Twin Cities for an Asian Professional (Minneapolis, St. Paul: apartments, lofts, lawyers)

[Magongso]

Hi guys,

I'm a young Asian male dentist in my late 20s. I'll be finishing up residency in NYC and I am looking for a metropolitan area to move to and eventually settle down in. I'm interested in the Twin Cities because I'm part Hmong on my mother's side. Other than the Twin Cities, only California has a sizeable Hmong community and it's too saturated for dentists. I also have mild hyperthyroidism and need a place with colder weather. So far the Twin Cities seems like a good match. Could you please answer a few questions I still have though?

Are there evening courses to take where I can learn conversational Hmong language?

I would prefer to live in an urban area and not have a car. Archery is a passion of mine. I've found many outdoor public archery ranges. However, I'll probably need to find indoor ones for the wintertime. Are there indoor ranges that are easily accessible by public transportation?

How's the nightlife in the Twin Cities? Are people here as tolerant as NYC?

What are good neighborhoods for a yuppie to live? I'll be looking for a studio. My budget is around $2000/month but I'd prefer not to pay that much if I don't need to.

Thank you!

[Citykid3785]

Welcome! Plenty of hmongs here, and plenty of language classes, I know for instance the U of M has them at a minimum. Hmongs and Asians in general tend to congregate around University avenue, which has a light rail line connecting the twin cities as well as the U of M. Midway Hamline might be a good place to start to look if that community is important. It's more working class than yuppie however. Asians in general congregate towards st Paul vs mpls.

We do have an expensive housing market for not being on a coast, however your budget will be easily achievable.

Nightlife is plentiful, but.not in a 4am ravey type of way (in fact closing time is 2pm, but options are plentiful. People are tolerant in a liberal type of way, but do look up "Minnesota Nice." Don't let it scare you, but do be aware.

Other good neighborhoods for a yuppie: northeast, loring park, north loop, uptown, lyn-lake.

[StilltheSame]

Welcome! Based upon your description, I think the TCsEe a perfect match. You will live it:
Winter is beautiful And there are a lot of sports to enjoy, in addition to it's just not being as hot as it is in the south.
The lakes are gorgeous.
The commute/accessibility/quality of life is outstanding.

[Magongso]

Thank you for your responses. I'll do some research on the areas you suggested.

[Stanton1433]

Welcome. I echo everyone's responses. Minneapolis and St, Paul both have a fairly large Asian population. Most Asians here are executives, doctors, lawyers and other professionals so you should not have any problems fitting in.

[cheddar]

Maybe you could look around the Raymond Avenue and University Avenue area in Saint Paul. Not too far away from the Hmong community but the housing seems to be for professionals and artists with newer apartments and converted lofts.

[considering]

The Hmong population in St. Paul is larger than any city in the nation as far as I can remember. There was a concerted effort post Vietnam War to settle Hmong refugees and recent immigrants here.

Despite there being a large number of southeast Asians here, we've come from a much more dense and diverse city and it's been a bit of a shock (husband is Vietnamese). Not bad at all - just an adjustment to more frequently end up in overwhelmingly homogeneous spaces, events, etc.

A few places worth checking out: Hmong Cultural Center - Hmong Cultural Center - Hmong Cultural Center Hmong Chamber of Commerce -http://www.hmongchamber.com