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Whole summers? Very rarely. Every 10 years or so, you'll get a summer where you think you might as well have just moved to New Orleans instead, and at least had better music to listen to while you're waiting for it to cool down enough to get to sleep. Most summers, you'll have about a dozen insufferably hot and humid days in the 90s - usually 2 or 3 days in a row, punctuated by days in the 80s or even a couple of 70s.
June is usually really pleasant, and around the beginning of July it starts to ramp up and you see your first 90s. July and August are the only truly hot months, and hell, even by the end of August you're starting to see night time temps dive down into the upper 40s.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
11,334 posts, read 26,083,811 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Albert_The_Crocodile
It would be better named "Minnesota superficially polite because we're too timid to let people know what we really think about them - or about anything else for that matter, because we don't like to stand out." But "Minnesota nice" is easier to type.
It would be better named "Minnesota superficially polite because we're too timid to let people know what we really think about them - or about anything else for that matter, because we don't like to stand out." But "Minnesota nice" is easier to type.
Yeah, I agree with you. I don't really think Minnesotans are all that polite, though, at least not Twin Citians. And many people in the Twin Cities are far from humble! A fair amount of arrogant people, actually, especially in the wealthy suburbs and rich neighborhoods in Mpls. The humble Minnesotans are usually found in rural Minnesota. Also, I would argue that St. Paul is definitely the more down-to-earth and humble of the two "Twin" Cities.
Last edited by unnativeelpasoan; 09-21-2013 at 02:06 PM..
As someone who grew up in the South its not even close, but by Midwestern standards it can get humid for a total of about 2 weeks throughout the summer, but by no means close to the humidity of the South Atlantic, or Gulf Coast.
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Sorry didn't see the earlier post, please continue everyone.
It would be better named "Minnesota superficially polite because we're too timid to let people know what we really think about them - or about anything else for that matter, because we don't like to stand out." But "Minnesota nice" is easier to type.
Location: NC, But has plans to move to Minneapolis/Bloomington, MN
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I think Minneapolis Metro area is a great place to live and I'm looking forward to making the metro are my new home in 2014. Downtown seems just right, not too small and not to big, cultured, sophisticated, charming and have a lot to offer. There's art, theater, dance, museums and if you have children it's much to offer them too. What I also love is the fact that it's a city into wellness and health. Places for walking, running and hiking. The bottom line is that it's a great quality of life. I believe you'll enjoyed this city.
I live in the NYC metro area and plan to move within a yr. Standard of living is low here, and it's tough for middle class, plus too many people, takes forever to get anywhere. Basically looking for lower COL and better every day QOL, that said obviously its not the only thing, as everyone would wan live in BFE like Wyoming or someth. I used to live in Portland and while it is nice QOL wise, I found it pretty boring and corny with all that Portlandia/hipster vibe, didnt find enough places to go to. I am a white dude, but I am a Russian immigrant so I tend to get along better with other immigrants or minorities. Portland seems somewhat like backwater and pretty mediocre, comparing to neighboring Seattle and the economy is not great, actually feels like poor man's Seattle. I want a slightly bigger and more cosmopolitan city than Portland. Is Mpls region more diverse? For some reason I haven't even heard about Mpls till recent yrs only, and I don't know if I am just ignorant or the region is kinda low key and Midwest tends to get overlooked. Anyway, I don't mind snow, being from Russia, but I don't like driving in the snow though. I am also considering Seattle, which would be a natural choice, since I am familiar with the region, but want to consider multiple options before I decide. That overcast weather does get depressing after a while. No place is perfect though, obviously, so I wanna weigh everything. Does the snow get cleaned up fast? Is heat/humidity kinda like NE or more? How's the nightlife? Does Mpls feel bigger than Portland? Is there more to do? Any other general info will be helpful.
I think MPLS is a nice mix between the NW and NE vibes and cultures. There are a lot of Russians here, I very commonly overhear it being spoken on the streets and in shops, though I am not sure how many live here or are tourists (you really see a lot at the Mall of America). The summer can be just as humid as the NE, but there are less hot/humid days and it cools down more at night, usually. Almost never rains in the summer, and daylight lasts until 10 pm at peak. Great place in summer, tons of festivals. Winters are almost always sunny, contrary to the NE, which is nice and compensates for extreme low temps.
It does feel bigger than Portland, and comparable to Seattle in all ways, except no mountains or sea of course. But it is nowhere near as culturally diverse as NYC. I would recommend you consider Chicago, which is a lot lower COL than NYC but with almost the same diversity and nightlife.
Twin Cities does have a lot of immigrants, but nothing like Chicago or NYC, nor Boston or DC, and possibly a bit less than Seattle as well. For example, Twin Cities probably has maybe 4 Russian restaurants, Chicago probably has over 100, despite having just 3x the population. This tells you something.
On the other hand, SOME Minnesotans will find any foreign person exotic and interesting and this can be to your advantage...
Definition "Russian" used in this conversation is very vague. There are Russians (usually orthodox Christians with Slavic roots) and there are people who speak Russian but have nothing in common with Russian culture. "Russian" population in Minnesota has very little percentage of Russians in it. I would rather use “Soviet” and Post-Soviet” definition.
Population
There are a lot of first generation “Russian”-Americans who assimilated well and they usually live outside of the “Russian” communities . However there are several groups (communities) that are living in MLPS and Saint Paul or their suburbs.
1. Jewish – who settled here before, during or right after perestroika times. They are originally from northern and middle parts of the former Soviet Union such as Ural. Many of them are from Ukraine, towns like Zhitomir or Zhmerinka. Most of them are not practicing Judaism , but follow the traditions.
