Another set of questions regarding Winona (Windom, Goodview: apartment, for rent, hotel)

[NW Crow]

So as not to interfere with the other recent thread on Winona, I'll start a separate one. Would appreciate responses to these questions:


1. For locals, would you consider city & county government average, better or worse at running & improving services and the community?


2. If you wanted to live on edge of town or up to 20 minutes outside it, which areas would you consider the most attractive (land, road access into downtown, safety, etc.)?


3. I see complaints about recreational water quality. How bad?


4. Do city / county / state snowplow basically everything or just primary roads?


5. Favorite park / trail in the region (for walking or biking)?


6. Biggest surprise for newcomers (good or bad)?


I've looked thru most of the bigger Winona threads but these questions remain.

[jaandjqa]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

So as not to interfere with the other recent thread on Winona, I'll start a separate one. Would appreciate responses to these questions:


1. For locals, would you consider city & county government average, better or worse at running & improving services and the community?


2. If you wanted to live on edge of town or up to 20 minutes outside it, which areas would you consider the most attractive (land, road access into downtown, safety, etc.)?


3. I see complaints about recreational water quality. How bad?


4. Do city / county / state snowplow basically everything or just primary roads?


5. Favorite park / trail in the region (for walking or biking)?


6. Biggest surprise for newcomers (good or bad)?


I've looked thru most of the bigger Winona threads but these questions remain.

Haven't lived there, just impressed on visits and online reading.

You don't need to live outside of town to feel safe, or to see attractive things. If you want to buy acreage, then you need to live out of town I think.

Recreational water quality? I'm not the EPA, but I'd guess don't eat the fish you catch unless a more authoritative source says occasional is OK. Canoes are for rent on Lake Winona at foot of Main Street, so they're not allowing maximum pollution or noise. The Rec Center at that place offers many more activities.

Snowplowing is mandatory ASAP on all highways, business streets, and residential streets. Possibly this is not the case for going up a bluff park on the outskirts, but must admit I haven't been there I winter and if they had downhill skiing for a fee, they'd have to have a plowed lot.

The mostly well-respected Winona State University is just a few blocks up Main. They are one of the main sources of "crime" (public drunkenness), but that is true in almost any university town. On the weekends, some students go home, and many residents don't work. It is a time to shop. So you might be able to go into a smaller park and have it to yourself, very peaceful.

Winona last I heard had a campgrounds on a Mississippi island. They used to have people living on houseboats on Mississippi River, but I haven't checked into if this is still allowed.

They have the 1854 Anderson House Hotel on the W side a few blocks from the 1853 Windom Park. It's now a new name a bed & breakfast that is enough reason for many to come to Winona.

You can get an apartment is this historic recreation-filled college town for only around $500/month, assuming any vacancies. Winona was Minnesota's 3rd largest city in 1880. It didn't shrink, it's just that other cities offering more things grew faster. Winona has a post WWII suburb called Goodview. If a person ever "needs" a metro area of 3.5 million, it's just 2 hours or less up US Highway 61.

You'll find a few more chain stores in La Crosse. La Crosse offers a few more other things as well, but Winona seems one of the finest cities for a somewhat smaller place. Best wishes.

[NW Crow]

Thanks for the reply.