Where do Minnesotans go when they move? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: job transfer, neighborhood)

[MSPLove]

Originally Posted by Sarimn00

I LOVE Denver. I'd say out of my class of 160 or so, at least 20 have ended up there. After a lot of research, it is probably one of the only other places I would love to move other than Minnesota. This state has a hold on me, though. I'm actually considering a move to Rochester. I just love the lakes and everything about this state (no matter how crazy I am feeling by Feb) too much to leave.

Denver is okay. Not quite enough lakes, rivers, streams for me though. For me it's one of those places that's "A nice place to visit, but..."

[Sarimn00]

Originally Posted by Minnesconsinite

Denver is okay. Not quite enough lakes, rivers, streams for me though. For me it's one of those places that's "A nice place to visit, but..."

Completely agree with you. I love the mountains, but I have to have the lakes to feel at home.

[Kid Cann]

Originally Posted by Sarimn00

I LOVE Denver. I'd say out of my class of 160 or so, at least 20 have ended up there. After a lot of research, it is probably one of the only other places I would love to move other than Minnesota. This state has a hold on me, though. I'm actually considering a move to Rochester. I just love the lakes and everything about this state (no matter how crazy I am feeling by Feb) too much to leave.

I agree, Denver is one of the rare places I think i could actually live that's outside of Minnesota.

[Elialia]

I would rather move to Alaska. milder temps there at the area I want to live in. both winter and summer. not the extremes the Twin Cities here get.

[sholomar]

SE Tip of MN say around Rochester and to the east is the only part of MN I'd likely move too. Twin Cities too cold. Western part... too flat, might as well stay in SD where there's no state income tax.
Let me answer as a person who lives in a town that's at least as cold if not colder then the twin cities...

South Central Wisconsin, around Baraboo.. lakes, woods, driftless area, parks, dells.. lots of action and nature around there.

East Tennessee, Southern Missouri, perhaps around the Appalachians? I like it humid and green too, with lakes, trees, and the like. I don't mind winter, and enjoy winter temps in the 20's and 30's just fine.. the every night below zero thing, with highs below 20 as much as they are where I am now, not so much. I'm always on wunderground comparing summer and winter temps in areas I'm thinking I'd like to live in. Temps out here took some getting used to and I'll never really totally adjust to them so I see moving pretty much certain in the next few years. Difference between 25-35 with no wind and 10-15 with those South Dakota winds when trying to enjoy the winter outdoors.. well the lakes do freeze over hard yearly at least! That was never really a certainty in Eastern WI.

http://www.wunderground.com/history/....html#calendar
http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/Kbkx/2010/2/28/MonthlyHistory.html#calendar

[Govie]

Probably Florida or Arizona.

Personally I'm a lifer and would live no other place. At least in Minnesota I know the majority are of white northern European stock like me and I get along with them and find them the most cordial, not surprisngly. If I want diversity I can just chill in the Twin Cities as well. So it gets too cold to go outside two months out of the year and two hot to go outside two months of the year, but at least we get all four seasons and we have the best life expectancy in the country (and one of the highest in the world. ).

[audadvnc]

Several years ago I moved to the Washington DC area (Silver Spring, MD) for my then-wife's business. Man is it hot there in the summer! But the spring and fall seasons are long and gorgeous, and winter hardly exists. People are very direct, and very diverse. There's a lot of money in Washington, of course, if you're in the right business. It was very hard to make friends there - lots of "associates", but not too many people you'd want to spend free time with. And they'll throw you "under the bus" without a second thought - I saw it happen to people around me on several occasions (including the wife), and had a boss that was planning to do me in before I squeaked out from under him - ugh! After a couple years I got the hang of the scene and felt more at home, but from Day One I was homesick for Minneapolis. Now I'm back here, and don't regret it for a minute.

