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My husband and I are seriously contemplating a move form a suburb of Minneaopolis to Bismarck or nearby town. We are older individuals and are looking for a more rural, country community. Want to have a little land, peace and quiet, low crime but still have infratructure a major city can offer in terms of shopping to meet our basic needs (you know, walmart, supermarkets, places to buy jeans and shirts). Nothing fancy. We are meat and potatoes kind of people.
Tell us about Bismarck and vacinity. How do native N.D. accept outsiders? Will we fit in and find the peaceful existence we really crave?
Why Bismarck? If for employment, understand, but for that rural feel, definitely better choices. Saying this is a plains state can not be over stated! It is plain, isolated, bitterly cold
Like what Mpls did once have consistently in the early 70"s, remember the -60 below wind chill advisories? Mpls suburbs atleast has an elegance to claim, Bismarck not really, and with the new modern farming practices passage, there will be more attempts to circumvent pollution safeguards.Over 80% of the tillable lands here are industrial farmed. Just saying, if income is not an issue, there are better "rural choices".
Montana from Butte on west is spectacular and rural to the max, shopping,cafes, Rockies in the background. Another obvious look see is Rapid City, lovely place, plenty of rurality there
Love the west, but ND is kind of an anomaly,just not really anything, badlands aside.
If your husband or you bird hunt, then there is that, but to live yr around long term? Hmm
Why Bismarck? If for employment, understand, but for that rural feel, definitely better choices. Saying this is a plains state can not be over stated! It is plain, isolated, bitterly cold
Like what Mpls did once have consistently in the early 70"s, remember the -60 below wind chill advisories? Mpls suburbs atleast has an elegance to claim, Bismarck not really, and with the new modern farming practices passage, there will be more attempts to circumvent pollution safeguards.Over 80% of the tillable lands here are industrial farmed. Just saying, if income is not an issue, there are better "rural choices".
Montana from Butte on west is spectacular and rural to the max, shopping,cafes, Rockies in the background. Another obvious look see is Rapid City, lovely place, plenty of rurality there Love the west, but ND is kind of an anomaly,just not really anything, badlands aside.
If your husband or you bird hunt, then there is that, but to live yr around long term? Hmm
It is odvious from what you have said that you have never looked out your window at acres of ripening flax in the fall and let your eyes take in the beauty of an ocean mirage on land.
Also take in the Amber waves of grain which are a vision in itself, so much so that it is written about in the words of a popular American song. Have you ever skipped rocks in the lakes of the Turtle Mountains in the summer or went camping and witnessed the sky in its full splendor of stars? Ever stop and listen to a slough full of frogs,birds, ducks and just listen to the wildlife and the wonderment of it all?
Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking colors of the Turtle Mountains or Pembina Hills when the leaves change from green to orange, gold. red or amber? Ever hear the honks of geese as you witness the huge flocks of them in V formation flying high over head to sit down later in the fields, to rest up for their long flight south?
Ever walk on a chilly winter ND morning in the first light of dawn. The sunlight paints the sky with brilliant colors? The sound of your boots the only noise you hear while the suns rays shine on the snow creating millions of shiney tiny sparkling diamonds. The ground is covered in a perfect blanket of undisturbed perfect white? This beauty is what postcards are made of.
Ever witness the Northern Lights and watch them dance across the sky, ever changing, never the same, always beautiful?
Ever see the first purple Crocus in the spring that pokes its head up to say that the earth is no longer asleep? Ever hear the chattering of a flock of robins in the backyard as they come home in the spring in celebration of their arrival, and celebration of life?
This to me is North Dakota-- This to me is home, this and soo very much more!! Please do not say North Dakota is an:"anomaly,just not really anything" North Dakota is soo sooo very much more.... I know there are other beautiful places, maybe less harsh, but none less beautiful if you just take the time to look.......
My husband and I are seriously contemplating a move form a suburb of Minneaopolis to Bismarck or nearby town. We are older individuals and are looking for a more rural, country community. Want to have a little land, peace and quiet, low crime but still have infratructure a major city can offer in terms of shopping to meet our basic needs (you know, walmart, supermarkets, places to buy jeans and shirts). Nothing fancy. We are meat and potatoes kind of people.
Tell us about Bismarck and vacinity. How do native N.D. accept outsiders? Will we fit in and find the peaceful existence we really crave?
