Trying to convince my partner that we should be in MN (Minneapolis: crime, house)

[TheKiwi]

I've recently become convinced that MN is for us. I know no place is perfect, but MN sure seems close to me, certainly better all-around from Atlanta. For context: we are two women in our late 30's, vote blue, love being outdoors, no kids. I LOVE snow activities and grew up in Denmark (and have Norwegian and Finnish roots), and MN reminds me of 'home'. My partner is a librarian, loves bookstores and is involved in book clubs, loves weekend getaways to cabins with cute small towns, loves to cook, likes to bike and go walking, and also is very into watching hockey. We are also very into kpop and Korean culture.

I've started making a list of the reasons I think we should move there. What else would you add?

- sanctuary state for LGBTQ+ / strong LGBTQ+ hate crime protections
- lots of good housing stock in the $300,000's
- free school breakfast & school lunch for all children in the state started in spring 2023
- current governor set up a little free library in his office with books that are banned in other states
- large refugee populations (Laos, Somali, Ukrainian)
- close to the Scandinavian model (well as close as US states can really be)... higher taxes but also lots of social programs!
- progressive criminal justice system (NO for-profit prisons)
- same sex marriage legal here 2 years prior to nationwide
- abortion legal and protected in constitution
- one of top 3 states for life expectancy (Hawaii, Washington and then Minnesota)
- great healthcare system
- 4 true seasons
- lots of hockey including pro women's hockey team and plenty of other sports to watch locally
- good schools + very well educated population (literacy has always been very important so there are some great libraries in the state)
- cost of living lower than national average
- top 10 most environmentally friendly state
- nonstop flights to Atlanta (2hrs 40 mins), 3 hours to NY, 1.5 hr to Chicago
- working on getting to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040
- Minneapolis have a Danish American Center, a Norway House and a American Swedish Institute - how fun!
- summers range from 70-80 degrees (high humidity though)
- union-friendly state
- Minneapolis is one of the best biking cities in the US - and they have an electric bike share program
- The Minneapolis-St. Paul airport had the lowest rate of flight delays in the world in 2023
- roaches/palmetto bugs aren't much of a problem - but mosquitos!

Anything that you would add that seems in line with these, or things that might interest my partner?

[TheGrandViking]

Minnesota has a lot of good things going for it. Since your partner is a librarian here is something that should warm her heart.

https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings...%20and%20Iowa.

Most Literate States
1. New Hampshire – 88.5%
2. Alaska – 87.3%
3. Vermont – 87.2%
4. Minnesota – 86.9%
5. Montana – 86.9%
6. Maine – 86.6%
7. North Dakota – 86.6%
8. Wyoming – 86.4%
9. Utah – 85.5%
10. Iowa – 85.1%

The shocking thing is that Iowa is number 10. That is another point you need to know, we like to make fun of Iowa and no one is sure why. It might be the fact they tried to steal the southern part of Minnesota back in the 1800s.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/0...e-than-florida

He also calculated that the Land of 10,000 lakes has more shoreline than Florida, which has 30,672 miles.



I am big into camping, canoeing, hunting, and fishing- this state does all those well. The state park system in Minnesota is excellent but I would advise early reservations for the more popular parks. BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) is a national treasure. If you live here and have never experienced this you cannot possibly evaluate Minnesota. It is a fantastic experience-you just have to figure out the Mosquito equation. I would sugggest not canoeing on lakes that have a heavy motorboat presence, especially with wake crafts, because you can be wiped out. You still will have plenty of places to canoe.

https://www.exploreminnesota.com/thi...~~Featured~1~~


https://exploringnorthshore.com/bwca-beginners-guide/

The down side to Minnesota for some and you will see, some people rant and rave about this, is the challenge of making friends. This is challenging wherever you go but probably to higher to degree in states where you have a high stick factor.-Meaning that many Minnesotans are born here raised here and still live here. We even have the boomerangs who have left the state and then came back. States and cities tha have more transient population are easier to find and make friends-they don't have people they have known since kindergarten. Atlanta is probably an easier city to make friends in because you fewer people with life long friends living in the city.

Having said that, my wife is from another country and a different race and seems to make friends pretty easily. She has one of those +personality types. So, If you have good social skills, friends should not be a problem. However, I think the east coast bragging and/or Type A personalities don't do well here. They just don't get it and in a work enviroment and become frustrated with coworkers because they don't fall in line behind them. They quickly become ineffective as leaders and end up being sidelined in career growth, while ranting and raving about Minnesota Nice.

There is a high level of civic engagement. I think Minnesota ranks has one of the highest level of civic engagements in the states. So, this is a good method to network with like minded people and make friends.

Rural Minnesota is less welcoming to gays/lesbians/different races than the Twin Cities. Minneapolis is the most liberal/welcoming part of the state for alternative lifestyles and races. The suburbs will be less so, but due to a high education level, will be less likely to experience a negative experience. That doesn't mean you will experience any harrassment but the likelyhood increases the redder the voting area.

The tourist areas are going to be more welcoming to you because the green is valued more than red. But, just be aware when going into the rural areas, you might not get the welcome you hoped for.

