Would we be crazy to live in Minneapolis? (Eagan, Burnsville: apartment, to rent)

[JJTT]

Originally Posted by Ursicinus

I'm curious where this mystical Shangri-La of weather and climate is that everyone constantly compares Minneapolis (and, to be fair I guess, everywhere else) to. Yes, it gets cold here in the winter. But I guess I will just never understand the mindset that thinks 38 degrees and rainy is okay, but 25 and snowy is not. Okay, there are parts of the US that don't really get winter.... but they are borderline unlivable during the summer. I guess my point is, if you're going to use weather as a consideration in moving to a new area, don't forget to look at the whole picture.

I agree.
I grew up in Florida and have been visiting and researching places to move my family.
My humble opinion is that MN is a sweet spot for weather and outdoor living in u want the seasons. Its also the cleanest place I have visited, has the #1 park system in the US, one of the fittest and healthiest places....

We are leaving SW FL and will likely make MN home.

Also, consider global warming.... MN will be the place to be

[demtion35]

Minnesota has some extreme cold and awesome blizzards.


Must Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkTpR9GhYhU



Winter is so nice here there is so much to do what with hiking shoveling and day to day living.

Winter is awesome and a favorite time of year for many.

[Ursicinus]

Originally Posted by JJTT

I agree.
I grew up in Florida and have been visiting and researching places to move my family.
My humble opinion is that MN is a sweet spot for weather and outdoor living in u want the seasons. Its also the cleanest place I have visited, has the #1 park system in the US, one of the fittest and healthiest places....

We are leaving SW FL and will likely make MN home.

Also, consider global warming.... MN will be the place to be

That last line is a biggie. I think part of the reason people freak about about MN weather now is it's basically the only concentrated population area that still has winters like Baby Boomers remember from their younger days.

But even that is hit and miss. The last couple winters up here have been relatively mild and snow-free. We had to wait forever to go out skiing last winter because there just wasn't enough snow.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by BadgerFilms

There's a secret many northerners don't know, but... the heat in the south is way harder to deal with than the cold of the north. Once it gets to a certain temperature below zero, it all feels the same and if you dress for it, badda bing badda boom. You can't dress for 103 degrees.

t's all I'm saying!

I don't agree with that at all. It's really very easy to beat the heat if it's 103. You can dress in skimpy clothing, go swimming, drink ice cold drinks, you can go inside where it's air conditioned. Lots of things you can do to stay cool.

When it's below zero, you have to dress in layers. That takes time. It's not like you can just throw on a coat and go out doors. And then you gotta deal with the wind and the snow and the ice. If you don't dress proper for sub zero weather, possibility you might freeze to death.

Before electricity, I think it would have been much harder to survive in a place like Minnesota or North Dakota in the winter than it would be in Texas or Florida in the summer.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I don't agree with that at all. It's really very easy to beat the heat if it's 103. You can dress in skimpy clothing, go swimming, drink ice cold drinks, you can go inside where it's air conditioned. Lots of things you can do to stay cool.

When it's below zero, you have to dress in layers. That takes time. It's not like you can just throw on a coat and go out doors. And then you gotta deal with the wind and the snow and the ice. If you don't dress proper for sub zero weather, possibility you might freeze to death.

Before electricity, I think it would have been much harder to survive in a place like Minnesota or North Dakota in the winter than it would be in Texas or Florida in the summer.

If people in hot weather beat the heat by going inside where it's air conditioned why do people in cold climates have to stay outside?

And you may not realize this and I don't recommend it but teenagers in Minnesota wear shorts and no coats year round.

[SoulJourn]

Originally Posted by mrbrightside03

I used to live in Pennsylvania but hated it there. We lived in the middle of nowhere and we were tired of the winters and gray skies. So we moved to the southwest area of the country and now after two years we are desperatly missing the weather. We miss having four seasons, thunderstorms, etc. While we don't necessarily miss the snow too much, we do miss Christmas feeling like Christmas due to the lack of snow out here.

