Secrets of the City

A) Hey, speak for yourself. My butt isn’t cold. No, you can’t say butt. (It is cold here, though, but that’s part of the experience.)
B) Up north is Northern Minnesota, typically Duluth, Iron Range and further north. Frequently referred to as “up nord” by people who are no longer my friends.
C) You didn’t have a C so I’m just going to insert something here.
D) Short summers. They’re nice, but enjoy them while you can. Except you can’t until next year.
E) Um, I am not really ingrained in the sports world, but I don’t think this will be that big of an issue?
F) I should have some advice, but I really don’t.

E)You can watch the 49ers pretty much anywhere that will show it and still not get heckled. It’s not like we’re Philly!

Thanks for the info! Not sure what happen to my C and I can’t find how to edit.

why are you leaving San Fran? I’d kill to be able to afford living there.

I am a non-native to MN – as you are – and I must warn you. ask these questions to other non-MN Natives and not to Minnesotans. they all LOVE the friggin cold and to them Up-North can be abywhere from St. Cloud to the North Pole. last winter was a killer weeks of negative degree weather and it stretched to early June.

A. Only for a few weeks is it really bad, like below 0.
B. Pretty much anything north of about an hour north of the Twin Cities.
C. St. Paul.
D. Mosquitos, unless you live in the inner city. I haven’t seen a mosquito since 2004.
E. Sensor’s.
F. All the men go bald in their late 20s, so don’t worry about it.

We colder winters than the bay but we also have hotter summers. Didn’t mark twain say the coldest place he wintered was summer in san francisco.

LMAO!!! @ C. St.Paul

Everyone else forgets about it, so I figured she did too.

F) Kevin is just trying to make his premature balding seem normal. Many of us have a lovely, lustrous full head of hair.

A mosquito once bit kwatt in 2004. It flew off and died alone, after a vain attempt to give tax breaks to the rich.

A) The coldness is often exaggerated to keep out the riff-raff. Ufda is it cold!
B) Yes “up north” is the northern part of the state where there is a lot of recreational type activities to participate in. Fishing, Camping, etc.
C) As Ang points out, we have a ‘C’ in our alphabet. Get used to it.
D) When it gets dark at 4:30…
E) You will get heckled for being a 49ers fan because — well — because they currently suck. When they do better, you will experience less heckling.
F) My advice to you is to stay away from me. I’m trouble!

Tru dat, wayno. Not to mention the manly mustaches you’ll see in this parts…

All the men go bald in their late 20s, so don’t worry about it.

However, they all grow beautiful frontiersman winter beards to compensate. Or, uh, I did.

I’m 33 and still have my hair. It may be the only thing I have, but dag-gummit, I have my hair

Don’t you mean a “vein” attempt?

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

G. Shut up wayne.

F) You’ll get very little help from here on out. Everyone will make funnies until it degenerates into a slapping fight between cyclists and drivers and/or a prolonged debate about whether or not Minneapolitans think they’re so great or it’s just pissy transplants who say that.

you know I love you kevin. sort of.

also, my beard is awfully manly lately. I think I might trim it down today.

Quite the sense of humor you MN peeps have. I heard the MN people were all nice and that they like cheese. Is this true?

Aw shucks. I got nothin’ butt love for you, wayne.

And I do mean butt love.

A) It gets much colder than a coal miner’s ass here, and every few winters (like the last one) the awful cold does last more than a few weeks and well into “spring.” My advice: layers and wool.
B) See kwatts answer
C) Treat St. Paul like another town, then you can take fun road trips there and discover it like a tourist.
D) The cold & dismissive nature of stick-up-their-ass rule-following natives. Fairly easy to avoid, but you will be sucker punched by them once in a while
E) Ugh. Good luck dating.

I heard the MN people were all nice and that they like cheese.

You have no idea…

Our parents are nice.

I like cheese, but I’m not very nice, especially if I can make a good joke at your expense.

well kurtis, I got plenty to slap with. I ride a bike because I’m compensating in the opposite direction of SUV/truck drivers.

And by “your” I mean a general “all of you”, not you specifically. For now.

I’d hug you across the aisle, kevin, but it might create a scandal.

and I don’t think a miner’s ass is a fair point of comparison, because really, it’s probably like 98 degrees in there. I mean it can be colder than that and STILL be hot.

