Moving to Minnesota from CA?

Wife has a great opportunity with her career to take a position in MN. Edina, Maple Grove, etc. area. I work in healthcare so finding some sort of a job will be no problem. We are both tired of CA. Southern to be exact. It's a state moving increasingly towards a third world status where the rich live great and everyone else struggles. Plus we feel it's getting to hit here with never enough rain anymore in winter. Terrible gun laws, liberal nanny state politics, and high cost of living we'd rather raise our young boys and lay down roots elsewhere.

We both are used to cold as she grew up in AK and me in MO. It's been 15+ years but I'm ready. I love the idea of lakes and rivers and green forests. The desert and mass irrigated desert gets old.

Can anyone share their experiences living in MN? We will be in an upper middle class income bracket compared to CA. $500k in MN buys WAY more than a $700 crap shack here.
I love canoeing and fishing/boating. It would only be for two years unless we like it. Our long term goal is OR. But we might love MN!

a reply to: MiddleClassWhiteBoy

No advice on MN, but I congratulate you on your move from Crapifornia. Between the crime, nanny state and taxes, pretty much anywhere is better. Maybe even Illinois.

On second thought, stay away from Illinois, it's getting just as bad.

a reply to: DAVID64

There are some really nice aspects to here I will admit. Ironic that in such a nanny state it's one of three where you can purchase safe high quality raw milk in grocery stores. The geography of a lot of CA is just awesome.....Sierras, central coast, Shasta! oh well everything else sucks! Oregon seems like the best fit but MN might be s nice change.

Minnesota is the most socialist state we have. Remember Mondale? You have no idea what a nanny state is yet. As for Edina? "Every Day I Need Attention", thats what it's called in Minnesota and it seems to attract a lot of California people, you might fit right in -or you may run away screaming. Your wages will be taxed beyond anything you have ever experienced. The immigration problem you are leaving behind will be replaced by Muslim Somalis imported from the Lutheran charities. You will see Camel meat at the grocery store. If you think you have been living in PC hell where people never say No to anyone... you haven't seen anything yet. As an added bonus you cannot expose your skin to the air for most of the year or it may freeze instantly... just do what I did and pretend you live on a Martian Colony. Strike up a conversation and mention anything personal and people will think you are insane, you can sit next to someone and chat for hours and realise you don't know anything about them. That's called Minnesota Ice... it goes with Minnesota Nice which is that people are nicer than most other places. Have you ever had cat leash laws? You will.

I loved it but knowing is half the battle. Good luck.

Here's a few pointers from someone who has moved from coast to coast many times:

If you aren't 100% sure you will stay longer than two years, don't move your stuff. Rent your house out on a month to month. Spend the first six months in one of those corporate furnished apartments or long-term hotels. Bring everything over when you are sure you want to stay.

Moves are hard on kids, if you know you are going to Oregon in a few years, you might want to reconsider another move.

Vacationing some place is not the same as living there. Until you shoveled your drive way in 30 degree below zero at 6 am, you can't really decide if it's worth it.

a reply to: MiddleClassWhiteBoy

Oddly enough, we here in Cleveland, OH, have many Californians and businesses moving here. As far as I am concerned, Cleveland sucks, so what must that say about Cali?





Cleveland is better than Cali....WOW! Whodathunk!?

At least we're not Detriot!

a reply to: Volund

Yeah I've heard that the twin cities is very "progressive". How does that happen in a place like MN? We don't own right now in CA. We have 2 young twin boys 13 months old. I can put up with Muslim Somalis I would think if I can put up with illegal Mexicans.

originally posted by: MiddleClassWhiteBoy
Wife has a great opportunity with her career to take a position in MN. Edina, Maple Grove, etc. area. I work in healthcare so finding some sort of a job will be no problem. We are both tired of CA. Southern to be exact. It's a state moving increasingly towards a third world status where the rich live great and everyone else struggles. Plus we feel it's getting to hit here with never enough rain anymore in winter. Terrible gun laws, liberal nanny state politics, and high cost of living we'd rather raise our young boys and lay down roots elsewhere.

