Move from CA to MN (am I crazy?) (Minneapolis, St. Paul: home, school)

[SwimBikeRun15]

Thank you everyone for the responses! Definitely a lot to consider and I am trying to get as much data as possible.

Don't get me wrong, I like California (yes, even the politics!). I am just trying to think practically, especially with a kid now. My wife and I can afford a $1 million house before kids, but as those with kids know, it becomes harder with child rearing expenses (529, nanny/daycare, diapers, diapers, diapers!, etc ).

We spent 4+ months looking for a house but we could not get ourselves to spend those prices, especially when you add property taxes, cost of cash, etc. It was very frustrating. Traffic is bad and seems to be getting worse. Or I just notice it more? Its even hard to plan events on Saturday because of traffic. I consistently see MN suburbs getting ranked high on different best cities lists, which is a huge reason why I am even considering this.

All of the people we know with families who have moved to MN rave about the ease of living, affordability, and quality of life. Weather is their only complaint, but as a lot of you said, you just need to deal and make the best of it. My discomfort threshold is a lot higher than my spouse's so I have to think about that also.

We have some friends I met through work in MN but finding a new social circle may be hard as some of you mentioned, but I think that would be the case anywhere. I find transplants struggle even in CA to find new friends, especially after kids. We don't go to church so we will have to find some other way of making friends.

Good thing we have a while to think about it before pulling the trigger. Time to seriously sit down put together a pro/con list. I am leaning towards at least rolling the dice and trying things out in MN, especially before the kid(s) get older. Probably need to bring the spouse out in February for a trip!

[mkdude_08]

I lived in SoCal, NorCal, and Minneapolis. My advice: make the move and don't look back. Minnesota is an absolutely wonderful place and your children will be better off for it. Your quality of life will skyrocket and you will learn how to deal with the worst parts of winter (i.e., all of the below zero business). I'd move back in a heartbeat if I could.

[Lunabell]

You can build a great life in Minnesota if you choose. I lived there for several years before moving to Alaska and plan on eventually retiring in Minnesota. My advice about the weather is that you can adjust to anything that you choose to adjust to. I grew up in VA but spent summers with my grandma in Minnesota...made summer much more comfortable, relatively speaking. The first winter after we moved to Minnesota, I almost moved back to VA. I was sooooo cold. After that, I decided to embrace it. I am glad I did because the next leg of our adventure took us to the North Slope of Alaska where I got to experience -80 windchill. If I can survive that, I can survive anything. Now our adventure may be taking us to Florida (yes, ultimate plan to get back to MN). I hate heat and humidity and I LOVE winter now but I know if I choose to embrace my situation, I can make it work. If you decide to move to MN, choose to embrace it, including the worst of winter and you will be fine. It is a fabulous state.

[WoodburyWoody]

Can't sugarcoat it, winter here is an adjustment for people not from the upper Midwest. You have to embrace it.

On the upside, it is typically sunny here on winter days (though the days are short). It is how short the days are here in the winter that get to me. I will take a bright, sunny sub-zero day over a damp, gray, sunless day in the 20s most of the time, though YMMV.

But you have to be of the mind to get out into it and buy proper clothing for it.

Also, if you can schedule a vacation somewhere warm and sunny in late January or February, that doesn't hurt the cause.

Summers can get warm, with July and August temps in the 80s and 90s in the Twin Cities. But it is the humidity that will be new to you. Fall can and usually is magnificent but short, wrapping up in early-to-mid November typically. This year, it rained a lot in July-August-September, so things are out-of-whack (seriously green, though).

We moved from LA county (La Canada-Flintridge) but knew the Twin Cities area (wife went to grad school at the U of MN, works for a certain Maplewood-based company and both originally from a neighboring state), so we had experience with it and went into it with full knowledge. If you have never experienced, it takes a physical adjustment, even with a great and adventurous attitude.

