Moving from Miami, FL to Minn (Minneapolis, Cleveland: apartment, rental, how much)

[GHA188]

I'm a 23 year old, single gay guy trying to move to Minn from Miami, FL. And I guess I'm looking for some relocation advice.

Right now I've applied for some transfers with the company I work for (Fedex Office) but it looks like there's few positions available compared to some other cities I've looked at. I got a reply from a center manager who spoke to my manager and apparently told her she needed someone sooner than Feb 20 (the approximate date I told her I'd be moving). So I wrote her back and told her my moving date is flexible. She was supposed to call me like she told me and my manager but hasn't yet...

So basically I have 2 months before my lease is up here in Miami and if I don't secure a transfer by then I just don't know how I'm going to get over there. I know if I already lived there I could snag a job since I've become a pro at job applying/networking. The only problem is that I know employers won't even consider you unless you already live there. So that made me consider just moving first and then looking for a job since I have enough savings for about 6 months but my parents don't think that's a good idea.

So I'm just looking for some ideas or advice I guess. It'd be much appreciated

[EndersDrift]

I'm looking at just moving up there at this point having applied for a few positions there and not been able to secure anything. That said I don't work for a major company like FedEx. If I were you then personally I'd fly up there, introduce myself to as many local managers as I could and express a real interest, explain to them in person you're trying to relocate to the area and are up there to see about transfer opportunities and to look for housing.

I wouldn't leave a company that does have transfer opportunities. I'd sign a new lease in Miami, keep applying and you can always break the lease agreement. Might cost a grand or two but that's really nothing in the grand scheme of things. Minneapolis is also a big city so there's the possibility your rental company has properties there and if you agree to rent from them can avoid the early cancellation fee entirely.

[Galan]

The economy in MN is a hundred times better than it is in South FL. Ironically, I made the opposite move you did, but I'm a midlevel medical provider and I can move just about anywhere and find a high paying job. With that said, if you can handle cold weather in the winter, horrible mosquitoes in the summer and bad traffic (traffic in the twin cities is worse than the traffic here in south FL cuz the roads in MN suck) than it's a perfect place to move to. There's a large gay population there too. Just head out to Loring Park. I'd recommend moving to Uptown. It's a classy area with lots of young people.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

It's hard to respond to your post because it's a tough decision to make. I generally tell people to secure a job first before moving because you can get royally screwed if you don't. I wish I would have secured a job in Cleveland before moving here, and by not doing so we continued to leech off of our parents (and now owe them) and I had to live in my in-laws for a LOT longer than I would have ever cared to (yuck!!). If possible, go this route, but what ends up prevailing over everything is happiness, so if by moving you'd be happier than you could ever be currently in Miami -- and regardless of how much money you have or uncomfortable your living arrangements are -- then that's your answer.

Hope that helps -- sorry it's so vague!

Good luck!!

[xandrex]

Could you possibly call that manager to see if she's still interested since your date is flexible? I'm sure they're looking to see if there is a local candidate who can start earlier, but that doesn't guarantee they'll get someone. If you express interest and a willingness to move, they may hold off until you get there.

The economy is a lot better than the nation as a whole, though it's difficult to tell someone to move here without a job. It helps that you're young and without too many obligations, though.

If you can take the temperature change, I'm sure you'll love Minneapolis. It's an incredibly gay-friendly city.

[l12]

I would just do it, if you don't mind getting a cheap, small apartment while you figure things out. What's the worst that happens, you go back to Miami in 6 months? I moved here from Florida myself and never looked back, and if I was gay I would like it even more.
The job market is very good here, the pay is very good, and it's extremely gay. Loring Park is the gay neighborhood, and you can rent cheap 1BRs around there.
You might want to wait a bit so you can be sure to still be here in the summer, that is when the city really comes alive: patios, rooftops, all kinds of festivals in Loring Park, Gay Pride week is especially wild.
FYI it doesn't even get warm until May.
If you don't mind being a waiter, MN has an unusual policy where you get the real minimum wage plus tips (unlike FL with tipped min wage of like $2 plus cheap retirees giving crappy tips), so you can easily get by on that for a while.