We can all agree on one thing. Ang is not very nice….

I like all cheese except morbier, but I think you are mixing us up with Wisconsin people, who are cheeseheads and generally derided around here.

If my experience means anything [Doubtful - Ed.], the vast, vast majority of people you meet, hang out with, date, etc. won’t even be from Minnesota in the first place. And you’ll spend all your time talking about these mythical cheese-eating friendly Minnesotans you’ve heard so much about but rarely actually meet.

A born-and-bred Minneapolis city native, too, is the rarest of them all!

I think I meant colder than a well digger’s ass. I was trying to reference a Tom Waits song.

a) if you play it right, you can live and work in dt Minneaolis and never go outside in the winter. all your groceries have to come from Target, but it may be worth it.
b) up north is north of here. People ask where my parents live, if they aren’t from here I say up north because they won’t know where Champlin is.
c) based on what I heard, you should live in neighborhood X because it is the best and St. Paul sucks.
d) I can’t go anywhere without my husband running into someone he knows.
e) ?
f) go to grad school

the vast, vast majority of people you meet, hang out with, date, etc. won’t even be from Minnesota in the first place.

Somewhat true. Based on personal experience, 100% of the people you’ll marry will be from Minnesota though.

I concur with what andy said, and would like to also address the cheese issue. I like cheese, and I live across the street from a wonderful wine&cheese shop. With REAL FROMAGIERS!
but then I won’t really eat that swill that comes from across the border anyway. most of the cheeses worth eating are imported anyway.

the vast, vast majority of people you meet, hang out with, date, etc. won’t even be from Minnesota in the first place.

That’s because we all still hang out with all of our high school friends and we don’t let people into our inner circles. OUTSIDERS ARE TO BE REGARDED CAUTIOUSLY. Especially if they’re successful. We don’t like successful people.

There. I think we’ve managed to inform you of every ridiculous stereotype you’ll need to know.

oh and the only reason anyone moves to the cities is for a job or a woman.

Neither of those are the reason I moved to the cities.

I’m going to start pretending to be from somewhere else to see if I can rustle up some new friends.

There. I think we’ve managed to inform you of every ridiculous stereotype you’ll need to know.

That’s not even close to complete. You didn’t even mention the ignorance about what Thai food is supposed to taste like or the inability to merge.

OH MY GOD. How could I forget about how bad Minnesota drivers are?!

I thought we were playing the stereotypes game?

What about places to get sushi?

oh I guess school also counts, if someone is from outstate or like, wisconsin or iowa or some shit.

there are good places to get sushi.
not nearly as many as in any california city, but they exist and are kind of pricy.

A) Yes, it’s cold, and winters are long. But I’m from Calif. and more adapted to the winter now (after 10 yrs) than most Minnesotans I know (who bitch about winter almost constantly); well-timed mid-winter vacations are a key to coping.
B) Up north is the woods/lakes/cabins/wolves district; actually quite a nice place to poke around.
D) The worst part of living in MN is something you have to discover yourself; there’s good and bad everywhere, and each person has pet peeves about MN. But most of it like it enough to stay.
E) There are sports bars here like everywhere else, but since i) the 49ers are not the best team of late and ii) they play in Pacific Time, it might be difficult to catch them. Cable TV is probably your key–the NFL network no doubt plays the 9ers. (I catch most of the football games of my alma mater–Cal–via satellite dish; there’s also an alumni group here that occasionally gets together to watch game–I’m sure there’s probably a 9ers group too.)
F) Single gal, eh? Have you met my extremely eligible friend Andyst?

with an e

The cheese is pretty good. Even if you like a nice but fairly pedestrian sharp cheddar, as I do, you really can’t go wrong.

Non-Minnesotans are the BEST. The locals: boo!

Actually, to expound on Wayne’s riff, there are 3 reasons to move to MN:
1) woman (usually blonde)
2) job (retail/cereal/med-tech)
3) rehab

I chose all of the above.

There is seriously a fascinating-ish essay/book/film/blog/bathroom scrawling to be made about the transplant experience in Minneapolis-St. Paul*.

It’s the defining characteristic of many important and crucial chunks of my day-to-day life, and the entire life of the vast majority of people I know, and yet it seems never to be addressed in any depth whatsoever. You’d think the moment you set foot here, you turn into Jerry Lundegaard or something.

