Minneapolis bound, by way of Nashville... (sales, apartments, condos)

[hew2a]

My fiancé and I are considering Minneapolis (in addition to Brooklyn, Seattle, & Providence) as possibly our new home. I am a Graphic Designer and have noticed that Minneapolis is probably 3rd if not 2nd to NYC for design. I also want to get a degree in Architecture at some point too.

I'm wondering if anyone can give me a heads up on the job market for designers out there. If jobs are scarce or plentiful? If pay is good for a designer with 6+years exp.? Also, what are the spots where the "creatives" dwell?

Thanks...any info in addition is greatly appreciated.

[ejdillon]

I moved to the twin cities 11 mounths ago but have lived before in both Seattle and Queens, NY... I hate it here.. The job market is good and I work in a field close to yours I am sure you wouldn't have a problem getting a job assuming you have some experience.

However... I recomend choosing NYC or Seattle. Since moving to Twin Cities I am already planning my departure even though I got a great paying job here. The city is for the most part nice. The problem is the weather; it is horrible. Before moving I rationalized it and figured; "it can't be that bad", it is that bad and worse... 6 months of bitter cold, snow and wind are torture. I would reconsider... just my opinion

If I were you I would go with NYC if you can afford it and handle living in very small apartments/condos, otherwise go with seattle

[sugarbeet]

I'm beginning to notice comments about living in Minnesota are becoming more negative as the winter drags on... Try your post in June and see how the responses change LOL!

I'm not a graphic designer, so can't speak directly to that. Job growth was nil in the Twin Cities last year, but that's largely due to major construction and related job losses. There are a variety of large and small companies who employ creatives here, but jobs are so individual that you won't know until you start applying.

You will probably like Uptown Minneapolis as a place to live - rather densely populated, lots of shops, restaurants, bars and near the lakes. For the most part, what you're seeking will most likely be found within the city and not in the suburbs. Suburbs here are just like suburbs everywhere else...Uptown can be expensive and there are lots of other Mpls neighborhoods that are great. Just depends on where you'll be working. Some of us Minneapolitans do the reverse commute to the suburbs.

U of M has a great architecture program, so you'll have that available when you're ready. As you may know, Mpls has become quite well-regarded in architectural circles.

As an aside, I have also lived in NYC and Providence and have spent a lot of time in and strongly considered Seattle. While I can't speak to the job markets, I'd rank these cities as follows:

NYC
tie: Seattle or Mpls (both have pros/cons)
...lots of other cities...
Providence

While I don't want to disparage Providence, I found that it *looked* like my kind of place, but in fact it turned out to be quite provincial. There are not many out-of-staters there and, though everyone was nice and I made some life-long friends, I found it to be quite an insular place ~ certainly far more insular than it looked.

Major drawback to NYC is the cost of living. It's the one and only reason I left after four years. Even Brooklyn is now crazy expensive. I like Mpls because I can live in a vibrant, progressive city without going broke.

[hew2a]

Thanks for the replies. Wow, you guys pointed out the things I was wondering about. The "Bitter" cold is what has been a concern for me. A friend of mine moved up there a few years ago. Although she loves it, she said the winters there are unlike anything she's seen before.

One of the reason I considered Minneapolis is for exactly what Sugarbeet mentioned. I want to live in a progressive city without going broke. But yeah...the winters are a concern. Six months is a long time compared to the winters here. I'm all for snow and cold, but that's a little while.

Thanks so much for the information. You've really helped shed some light on some questions we've had.

[Minnehahapolitan]

I can't say a whole lot about Graphic Design. Alot of Ad firms are moving into the Warehouse Dist. and i'm sure they need people.
Mpls. has tons of places where you would find a progressive, inexpensive, safe and fun area. Uptown, Whittier, Downtown, Northeast, Lowertown in Saint Paul, et cetera. It gets cold, but they city is built for it. Skyways, indoor activities, malls, et cetera. Even for the price difference between Seattle and Mpls. you could afford the vacation in December. If you can take the cold, you will find this to be a great city. Some people just don't, we all understand. Take a trip in winter if you can.

[hew2a]

I'm definitely trying to plan a trip probably next winter. I believe we're going to stay here another year and then move. Personally, I'm sick of owning a car with no options. I want to live somewhere whre I at least have the option of taking the taking some form of public transportation to work. There's been a "commuter line" opened here...but it's more of a novelty than a usable form of transpotation. People here aren't really into public transportation. At the moment, I think it's still considered a "poor man's way of travel".

Thanks again guys...the info is a great help.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Our rail system is still in its infancy (but ever-expanding); but the city bus system is pretty comprehensive if you live in the right area to take advantage of it. The legislature passed a gas tax and metro sales tax that will pay for both road and transit improvements. As a metropolitan area, we rely on cars. However, 1/5 of the city of Mpls. does not have a car.
metrotransit.com is the website for the city system.