Weather. You sound like a good fit for the state for weather. March is the worst IMOP because of the freeze/thaw cycle is brutal for walking because of the ice. I have yet to fall but had some close calls with a few strained muscles. Some form of ice cleats are not a bad idea for March. Unfortunately, due to climate change, we are having more summer days in the 90s per month. Formerly, we used to only have 2 days above 90 degrees in the summer. Now, we have had seasons over 20 days in that category. However, Northern Minnesota stays cooler. The humidity is increasing due to both farming and having a wetter climate in general so that means more extreme rain events (6 inches and more) have increased over the decades. You will occasionaly experience a Canadian summer meaning that the cool northwest air from canada will have weather in the 70s and low humidity. This rare but happens maybe once per decade.

You will be amused by Minnesotans complaining about the humidity in the summer having come from Atlanta. You will also hear Minnesotans complain about the winter. I like the winter and will not complain. But even some of the complainers, like the winter but just like to throw it out there as a conversation starter.

If you move here, I hope you enjoy it.

[irootoo]

If you are into theater, the Twin Cities has a huge number of theaters, I think they might have the highest number per capita in the US.

Does your partner have any specific misgivings? It sounds like Minnesota could be a great fit for the two of you.

[TheKiwi]

Originally Posted by TheGrandViking

If you move here, I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you Love reading about the literacy rate! I will add that to my list of growing positives about MN.

For those who live in the Twin Cities, how common is it to escape to nature outside of the city? In Atlanta but it's not super common for people to escape for a weekend to our mountains up North or to Lake Lanier (our major lake with water activities). I think people just get quite set in their ways in Atlanta, plus there's so much to do in the city. While the Twin Cities sound fabulous, a big part of the appeal of MN is escaping to nature. I'm just wondering how realistic that is, say to go up to the North Shore for a 5 day trip of skiing and exploring along Lake Superior, or a quick weekend getaway to Duluth? I get the impression long weekend escapes are more normalized there?

[North Beach Person]

Things you need to consider:

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/atlanta

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/minneapolis

I know I'm from neither state but I've found that growing up in NWPA and living in Maryland for forty years that people from warmer areas have a real adjustment to the cold.

That also works in reverse.

[irootoo]

Originally Posted by TheKiwi

Thank you Love reading about the literacy rate! I will add that to my list of growing positives about MN.

For those who live in the Twin Cities, how common is it to escape to nature outside of the city? In Atlanta but it's not super common for people to escape for a weekend to our mountains up North or to Lake Lanier (our major lake with water activities). I think people just get quite set in their ways in Atlanta, plus there's so much to do in the city. While the Twin Cities sound fabulous, a big part of the appeal of MN is escaping to nature. I'm just wondering how realistic that is, say to go up to the North Shore for a 5 day trip of skiing and exploring along Lake Superior, or a quick weekend getaway to Duluth? I get the impression long weekend escapes are more normalized there?

When I lived in Minneapolis, people did this all the time. I had a friend whose family would routinely drive from Minneapolis to Duluth on a random Saturday just to eat at a restaurant they liked. A lot of people I knew had a cabin "up at the lake" that they went to on weekends and holidays. (I say "up at the lake" because there are a lot of lakes in Minnesota of course, but no matter what lake the cabin was on, everybody just said "up at the lake.")

[TheKiwi]

Originally Posted by irootoo

If you are into theater, the Twin Cities has a huge number of theaters, I think they might have the highest number per capita in the US.

Does your partner have any specific misgivings? It sounds like Minnesota could be a great fit for the two of you.

Mainly it's that she's born and raised in the Atlanta area and would be leaving behind friends of 30-35 years. She went to college here and has never lived outside of the state, so I think that's her hesitation, and she'd have hesitations no matter where we'd move to. Friends and social circle are important to her. Less to me because I've lived in 2 countries and 6 states so I'm used to finding new friends in different cities. And I've lived in 4 of those states without any family members, so I'm used to my family being a plane ride away. She has always lived less than an hour drive from her mom.

I think her other main hesitation is that she has a government job (librarian) of 20+ years here, and if she left the state it would mean she'd get a payout for that pension and have to start over in a way... So she wants to be really sure the move is the right choice for us long-term.

I am really the person pushing for the move because I came here to GA for my career and this career is drying up here. Plus I feel like long-term, my quality of life isn't all that great here... I miss real winters terribly. I really don't like our summers here and it's too hot to be outdoors doing anything physical in the heat of our summers. Our healthcare system is not great. There's litter everywhere. I see suffering all around, especially with our unhoused population, our public schools are pretty terrible, etc. There is a huge quality of life difference between the red areas and blue. And don't get me started on the politics and corruption!

I'm hoping I can sway her. We're going to go on vacation to MN soon and hopefully that'll work out well!

[TheKiwi]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Things you need to consider:

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/atlanta

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/minneapolis

I know I'm from neither state but I've found that growing in NWPA and living in Maryland for forty years that people from warmer areas have a real adjustment to the cold.

I grew up in Denmark and Connecticut, went to college in New Hampshire and spent 6 years in NYC so I'm pretty used to much colder temps than Atlanta. In fact, I LOVE the cold and winter activities like snowboarding, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, ice skating outdoors, etc.

I know MN is still colder than the places I listed but I do think I'm more adapted to that weather since I love so many winter/snow activities.

[Teacher Terry]

Giving up a 20 year pension is a big deal and she would be foolish to do it.

[TheKiwi]

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry

Giving up a 20 year pension is a big deal and she would be foolish to do it.

That's what I'm most worried about... I just don't know if I can stay here in Georgia myself...