you “like the seasons.” I’ve never heard anyone say in late January in the office “Man its beautiful today.” Never heard that, ever. My most striking point of deciding to move was going to run around Calhoun in late October. It was pretty much empty, a few souls and their dogs. Contrast that to last week where its crowded with smiling kids and people getting on paddle boats. I know Seattle weather has a bad rep, but I went there in March, it was 55 and everyone was getting out the kayaks for the lake. That doesn’t happen here, I’m sorry.
Worst #2: MN Nice. People are reserved and generally think anything past small talk is weird. That’s the vibe I get. Give directions anywhere but back to your house. In my 5 years here, my best friend was made while on a bus in Cancun. He was a transplant from Green Bay. The only non-work and non-family friends who showed up to my going away party were transplants from Iowa and Michigan. You already have your cliques, family, and limited time, and I get that. But I don’t get that whenever I visit Chicago.
Worst #3: Limited diversity. Yes, we do have a big Somali population. Yes, we do have a Hmong population. Yes Lake Street is like little Veracruz. But I can count on my hand the number of black people I see at Stella’s on a summer night and its usually only one hand if that. It’s not as white as Fargo but its pretty close. Races here don’t mix. My dad’s neighbors hook us up with Mexican BBQ in Houston, but they don’t seem to mix much. And I really wouldn’t want to be black here, man, dating would suck if you are trying to get a white girl from Edina or Minnetonka.
So there it is people. Not trying to bash any of you. It’s a hell of a lot better than Fargo, and I would consider returning at some point in time if the clouds of Seattle do me in. Your city has provided some fun, and some disappointment.
But in the end wherever you go, there you are
I have lived in Fargo, Minneapolis and near Seattle, so I find it hard to resist weighing in here. I think you'll enjoy Seattle for its access to amazing outdoor recreation. The rain is not the difficult part out there, it's the constant gray that weighs you down, or at least it weighed on me. I love the sun. Even so, I think most people would adapt to it. And you're right that folks in WA don't let a little rain keep them from being active, at all. If you like to bike, kayak, hike, ski etc. you'll be in heaven. One thing to keep in mind: the Cascades pull down all the rain and their eastern side is dry and often sunny. If you feel like you need some sun in November just take a short road trip over the pass.
Socially, I found folks to be much more introverted in WA. The rain seems to affect the collective personality there. There seems to be a high value on not showing much emotion or excitement; everyone is really, really chill. Lots of folks will share your interest in the outdoors and good international food.
Overall, that's a pretty easy move in my opinion. SEA and MLPS are similar in a lot of ways.
Me, I love that constant gray as much or more than everything else. In fact, when the sun comes out in that part of Washington, I find it very hard on my eyes. Something about the angles and atmosphere makes it brutal. When the clouds come in from the sea, I'm much more relaxed.
I'm really wondering where in the country you can find public places where successful blacks mingle with successful whites. Minneapolis' mayor came to live in my neighborhood in the 1990's, but I never saw here out in ANY public place in the neighborhood. Still, she had to have a circle of friends, successful people like she and her husband were. But were they equally popular with all races? Hard to say. Levels of success might be closer than 50 years ago with so many black entrepreneurs and professionals and politicians. But that doesn't mean the two cultures have merged.
I have lived in Fargo, Minneapolis and near Seattle, so I find it hard to resist weighing in here. I think you'll enjoy Seattle for its access to amazing outdoor recreation.
Overall, that's a pretty easy move in my opinion. SEA and MLPS are similar in a lot of ways.
I'm so sorry to hear you had to spend time in Fargo I seriously do hate it there! My apologies to you if you liked it there but we likely have very different personalities if that's the case.
I can't begin to express to everyone what an upgrade Minneapolis is from there (for me at least). And on my worst list, the MN Nice and Diversity, those are pretty minor gripes. Overall, I think its a good spot, for the reasons I kicked off the best of with.
More over, this move is so not primarily because I think SEA will be "better" than MLPS but because its my shot at one of the top four consulting firms in the nation...I'm sure if I write a 5 year review of Seattle, the review could look very similar. But hey, I haven't lived there for 5 years so I can't write that quite yet!
I agree with Beenhere4ever. I have noticed in places I have lived and places I have visited that people tend to stick to their own race. Look up the demographics in my area, Marrero, La. You will see we have a very diverse city. However, blacks stick with blacks, whites with whites, Asians with Asians.......etc. Of course we have a good bit of interracial relationships here but the majority of the time they hang out mostly with the black, Asian or Hispanics race. I honestly don't think it is a racist issue as many people would think as much as by nature we stick to the ones we relate to the most. We all have different cultures and different ways that we live, raise kids, entertain. I see nothing wrong with it. It is simply a matter of being around who you best relate too.
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When it snowed in May, that was the last straw. Now, IF you can take the cold or like it, MN is probably great! I however, am a pu**y and cannot. 
I seriously do hate it there! My apologies to you if you liked it there but we likely have very different personalities if that's the case. 
