****Are there any transplants to MN who are happy with their move to MN? (St. Cloud: homes, neighborhood)

[Kamsack]

If you thought Fargo was clannish....then the smaller towns in central MN would be very similar. Winter weather quite similar. I live 70 miles North of Fargo and 7 months of winter it isnt.... but 5 is a good number. Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by starrider434

yea I kind of pic MN, the rural areas being very clannish, and aloof, socially, much like North Dakota was......I am very leary of living somewhere so deeply clannish and socially icy cold again....but funny enough, on the other hand, when I spent time in the south, folks were the opposite, but almost too chatty and gossipy, that I ran away from there, after house hunting for a month in southern MO a year ago....like I said I would remain out west if I could afford to do so......

Honestly, it's no different than people in rural areas anywhere else in the world. It takes some social skills to break into rural communities that are initially suspicious of outsiders. I found the same aloof qualities (more, in fact) in WA and OR outside of the major metro areas. I think you're making it out to be a bigger issue than it would actually be. Minnesotans are great people IMO.

[Kamsack]

Originally Posted by Campeador

Honestly, it's no different than people in rural areas anywhere else in the world. It takes some social skills to break into rural communities that are initially suspicious of outsiders. I found the same aloof qualities (more, in fact) in WA and OR outside of the major metro areas. I think you're making it out to be a bigger issue than it would actually be. Minnesotans are great people IMO.

I agree....I have lived in many states and in mostly smaller communities.... and I have found all people to be very similar....nice....helpful.....regardless if Michigan....Missouri or Minnesota.

[Kamsack]

it just mind boggling that the OP thinks Fargo is clannish.....the metro is over 200k. Moving to a smaller town in Minnesota certainly isnt the right option. Now if the OP wants to be closer to woods, lakes, and didnt like the prairie, then it is the right move

[folkguitarist555]

I met plenty of nice people there, too, but it took some hard work...that was mostly in the bars. The few friends I had were mostly from out of state, and from Africa, who loved it there, cause the women from Fargo seemed to love them, and my buddy from the Congo, who lived in Fargo had I think 3 different girlfriends who were from Fargo at the same time..lol, ..the girls just seemed crazy about the friends I had who were from Ghana, and from the Congo and etc...but as far as the dating scene for myself, a transplant from another state in the USA, no luck.....it was a tough place for me. It just seemed like a trend in these predominantly Scandinavian upper Midwestern states ..... only really warming up and rolling out the red carpet to refugees or foreigners from other countries. Which is great, but I never felt welcome there in Fargo or in Sioux Falls SD. Just was my experience and opinion and my view.

[GeneR]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

So you find the Twin Cities suburbs to be more politically left than the San Francisco area?

Reread my post. No mention of such a comparison.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by GeneR

Reread my post. No mention of such a comparison.

Originally Posted by GeneR

I was raised in a tiny farm town in southwest Iowa...when I reached adulthood I moved to the San Francisco Bay area and remained there for 30 years. I moved to the suburbs south of the Twin Cities 11 years ago. If my wife and step daughters were not here it's not a place I could call "home". Most Minnesotans are born and raised. As middle aged adults there's a good chance they live within a few minutes of their parents and all the people they went to high school with. Social circles are, to put it kindly, "established". I was used to California where people come and go and, in my opinion, are much more open to making friends. Schools here are great especially if you buy-in to the environmentalist, politically correct philosophies (remember this is a state that elected Al Franken to the U.S. Senate and Jesse Ventura as Governor!). When my youngest step-daughter graduates from high school and gets established at a University we're outta here.

I'm sorry if I misinterpreted. You spoke favorably of the west coast, mentioning the Bay Area, and unfavorably of the Twin Cities, mentioning "environmentalist, politically correct philosophies" and Al Franken. I thought it was curious that there was no mention of liberal politics as a negative in your mention of the Bay Area.

I guess if one likes a place the politics can be overlooked, but if you don't like it then that becomes a negative factor.

[folkguitarist555]

just noticed that MN has some very high homeowners insurance rates, .....was not quite sure of that.

[folkguitarist555]

I think MN is a great state,....I just hope and pray that if I choose MN to retire to, I am not going to dislike it there, and be stuck, if I buy....I am worried about some blogs and other things on the internet that I been reading saying that folks in MN are generally unfriendly, outwardly cold, and anti social......I have read some very harsh things from a few transplants on how much they could not stand living in MN once they moved there, ..I pray I don't have to deal with that type of demeanor again, like we have in Seattle....called the "Seattle Freeze".

[Weeser1]

Hello Starrider434,
I live up North in Bemidji Minnesota. Was born in the South & came here as a child ( a long time ago). Moved to Idaho, then to Seattle for a summer & back to Idaho. Which is beautiful. Moved back to Minnesota & have been here since. Had to raise a family so just stayed at that point. My husband owns an old Resort that we turned into rental cabins.

The winters are a bit tuff no doubt about that. Last year seemed like a bad one that lasted a long time. I believe that a person
just gets used to where they are. Up here we learn to prepare for it, meaning antifreeze in vehicles, plugging them in, good
warm boots & clothes. You know if you have been to North Dakota ? The best vehicle is a four wheel drive in my opinion.
Guess the amount of years here are about 50 now. Looking forward to spending time in the winter in warmer parts but no retirement yet. Good luck to you & your decision.