Any New Englanders now living in Minnesota? What are the big differences and similarities?

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by bler144

The flatness is one of the harder aspects for me, and if you bike outside the city you'll likely notice the wind persistently. In New England uphills are the grind, but usually followed by a nice downhill run. In MN it feels like I'm always biking into a headwind, no matter which direction I'm going.

For aesthetic purposes, even if you don't live in the Mississippi valley, I think it's helpful to work day trips in that get you a bit of elevation, like the bluffs of Red Wing. Likewise, a weekend trip to south-central WI around the Dells can really help. Call it your 'dream vacation' and cue Martin Zellar (little MN joke there).

only if you are driving a Zamboni....

[wisterrand]

Less Irish , Less Italians and more Americans Indians Influence

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by wisterrand

Less Irish , Less Italians and more Americans Indians Influence

Though there's still a decent Irish and Italian influence in Saint Paul, especially for this part of the country.

[Leo58]

I grew up in MN, now live in New England. As others have noted, New England is not as cold in winter, with more snow. One thing that surprised me was the poor infrastructure if you live outside of metro Boston. For example, you probably have propane or heating oil, not natural gas. A septic system, not municipal sewer. In my case I have a well, not city water. Roads are narrow and winding; it's hard to go anywhere in a straight line. There's a lot more diversity of landscape, of course, with mountains, seashore, forest and city all within a small area.

Midwesterners have a reputation for friendliness, but in Minnesota I felt it was very superficial. Smile to your face but put you down behind your back. Conversely, I was warned that New Englanders were not friendly, but actually have found that not to be true. There is somewhat of a live and let be attitude, but perfectly willing to join a conversation with a stranger. And they're more genuine about it. Plus half the people in New England are from somewhere else.

[2x3x29x41]

Originally Posted by Leo58

I grew up in MN, now live in New England. As others have noted, New England is not as cold in winter, with more snow. One thing that surprised me was the poor infrastructure if you live outside of metro Boston. For example, you probably have propane or heating oil, not natural gas. A septic system, not municipal sewer. In my case I have a well, not city water. Roads are narrow and winding; it's hard to go anywhere in a straight line. There's a lot more diversity of landscape, of course, with mountains, seashore, forest and city all within a small area.

Midwesterners have a reputation for friendliness, but in Minnesota I felt it was very superficial. Smile to your face but put you down behind your back. Conversely, I was warned that New Englanders were not friendly, but actually have found that not to be true. There is somewhat of a live and let be attitude, but perfectly willing to join a conversation with a stranger. And they're more genuine about it. Plus half the people in New England are from somewhere else.

The numbers aren't that different from Minnesota.

68% of Minnesotans were born in the state.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...were-born.html

Maine, 66%
Massachusetts, 63%
Rhode Island, 58%
Connecticut, 55%
Vermont, 52%
New Hampshire, 42%

Back-of-the-napkin suggests the average for New England is around 58% (Massachusetts tugs the average up, because it has almost half the region's population).

[zorrobuddha]

I Lived in Minnesota much of my life (equally in urban and remote rural areas). I now live in rural Northern New England. I found people friendly and accepting when I came here, perhaps even easier to get to know than folks in MN. I have found this to be true, from a previous poster: "Conversely, I was warned that New Englanders were not friendly, but actually have found that not to be true. There is somewhat of a live and let be attitude, but perfectly willing to join a conversation with a stranger."

The winters are certainly more bitter in Minnesota, and the summers seem to be getting more intensely hot. It seems that the intense weather hangs on for longer in Minnesota. The winter roads are better taken care of in Minnesota, I think -- the crews are liberal with the sand/salt. The snow in Minnesota is dryer and seems less likely to get packed down and turned into ice. Driving here in Northern New England required me to learn some new skills -- it's curvy and can be icy and hilly. I am careful and use snow tires in New England. Even in northern MN, I never used snow tires. The roads are very flat and straight and wide in MN.

I find northern New England stunning, and I love the mountains. I agree with the statement that Minnesota is a more isolated state, just by way of scale and geography. That has its pros and cons.

It's tough to compare the two -- they are different in many ways.