*I will create this fascinating-ish essay/book/film/blog/bathroom scrawling myself someday, so please do not steal the idea from me. I am from Kentucky, which is known far and wide as the Ass-Whooping State, epsecially insofar as it pertains to intellectual property.**

**Kentucky is actually a Commonwealth.

I’m also from california (bakersfield, ick), and the weather isn’t really that bad. except for those two fucking weeks in the middle of every winter where it’s like 20 below the entire time. ugh.
but yeah, otherwise it’s fine

Nope, I didn’t come here for school either.

Believe it or not, Wayne, some people actually choose to live here because they want to.

I was pretty tempted to steal that idea until I read your footnotes. My ass will remain happily-unwhooped, thanks.

Andyst, you can only use your Whoop-Ass ™ within Kentucky borders. It is illegal in MN.

The whole rehab thing is totally fascinating. Putting together the Soap Factory 20th anniversary retrospective this year, I was sort of shocked at how many talented people came here in the 1980s for that very reason.

transplant, here. football fans here are tame. it’s in their blood. someone earlier said this ain’t philly. it also ain’t oakland, NY, CHI, PIT,CLEVE, etc etc. Vikings fans have a very deep rooted paranoid self doubt that keeps them humble. It might get tested this year, but it’s been there for the 8 years I’ve been going to the dome.

bob was right, ang is not very nice.

I haven’t left yet, have I?
I like living here, which is why I bitch so much about things that are wrong. If I didn’t care I’d just leave rather than complain about problems I’d like to see fixed to make it a better place.

So when it is that cold in the winter, what do you do to entertain yourselves?

vikings fans are still drunk assholes whenever their games get out, though.

A commonwealth is just a state with a pretentious name. It’s like a shoppe.

A) I’m drunk. And cold.
B) Still drunk. Way north of drunk.
C) St. Paul is really quite nice.
D) Dealing with the douchebags who can’t just appreciate it for what it is.
E) I’ll second (?) Sensor’s. Also a great place for Nebraska football.
F) Same advice for everyone- you’re not way cooler than everyone else, so don’t act like it.
G) Spot.
H) Butt.
I)

in the cold winter we like to drink and … shit, what does everyone else do?

The whole rehab thing is totally fascinating. Putting together the Soap Factory 20th anniversary retrospective this year, I was sort of shocked at how many talented people came here in the 1980s for that very reason.

See what I mean: blogger/raconteur/curator/retrospectiver. And he’s very very eligible.

Bitch about how cold it is then take a vacation to Mexico.

Bitch about how cold it is then take a vacation to Mexico.

We pick on Wayne.

Seriously though, during the winters Netflix, Wii, wine and shopping.

This.

Seriously. This and a Netflix subscription are the only things that keep me from going totally ape in the winter.

Also, learning to like hockey helps. I recommend viewing Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg and pretending it’s about here.

ang, your winter sounds suspciously like mine.

transplant, here. football fans here are tame. it’s in their blood. someone earlier said this ain’t philly. it also ain’t oakland, NY, CHI, PIT,CLEVE, etc etc. Vikings fans have a very deep rooted paranoid self doubt that keeps them humble. It might get tested this year, but it’s been there for the 8 years I’ve been going to the dome.

I disagree with this a bit. Sports fans here are rabid, but very fair weather. When the team’s winning, they can play almost with the big boys. Vikings haven’t won since, what, 2001?

except I have added a ps3 and hard liquor to the equation

Based on the above, arthappy is profoundly ignorant of football. The NFL all plays at the same time, regardless of time zone. They need to synch up for the tv stations, bro.

And some people, like my dad, like to go camping in the winter. Outside. In homemade igloos. These people also like to ski and sled and hike in the cold. Generally these people will not be found on MNSpeak.

Sheez, Arthappy, you’re keener to get me married off than old Ma Sturdevant back home!

The ABCs of becoming Minnesotan:

A is for Accent, which around here, can range from “Fargo” to a southern drawl, to hints of the horn of Africa.
B is for Booze. In Minnesota, we not only drink ethanol (some in vast amounts), we put it in our cars. B is also for bacon.
C is for Cold as hell, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Actually, it becomes a point of pride. When you call your friends back in SF just to tell them it’s -30, and you have a goofy grin on your face, you’re a Minnesotan.

