Is the Minneapolis-St. Paul area dying?

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

I wouldn't make that assumption without more numbers. Those oil fields draw from all over the country, and are nowhere near the Twin Cities (we're much closer to Chicago, for example). Yes, it's a possibility, but I don't think it's by any mean a given.

Although while I don't believe that the oil fields are drawing any significant number of Twin Cities residents away from the area, your point that they may be providing an alternative for people in other areas -- people who in years past may have moved here -- may be valid. for while the oil fields may be hundreds of miles away from here, there aren't many cities in-between (although Fargo is doing really well lately, and may itself provide an alternative for some ND residents who in the past may have continued on to Minneapolis).

To the extent they could, the companies up in ND tried to restrict their hiring to the surrounding states to ensure they had a workforce that could handle the winters. The most populous of those states is ours and you see a lot of pickups with MN plates up there. Overall though, I can't imagine the numbers are that big.

[rstzATX]

The sunbelt cities from CA to Fl...and especially Texas (TX leads the nation in net population growth) will always draw more people than the north. Overall people just prefer warmer weather. However, I've been all over this country and have worked tons of networking. The Twin Cities metro is simply far underrated, it does However have a bad reputation as some far north pole Iceland. The overall quality of life in the Twin Cities can rival the best in the nation. The cold keeps population increases in check.

As said before, over population growth can be a BAD thing. One look at Austin metro, which has had a staggering 13.5% growth rate over the past 4 years. Traffic is stupidly rediculous. 2015 thus far is Austin's worst traffic fatality in years with over 80 traffic deaths. Traffic is a nightmare on I-35. Crime is increasing in Austin metro as well...take a look at the robbery statistics this year.

Look at all the issues CA is experiencing with nearly 38.5-million people. Look at the issues Texas experiences with a projected 30-million plus people in less than 5-years.

South FL is experiencing similar issues...Crime, drugs, decreasing quality of life, immigration, traffic crash fatalities etc.

So yeah, clean states like MN with less than 6-million people start to look quite appealing. The cold out weighs the horrid issues you deal with in the south.

[Republic of Michigan]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

I'm from Detroit. I grew up in the city of Detroit. I visit there often. Some of the suburbs are nice, very nice, but the city of Detroit is a sewer. To deny that is to deny reality. Most of the city of Detroit is extremely dangerous, dirty, and the city struggles to provide even basic services. I call it a sewer. If you want to sugarcoat it, go ahead. The place is a dump and that is just the truth.

Glenfield, I am not trying to argue with you and nobody from Metropolitan Detroit does not lament what happened to the city during the last 60 years. However, things have VASTLY improved just in the last year. I am unsure when was the last time you visited. The city no longer struggles to provide basic services.

Ambulance service: It used to take an hour, now it's down to a 9 minute response time.
Buses: Over 80 new buses added to the fleet, and the buses are running on a full schedule.
Trash: The city contracted out to private entities and garbage is picked up on time and even illegal dumping grounds have now been targeted and are being cleaned up.
Lighting: 55,000 new lights have been installed, and all neighborhoods are lit.
City Hall: A new APP has been created and people can request city services by this APP. There is a 48 hour mandated response time, and in fact, in 2015, 70% of all complaints were logged in via Smartphones.
Regional Transportation: The new light rail system is poised to begin in a year. Talks about connecting Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti-Metro Airport, and downtown Detroit is being studied right now.
Canada: A new bridge to Windsor is being built

So, impressive milestones have been met. One cannot deny this. The economy of the metropolitan area is becoming more diversified and more robust month by month. Population decline has slowed down and in fact the metro area is no longer losing people. So people here are optimistic about the future. Civic leaders and business leaders along with the universities in the region are working together in an unprecedented fashion.

That being said, there are still major challenges. Poverty, under-performing schools, and crime. But gentrification is taking hold in Downtown, Midtown, Eastern Market, Corktown, Rivertown, the Villages, Indian Village, Woodbridge, and the Marina District. 72 new restaurants have opened up, and the rental vacancy rate in downtown and Midtown is extremely low.

