Minnesota, Minnesota
SperlingViews

High Taxes - 2/18/2013

Minnesota is known for its high cost of living a taxes. It one of a few states that tax income from all sources, including pensions and social security. The weather is also challenging. [more...]

MN's east/west envy - 1/25/2013

I've lived in Minnesota most of my life mainly due to my job. Retirement is in sight and I plan to escape as soon as possible. MN has always been a high tax state, but it seems to want to emulate New York and California as much as possible. Recently, the governor has released his new "progressive" plan for tax increases. The climate alone is bad enough without competing for the title of "highest taxed state". Time to leave![more...]

Too cold! - 2/29/2012

Lots of dairy farms, cropland and mosquitoes. The lakes are clear and cold, people are pretty nice. [more...]

cost of living - 6/26/2011

cost of living is very high[more...]

Cold - 3/28/2011

Its cold but really great in the summer through fall.[more...]

The winter are REALLY cold and REALLY LOOOONNNGGGG - 1/24/2011

When we talk about the winter here in MN, there is just no relative notion to it. The facts of the matter, without injecting my opinion, are that the winters here are REALLY cold. Now, when I say cold, I am not just talking about normal cold, like it gets into the teens and there is something to talk about cold. Oh no. I am talking about bone-chilling, booger-freezing, feels-like-your-exposed-flesh-is-being-stabbed-with-knives kind of cold. And the winters are LOOOOOONG. There is no equally dividing twelve months into four seasons here in Minnesota. I don’t care about the solstices and equinoxes. Those DO NOT APPLY here. Winter lasts at least November to April, sometimes October to May, and anyone who tells you differently is delusional and is trying to convince themselves, as well as you, of a LIE. At first, when we decided we were making the move to MN, we’d joke about the weather. “Oh, it’s gonna be cold,” we’d say and follow it with lighthearted giggling. WE HAD NO IDEA. I often ask myself why under the sun did I not ask someone about the weather before we moved here? Why didn’t I talk with some of the locals we met on our house-hunting trip and ask them to tell me about it? Now, I know there are people who love winter. They wait the long months of spring and “summer” for that first snowfall in October. And for them, this IS THE PLACE. They have arrived. But this was our epiphany experience after traveling to Texas in December. WE HATE WINTER. HAAAAAAATTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEE winter. Why on earth do we live in Minnesota? As we made the long drive back, we felt the ceiling closing in on us. Traveling north and seeing the snow pack gradually appear, we felt our freedom being slowly robbed from us. Freedom from coats and boots and gloves. Freedom from daily snow shovelling of the sidewalk and the driveway and the ROOF. The freedom to just go outside without any preparation or special gear and sit on the deck and grill without freezing. The freedom to garden and run on GRASS, to play ladderball and baseball, and to go on family bike rides. And yes, while much of the country has experienced a bit more winter in the last month than they are used to, we have been dealing with it since November. And while our friends in other states will for years talk about that really snowy winter they had in 2010-2011, for us here in Minnesota, this is just how it is. There is no hope that next year won’t be as bad. THIS IS WINTER in Minnesota[more...]

Gotta get out of this place, if its.... - 1/23/2011

Born and raised in MN. Stay away. This is truly a frozen wasteland. Let me give you a partial inventory list of things to bring along. Purchase them out of state, out of season and save thousands. 4x4 vehicle,shovels,snow blower,salt sand, broom, tank heater, long extension cord. 4 snow tires, battery charger, space heaters, electric blankets, lots of carhart clothing, assortment of footwear..rubber, tall, lugged, lots of gloves, floor mats, unless you like salt and snow on your carpet, special windshield wash, ice scrapers, rubber scrapers, a case of furnace filters....And a hearty attitude. [more...]

Mid-west Mid-Minnesota - 12/31/2010

In 1983, I moved to Sunburg, a small rural town where some old guys still speak Norwegian. This area is known as the Glacial Ridge Trail. There are rolling hills covered with farmland, lakes, woods, and wetlands. There are deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, crows and robins. This agricultural region is dotted with small communities that are both humble and proud of their Scandinavian lineage. Ya, you betcha! It is cold; winters are harsh. But that seems to bring people together to get warm and talk, and it makes us tough. We survive the common enemy together and there is a bond between us because of it. When spring comes, oh! the warm sun, flowers, grass, the smell of dirt; it has been gone for almost 6 months. Snow melts, trees bud, birds come back. Everyone comes outside after hibernation and Minnesota is "God's Country" again. Summers are meant for lakes and we got 'em. There are over 365 lakes in Kandiyohi County alone. Well over the boasted 10,000 in the state. There is a thriving tourist season with resorts, fishing, boating, and chillaxation. The humidity is high and when it gets hot it will take your breath away like a sauna. There are only a few weeks where air conditioning is mandatory. Otherwise, evenings can be cool enough to need a jacket and sit around the campfire. It is often calm winds which is nice, but that brings out the Stupid mosquitoes! Bring SPF-30 and bug repellant, you're gonna need it. Fall is my favorite time of year. The tourists and snowbirds and bugs are gone. The mornings are crisp, trees burst into color, locals begin preparing for winter. There are county fairs, harvest is in full swing, and everyone is busy. Lots of farm machinery, tractors and semi-trucks on the roads. Geese and ducks fill the skies headed south. Days, you can wear a sweatshirt or light jacket and feel comfortable. Frost comes, mornings get darker, winter is coming. Winter. Cold. Very Cold. Layers of clothes, boots, gloves, hat, coat - mandatory. Air bites anything exposed. Cars won't start. Everything cracks, nothing bends. People walk with small steps like tight rope walkers because of the ice underfoot. Your next step could send you to the hospital. There is much to do in this frozen world. Ice festivals, hunting, ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, and gathering INDOORS next to a fire where it is warm. We dance and eat and drink, play games, go to school, and work on creative projects, arts and crafts. Most play hard on Saturda[more...]