[queenswake]

Originally Posted by audadvnc

Several years ago I moved to the Washington DC area (Silver Spring, MD) for my then-wife's business. Man is it hot there in the summer! But the spring and fall seasons are long and gorgeous, and winter hardly exists. People are very direct, and very diverse. There's a lot of money in Washington, of course, if you're in the right business. It was very hard to make friends there - lots of "associates", but not too many people you'd want to spend free time with. And they'll throw you "under the bus" without a second thought - I saw it happen to people around me on several occasions (including the wife), and had a boss that was planning to do me in before I squeaked out from under him - ugh! After a couple years I got the hang of the scene and felt more at home, but from Day One I was homesick for Minneapolis. Now I'm back here, and don't regret it for a minute.

I've been in DC since 2001 after graduating from college. Came one month before 9/11 and watched the Pentagon burn that night. It's been quite the ride and I never thought I'd be out here this long but DC has a way of sucking a person in. Great jobs and great opportunities. I own three homes out here and am co-owner and VP of a government contractor here. All accomplished by age 28.

But I'm finally about to move home. I've missed MN since the day I moved out here. MN is a place that most eventually return to. If I had grown up in say some town in Ohio or Kanasas, I don't think I'd be going back. But MN, the Twin Cities, are great. But at the same time, DC has a lot going for it. Great, well paying, interesting jobs. Highly educated population. Tons to do, much of it free. Ocean and mountains within a few hours drive. Can drive to any number of east coast cities in a few hours.

Downsides:
* Hot. This summer in particular has been brutal. Trapped in the AC all summer. Minnesotans complain about humidity. They have no idea what humidity is.
* Work, work, work. Time goes by quickly here. It's all about work and one's career. I could not imagine ever raising a family here.
* Traffic. All the time. What really hurts is the weekend traffic. You expect it during the week, but it gets really annoying when you're stuck in it on the weekends.
* Cost of living. Yes, wages are high here, but it also costs a lot to live. Housing is still through the roof if you want to live within a reasonable commute.
* General lack of competency and friendliness at low-skilled jobs. Because there are so many jobs here, the people working the low-level jobs are truly the bottom of the barrel people without. It's refreshing to go back to MN and walking into a fast food joint and have an energetic teenager or senior citizen take my order.
* General lack of any kind of arts vibe. Pretty stoic here. Most cars are either Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, or BMW.
* General lack of singular community. Since many people in DC are originally from all over, people support different sports teams and no one is really wedded to this area. I miss the Twins vibe.


There are many things I'll miss about DC and I kind of wish I had moved from MN to some place like Phoenix or LA or something that I know I wouldn't have liked. Because it will be hard to leave here. But my desire to move back to MN is stronger. People don't know how great it is there unless they've been away. I can't wait to move back.

[Sarimn00]

@queenswake- You are right. Although I know a lot of twenty somethings living in Denver, I know a lot of others that moved to other areas of the country that are either planning a move back home, or have moved back. (Apparently Denver wins out with people that love to snowboard in the mountains) Minnesota has a way of bringing people back. I've thought about leaving myself, either to Denver, or when it is the middle of winter, a place like Phoenix, but this place just has a hold on me. All I have to do to remind myself how much I love this place is to go on vacation for a couple weeks.

[MSPLove]

Originally Posted by Sarimn00

@queenswake- You are right. Although I know a lot of twenty somethings living in Denver, I know a lot of others that moved to other areas of the country that are either planning a move back home, or have moved back. (Apparently Denver wins out with people that love to snowboard in the mountains) Minnesota has a way of bringing people back. I've thought about leaving myself, either to Denver, or when it is the middle of winter, a place like Phoenix, but this place just has a hold on me. All I have to do to remind myself how much I love this place is to go on vacation for a couple weeks.

I notice Wisconsin has the same effect.
Most of my old classmates from Wisconsin (I moved away in the middle of 8th grade) have stayed in or very near Wisconsin (like Minnesota), whereas my Montana classmates - many have left town. There are a handful that are still around, but for the most part, they've boogied out of here.

Denver isn't my cup of tea living wise, but I also notice it's very appealing to young people.