How’s the quality of life in Minnesota ? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: insurance, low crime)

[Laggard]

Originally Posted by handog

I don’t know a single custom furniture maker that isn’t starving, including me. Why pay the high price for quality when you can go to Home Depot or
pick up something stapled together by an illegal alien in one of many TX.…

All our furniture is made in Asia (just like your computer, TV, Microwave, Stereo, and DVD player).

Our IKEA furniture lasts for years and we don't have to spend an entire paycheck on a kitchen table.

[yoyoma02]

How is this relevant to the orignal post?

[audadvnc]

How is this relevant? The OP is Handog, whose career has been cabinet making. Of course he's interested in the local market trends for furniture makers.

[Kebinminn]

I see ads for cabinetry jobs on Craigslist once in a while, i don't know much about how well that particular area has done.

Teaching is tough but if your wife has fluency in a second language her odds are greatly improved. However I think you'd find a job before your wife in your chosen fields.

Winter is harsh, especially if it's not your thing. Spring is tough for allergies but that's true everywhere I imagine. Summer can get hot but for the most part it's wonderful. Fall is perfect to me.It is a good place to raise kids, I love it for that reason. The economy is coming back but you can get a job, it may not be the one you want.

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by west336

I used to work at a cabinet shop, but they went out of business a few years ago, otherwise I'd recommend you. If I could find a carpentry job, I'm sure you can! My wife and I were JUST talking about how furniture made in the past 50 years just SUCKS compared to the older stuff with real craftsmanship. I'd love to be able to invest in high-quality furniture that lasts centuries and looks amazing. If you have these skills, I personally see a market for this in the future.

You can thank the "Ashley's" of the world for lowering the bar. Today, even reputable brands like Thomasville have lowered their quality and they are importing products from China.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by handog

Could you expand on that ?

Sure. From an economic perspective, the entire upper Midwest has an extremely resilient economy. Other than the farm crisis of the 1980s, we've never had a serious downturn. We never had a huge housing bubble, so we never had the falling house prices to the degree that the rest of the country's seen.

From a livability standpoint, we have very vibrant and livable cities in Minneapolis and St Paul. While our area does sprawl out because there are no natural geographic barriers to contain it, you don't have to move way out to find someplace that's a nice place to live. I live in the city of Minneapolis and this is just my opinion, but you won't find the city to be as congested as many major cities.

Traffic is also very doable, as long as you follow a few simple rules. Don't live and work on the opposite sides of town or the opposite sides of rivers.

Recreational opportunities abound in all for seasons. Do you have kids? They'll love swimming in our lakes in the summer and playing in the snow in the winter. Playing in the snow here is not like other places, I learned. It's cold enough that the snow doesn't melt when you play in it, so you don't get wet. Not wet? Not cold. You'll find opportunities to visit up north regularly, since you can be in complete wilderness in a three hour drive, sometimes less.

School systems vary but generally range from good to excellent. And our private schools are among the best in the nation. Education for you? The University of Minnesota is one of the nation's best and is just one of many colleges, universities, and technical schools.

[Glenfield]

Negatives? The winters can get long. If you can get away for at least a few days, that would be a plus. And many transplants seem to have difficulty adjusting to Minnesotans reserved manner. I never did when I relocated here, but you'll read here that w can be standoffish. I think it helps to understand that life here revolves around family, church, and school, and it seems to me that for most people, hanging out with a gang is something that ends when you're in your 30s.

So, that's my view. I think it's wonderful here!

[uptown_urbanist]

Glenfield, do you think that life in Minneapolis itself revolves around family, church, and school? Just curious on your thoughts on that -- I always thought that was more prevalent in the suburbs (maybe just because of demographics), but I could just be out of the loop on the religious front.

[handog]

Originally Posted by Laggard

All our furniture is made in Asia (just like your computer, TV, Microwave, Stereo, and DVD player).

Our IKEA furniture lasts for years and we don't have to spend an entire paycheck on a kitchen table.

Hmmm I wonder if that has anything to do with the severe lack of jobs in this country?

[yoyoma02]

Originally Posted by handog

Hmmm I wonder if that has anything to do with the severe lack of jobs in this country?

Probably not, considering that 94% of people in the US are employed.