La Crosse questions for daughter (Pepin: apartments, to rent, home)

[lowcountry4]

Hi,

I posted a similar thread regarding my questions on the Minnesota city-data forum but thought I could try to get information from you all, too! My daughter is looking at a job upon graduation in the town of Winona, MN. We are from Virginia, so her information about this part of the country is limited to the internet. From what she has seen, if she were to be employed there she could live in either Winona proper or maybe drive from La Crosse.

She said it looks to her like there are more options in terms of apartments in La Crosse. She is in her early-mid 20s so living among undergrads is not a deal breaker, but she would like to be around people who are more mature probably.

Is the drive to Winona a hard one to make, esp in the winter, from La Crosse? She would start her job at 7 am. Although she has lived in the mountains of Va for her university years, she isn't experienced in driving in the upper midwest winters. Should that be a concern in living in La Crosse vs. Winona proper? Thanks so much for taking time to read this and we thank you for any advice you can share!

[irootoo]

In good conditions it's like a 35 minute drive, right? So if she has to be there at 7AM, she'd probably need to leave around 6:15 AM at the latest. So she'll need to get up pretty early. That alone would have been a deal killer for me at that age.

And that's a lot of mornings she'll be driving in the dark. If she gets off at 4PM, she'll be driving in the dark some winter evenings as well. I used to live around there, and the roadway between La Crosse and Winona is kind of winding with bluffs on one side and a gorgeous view down to the river on the other. It gets icy of course in winter and spring.

I imagine that having mountain driving experience will help, but I wouldn't want a loved one having to drive so far every single day. And if she makes friends at work and they want to go out for happy hour or a meal after work, she'll have to decide between hanging out with her colleagues and making those connections and therefore having to drive home even later, or going home and feeling like she's not really part of the team.

[ranger17]

Hi OP, yes as stated its a good half hour drive, in perfect conditions with no construction or traffic delays. Keep in mind that when the snow flies it can up to double transit time up here.
My suggestion at least the first year would be to rent a place closer to work. As she settles in after the year she can always find another apt location should she choose. But to be new to a region and deal with unknowns like traffic when just starting out.... something to avoid if able.

Just my .02

[lowcountry4]

This is just the kind of information she needs to learn about. Thank you so very much. I will pass it onto her and hopefully she can see if there is something that is closer to her workplace (should she pursue this position). She loves the look of that area of the country and I could see her being happy there. Thanks again for your help!

[ranger17]

Never lived in that area but we often drive thru it on our way back from a long weekend up in the twin cities. It is beautiful there along the river, depending on the season it is a great spot to see eagles along the way.
I would think there would be some decent options in or near Winona again to at least get settled.
Note its just a couple hours north to the Minneapolis area; with everything from the largest mall in the states (Mall of America) to a great zoo to many options for shopping, eating, and entertainment. Not a bad drive if needed for a little r&r or big city life.

[lowcountry4]

Thank you for your reply. Another thought going through our heads..if she were to relocate to Winona, and we would could plan to have our family vacation tied to her move, where is a great place to go? I have been reading about Lake Pepin, but was wondering if anyone knows of any others in that part of Minnesota/Wisconsin. A resort type place with cabins or even a suggestion for a waterfront property that is close- maybe within an hour of Winona that we could maybe canoe, fish, hike, swim, etc.? Many thanks for your advice!

[ranger17]

I cant speak directly on Lake Pepin, but being right in the middle between Winona and the Twin cities would not be a bad location for a vacation stay..... allowing for some options in the “cities” should weather not cooperate, or if y’all just wanted something else to do.