Relocating from Chicago - how do you compare?

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by p_U_c_K

I grew up in minneapolis, and to me most suburbs here are interchangable in regards to their "downtowns", they are all the definition of urban sprawl with the same exact chain stores/restaurants. you can't get a real downtown outside of mpls/st paul unless you go out to rochester or duluth. I dont know why you wouldnt move into sw mpls or ne minneapolis (east of johnson st), thats where's the actions at

Hopkins has a real downtown (it used to be a town on its own before it was surrounded by suburbia), as does Excelsior, though the latter might be more of an "exurb" than a suburb. You're quite right that most suburbs seem to have a lot in common, though, and for the most part seem rather repetitive. You see the same thing down here in Atlanta.