Hi, though I do not live in Bismarck I can tell you that Bismarck is a very friendly town, We have also considered retiring there some day.
My son graduated from BSC in Bismark and loved the town and lives now about an hour from there. He said it was always friendly. Though it has changed and is growing from the oil. Rent has went up some and rentals are harder to come by, but in my opinion Bismarck is still a nice place. They are used to people from all over with two colleges, as well as people living there from all over.
Bismarck is is rich in history. I grew up going to the state capital grounds, and Fort Lincoln. They now have built a replica of Custer's home on where it stood as well as soldiers barracks etc...This is a living history museum. They also have replicas of Mandan Hidasa Lodges which are great to learn about.
The music scene is good in Bismarck with the symphany and art in the park, as well as numerous other music opportunities if you are into that sort of thing.
I have included a link that explains things a bit more than I can.
It is odvious from what you have said that you have never looked out your window at acres of ripening flax in the fall and let your eyes take in the beauty of an ocean mirage on land.
Also take in the Amber waves of grain which are a vision in itself, so much so that it is written about in the words of a popular American song. Have you ever skipped rocks in the lakes of the Turtle Mountains in the summer or went camping and witnessed the sky in its full splendor of stars? Ever stop and listen to a slough full of frogs,birds, ducks and just listen to the wildlife and the wonderment of it all?
Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking colors of the Turtle Mountains or Pembina Hills when the leaves change from green to orange, gold. red or amber? Ever hear the honks of geese as you witness the huge flocks of them in V formation flying high over head to sit down later in the fields, to rest up for their long flight south?
Ever walk on a chilly winter ND morning in the first light of dawn. The sunlight paints the sky with brilliant colors? The sound of your boots the only noise you hear while the suns rays shine on the snow creating millions of shiney tiny sparkling diamonds. The ground is covered in a perfect blanket of undisturbed perfect white? This beauty is what postcards are made of.
Ever witness the Northern Lights and watch them dance across the sky, ever changing, never the same, always beautiful?
Ever see the first purple Crocus in the spring that pokes its head up to say that the earth is no longer asleep? Ever hear the chattering of a flock of robins in the backyard as they come home in the spring in celebration of their arrival, and celebration of life?
This to me is North Dakota-- This to me is home, this and soo very much more!! Please do not say North Dakota is an:"anomaly,just not really anything" North Dakota is soo sooo very much more.... I know there are other beautiful places, maybe less harsh, but none less beautiful if you just take the time to look.......
I have been through ND a couple times and Bismarck too, and the short time I thought was beautiful. I will admit it is plain though, even to me MN is same thing. But from your description it def makes me want to explore even more there.
That Crunch under ones feet? Just means your arse is already frozen. The Turtle Mountains? Just a little place with a couple lakes surrounded by giant industrial farms. amber waves of grain? yeah, well now you see em at night, just follow the flares of poisonous benzene gasses, pretty soon there will be tens of thousands. Every now and then we even find a body laying up on one of the catwalks where the crude oil is stored,the lungs filled with so much noxious benzene crap it was a shocker to even me this last time. geese? might be a couple breeds still left, who would want them once they feed in ND marshes contaminated from power plant mercury contaminants?
Mirages? You'll need em plenty to survive this scare, this state is for those use to living on the cheap, with little to do except hair of the dog(or goose feathers?) ha ha
Ignore the above comments. Bismarck is a great place, nice and clean, you will fit in just fine, if your rural you'll be away from the "competing with the Jones's" mentality. Plenty of shopping. I now live in Brainerd and miss my old home in Bismarck. If I was to say anything negative is the wind factor.
Actually Bismarck ranked high in top retirement areas, and there are lots of nice old towns in N.D. that you might enjoy. N.D. folks may be shy somewhat w/ new folks, and especially currently with such an influx. But, go to church, get involved w/ your new community and you'll be embraced nicely. Good luck to you on your move.
I found a good link for you regarding your question. North Dakota Small Towns for Retirement Community Living
Bismarck appears to have a nice quality of life from what I've read. I'm looking at possible employment there. I currently live an a small town in MN, about two hours east of Fargo. I like it here but it's a one job town with minor security, job wise. I could easily live out my life here in rural MN. My first choice would be to move to a setting like what I see in Bismarck, not entirely large but not so small one feels isolated.
How tough will it be finding a rental property in the area. In town is not a requirement.
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