Bloomington, mn (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Welcome: 2014, houses, job market)

[thelovechef]

In the next few weeks I will be visiting Bloomington and the Twin Cities area. After college I plan to relocated to the area. I will have a degree in counseling working towards a masters in counseling. I'm also a trained professional chef who have held various executive chef positions around the US. I would like to know about the quality of life, the school system, the job market and what ever one may choose to share. I thank you for your feedback. I will be relocating from NC, but I have lived in Maryland, NJ, PA and spent time in Denver.

[Rhody2Mn]

Welcome to the Twin Cities and Minnesota. I think you will enjoy living here as the quality of life is outstanding!

Bloomington itself is the largest suburb of Minneapolis (some consider it a third city along with Minneapolis and St. Paul) and is quite diverse. The city houses everything from Mall of America (soon to reclaim its title of largest shopping mall in the country) to the MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The older part of the city is east of 35W, while the more affluent part is in the west.

Minneapolis and St. Paul proper offer a plethora of theaters, dining, professional sports, museums, lakes, parks, and cultural attractions.

The following link has a digital version of a good magazine to read to become more acquainted with the area: www.twincitieslivingmag.com

[yakimono]

Please check out the job market first.

The TC has one of the highest saturation ratios of therapists in the US. It's a growing foodie market though, I believe, so you may be able to do better with that background, or at least use it to get established. Are you thinking private practice or an employer?

If you're pretty entrepreneurial, a Master's (or modest living style) might be enough for you. A PhD/PsyD will help you get a better job, but at the probable cost of a lot of debt.

Living further out where there's less competition is something I've seen several therapists pull off.

[thelovechef]

The Twin Cities Metro area seem to have some great food establishments. A few of my friends who use to live in Minneapolis told me that I may enjoy working in some of the food establishments in the Twin Cities area. I was told that the people of the Twin Cities area are in love with great food. I love using fresh items and fresh herbs in my cooking. I also love cooking and preparing healthy dishes. I once had a dream (and I still do) to open a food establishment call the Apple Tree, a café where friends can meet and build new relationships, a place that feature Jazz and Blues, local art and regional American cooking. North Carolina is not the place for that type of restaurant. So Yakimono you may be right. I may do very well in the culinary market in the Twin Cities are. One thing I have that is second to none is my customer service skills. I believe giving those I service nothing but the best. I want people who dine with me to feel right at home and never want to leave. I know without a doubt I can take a restaurant in the Twin Cities Metro area and make it one of the best! I plan to began my job search in March 2014. I been to Minneapolis once about 15 years ago and I am so in love with the Twin Cities Metro area. I know it's a good fit for me. Thanks for the feedback.