We both are used to cold as she grew up in AK and me in MO. It's been 15+ years but I'm ready. I love the idea of lakes and rivers and green forests. The desert and mass irrigated desert gets old.

Can anyone share their experiences living in MN? We will be in an upper middle class income bracket compared to CA. $500k in MN buys WAY more than a $700 crap shack here.
I love canoeing and fishing/boating. It would only be for two years unless we like it. Our long term goal is OR. But we might love MN!

If you're worried about heat, you should know that Minnesota is swelteringly hot in the summer. In August it becomes subtropical. I don't know where in California you lived, but on the coast there's a live and let live attitude. In Minnesota the attitude is more traditional and conformity is expected in most circles. In other words, you'll be exchanging one set of problems for another. It's up to you to decide which is more to your liking.

originally posted by: MiddleClassWhiteBoy
a reply to: Volund

Yeah I've heard that the twin cities is very "progressive". How does that happen in a place like MN? We don't own right now in CA. We have 2 young twin boys 13 months old. I can put up with Muslim Somalis I would think if I can put up with illegal Mexicans.

I think you'll find that racism isn't any more popular in Minnesota than it is in California. You are apparently unaware that there are Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in Minnesota, too. Perhaps you were unaware that their ancestors were in California before yours were.

Don't have much input for MN though but Oregon? You'd probably like Hermiston. It's father inland and has easy access to Eastern Wash and a drive to North ID, which is more Conservative/Libertarian than the coastal areas.

Canuck says... I don't know if you're ready for THAT cold. It's different. It's COLD!

ETA: If they have mosquitoes like in northern Ont. those buggers are the size of small planes in summer.

SNAFU


I received two stars for posting in the wrong thread. Wow.

P

From my experiences in California and the other states I've lived in, I've got a piece of advice.

There is one caveat though, I am not sure if you are native Californians or otherwise.

Having moved from the east coast to San Francisco for a few years (and since moved back, and now living in Denver), I found it rather difficult to make bonds with people in California. Attitudes and approaches to things were radically different. It created a very difficult scenario for me, personally, and was the primary reason I left San Francisco.

So, the advice I'm offering is, be prepared for a different way about things (provided you are life long Californians). I don't suspect it would be as radically different as what I experienced in East Coast to Cali, but Cali to Minnesota might still be rather different.

More to the point, a better comparison might be in the differences in culture I encountered spending a few years in Charleston S.C. having mostly lived in the Northern U.S.

The "we're poor and down to earth" approach came across as being very saccharine and somewhat disingenuous. Where the folks there outwardly projected a "keepin' it real" atmosphere, it really felt fake. The same disparity of income ranges was there. The same inequality. It almost seemed as though they didn't want to air dirty laundry. Just my take.


Hopefully this wasn't too rambling and that it made at least some sense.

a reply to: Volund


Ohh boy, did I get a good chuckle out of that one Volund.

Been lurking for a looong time. Been meaning to throw my hat in the ring sooner or later. Might as well be in a thread supporting the home team.

I'm from MN, since everyone is different I don't know how much advice I could possibly give. Personally I'm counting the days(more likely years) til I'll be able to escape this hole. I'm not a fan of the snow or cold(nor the sweltering hot 100+ feels like summer days). That's all MN is, cold and frigid or hot and humid with about a dozen days in between.

a reply to: MiddleClassWhiteBoy

I suggest that you get the book How to Talk Minnesotan. You're going to think it's a joke but it's not.That's really what it's like. The book will give you insight into the culture and language of Minnesotans.