2. Ukrainians - primarily from western parts of Ukraine. There is a large number of Orthodox Christians. There is a big Ukrainian church that initiates lots of great Ukrainian events.
3. Belarusians, many of them are Baptists or practice some other newer forms of Christianity.
4. I have also met many people from Azerbaijan. There is a restaurant called Baku as well.
MN “Russian” population is very diverse and I have not noticed much separatism among religious / ethnic groups that speak Russian as you would see in New York .
The most socially active “Russian” groups are Jewish and Ukrainian. They established many businesses , etc.
Religion
Most of “Russians“ living in MN have no relation with Russian Orthodox Church and majority claims to be either atheists or part of modern Christian churches. “Baptist” is the most common term that was heard. However “Baptists” are primarily Ukrainians and Belarusians. I believe there are “Russian” synagogues as well.
Food
Russian restaurants are either “too American” or are far away from being called 5-star place. They are not even near an average restaurants you may find on Brighton Beach in Brooklyn.
Russian food stores, is certainly a good thing to have, but they are not comparable to Brighton Beach stores at all. Being far away from NYC and Chicago supplies certainly plays it’s role
Education
There are “Russian” weekend (which is very small but very inviting place) and "Russian" public schools, . Russian day cares are very affordable and they provide great service.
There is a great ballroom dancing school, theater studio , etc. Russian art museum is also a great addition to this conversation.
There is a Jewish newspaper in Russian language zerkalomn.com and I bleieve there is AM Radio that works certain hours as well.
Here is also some information I collected from the internet
"Russians" in Minnesota
Russian immigration to the United States has come in waves.
In Minnesota, 84% of Russian immigrants arrived during the 1990s, while
9% arrived in the 1980s, and 7% in the 1970s. The most recent wave came
after the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. Most Minnesotans
probably didn’t think about how events in Moscow, 5,000 miles away,
would affect our state -- but they have. In recent years, Minnesota’s
Russian population has grown to more than 12,500, and more than 2,300
public school students speak Russian at home. People from Belarus,
Ukraine, and other former Soviet Republics also have immigrated to
Minnesota since the fall of communism. (Sources: The Minnesota Center and The Amherst Research Center's Survey of Hispanic, Hmong, Russian, and Somali Immigrants in Minneapolis-Saint Paul)
Art and Culture
Russian Seasons in Minnesota
- Each year, Russian Seasons puts on a festival showcasing performances
by well-known artists alongside emerging musicians, dancers, and
singers. (The painting shown above, by Vladimir Dikarev, was the backdrop from Russian Seasons' 2007 show.)
Museum of Russian Art
- The only non-profit museum in North America dedicated solely to the
preservation and presentation of educational exhibitions and related
events pertaining to Russian art and artifacts from the 19th and 20th
centuries
Minneapolis International Film Festival
- Each spring since the 1980s, the festival has presented a range of
new and notable films, and typically includes a selection of one or more
contemporary Russian-language films by directors such as Sokurov and
Mikhalkov.
Theatre Novi Most
("Theater of a New Bridge") combines the artistic traditions of Russia
and America to create performances in which seemingly disparate ideas,
languages, cultures and ideologies can clash, commingle and
cross-pollinate. Founded in 1998 by Russian director Vladimir
Rovinsky and American director Lisa Channer. Recent productions include
M-Squared, inspired by two futurist artists, Mayakovsky and Marinetti,
and an adaptation of Gilgamesh.
Russian Cultural Center
- The Russian Cultural Center is committed to promoting the ethnic
Russian cultural and artistic heritage through research, presentation,
and outreach programs, as well as serving as a liaison between the
Russian-speaking community and the broader community of the Twin
cities
Festival of Nations
- Since 1932, this annual event has brought Americans of 90 different
ethnic groups together to share foods, crafts, and traditions. There
will be Russian exhibits, souvenir shops, and music/dance performances
Minnesota Choral Theater
- This choral group, founded by Russian-born conductor Dr. Albert
Grotell, sings Russian and Slavic songs at a variety of venues
Bryant-Lake Bowl - Come for the food, stay for The Seagull, then bowl late into the night. This restaurant-bar-theater-bowling alley is fond of staging new works and interpretations of classics, and recently held a festival of Chekhov plays. Check their site for upcoming productions. You can also visit the Guthrie Theater, which frequently stages major productions of Chekhov's plays and is also adorned with a massive portrait of the playwright
Lesnoe Ozero
- Concordia's Russian Language Village is located in Bemidji and offers
immersion in the Russian language and cultures of the Russian-speaking
world
Russian Educational Center of Minnesota
is an independent non-profit organization, created by collaborative
efforts of parent volunteers from the West suburban cities
Highland Park Library - Our neighborhood public library has a notable collection of Russian-language books
Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota Zoo: Russia's Grizzly Coast
- The Russian Far East is one of the last great wilderness areas on
earth, home to an amazing diversity of animals, including some of the
world's largest predators. The Minnesota Zoo—and the Russia’s Grizzly Coast
exhibit—play an important role in educating and promoting
conservation of this region. The exhibit features bears, sea otters,
boars, and other creatures
Another reason to visit the exhibit -- if grizzly bears weren't enough -- is to see an actual Russian izba (a log farmhouse) that craftsmen painstakingly built, dismantled, and then shipped from the Republic of Karelia.
Restaurants, Bookstores, and Groceries
Russian Piroshki and Tea House - 1758 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55104
St. Petersburg Restaurant - 3610 France Ave, Robbinsdale, MN
Moscow on the Hill - 371 Selby Ave St Paul MN 55102
Kiev Foods - European Grocery and Deli - 2509 W. 7th St, St. Paul, MN 55116
Kramarczuk East European Deli - 215 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Last edited by NY2MN; 12-03-2013 at 04:10 PM..
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