Moving to Minnesota? (Rochester, Eden Prairie, Cass Lake: lawyer, mobile house, job market)

[Drooper]

Hi everyone. I don’t want to hijack so I started my own thread. I am a married father in Philadelphia. I am really interested in a move to a place with more outdoor activities to do. I love to icefish, camp, hunt, dirt bike/atv, and many others. I currently take road trips to New England, upstate New York, Colorado, etc. to wntertain myself with these activities. I am often really bored living in Philadelphia. I would like to move somewhere with potential for city life but with access to outdoor sports. I would buy a recreational property/cabin to get away to on the weekends within 2 hours of home to give me something fun to do.

I also like the idea of an area with good public schools and good people. My kids attend private school here and it is going to be crazy expensive by the time we are done. I would imagine we could save some money if the public schools were a good fit. I also know that University of Minnesota is about 1/4 the cost of our alma mater and I don’t think it si worth wasting our lives working just to pay tuition.

This is mostly a selfish inquiry since my wife likes where we live currently. I am burned out by it. I am a lawyer and she is a software engineer. For reasonable job prospects, I think the Twin cities area would be our best bet. What is life like there? Good place to raise children?

[Drooper]

Also, I like a town with a community feel to it and with down-to-earth people. I value good schools but don't like pretentious neighborhoods. Some of my online searches suggest areas like Eden Prairie. Is that a nice town with nice people? Thanks

[LeTraveler]

This thread and the other would work better in the Twin Cities sub-forum!

I think there's a commenter here who moved from Philadelphia and I'm originally from New England. I've met several Philadelphians in the Twin Cities area so you won't be alone if you do move.

I'm surprised you're bored in Philadelphia, but I suppose any place can get boring if you've been there long enough. Life here is fine, but definitely will be slower (but not slow) than what you're used to. IMO the Twin Cities proper has several neighborhoods that are great for children. You should note that a lot of suburbia here is very...suburban, not like some Northeastern suburbs that can have a slight urban feel.

To better answer your questions you should probably add more about your background and what you're looking for.

Also, have you looked at the job market for those fields?

[wamer27]

Have you looked at cities like Denver or Seattle? Both are much closer to way better scenery and outdoor stuff. Assuming Seattle’s public schools are good as many of the wealthiest people in world live there?

[Drooper]

I have considered Seattle and Denver. I love Colorado. I would probably like Seattle a lot too. I guess they are worth looking at further. I like the idea of Minnesota because of the forests but also the proximity to South Dakota, Montana and others. I have taken long road trips (Colorado is about 30 hours each way from Philadelphia) but it is more feasible to drive 8 hours to Montana from MN.

[Drooper]

For what it is worth, I am beginning to plan a family vacation to Cass Lake for this summer. I want to get a feel for the area.

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Drooper

I have considered Seattle and Denver. I love Colorado. I would probably like Seattle a lot too. I guess they are worth looking at further. I like the idea of Minnesota because of the forests but also the proximity to South Dakota, Montana and others. I have taken long road trips (Colorado is about 30 hours each way from Philadelphia) but it is more feasible to drive 8 hours to Montana from MN.

8 hrs from Twin Cities to eastern border of MT. It's 14-17 hrs to MT mtns. Just an fyi if you didn't already know (my captain obvious statement) western MN, ND, and Eastern MT are hideous to look at. That's why I fly when going out west. We have direct flights to Kalispell, MT which is right by Whitefish. I find MT many steps above CO in scenery and I lived in CO twice. I'd take MT over AK which I also lived in. Speed limit on MT two lane highways...70mph. The way it should be.

[HighFlyingBird]

Cost wise, the cities are much more affordable then denver or seattle. I think you might like it. It isn't the best "road trip" place to live but you will have access to all sorts of outdoor sports with in a short distance.

But the cold can be hard on people who don't like it. How does your wife feel about the cold?

With those jobs you could also look at Rochester, MN if you guys want to get out of the city life. Its a big adjustment but its really growing right now.

You can even find ATV/snow mobile houses right on the routes...like drive out of your own back yard. The trail gores through the whole state.

There are also lots of homes on lakes where you can just walk out your door and ice fish. Where I live, I could bow-hunt in my back yard (not my thing but I could and I would easily get enough meat for a year...if I knew how).

[Drooper]

Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird

Cost wise, the cities are much more affordable then denver or seattle. I think you might like it. It isn't the best "road trip" place to live but you will have access to all sorts of outdoor sports with in a short distance.

But the cold can be hard on people who don't like it. How does your wife feel about the cold?

With those jobs you could also look at Rochester, MN if you guys want to get out of the city life. Its a big adjustment but its really growing right now.

You can even find ATV/snow mobile houses right on the routes...like drive out of your own back yard. The trail gores through the whole state.

There are also lots of homes on lakes where you can just walk out your door and ice fish. Where I live, I could bow-hunt in my back yard (not my thing but I could and I would easily get enough meat for a year...if I knew how).

That sounds right up my alley. I have an ATV and a DRZ400. I love to ice fish, hunt, backpack, etc. The cold can be a challenge but I am generally fine with it. My wife is indoors in the winter unless she has to go out. She like the beach but is not outdoorsy. She wears a down parka indoors sometimes so I don't think she is good with the cold. Still, I hate to leave her behind.

I will have to check out Montana. I have never been there. I have driven through Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Eastern Colorado, etc. I would imagine eastern Montana is a lot like those. Lots of sameness and prairie but I don't find that ugly (minus the wind turbines and solar farms). I wouldn't consider a move to Montana because it is just too rural. I like a metropolis with access to rural areas.

[Citykid3785]

I was raised on the east coast (nj), and lived in MN for 20+ years.

It does have universally good schools, private school is overkill for most people here. I think you would appreciate the ease doing things like getting around town, going to a sports game, grocery shopping, etc. When compared to the east coast

While we have trees, MN also has a lot of prairie, if anything the east coast felt more wooded than MN due to the increased rainfall and overgrowth around the older infrastructure.

The primary differences are going to be in the culture of the people, and the bitter cold. The twin cities are top notch in terms of arts, education, parks, jobs, affordability, etc.

You mentioned you take a lot of road trips right now, that's one of the downsides to the twin cities, it's a bad jumping off point for road trips when compared to the east coast. 4 hours in any direction doesn't yield you much in the way of different terrain or culture....hell, 6 hours doesn't even.....