[considering]

Just want t chime in and say we went through a similar process. Moving from the Bay Area in the next few weeks. A few observations:

School staff and leaders were exponentially more responsive than we have had. Not perfect, but it's like night and day.
Looking at neighborhoods, we can afford on average almost twice the space for at least 30% less (much more is possible).
The city and the suburbs are both options if you want space, proximity to nature, parks, food.
The temps will be the main difference. We're resigned to not really knowing what we are in for, but are treating it like an adventure.

Food was also a concern. We are used to both depth and breadth in options for global dining. I'll just say that we know there will be some differences, but the food we've been trying on our visits has been very good and people have recommended a broad variety of places to try. Plenty of spots that won't break the bank too.

On the whole, I think the reasons you are looking for something different might be addressed well in the area. Good luck!

[mkdude_08]

Originally Posted by considering

Just want t chime in and say we went through a similar process. Moving from the Bay Area in the next few weeks. A few observations:

School staff and leaders were exponentially more responsive than we have had. Not perfect, but it's like night and day.
Looking at neighborhoods, we can afford on average almost twice the space for at least 30% less (much more is possible).
The city and the suburbs are both options if you want space, proximity to nature, parks, food.
The temps will be the main difference. We're resigned to not really knowing what we are in for, but are treating it like an adventure.

Food was also a concern. We are used to both depth and breadth in options for global dining. I'll just say that we know there will be some differences, but the food we've been trying on our visits has been very good and people have recommended a broad variety of places to try. Plenty of spots that won't break the bank too.

On the whole, I think the reasons you are looking for something different might be addressed well in the area. Good luck!

To help you acclimate to winter, the keys to staying warm are:

1. Always cover your ears. This means to wear a hat or those "ear wraps" (mine were like ear muffs who go around the back of your head).

2. Wear a scarf. Lots of cold gets in down your neck. If you have it covered you will solve much of your problem.

3. Wear gloves.

4. Wear warm shoes. I used to carry my shoes to work (I wear nice dress shoes) and wear North Face waterproof winter athletic-type shoes to the office and change there. I wouldn't wear my dress shoes because they weren't warm enough and the salt would destroy them.

5. Wear a nice, warm jacket. I wore an authentic Navy peacoat and was just fine.

That should do it for you!

[Staggerlee666]

Another good thing to know:

Only 7 out of 10 people who move to Minnesota survive winters. Many folks resort to eating their pets, shoes, and in some extreme cases deceased relatives. Usually they never go bad because it is so cold here, so the bodies are usually just left outside and brought in to thaw when needed.

Another interesting tidbit - people cease to drive cars around the end of December, because the extreme cold turns gasoline into jelly. You have to brush up on your cross country skiing, dog sledding or Tanntaun riding (Tauntaun | Wookieepedia | Fandom powered by Wikia).

Best of luck!

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by Staggerlee666

Another good thing to know:

Only 7 out of 10 people who move to Minnesota survive winters. Many folks resort to eating their pets, shoes, and in some extreme cases deceased relatives. Usually they never go bad because it is so cold here, so the bodies are usually just left outside and brought in to thaw when needed. ***

Another interesting tidbit - people cease to drive cars around the end of December, because the extreme cold turns gasoline into jelly. You have to brush up on your cross country skiing, dog sledding or Tanntaun riding (Tauntaun | Wookieepedia | Fandom powered by Wikia).

Best of luck!

*** Except for those dragged away by the wolves roaming freely in the first ring suburbs and parts of Dayton's Bluff.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by WoodburyWoody

*** Except for those dragged away by the wolves roaming freely in the first ring suburbs and parts of Dayton's Bluff.

There's a large pack in south Bloomington along the river - they come wandering up Normamdale Blvd to scavenge.

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

There's a large pack in south Bloomington along the river - they come wandering up Normamdale Blvd to scavenge.

Thanks .... adding them to the map. The app should be out soon, "Hide the Elders: Wolves of the Twin Cities" for iOS and Android.