Only because I want you to be happy (like me!)

A commonwealth is just a state with a pretentious name. It’s like a shoppe.

You just tell that to Massachusetts, Land of 10,000 Shoppes!

Unlike San Francisco, the biggest celebrities in Minnesota are television news people. And by TV News people, I mean me. I’m huge here. After you get over your horror that I’m what passes for famous here, you’ll get comfortable with it. I promise.

Only because I want you to be happy (like me!)

that sounds ever-so-disingenuous.

yeah, jason wants you to get comfortable with him!
major media hunk score! cuddle on up to the rushinator!

Based on the above, arthappy is profoundly ignorant of football. The NFL all plays at the same time, regardless of time zone. They need to synch up for the tv stations, bro.

Touche. I really don’t know about NFL scheduling. I only know there are gajillion games on the NFL network.

Jason is full of it. Nobody on TV is as famous as the radio guy, Garrison Keillor.

A) Yes you can say butt but ass is better … the winter makes for excellent hottubing, fireplaces, getting naked under loads of blankets, movies etc …. the winter also keeps the idiots away.
B) northern part of the state – its where the majority of killing things takes place
D) minnesotans – very clique folk – good luck making close friends – you will need it
E) It may take a while
F) nope – none whatsoever

Arthappy seems happy to me, Wayno. He’s a Happy Warrior, just like the Hube.

err … to expand on my E)

it may take a while but you will be able to find a sports bar with your kind in it…

yeah but GK is a gerk! also really fucking creepy, even if he has decent taste in footwear.

that sounds ever-so-disingenuous.

Well, it is part of my very name…

I’m not even sure if I get the NFL channel, but I’m guessing your seeing re-runs of “classic” games. And by classic I mean Lions/Bears games from the mid 90s.

maybe I’m just overly cynical these days, but I immediately relate wishing marriage upon someone as wishing them ill.

best sushi in town

All the men go bald in their late 20s, so don’t worry about it.

Speak for yourself, kevin. I can still grow a full Shaun Cassidy head of hair if I want to. (Not that I do)

Marriage is great when you meet the right person. Unfortunately for the rest of you, I already met her.

yeah origami is awesome.

I just had sushi from lunds for lunch today, actually. it was good.

Kal, I was just going to ask my wife where she wanted to go for dinner, but I think you answered the question. We love that joint.

yeah, speaking of hair I need mine cut because it’s getting dangerously close to mulletdom. with a sweet bit of sideswept bangs in the front, of course.

maybe I’m just overly cynical these days, but I immediately relate wishing marriage upon someone as wishing them ill.

How do you know I was wishing marriage upon them? I may have just been suggesting a tawdry hook-up. And surely you can’t be against those.

Besides, this was only in the optional last catch-all category F). Not meant to be proscriptive at all–just a suggestion.

i swear to gawd if i hear how hard it is to make friends because it is too cliquey i’m going to stop incessantly typing on my keyboard and go chop people up with an axe.

and it’s not even winter yet.

I’ll be your friend Spaceman…

if you’re having trouble making friends, I suggest getting drunk and going dancing at first ave. also copious amounts of time on myspace.

or if you’re daring (i’m not), craigslist.

are you from Minnesota?

We’re ALL FRIENDS!

Ang is right.

cum bay yah, amirite?

(crickets)

until you’re dis-invited to the party that is. they said that last night on 90210, and i’ve wanted to repeat it all day.

Brenda Walsh is a Minnesota girl, of course, so if she can make it in Beverly Hills, surely the inverse is true

“C is for Cold as hell, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Actually, it becomes a point of pride. When you call your friends back in SF just to tell them it’s -30, and you have a goofy grin on your face, you’re a Minnesotan.”

that made me laugh

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and neighborly day in the beauty-wood…

This is surely the best “moving to Minnesota” thread in recent memory.

I agree with Andy on the Art Shanty project. It’s a must-see-and-do when it’s Buttcoldorwhatever. I just think they should rename it The Freezing Man Festival and make it the Yin to the Yang of Burning Man.

I’m working on my proposal for this year as we speak.

I’m eating swiss cheese right now, in honor of this thread.