Not all of the city will recover. And that is the same for every major city which has pockets which are bad. The mindset of suburbanites has changed, and more and more people are moving into the city. That being said, the city will evolve into two parts - one gentrified and bustling and one that is poor and dangerous. But a strong central core with adjacent neighborhoods along with vibrant suburbs will really make the region forward economically and socially. A few things Detroit has for its advantage is that it is surrounded by vibrant areas, has a legacy, has many good higher learning institutions in the vicinity, it borders Canada, is located in a gorgeous state, and most importantly, it is surrounded by 5 million talented people striving to improve the city. For some reason, there is this contempt toward Detroit by many outsiders who wish nothing but ill-will toward it. Anyway, the recent developments in Detroit and the GDP of the region has been greeted warmly by people in the region. Next year, we will strive to raise the bar even higher. But patience is required, and as they say, step by step or block by block.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Republic of Michigan

Glenfield, I am not trying to argue with you and nobody from Metropolitan Detroit does not lament what happened to the city during the last 60 years. However, things have VASTLY improved just in the last year. I am unsure when was the last time you visited. The city no longer struggles to provide basic services.

Ambulance service: It used to take an hour, now it's down to a 9 minute response time.
Buses: Over 80 new buses added to the fleet, and the buses are running on a full schedule.
Trash: The city contracted out to private entities and garbage is picked up on time and even illegal dumping grounds have now been targeted and are being cleaned up.
Lighting: 55,000 new lights have been installed, and all neighborhoods are lit.
City Hall: A new APP has been created and people can request city services by this APP. There is a 48 hour mandated response time, and in fact, in 2015, 70% of all complaints were logged in via Smartphones.
Regional Transportation: The new light rail system is poised to begin in a year. Talks about connecting Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti-Metro Airport, and downtown Detroit is being studied right now.
Canada: A new bridge to Windsor is being built

So, impressive milestones have been met. One cannot deny this. The economy of the metropolitan area is becoming more diversified and more robust month by month. Population decline has slowed down and in fact the metro area is no longer losing people. So people here are optimistic about the future. Civic leaders and business leaders along with the universities in the region are working together in an unprecedented fashion.

That being said, there are still major challenges. Poverty, under-performing schools, and crime. But gentrification is taking hold in Downtown, Midtown, Eastern Market, Corktown, Rivertown, the Villages, Indian Village, Woodbridge, and the Marina District. 72 new restaurants have opened up, and the rental vacancy rate in downtown and Midtown is extremely low.

Not all of the city will recover. And that is the same for every major city which has pockets which are bad. The mindset of suburbanites has changed, and more and more people are moving into the city. That being said, the city will evolve into two parts - one gentrified and bustling and one that is poor and dangerous. But a strong central core with adjacent neighborhoods along with vibrant suburbs will really make the region forward economically and socially. A few things Detroit has for its advantage is that it is surrounded by vibrant areas, has a legacy, has many good higher learning institutions in the vicinity, it borders Canada, is located in a gorgeous state, and most importantly, it is surrounded by 5 million talented people striving to improve the city. For some reason, there is this contempt toward Detroit by many outsiders who wish nothing but ill-will toward it. Anyway, the recent developments in Detroit and the GDP of the region has been greeted warmly by people in the region. Next year, we will strive to raise the bar even higher. But patience is required, and as they say, step by step or block by block.

Thanks for the update. I hope you're right. When I was there last year, I didn't see any signs of all this. While all my friends and family are back to work now, they make a lot less than they did a few years ago, and life is not easy. I did not visit the East Side neighborhood I grew up in because it's way too dangerous, but I see from Google street views that most of the houses I lived in are abandoned or torn down, and surrounded by other abandoned houses or empty lots. I'm sure the gentrification will be helpful to the extent it happens, but that doesn't have much to do with ordinary blue collar families like mine. Still, I do hope your optimism ends up being warranted.

[piper89]

Originally Posted by theasker379

Detroit seems to be gaining steam and progressing faster than ever, while places like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Texas are dying! What's happening?

Have you spent too much time in North Minneapolis polluting your brain or something?