Looking for a place to settle down: Family of 4

[rzzzz]

Wisconsin isn't that great. The property taxes are super high and the economy is terrible.

Things aren't more segregated than "they seem" in Milwaukie... it 'seems' segregated because it actually is the most segregated city in the country.

There are tons of rural towns in MN but it's mostly rural in the farm sense, not rural in the outdoor activity sense. Pac NW is hard to beat for outdoorsy stuff.

A Filipino guy unwinding on his porch smoking a J doesn't sound like MN or WI to be honest. Unlike Pac NW, people in the midwest are generally not cool with weed, especially if you are a minority and even more especially if you are a minority in a small town. There's a lot of nosey neighbor-ism in the small towns, especially compared to Pac NW which is more legitimately "live and let live."

[demtion35]

Vote for America's Best Place to Live | OutsideOnline.com

Northern Minnesota was built for action especially in the NE part

[geebabe]

I would stick to the eastern half of the state myself. You have a lot to choose from as far as small towns near a bigger city. As others have mentioned there are good, larger medical facilities in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud areas. The St. Cloud area is where I draw my invisible line for how far west I'd go. The main reasons I love the eastern half: more woods; more lakes; more hills; and more rocky shoreline along rivers and the great Lake Superior. However, if you like farmland, flatland, and prairie by all means check out the western part of the state.

I agree with others here who said Minnesota is a better choice over Wisconsin comparing how each state is run. We are Minnesotans who for a brief two years (about 15 yrs ago) moved to Wisconsin (Lake Superior region). We soon realized we would not be able to afford Wisconsin taxes, etc. as our retirement neared, so we moved back to Minnesota. We love Minnesota!

Best wishes to you and your family. There certainly is a lot to consider.

[geebabe]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

Wisconsin isn't that great. The property taxes are super high and the economy is terrible. Agree.

Things aren't more segregated than "they seem" in Milwaukie... it 'seems' segregated because it actually is the most segregated city in the country. (don't know)

There are tons of rural towns in MN but it's mostly rural in the farm sense, not rural in the outdoor activity sense. Pac NW is hard to beat for outdoorsy stuff. Disagree about it being mostly rural in the "farm sense". There are plenty of rural towns on the eastern side of MN that are NOT "in the farm sense". Also, once you get to know MN you will find it has much to offer for outdoor activities and can give other parts of the U.S. a run for their money.

A Filipino guy unwinding on his porch smoking a J doesn't sound like MN or WI to be honest. Unlike Pac NW, people in the midwest are generally not cool with weed, especially if you are a minority and even more especially if you are a minority in a small town. There's a lot of nosey neighbor-ism in the small towns, especially compared to Pac NW which is more legitimately "live and let live." **

** In addition to my blue notes above, I disagree with the last paragraph (the whole thing). In my experience it is not as described and I feel that is a pretty naive and untrue statement. OP, let's just say you'll figure it out once you're here. There are plenty of people in Minnesota who enjoy unwinding like you do (even if I don't anymore). I have found my neighbors in the five different locations I have owned houses in, to NOT be nosey at all and are very much live and let live. Of course this isn't always true, but it isn't always true no matter where you live.

[rzzzz]

That's true, the area around Duluth and up by the BWCA are awesome.
I just didn't think of that because it seems like it's hard to find work up there. And I'm not sure the schools and medical system are that great. I dunno about the pot thing. Its probably cool but it's not like it's Oregon.

[geebabe]

My experience with medical care in Duluth is with Essentia (formerly Duluth Clinic) and St.Mary's Hospital. I've been using them for 25 years and I have a high opinion of both. Right now I live too far north for my tastes (trying to get somewhere else in MN); however, I like and trust the medical services so much at Essentia that I travel over one hundred miles for my routine care. Soon I will live closer.

Also, my son and his family are part of the St. Cloud system and they are pleased with the care there. I hope this helps.

(rzzzz - sounds like I should have lived in Oregon when I was younger.)

[CBaillo]

It's open in OR yes, but god if I have to deal with another sensitive PNW'er I'm going to kill myself LOL. I LOVE the outdoors, I can do without the hardcore hippies who also love the outdoors here as well. Plus Portlandia has been more of a curse to the city than a blessing, as it portrays only a small aspect of the feel of the city, but that show has been responsible for even more people flooding this state.

Portland is not equipped to handle all these people. There's no room to expand the freeways, and the traffic every day is just going to get worse. It's not a city that had future growth in mind in its planning.

There are more transplants here it seems, than residents. I'm all good. I'd be happy here if I was single in my 20's but not as a man in my mid 30's with kids and a wife, with a more mature state of mind, who sits in the middle rather than being militant left.

As far as weed, its not really an issue in any part of the country. Its hardly considered a crime unless you live in AZ or TX. In NY state it was pretty illegal, and they had a **** poor Medical program, but citing in Rural Central NY, I could get my hands on weed, dirt cheap any time, and knew people sitting on pounds of it, just for personal use, as with the larger parcels of land, people grew their own. MJ is a lot more engrained in our society than people would like to think, which is why I'm surprised the shift to legalize it has only recently been happening.

I've been pulled over in almost every state in my travels back and forth, and have been asked if I've had drugs in the car and a lot of the times I've said "just a little weed, locked in the glove box" and as soon as they check it, that its locked, and that I'm not currently high, they gave less than two poops.

I bet you I can touch down in MN now, in any part, and get my hands on weed and be smoking it within a couple hours LOL

Anyway, as far as the move, EASTERN MN it is! thanks everyone for the wealth of information.

I truly am more of a forest outdoorsman, if I had a choice. My favorite thing to do in NY was strap on my camera bag, and some food and emergency supplies (including weed LOL), and just walk into the world and disappear for hours or sometimes days at a time. The woods is where I recharge myself.

[aluminumpork]

Originally Posted by geebabe

My experience with medical care in Duluth is with Essentia (formerly Duluth Clinic) and St.Mary's Hospital.

Not sure if you intended or not, but I just wanted to clear up that the two systems are Essentia and St.Lukes. St.Marys is one of Essentia's many facilities.

[geebabe]

Originally Posted by aluminumpork

Not sure if you intended or not, but I just wanted to clear up that the two systems are Essentia and St.Lukes. St.Marys is one of Essentia's many facilities.

Yes indeed, I know that Essentia is connected with St. Mary's and that is why I put the word hospital after St. Mary's. Since I am part of Essentia it is why I go to St. Mary's hospital. I suppose I should have put one of these in there: /, instead of the word and.

I guess what you're really saying is my sentence structure sucks, eh?! Ha-ha!!

[601halfdozen0theother]

In case OP is interested in coming out for this: Feb 5th - 7th is Winter Wine Fest for Minnesota wineries. Winter Wine Fest - Minnesota Grape Growers Association