So when it is that cold in the winter, what do you do to entertain yourselves?

Tons of stuff. I went to the 2004 winter carnival a few weeks after I moved to the TC and I was like, wow, these people really find things to do when it’s b*tch a** cold. There’s tons of stuff. I like to go walk across frozen lakes.

This is surely the best “moving to Minnesota” thread in recent memory.

Yeh, I really liked the hippie singing.
Can we sing some more?

Almost cut my hair
It happened just the other day
It’s gettin kinda long
I coulda said it wasn’t in my way

*continues*

But I didn’t and I wonder why
I feel like letting my freak flag fly
Cause I feel like I owe it to someone

This is surely the best “moving to Minnesota” thread in recent memory

’cause Wayne’s in a good mood. must be today’s Repub Exodus.

Kevin…if you like winter carnival and walking across frozen lakes, you need to get to Medicine Lake for the Art Shantys.

Winter here is good for Netflix and reading under a blankie on your couch (preferred local form of “sofa”), or at the Mpls Central library…crunching through snow into a bracing wind whipping along the river bluffs, followed by Mexican hot chocolate at Birchwood Cafe or such…making snow animals in your front yard…knitting…and making big batches of homemade soup.

Big shows at the clubs tail off in winter, because bands don’t want to drive in a blizzard, so there’s not much choice but to go all domestic or stick to the local music scene, which fortunately is really good.

I really think driving here when it’s snowing hard is the worst thing…that and this gray weather that goes on for a really long time. If you like the sun, you may need to get one of those seasonal affective disorder light bulbs. But when finally it’s spring, it’s magic.

Ah! Name some good local bands to go see please.

Mike Gunther and His Restless Souls!

I love sitting in the window seats in the Potbelly’s in IDS during winter and watching the skyway fashions stroll by. Seems folks forget that what they have under their parkas and on their feet is going to be snark fodder once they hit the “street”. oh yeah…it’s skyWAY not skyWALK.

Are “The Jets” still together?

I have to ad one thing, MN makes you lazy. we a little bit of everything you can find in a big city. its a very approachable town, once you have moved here, you will never move out.

wouldn’t it be disappointing to find out that the OP’er was just a regluar MNSpeaker in disguise. sorry for the buzzkill. my fave local band to go see is The Birthday Suits, best described as a 2 Piece Longhaired Sweaty Japanese Exchange Student Garage Noise Rock. Like a more primal and serious White Stripes.

Are “The Jets” still together?

Screw the Jets. What about Limited Warranty?

Grote, re skyWAY: thank you.

Pot roast, root vegetable soup, lasagne… all these foods are enhanced in the winter. The contrast of the cold weather and warm food.

I’m working on my proposal for this year as we speak.

Andyst is going to propose to someone??!!

Big shows at the clubs tail off in winter, because bands don’t want to drive in a blizzard

bullshit!
girltalk nov 4!
although I guess it won’t be snowing by then, so maybe …

i have my tickets

The Jets?

No, The Jets.

Andyst is going to propose to someone??!!

I wanted wait until after the convention to break the big news. But I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

Big shows at the clubs tail off in winter, because bands don’t want to drive in a blizzard

it’s the truth, ruth. plus when we do get the good shows, it’s usually on mondays (Chi = Fri/Sat, Sunday=off, Monday MPLS on the way to the 2 day drive to Seattle).

November 4 is quite bearable here. Balmy 30’s, even. It’s Jan & Feb where it’s unbearably cold, and March & April when you find yourself wondering when the madness will end. May is hope, June is paradise, July and April are like multiple orgasms. September is a joy, October is a warning, November is the beginning of the end, December is when I plan my annual “hey, I have clients in the sunbelt” businees trips. Did that sound at all like Gordon Lightfoot?

I wanted wait until after the convention to break the big news. But I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised.

That oughta make mama Sturdevant very happy. Will she be roasting a possum?

Doesn’t Girl Talk just have to show up with his laptop?

yeah and it’s awesome

The convention is over; break the news now.

A)Cold, but sunny
B)That place people go on summer weekends
D)Passive agressive smug bastids
E)Any bar with NFL gameday, people don’t really get too worked up about other teams, except the Packers.
F)Get involved in something besides work like volunteering. Best way to meet people.

