Bemidji/Love it! (St. Paul, Grand Rapids, Hampton: real estate, insurance, hotel) - Minnesota (MN) - City-Data Forum

dober1 · 09-18-2011, 08:05 PM

I took the wife to Bemidji August 1 of this year. I had not been there in 40 years and wanted to add or subtract it from my list of retirement spots. I used to spend every summer there at a resort on Wolf lake near Bemidji. It was always my favorite place in America.
Well once we got there from California, no small feat. It took 3 flights in one day and the last one was cancelled due to thunderstorms. But anyway once we arrived it was love all over again. Yes of course Bemidji has grown and modernized sine 1970. But the surrounding area of forests and lakes is as beautiful as ever to a hunter and fisherman like me.
Best of all my wife liked it and gave me the thumbs up to pursue. We stayed at the Hampton Inn on lake Bemidji and it was excellent. We saw a few homes with a real estate agent just to see how they looked in person vs the internet.
So lets hear the negatives from people who have actually lived in the Bemidji/Cass lake region. Yes I know it gets wicked cold in the winter. No big deal I spent my first 27 years in Iowa and Nebraska. I love hunting in the snow and Ice fishing. So what else do ya got to turn me off?

demtion35 · 09-18-2011, 09:49 PM

I dont think Iowa and Nebraska compare to the winters in NMinn.

If there are any negatives it would probabaly be the usual items, jobs some might think the winters are horrible that sort of thing, Im not sure but Bemidji is a fantastic town Im not sure of the job situation over there though. There is plenty of activities to do in the seasons many hidden areas for quiet and alone time. THere are hiking great swimming lakes and plenty of great fishing lakes as well. The residents are friendly and willing to help a stranger, the town itself is sort of spread out but again the city is growing. Years ago for instance the fairgrounds were over in feild area, and times were alot different.
Bemidji being in the location that it is in draws out door lovers, has a great schools system and college swell the town population. Sounds like you are going to love it there

golfgal · 09-19-2011, 06:54 AM

The cold in Bemidji is just a different kind of cold but if you like being out in the winter ice fishing, etc. it won't bother you too much. There are some days that it is just too cold to go anywhere. My Dad is from Bemidji, spent a lot of time up there visiting Grandparents. One weekend we were up there and that AIR temp was -45-not including the wind chill. That was cold.

Bemidji is pretty self-supporting, especially now with internet shopping. The hospital is pretty good there. It's a long way away from a more highly specialized hospital, which is a negative. Make sure you have good insurance that covers helicopter flights.

The summers never get really warm-not sure if that is a plus or minus for you. The water in the lakes is never warm enough to swim in, for example.

We have stayed in that Hampton Inn as well. Lovely hotel.

The college brings in a lot of things for the town so that is a plus. My Grandpa took classes at the college after he retired so that is something to look into if you want. They used to have a fantastic summer travel program through the college that he used pretty much every summer-traveled all over the world. Not sure if they still have that or not.

audadvnc · 09-19-2011, 08:16 AM

Forty Five Below! Cheezus that's cold. I used to tour with performing groups outstate in the Minnesota winter - it was like an arctic expedition at times.

dober1 · 09-19-2011, 02:53 PM

Thanks for the quick answers. I disagree with the lakes not being warm enough to swim in the summer. I did it this year and too many times to count as a kid. Also even though Iowa and Nebraska may not get quite as cold once you get minus 0 it really does not matter. My last deer I shot in Nebraska it was minus 20. So like said cold is not a factor as long as I have a good dependable truck and a gararge to park it in Im ok. What stinks is when you are poor which I was in my much younger days and have to lay in the snow working on a frozen junker. Nothing hurts like having your wrench slip off a bolt and banging you knuckles in minus 0 weather or having a frozen radiator and engine block. But those days are behind me.
The tip about having coverage for air ambulance is a good idea I had not thought of. I agree the people seem very nice there. It was nice also not to see the area overun with illegals. Even the housekeeping staff at the Hampton were white. DON'T TAKE THAT THE WRONG WAY! You have to live in So Cal to realize what is like to be white and YOU ARE THE MINORITY. I'm sick of living in what has become northern Mexico and seeing our tax dollars being spent to accomodate people who are here illeagally and who have no desire to assimilate to being Americans. Sorry for the rant.
One last question I get the impression you have to pay higher taxes for any lakeside home, is that true?
I

golfgal · 09-19-2011, 03:05 PM

I don't know if the taxes are "higher" or if the properties are just more expensive and thus comes a higher tax bill. I do know that you can no longer clear trees along the lake so you have to either build around them or just buy what is there now. You might be able to clear some but not like others have done and cleared all the way to the lake.

Lily0fthevalley · 09-19-2011, 04:18 PM

I like Bemij, but if you're asking about negatives, there is the typical problem of alcoholism and drug abuse among some residents. Some members of the Ojibwa Nation in areas to the North and East of Bemij also have these problems.

And check out www.KAXE.org (a great radio station located in Grand Rapids) for info about KBXE, the new community radio station for Bemij which is still under construction.

demtion35 · 09-19-2011, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily0fthevalley

I like Bemij, but if you're asking about negatives, there is the typical problem of alcoholism and drug abuse among some residents. Some members of the Ojibwa Nation in areas to the North and East of Bemij also have these problems.

And check out www.KAXE.org (a great radio station located in Grand Rapids) for info about KBXE, the new community radio station for Bemij which is still under construction.

there is alcohol abuse everywhere even in your own little world

dober1 · 09-19-2011, 06:22 PM

Thanks golfgal and others for the info. One thing I forgot to ask does anyone from the area know if they are going to expand the number of flights in and out of Bemidji. As of now its just Delta serving there and I believe its 2 incoming and 3 outgoing a day only. It makes it very difficult to coordinate your connecting flights. They were remodeling and expanding the tiny terminal when we were there in August.

freezengirl · 09-19-2011, 06:28 PM

Bemidji is a very nice community (I have a home slightly north of there) though I am currently in Alaska.
It has all the good things of being a fairly small community, but with the state university there you get a lot of cultural activites that you wouldn't normaly have access to in a fairly rural area. Also you have the casinos which bring in talent for concerts/shows ect. The great outdoors with pretty much anything you could wish for is close and it is also an easy drive to Mpls/St. Paul if you wish big city life. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions I can help you with.