I'm fairly sure Volund has never been to Minnesota, Sure we have Muslim Somalis but they a decent folk over all. I live less than a block from the local Mosque in Central Minnesota and they hold their services and Mind their own business pretty much, always a bad apple with any group of people but they are people all the same. People complaining about the Weather can stay in California or where ever because it's really not so bad, Bare Skin freezing? rarely. The Winters are long and Windy with plenty of Blizzards but also just as many Thaws where the sun shines for a week or so and the snow melts away, atleast in the southern and middle parts of the State. The Northland can be pretty tough with deep deep cold snowy winter, but the people up there are typically ready for what is thrown at them. Like a Turkish Bath in the summer and the Artic Cirlce in the winter it can be quite mild and enjoyable in the Spring and Fall. I'm not sure what is meant by people not talking about themselves, we are generally "Minnesota Nice" and are willing to talk about just about anything, Christians typically won't demonize Atheists and what not, and Atheists won't typically pester you about being a sheep. Politics are all over the Map with people honoring traditional values while also embracing Social and Scientific progress. Might be why we refer to our Land as Bi-PolarSota. I can't think of anywhere I'd really Rather be so I encourage you to give my State a try.
Will

originally posted by: WilhelmTell
I'm fairly sure Volund has never been to Minnesota, Sure we have Muslim Somalis but they a decent folk over all. I live less than a block from the local Mosque in Central Minnesota and they hold their services and Mind their own business pretty much, always a bad apple with any group of people but they are people all the same. People complaining about the Weather can stay in California or where ever because it's really not so bad, Bare Skin freezing? rarely. The Winters are long and Windy with plenty of Blizzards but also just as many Thaws where the sun shines for a week or so and the snow melts away, atleast in the southern and middle parts of the State. The Northland can be pretty tough with deep deep cold snowy winter, but the people up there are typically ready for what is thrown at them. Like a Turkish Bath in the summer and the Artic Cirlce in the winter it can be quite mild and enjoyable in the Spring and Fall. I'm not sure what is meant by people not talking about themselves, we are generally "Minnesota Nice" and are willing to talk about just about anything, Christians typically won't demonize Atheists and what not, and Atheists won't typically pester you about being a sheep. Politics are all over the Map with people honoring traditional values while also embracing Social and Scientific progress. Might be why we refer to our Land as Bi-PolarSota. I can't think of anywhere I'd really Rather be so I encourage you to give my State a try.
Will

What I think is meant by people not talking about themselves is that Minnesotans don't typically share the intimate and sordid details of their lives with people they've met 30 seconds ago sitting next to them at a bus stop like many coastal Californians will. By describing the winter weather as "not so bad" you're doing a disservice to someone who has never lived in that climate. It's brutally cold. A clear sunshiny day when it's 25 below zero is still 25 below zero. There are also nutcase fundamentalists in Minnesota like there are in most places and they do proselytize and demonize. The mainstream Christians, which are the majority, don't except to gossip relentlessly about anyone who is out of the norm. None of this is to say that Minnesota isn't a great place to live but someone contemplating living there should know what they're getting into. On the plus side, if you drive off the side of the road into a snowbank when it's 40 below zero, someone is highly likely to stop and help you.

I lived in Anoka and worked in Plymouth for UHG for about 10 months in 2014...Anoka was a really nice little quiet city...everything is pretty spread out once you get out of MN, good looking women mostly, bad traffic if you're working inner city. Worst traffic ive ever seen, I thinks its worse than Chicago....I thought the cost of living was fair ( my rent was under 700 for a small 2 bedroom apartment....I thought the people were a bit slow for a lack of a better term, almost as if people were almost robotic.... They like to eat and drink....are loyal vikings fans, and they love target out there...Not a lot of Walmarts....Its a diverse place but for most of the year its very cold as others have said...It starts getting fairly cold in September but as I've only lived there for about a year, it can;t say whats normal....out a reply to: MiddleClassWhiteBoy

poor guy is probably freakin out now! lol Just remember folks we are all Americans! I really wish we could all remember that whether your black, brown, yellow, white, progressive, socialist, conservative, christian, athiest, cathlolic, jewish, muslim, or any other ism that we are all AMERICAN!

Minnesota isn't a bad place, depending on where you are going to live. Just be prepared for snow and cold in the winter. There are lots of winter sports up this way though, if you like to do outdoor stuff. I think you are making a good move.