Winters - 11/18/2010

As age creeps up the winters are getting harsh. But all in all the four seasons are great for all kind of indoor to outdoor activities, from the arts to lakes and woods.[more...]

Wayzata, MN - 7/26/2010

Wayzata has it all.[more...]

looking to relocate - 6/2/2010

I am looking for a state to move with reasonable housing prices, cost of living, quality of life, good schools, educated people, and not full of rednecks (racist) . I am looking to buy a Duplex, tri-plex's or investment properties to live in while I find work (MBA) and located in a good neighborhood. Is there a state that anyone knows that give a minority a chance to excel in corporate America or where there is less discrimination?[more...]

Parenting and climate - 5/5/2010

I think it is very difficult to make it through the long winters with many small children. I love snow and all of the beautiful animals and lakes, but the winters are cold and very long. When you can't justify bundeling up your small children to go out shopping, or out anywhere because it has been -30F for a week...It makes mental health a great challenge. When it does warm up...look out becaure everyone is out being active. It is really amazing.[more...]

It's cold up here! - 2/28/2010

I grew up in the cold state of Minnesota and lived there until I was 30 years old. I lived in various places within the twin cities metro area and loved the people, theatre, coffee shops, offbeat bars and clubs and autumn! I always struggled however with the uninspiring landscape, preferring mountains to the great plains, I never took up cross country skiing, ice skating or snow mobiling, so mostly just hibernated during the long cold winters. It really did take some effort for me to want to go outside, scrape off my windshield and warm up the car just to go out to a movie or even to work out in an indoor health club....boring. So I, like many Minnesotans took refuge in comfort foods and always had quite a bit of winter fat on me. Summers can be very nice but again I found myself wanting to be indoors when the humidity and mosquitos got to me. I still miss the people of Minnesota, they are very down to earth and incredibly welcoming. My friends were highly educated, politically active, open minded, fun and some even a bit quirky. I like the liberal mindedness of the metro area and the art and gay community add a lot of character, sophistication, and enlightenment to the state. Golden Valley has the Perpich Center for the Arts, a very successful public arts high school, Mendota Heights has two excellent private academies; the St Paul academy for boys and Visitation for girls, and Minnetonka, Edina, Wayzata, Woodbury, Mahtomedi, Stillwater, Apple Valley, Eden Prairie, St Louis Park and other areas have excellent public schools. MN is also one of the most educated states in the U.S. There are numerous outstanding colleges and universities including Macalester, Hamline, St Catherines, St Olaf, Carleton, St Thomas, and the U of MN system. All that said, I still miss my family and college friends but I need an outdoor lifestyle. I'm not partial to winter sports and don't much like the snow, so it's milder climate states for me. I loved living in Seattle, WA as a single person renting but now I am married with a son and cannot afford the cost of housing in Seattle. We live in the UK at present and will be relocating back to the U.S. sometime in the near future but my hometown of MN just isn't in the stars for us. But if you like the snow, it's a great place to live and a great place to raise your kids. My only caution is the high cost of living due to high taxes across the board. If you add up the income, property and sales taxes, MN is a fairly expensive place t[more...]

coldness - 2/18/2010

its cold[more...]

Employment - 2/5/2010

The employment and weather are not so nice.[more...]

Weather in Minnesota - 1/31/2010

I live in SE Minnesota, 20 miles NE of Rochester. Having been a building contractor, I've spent half my working life out of doors (I am 54 years old). I've found that the most people who complain about the weather are the ones that spend the least amount of time outdoors. I like the weather in Minnesota, I find it exciting! We have four distinct seasons. My relatives in Seattle, WA think our weather is terrible and that we live a miserable existance. I, on the other hand, think THEIR weather is depressing - much fewer sunny days. They seem to love it however, so we are all different.[more...]

Unbearable winters - 12/31/2009

If it wasn't for family I'd have left here a long time ago - I love the other three seasons in Minnesota, but the below-zero temps and lots of snow just aren't worth it anymore.[more...]

Overall Rating of Northern Minnesota - 12/28/2009

Northern Minnesota is a wonderful place to live if you are looking for 4 deffinet seasons. Life here revolves around outdoor activities all year long-fishing, hunting, camping, skiing, boating and swiming, you will find it all here. The cost of living is reasonable, there is a good education system and a low crime rate. It is a great place to raise a family. Summer temps range from the 50's and 60's in the spring to 80 - 90 in July and August. Word of warning though - the winters are very cold. It is not unusual for the temps to be below zero for much of January and February.[more...]

Minnesota overall (I miss California) - 6/4/2009

The state of Minnesota is the most overrated state in the country. The weather is horrible all year around, in the winter it is so cold, your skin freezes in seconds. In the summer it's so hot and humid that I can't be outside at all. Even all year round. The Autism rate in Minnesota is the highest in the country, so I can't raise a normal family in Minnesota. Minnesotans are too nice, and bugs the crap out of me. No one is always friendly in my book. One reason Minnesota is the worst state in the country, Minnesotans call soda "Pop" I don't call soda pop, because I am originally from Laguna Beach, California. Every day I wish I never left California, the only reason I still live here is family and friends. Yes California has earthquakes, high cost of living, but is is better than suffering from horrible Minnesota's year round climate. The climate in California is decent year round, beautiful beaches, and beautiful environment. I wish I never left California![more...]

Siberia - 4/15/2009

If you want to feel like you live in Siberia 6 months or more per year then this is the place for you. I don't think NASA even makes outerwear warm enough to feel comfortable in this ice box of a state.[more...]