We are looking around at different cities to move to. I've heard a ton of great things about Minneapolis. Sounds like a wonderful city. But the winter there scares me.

Are the winters there bad enough that we should look elsewhere?

What bothers me the most about winter aside from being so cold is driving in it. I hate worrying about driving to work on those rough days, worrying about your car starting, worrying about dumb drivers in front/behind you, etc. I usually always took the day off when the weather was bad enough in Pennsylvania!

We also have a 1 year old kid so we are looking to raise a family somewhere that is safe and has friendly neighbors with plenty to do. One of the things we hate about the southwest is that its so hot in the summer that its nearly impossible to do anything for 3-4 months out of the year. I'm not kidding. Do you think winter would be the same kind of deal in MN?

I hated PA and so did my wife. I have cousins in MN and they love it. People get used to the cold.

What you can't get used to are cold people.

MN is a beautiful state. I could not bear horribly hot summers.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I don't agree with that at all. It's really very easy to beat the heat if it's 103. You can dress in skimpy clothing, go swimming, drink ice cold drinks, you can go inside where it's air conditioned. Lots of things you can do to stay cool.

When it's below zero, you have to dress in layers. That takes time. It's not like you can just throw on a coat and go out doors. And then you gotta deal with the wind and the snow and the ice. If you don't dress proper for sub zero weather, possibility you might freeze to death.

Before electricity, I think it would have been much harder to survive in a place like Minnesota or North Dakota in the winter than it would be in Texas or Florida in the summer.

You know you can get heat without electricity. But you can't get AC without it. The south and southwest began to develop rapidly after indoor cooling.

[mrbrightside03]

It's interesting to compare the heat vs cold. I agree with the folks who are saying its easier to deal with the cold because you can dress in layers, etc. But in the heat you can't really cool down unless you're in a pool or back inside with A/C.

But I do feel like it can be 'easier' to deal with the heat because with the cold generally comes a bunch of snow, ice, etc. that you have to shovel, scrape, drive in, your plans can get cancelled, road accidents, flight delays, etc. So in that regard, the heat may not be as bothersome.

But after dealing with 2 Vegas summers so far, the constant heat is just nauseating. There's no break. Even at night. I miss having a hot summer day followed by a cool, crisp night. In Vegas? Nope. It's still 90 degrees at 4am. You feel like you can't breathe for about 4+ months out of the year. It's an oven.

I appreciate everyone's thoughtful input on here by the way! Exactly what I was looking for. Everything I've been reading (on here and elsewhere) is proving that MN is a beautiful place to live.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

Take an old pair of gloves and slit a hole in bottom of the finger that you use for the shutter release. Presto! Slip your finger through the whole for taking pictures, then put it back into the glove's finger to keep it warm. My job requires me to be outside taking pictures with my iPhone -- about 500 photos per day. I froze my right hand constantly until I decided to customize an old pair of leather driving gloves.


To the OP: Minneapolis is a nice city -- way too big for me, but as large cities go, it's among the best, imho. My brother has lived there for 40 years or so and loves it. I prefer higher elevations to get my cool air, but that usually brings with it arid landscapes (like the SW). The nice thing about Minneapolis is that it's green AND relatively cool. (But it can also get very hot and humid!)

I actually used to have a pair of touchscreen gloves and they worked good, only problem was if I touched snow they'd be wet so no good for my phone unless they dried.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Nn2036

Minnesota is much much colder than PA. I lived in Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, angry Philadelphia. Minneapolis has the worst weather. It is the coldest metro area in the US.

Summer is short but isnt that good either, can be hot and humid.

Anyone that thinks Minneapolis' summer is hot and humid has obviously not grown up in or ever lived in the south. Also summer there isn't short, it's 3 months as long as it needs to be. I dunno what people think summer should be, lengthwise. Coldest doesn't mean worst. I'd rather cold sunny winters like MPLS than slushy grey ones like Philadelphia.