Top 5 Pros & Cons of Minneapolis area (Dayton, Walker: sales, crime)

[CUDavidBanner]

I thought it would be informative if those familiar with Minneapolis, would list their top 5 positives and 5 negatives about the Minneapolis Metro area. Thanks in advance.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

You're being too general. Is this for people out of state or people who live in Minnesota but not in the Twin Cities?

[Robert P Stewart]

My top 5? Easy. I could write a top 50.

1. Orchestra hall
2. Walker Art
3. Orpheum
4. Lake / Isles area
5. Vincent restaurant
6. Summitt beer (OK, but it had to get on the list somehow)

Yes, I am arts inclined - but the nicest thing about the Twin Cities art scene? If you go to a Broadway production at the Orpheum (or anywhere), you'll see people in everything from tuxedos to a T-shirt and jeans. And get this: no one cares! Back were I'm from, you'd be hard pressed to get into the Kennedy Center without at least a suit and tie.

Top 5 dislikes?

1. Never ending construction
2. People who cannot drive in snow or rain
3. Cities that control the liquor stores
4. Tax free casinos
5. Lutefisk

There ya go!

Robert
Robert@RobertPStewart.com

[HKB]

Pros
1) Hockey
2) Perfect summers
3) Lakes
4) Fairly good economy
5) Good schools


Cons

1) Metro area is very spread out. It takes almost an hour to get from one side of the metro to the other.
2) The people. Minnesota Nice" is just a myth. "Minnesota Passive Aggressive" is a more accurate term.
3) Winters too cold and long.
4) Too many chain restaurants (especially in the suburbs).
5) Aging and inadequate freeway system.

[kurls]

Positive
1) Diversity and Culture
2) Outdoor Amenities
3) Relatively "affordable" housing and living
4) Great Healthcare
5) Great Earning potential

Negatives
1-3)Winter Sucks!!!
4) Gawker Slowdowns (I never heard of such a thing before moving here, but for real quit slowing down to stare at accidents that are safely moved to the side of the road people)
5) That accent half of the population has that sounds like Fargo

[getoutofmn]

TOP:
1. A wide variety of things to do and places to go
2. Airport does a good job considering the size of the city
3. Many good restaurants, both large and small, ethnic and chain
4. Lots of shopping available
5. Lots of sports and sporting events available, from professional all the way down to youth

BOTTOM:
1. Way too much crime, even in the suburbs
2. Not enough police per community size when compared to other parts of the country
3. The weather is awful and the climate swings are drastic
4. It is way too crowded, including cities and towns, roads and freeways etc
5. Taxes are incredibly high

[kgirl]

Top:
1. The arts (Minneapolis Institute of Art, Walker Art Center)
2. The music and bar scene
3. Excellent restaurants
4. Some of the best shopping in the midwest outside of Chicago.
5. The lakes and rollerblading in the summer.

Bottom:
1. The weather. By far the worst thing about the area.
2. The traffic. Massive gridlock at times and those darn traffic meters!
3. The accent (I often get asked in other parts of the country 'so what part of Canada are you from?' Sigh.)
4. The yellow dirty snow and ice that builds up over winter. That and endlessly shoveling it.
5. The crime in some areas can be bad. A neighborhood can be great on one block and then suddenly go sour the next.

[Mr Wiggl3s]

Pros:

All the stores, its good to see people in business
The buildings
Vikings/football (duh?)
Lakes and land

Cons:

Cops
Construction
People

And by people i mean, driving mostly, i usually tolerate people, but the bad drivers during traffic, i can hardly keep my temper

[Frozen Cane]

Top 5:

1. Culture and the arts
2. Recreation (lakes, parks, trails)
3. Good bus system for a smaller city
4. Lively downtown with excellent shopping
5. Many safe and beautiful neighborhoods

Bottom 5:
1. Weak economy (low wages and slow job creation)
2. High sales taxes (extra .5% in the city and .15% in the county. For a sports area!
3. Property taxes (highest in the state)
4. Sprawl (entire twin cities area) and road rage
5. Crime is rising fast

[Marla Nesbett]

Top 5:
Chino Latino
Walker Art Center's Landscape Garden
Mississippi River
proximity to St Paul
Mall of America

Bottom 5:
Traffic
potholes
weather (winter)
niceness
no more Daytons