My boyfriend and I are from a small town in Texas and we're moving to Minneapolis -- Help?!

[Ghengis]

Red Wing is a pretty neat town and in addition to a well preserved downtown is the start of the Mississippi River Bluffs scenic area. Easy access to neat towns and drives on the Wisconsin side of the river as well. And perhaps best of all, probably one of the most populated bald eagle areas in the country where they often congregate and spend all winter in the open waters.

Hastings is an option with maybe a little more to do and offering more big-city amenities and 25 miles closer to "The Cities". Lake City is about 15 miles further south along Hwy 61 but probably would offer a less expensive housing option. Beautiful river/lake town with better water access than Red Wing.

When I envision moving "south" after retirement, it might just be to a place such as Lake City.

[r_shackleford]

I'm going to trust that others have sufficiently intimidated you out of the commute. Instead, I'll try to sell you on Red Wing.

I've never actually been to Red Wing itself, but I spent my mid-20's in a similar sized town in Minnesota. You will be able to find rental housing, but you'll have better luck with old-fashioned sleuthing than on the internet. Your best bet will be to try calling local real estate agents. Some of them actually rent out properties themselves, and at a minimum they should have good leads on options. Obviously, you should check with the school. Beyond that, be creative. You could check with hardware stores, hair salons, barbershops, churches, or whatever else seems worth a shot. You will probably discover a mix of small apartment buildings, apartments above downtown businesses, duplexes, triplexes, twin homes, and regular houses. At least a few of these should be suitable for your budget and preferences. The real key is to rely on the phone (instead of the internet) and actually call people. Somebody will know somebody with a room to rent, and within a few calls you should have several options. Craigslist is at least worth a look; at a quick glance, there were no listings on the Minneapolis page and one on the Rochester page. Also, don't forget to account for heating costs in the winter. I think the savings of using less air conditioning in the summer is probably bigger than the extra cost of heat in the winter, but that depends on where you set the thermostat.

Red Wing itself should have plenty of amenities to enjoy. It looks like they have a local butcher shop, bakery, and a feel smaller independent grocers. They have a co-op which sells a variety of local and organic produce, meat, coffee, and other such products. I'd expect the farmers market has a pretty good selection. The Sheldon Theatre looks like a neat historic venue which hosts a variety of music and theater performances. A good variety of big-name bands make there way through nearby Treasure Island Resort and Casino. You'll also be surrounded by the beautiful bluff scenery.

Depending on exactly what you expect from big city life, you'll find at least a decent approximation in Red Wing. I doubt you'll find an abundance of locally owned ethnic restaurants. There won't be a huge delegation of 20-somethings, but you'll probably find each other. Minneapolis will certainly have more options for entertainment. When you feel you need a bit more city, it's an easy enough drive if the weather's nice and there's no road construction. Beyond that, your life in Red Wing really wouldn't be that much different than Minneapolis. I'd certainly rather go sledding- there has to be a good hill in red wing- and warm-up with some cocoa (perhaps fair trade from the co-op) when it snows than to nervously watch the clock strike 6,7, and 8 before he gets home. I can certainly understand the big city dreams, but I think a year in Red Wing would prove to be an interesting detour.

[MPLS_TC]

Originally Posted by jcdavis92

Oh, yikes. :/ I guess living in the city isn't the way to go. haha

Try looking into suburbs such as West St. Paul or South St. Paul, they are a little more city like than your average Minneapolis or St. Paul suburb and they are southeastern suburbs that are much closer to redwing than Minneapolis.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by MPLS_TC

Try looking into suburbs such as West St. Paul or South St. Paul, they are a little more city like than your average Minneapolis or St. Paul suburb and they are southeastern suburbs that are much closer to redwing than Minneapolis.

Still going to be 45 minutes on a good day, maybe...just not worth the drive

[csassie]

I suggest you live in Farmington which is about 20-25 minutes from Red Wing -- there are some affordable apartments in downtown Farmington. Farmington is also 25 minutes from Minneapolis so not a long drive to Minneapolis on the weekends.

[angelsweb]

Last year my husband and I investigated Red Wing because we thought we'd be moving there, but we ended up in another small Minnesota town. I like it here for the most part, but i think i'd have loved Red Wing.
As a native Southerner, and my hubby is a Texan, we've actually enjoyed the year here. I found people here were nice, helpful and friendly.

For housing, we got some tips about real estate offices from the Red Wing Convention and Visitors office. More apartments seem to open up in the spring. There's a technical college in Red Wing and a lot of leases seem to be tied to its calendar. Your boyfriend's school may have a housing office you can check with.

I'd second the recommendation to stick closer to your boyfriend's school and save that commuting time and cost for each other. Unless you're from the Panhandle, you haven't dealt with driving in weather like Minnesota has in the winter. I lived in Michigan for 14 years (25 years ago), and still found it challenging at times, even with 4 wheel drive.

Hope you enjoy your time in Minnesota.

[Bslette]

This would work out a lot better if the Red Rock Commuter Line were already built & extended. When that happens (probably 20-30 years at most) the line would extend all the way from Minneapolis to Hastings and Red Wing.

Until then (which won't really matter for you guys anyways) I'd say the best bet would be to live in Red Wing or at least Hastings. Hastings is right in between the two, about 30-40 minutes from both. St. Paul is even closer. Plus, the commuter line is expected to go to Hastings when it is first built, so that will happen sooner that it being extended to Red Wing. Still pretty irrelevant time wise, though, since it is still far off.