Moving to MSP from Houston -- advise needed (Minneapolis, St. Paul: ski resorts, apartment)

[conram]

Hi All, TGIF!!

We would need some advise and info related to MSP neighborhoods, traffic situation , Public transport , outdoor opportunities and most importantly how to beat that hard winter

We are a couple in our late 20's,planning to move to MSP during mid-late September. We like doing outdoorsy stuff(Running,Biking,Swimming), living in a walk able neighborhood, if any of you know houston we currently live between Upper kirby/west university/Montrose so will be looking for a similar neighborhood in MSP.

I will be working in Maplewood and would ideally like to have a commute of 20 mins, I am willing to take public transport as long as it is reliable and can get me to work in 25-35 mins.I am ok with longer commutes as well but this would be my ideal road-time.

St.Paul looked an obvious choice to Minneapolis as far as the distance from work goes, but then again we are not sure of the apartment situation and the opportunities in the neighborhoods, we would love to be close to action particularly considering that the winter is coming up soon.

My stint in MSP is a two year contract so we are looking to live in an apartment,we could stretch the rent budget upto 1800 for 1Bed-room including utilities, again we are not sure how much the utilities are gonna be up there.

Thanks in advance and have a good weekend!!!

P.S. I was always surprised to see Minneapolis at the top of fitness & outdoorsy cities list..wonder how yall do it considering that long hard winter.

[Minnesota Spring]

Check out the neighborhoods in St. Paul (Lowertown, Cathedral Hill, Midway etc.) Biking and transit is easily accessible in those areas. Light rail begins in Downtown St. Paul, but heads the opposite way of Maplewood, towards Minneapolis. Compared to the sweaty arm pit of America that some refer to as Houston, the Twin Cities will be a running, biking, outdoor lovers paradise for you! As far as the winter, it is cold, but people stay active year round. If you truly hate doing outdoor things in the winter (I'm not a big fan of winter) from December -March you have three or four months where its difficult, but honestly I think our winters get overblown. Southerners have become such wimps about winter or cool whether, it's truly pathetic. If they don't want to move up here because they hear our winters last six months, more power to them - more space for us to enjoy
P.S.- I usually take a vacation somewhere tropical in February, and by the time I get back, Spring is just around the corner.

[mr roboto]

The winters suck but what sucks worse is getting the 'how do y'all handle that?!?!?? OMG I could neeevvvvvver live in cold!' Just stay away from that line of complaining and you'll be fine. When it's 82 for a high in July with lows in the high 60s check the weather in Houston. There's trade offs!

Minnesota is surprisingly outdoors oriented precisely because the summer is shorter. Many people golf (but aren't golf nuts). Many people fish (but aren't obsessed) etc. Lots of broad participation in many outdoor activities because, well, Summer needs to be maximized!

[Minnesota Spring]

I actually spend more time outside biking in the fall Sept - Nov. The autumn season is typically gorgeous up here, the humidity goes away, the air is crisp, the leaves change color. I try to maximize fall more than I do summer

[Apple Tree]

Originally Posted by conram

P.S. I was always surprised to see Minneapolis at the top of fitness & outdoorsy cities list..wonder how yall do it considering that long hard winter.

Winter is a state of mind. There is no rule that you have to shut down and hibernate when it gets cold. You can fat tire bike, cross country ski, and of course most of the running trails are promptly cleared so you can still be quite active every winter day. Some of the best workout days around here are the sunny, 30 degree days when you feel like you could run or ride for hours.

If cold weather meant that people had to be inactive, none of the ski resorts out West would ever get any business.

The other thing that is totally overlooked by fair weather people is what the four seasons do to the landscape. Take the U of M arboretum, one of the cooler off-the-radar places around here. If you go in January, April, July, and October, your experience will be different each time, but each time it will be fun and very active/outdoorsy.

[ellysbelly]

We moved here from South Florida a bit over a year ago-- and while living here in the winter has been an adjustment, it's really not all that different than (and in fact preferable to) dealing with a hot, humid, nasty and loooooooong summer in Houston (or South Florida0-- you either embrace it-- or you learn to deal with it. You can hibernate and go from your heated home to your heated vehicle to your heated office and back-- or you can get into ice fishing, pond hockey, cross country skiing, and other outdoor sports-- the choice is yours.

Get yourself some quality winter gear and welcome to MSP!

[srsmn]

And, during any of our beautiful "seasons," you have a good shot at seeing a beautiful, wild, Minnesota Weather Apologist (Weatherum Apologae) in its natural habitat!

[conram]

Thank you all for the info;feel much better about the move now, Im ready for Winter

I did some research on the neighborhood situation and Lowertown seem a good option,commute via car is 10 mins and the public transit time is with in 30 mins ( from google maps). Just wondering how the traffic situation is during rush hour though.

Any other suggestions on the neighborhoods ??

Again thanks for all the advise.

[cathedralhill1]

Lowertown is a very good option for you. Commuting times should not be terribly affected by rush hour since your commute would be in the opposite direction from the majority. 35E out of downtown is a mess for now, but I think this work is due to finish soon.

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by ellysbelly

We moved here from South Florida a bit over a year ago-- and while living here in the winter has been an adjustment, it's really not all that different than (and in fact preferable to) dealing with a hot, humid, nasty and loooooooong summer in Houston (or South Florida0-- you either embrace it-- or you learn to deal with it. You can hibernate and go from your heated home to your heated vehicle to your heated office and back-- or you can get into ice fishing, pond hockey, cross country skiing, and other outdoor sports-- the choice is yours.

Get yourself some quality winter gear and welcome to MSP!

Just an fyi, I am sure you have been told, but that last winter was way on the mild end of the spectrum. The two prior to that were way on the long and bitter cold end of the spectrum.