Relocation from Jacksonville, FL -> Minneapolis

[The Search Continues...]

Uptown is the equivalent of Riverside but way bigger.

The rent prices might be higher than Riverside, though. I agree, Loring park might work too, but Uptown is the direct equivalent. St. Louis Park is a WONDERFUL suburb that is right by all the action and doesn't even feel like a suburb.

Minnesota is NOT spread out how the Florida cities are. I moved from Minneapolis to Tampa and then Jacksonville and I am dying to go back. The only thing I like more about Florida is weather and beach, that's it. The foodie scene, the nightlife, EVERYTHING is more dynamic about the Twin Cities EVERYTHING. And the educated people! The clean cut, high-end, educated people!

We have a saying in MN "the cold keeps the riff raff out.

[TurquoiseSky]

Oh Tampa, what a hellhole. Bet you're glad you're outta there!

[MayaLucy]

Haha! I love this post so much. "The Portland of Canada" comment makes me hope to move back there. Also the attitudes of so many on this board are so positive about winters there. (But I'll check back here in February to see if it is the same!)

I grew up in MN and moved when I was 25 (13 years ago) so really was too young and inexperienced to appreciate the Twin Cities area.

Regarding cultural and socioeconomic diversity--I'm realizing how much richness and culture that adds to a city. I recently moved from Austin TX (The Portland of Mexico?) to north shore suburb Chicago and while there is some "diversity" as far as how people look and pray, there is ZERO socioeconomic diversity.

Also, even though I am technically close to Chicago, I don't feel like all Chicago has to offer is very accessible to me.

OP, I think you'll find the Twin Cities area and all it has to offer quite accessible, regardless which area you choose to live in.

Originally Posted by Zinka

I can definitely give you advice on this, as I have pretty deep connections to both (exact) places.

Not to be cliche, but get ready for winter. If you're from Jax or otherwise unaccustomed to winter, this is going to be a huge thing. If you're hip to Minnesota winters, then it doesn't need to be explained. If not, I'd strongly suggest you visit in January and stay for a couple weeks, because that's going to be at least 1/3rd of your life in Minnesota and its not something you will understand until you've lived in it for a bit and experience the rhythms of daily life below 0.

Minneapolis is an incredibly hip and with-it city and always has been. It's pretty much the Portland of Canada (ripping off an old Simpsons line about Chicago being the Miami of Canada). For reasons better and worse, it's pretty 'diverse'. There are advantages to that, there's baggage with that. Use your own judgement. On a pound for pound basis, the culture/music/arts scene there rivals pretty much anywhere. Seriously. Chicago, Austin, New York, Seattle, pound for pound, Minneapolis absolutely keeps pace. This will be a massive step up over someplace like Jax that is pretty weak in this regard (albeit improving) relative to its size and what you'd expect from a Top 15 American city. Minneapolis is a huge culture/arts/theater outlier.

The Minnesota education system is exceptional. If you have kids, this should factor heavily into your decision.

Jax, you already know the upsides and downsides. It's a good bit more expensive to live in a decent area in Minneapolis proper, but you get paid more in Minnesota. Florida has slave wages. There are a lot of inner-ring suburbs in MSP that are pretty nice so unless you're comitted to a blood oath about a 'revitalized urban area' (ie, typical John Q Hipsterville which Minneapolis and St Paul absolutely do offer, in spades), there are other places worth checking out.