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What BestPlaces Users Say about Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota is a mid-sized city located in the southeastern part of the state. It is known for being the home of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic and is often ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States due to its low crime rate, strong economy, and quality healthcare. However, as with any city, there are both positive and negative aspects to living in Rochester. To get a better understanding of what it is like to reside in this particular place, I have gathered user reviews from BestPlaces.net to gain insights from those who have experienced living in Rochester firsthand.
According to user reviews on BestPlaces.net, Rochester is a great place to live with a strong sense of community. One reviewer, Sarah, says, "I have lived in Rochester my whole life and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The people here are friendly and welcoming, and there is always something to do." Another user, Tom, adds, "The schools are top-notch and there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy, making it a perfect place to raise a family." These positive comments highlight the friendly and family-oriented atmosphere in Rochester.
In addition to the strong community, many reviewers also praise the city's amenities and low cost of living. As Emily puts it, "Rochester has everything you need without the high cost of living in bigger cities. There are great restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options." Another reviewer, Mark, mentions the abundance of parks and recreational areas, stating, "I love that I can easily find somewhere to enjoy nature and stay active in Rochester." These comments showcase the diverse amenities and affordable lifestyle that Rochester offers.
However, there are also some concerns expressed by reviewers about the city. Some users mention that the winters can be harsh and long, with heavy snowfall and cold temperatures. As Laura states, "The winters can be tough to handle, but the city does a good job with snow removal." Another reviewer, John, points out the lack of diversity in the city, stating, "Rochester is predominantly white and lacks cultural diversity, which can be challenging for some." These comments highlight the potential challenges that come with living in Rochester.
In conclusion, based on user reviews on BestPlaces.net, it is evident that Rochester, Minnesota offers a strong sense of community, a variety of amenities, and an affordable cost of living. However, the harsh winters and lack of diversity may be concerns for some. Ultimately, each individual's experience in living in Rochester may differ, but these reviews provide valuable insights for anyone considering making this city their home.
based on 31 ReviewsGet to know Rochester with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Rochester
Good city, great healthcare - 2/17/2008
Rochester leave little to be disired for cultural and outdoor activities but access to the Mayo Clinic means access to many of the best physicians in the world. The healthcare at Mayo is the way it should
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A good place - If you're married with 2.5 kids - 10/18/2007
I grew up in this area and even spent several years after college in Rochester. Have a family? Great place to be! BUT -- It's really not a great place to be for young singles - especially if you are coming from a large metro area, you will be really bored! There is virtually no night life (unless you consider about 200 sports bars and/or a ghetto 1980s-esque club out of 'Miami Vice' to be nightlife). A lot of people who relocate from warmer climates can't take the winters. Also, if you happen to be gay, just keep moving north to Minneapolis/St. Paul, because Rochester is VERY unwelcoming to the GLBT crowd. The residents themselves are pretty nice, but the city / Mayo Clinic (they're one in the same) won't allow liquor license to anyone planning to open a gay bar - anything that might be considered offensive to the patients is highly frowned upon! The local drag queens perform in a hotel basement conference/ball room (seriously) about once every two months. It's pretty
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Nice town if you are married or a man - 10/7/2007
If you are married with children or a single man, you may like living in Rochester. This is a white, conservative town of predominantly married people with children who go to church every Sunday. There is little diversity since everyone works at Mayo or IBM. The ratio of women to men is very high, maybe 6 or 8 to 1, although overweight middle age women abound. The food is some of the worst I've ever eaten, and good dining is nonexistent like good shopping. Avoid this city like the plaque if you are young, single (especially a single heterosexual female), childless, a democrat, or enjoy fine dining and
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Walking - 8/6/2007
Rochester has excellent recreational paths for walkers, bikers, etc. However, when a path crosses a street or highway, I do not feel safe because drivers in Rochester claim the streets and highways as their own. Yield for pedestrians happens on occasion, but is the exception, not the rule.
Walking as transportation in Rochester is terrible. The paths are nice for recreation, but they are not direct. You compete for sidewalk space with bikers. Most are courteous but the few ruin the feeling of safe walking because one step to the left or right of a straight line, can get you run over by a bicycle.
The street corners downtown and at select other places in the city have pedestrian walk lights but you compete with the right and left turning cars. The news reports frequent pedestrian-car accidents at the corner of 2nd Street SW and Broadway. The city does not work to remove the need for pedestrians to compete with cars at this dangerous intersection.
The walk lights at
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Rochester, Mayo or bust - 4/24/2007
Rochester's market is pushed by the Mayo Clinic. This is great for rental home owners, resident doctors are always passing through.
This is bad for the normal population because the hospital employs so many doctors and other higher payed professionals that the cost of living market is artificially high for anybody not employed by the clinic. Do not expect to find a job easily, the job growth is almost entirely the result of clinic expansion.
The increase in the number of retail and hospitality jobs (the bulk of new jobs not Mayo related) is a function of a growth in the clinic by about 10%. The clinic employs over 30,000 people. The populaiton of Rochester is just over 90,000.
Violent and property crime is also above average. The schools are strong though, and Rochester has its own symphony orchestra which is quite
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Good jobs, low crime, nice people, horrible weathe - 3/25/2007
Rochester is a good place to live if you have young children, or like the small town feel. The schools are good, but crowded due to growth, and the town feels safe. The weather is the reason we will leave. It's cold 6 months of the year, and windy 12 months of the
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Rochester, Minnesota; A great place to be from. - 3/4/2007
Rochester is a great place to be from. There are three major employers in the city, Mayo Clinic, IBM, and Walmart. The cost of living is rising, just like anywhere else. My property taxes have increased over 35% in the last two years. Minnesota state tax has been among the highest in the country for decades. The culture in Rochester is extremely conservative, with very little regard for creating a more appealing environment that would attract a more diverase cross section of people to the city. Downtown is made up of various Mayo owned properties, and the majority of the other real estate directly or indirectly supports Mayo functions (hotels, office space, and such). There are a few nightspots that I think more people would frequent if there were other reasons to come to downtown. Rochester has not seen a big name rock band since Bon Jovi was here in the early 90's. Things that could be percieved as unhealthy or adverse to the city or it's population are generally not
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clean, quiet...boring - 10/24/2006
I've grown up in Southeastern Minnesota since I was 7 and while it's a great area, it's very boring for the younger crowd. The people are pretty nice for the most part, but it seems like they all would rather keep to themselves then be sociable, and it's hard to get out and meet people if you don't fit into one of the very very few cliques. People are pretty conservative and close minded and if you stray too far away from the tree you aren't really accepted into the social circles, and it will be hard to find people with similar tastes. I could go on and on about the negative sides and this is just one point of view, so do some research to see if it's right for you. It's beautiful area, very safe city and area, good place to raise a family I'm sure. Just too fake and boring and unstimulating for
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