What if the Twin Cities....

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

I remember hearing a lot of people discussing if Duluth wasn't so cold and so far north that it would be much bigger then it is today.

Though it is very interesting to think about if there was another big metro area in Minnesota.

Actually , Radical_Car u might be on to something, but for MSP

I think it is safe to say however that MPLS-STP probably would be a top 10 metro if it wasnt so cold

[Ben Around]

Based on having lived in 2 states with more than one big metro (NY & FL), I don't think it would be much different at all for the Twin Cities. People in the surrounding countryside would talk less about "Minnesota" and more about Duluth or Rochester or whatever. (In this state, it seems to me that in many respects, "Minnesota" has become synonymous with the Twin Cities Metro area.) For example, I would bet that many fewer people who live in San Diego have been to San Francisco, or many fewer people who live in Cleveland have been to Cincinnati, than Minnesotans in ANY town or area of the state have been to Minneapolis.

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

Based on having lived in 2 states with more than one big metro (NY & FL), I don't think it would be much different at all for the Twin Cities. People in the surrounding countryside would talk less about "Minnesota" and more about Duluth or Rochester or whatever. (In this state, it seems to me that in many respects, "Minnesota" has become synonymous with the Twin Cities Metro area.) For example, I would bet that many fewer people who live in San Diego have been to San Francisco, or many fewer people who live in Cleveland have been to Cincinnati, than Minnesotans in ANY town or area of the state have been to Minneapolis.

Thanks for your 'outsider' perspective.

I teetered on this subject a lot this past summer when I spent 2 weeks in San Diego. I was talking with a lot of my cousins (who live there) and their friends (all of them were transplants TO SD from either MPLS or other parts of Cali)

It was interesting to hear Cali people talk about their 'State'. Much less pride for their state and more pride for their City... Much more SD is > than LA talk rather than here where you hear more MN > WI talk.

It was interesting to hear them talk about how a different world (politically and climate-wise) SF was to SD, and even LA to SD. They also spoke about how the IE is much different than other parts of Cali.

[MN55]

If only Duluth was bigger - they could then get an NHL team setting up an insane hockey rivalry.

[Matt291]

Vikings VS Dockers

[nrogers1122]

I don't think it would be any different. This state is about as liberal as the day is long in most areas. Having more metropolitan areas would only fortify this.

[Beenhere4ever]

Bigger states. The whole population of our state is about half of New York City alone. Without this metro area, we'd be like Wyoming or Montana.