Would we be crazy to live in Minneapolis? (Badger: home, living)

[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?

[Ursicinus]

Luckily, there are tons of threads you can look through on here that have addressed most of your concerns already, so I'll just be succinct:

Winter can get cold, but adapting to it is really easy, if you want to. This is not Siberia. There's always something to do outside at any time of the year, provided you can roll with the punches and enjoy yourself.

Seems to me most people who complain about the weather up here are the ones who hate seasons to begin with. If the fact that it snows and lakes freeze in wintertime bothers you, then yeah, you should look elsewhere. But if you're up for it, the Twin Cities have a lot to offer everyone. We don't make the top-whatever of the "most livable spots in America" lists every year for nothing

[Joots]

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?

Don't move here if you don't like cold winters. It's very cold in the winter.

[Staggerlee666]

It's like asking "Is Florida a nice state to live for someone who hates humidity?"

[Pincho-toot]

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!

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Ursicinus

Luckily, there are tons of threads you can look through on here that have addressed most of your concerns already, so I'll just be succinct:

Winter can get cold, but adapting to it is really easy, if you want to. This is not Siberia. There's always something to do outside at any time of the year, provided you can roll with the punches and enjoy yourself.

Seems to me most people who complain about the weather up here are the ones who hate seasons to begin with. If the fact that it snows and lakes freeze in wintertime bothers you, then yeah, you should look elsewhere. But if you're up for it, the Twin Cities have a lot to offer everyone. We don't make the top-whatever of the "most livable spots in America" lists every year for nothing

Right. If I tell some people I wanna move to MPLS they'll say "but its so cold up there!" but they act like Texas (or Florida where I grew up) are always comfortable. Miami is constantly praised as having a "great climate" (normally by people who don't live there, or who moved from up north a few years ago) yet for much of the year its uncomfortably hot and humid. Comfortable to me is more the 50s and 60s. Nothing is comfortable about the 80s and 90s for most of the year. Also a lot of the people that think Minneapolis is "way too cold" are the type of people who wear a sweater at 60 degrees. I personally love the cold, and I'm glad I do because there's so many great places people miss out on because GASP there's more seasons there besides summer!

[Minntoaz]

I think a different state would be a better fit. Why not North Carolina or Colorado for four seasons and not so hot weather?

[Ursicinus]

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!

Absolutely. It's a great point that people overlook for some reason; I guess because disgustingly hot weather is way more common in the US? But yeah... 10 below zero doesn't feel a whole heck of a lot different than 20 above, really. And unless you're crazy, you'll be dressed the same for both. Also, you'll be more physically comfortable than you will when it's 100 degrees in the shade.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Ursicinus

Absolutely. It's a great point that people overlook for some reason; I guess because disgustingly hot weather is way more common in the US? But yeah... 10 below zero doesn't feel a whole heck of a lot different than 20 above, really. And unless you're crazy, you'll be dressed the same for both. Also, you'll be more physically comfortable than you will when it's 100 degrees in the shade.

The cold also feels really refreshing IMO. Including below freezing. High heat makes me sweat, makes me stink, it can be nauseating and pisses me off when I am in traffic with no AC.

My only real problem with cold weather, is taking pictures in the snow on my phone lol cuz it requires removing my gloves, grabbing my phone with my bare hands, taking the pic, uploading it and then putting my gloves on. Such a 1st world complaint lol. But the pictures are beautiful because colder weather creates beautiful scenery.

Really the only part of my body that gets cold easily are my hands, and nothing good gloves or mittens can't fix. I've been shirtless out in snow for a few minutes, just goofing off, and it feels sooo much better and more refreshing than the same in the high heat. And that's another thing, no one's gonna be out shirtless in winter anyway. Everyone's already dressed and its not hard to find warm clothes. What can I wear in summer? I could walk around in nothing but swim trunks and sandals but then that's only for outside. I can't go to a store dressed like that lol. I feel bad for people in downtown Miami walking around in those suits that are made more for New York or Chicago's climate.

[mrbrightside03]

Yeah, you guys all make very good points that I agree with. Dealing with the cold is much easier than the heat. That's why I'm moving!
I don't think I'd be bothered by the cold so much. I think I'm more worried about having to shovel the driveway, scrape off my car, worrying about my car starting on cold mornings, driving in snowstorms on the way home from work, etc. Can you guys comment on some of this?

I've read that MN is really good with dealing with the snow, having roads plowed, etc.

I was considering Denver but the cost of living is pretty high there and someone recommended Minneapolis instead :P