That oughta make mama Sturdevant very happy. Will she be roasting a possum?

Tain’t no need to roast th’ ‘possum, boy howdy. Ma done found it on the side of that there new road what they just done built through the holler, and all that cee-ment already done roasted ‘er up good.

Here in DT Saint Paul it is returning to normalcy, thank gawd.

Any bar with NFL gameday, people don’t really get too worked up about other teams, except the Packers.

ahem. Honolulu Blue and Silver loser over here.

Of course, it depends on your taste, but some local bands I like are the Alarmists, Cloud Cult, the Evening Rig, Romantica, Solid Gold, White Light Riot, Vicious Vicious, the Hopefuls, Atmosphere, and the Brass Kings. And the show I most regret not seeing was that crazy Prince blowout at First Ave last summer, when the cops shut the party down.

I’m surprized no one said “have lots of sex” for winter activities…probably because the dating pool sucks donkey balls.

ahem. Honolulu Blue and Silver loser over here.
People don’t get worked up in a violent sort of way. I go

A born-and-bred Minneapolis city native, too, is the rarest of them all!

Does a born-and-bred first-ring Mpls. suburbanite count, too? East of the river, in St. Paul, you will definitely more people who haven’t moved very far from where they were born.

are you from Minnesota?

Is that part of the “don’t trust strangers” policy?

For F, all I have to say is “get used to it.”

A born-and-bred Minneapolis city native, too, is the rarest of them all!

I’m rare! Rare, I say! Rare!

I’m surprized no one said “have lots of sex” for winter activities…probably because the dating pool sucks donkey balls.

OR because they have drafty windows and therefore it’s friggin cold in their bedroom, which inhibits unnecessary baring of parts even if it is for a good cause.

I was born in Minneapolis. I always knew I was sort of rare.

That’s not why you’re rare, Max.

I moved here from SF 20 years ago, and although I will always go back to visit my family, I love living here. You will be amazed at how much cheaper it is–not just rents/real estate, but also parking, movies, restaurants. No tax on clothes and food!!!Everything is much more accessible; there is a great film festival and you can actually get tickets to it and get in. You dont’ have to wait an hour to get into most restuarants. If you have a hobby or want to get involved with a group, you’ll be able to do it with less hassle. Public transportation sucks by comparison, but there are few hills to speak of, so biking is great. As for the winter, I went to Midwest Mountaineering and said, “I don’t have a car, I have to wait 20 minutes for the bus, and it’s -20 degrees. What should I wear?” They took care of me. I learned to cross-country ski, camp in the winter, ice-skate, and to appreciate the dramatic changes in seasons. I always plan to get out of town in the winter at some point; fly back to visit friends in SF! I have learned to brag about severe weather with the best of them. You’ll get to appreciate the beauty of thunderstorms, walking on a lake in the middle of winter, and even the summer heat and humidity. You’ll discover the State Fair, the May Day festival, and the Winter Carnival. After 20 years, I’m no longer as allergic to the mosquitoes.
What has changed in 20 years? You can now find good bread, good coffee, good cheese in more than one or two stores. It is now possible to get really great restaurant food, buy incredible local products, including local beers, but you will miss truly excellent Chinese and Mexican food, and there is still a lot of mediocre, overpriced swill.
The arts, music, dance, theater scenes are outstanding. Libraries and schools are still comparatively better despite recent budget woes. Park system is fabulous, the streets are cleaner, and you can generally park where you want to, or around the corner. Try doing that in SF.
You’ll miss the spicy smells of the California hills, the flowers that grow all year round, the fog. You’ll miss the street fashion and sense of style, and the sound of so many languages. There are a lot of tall white people here. People may ask “are you from around here?” if you gesture a lot.

The amount of repressed sexual desire in this state is astounding.

I repress nothing.

You should know, kevie!

All in a day’s work.

The difference between ‘up north’ and the area south of the twin cities is climate. Up north has a lot of pines and is usually cooler than down here in the summer especially duluth. It could be 90 here and 66 up in duluth. And down here the woody areas seem like a jungle in vietnam.

Bummer I missed all this…

Name some good local bands to go see please.
Some of my favorites: Vicious Vicious, The Brass Kings, Haley Bonar, Charlie Parr. Don’t avoid the Turf Club just because it’s in St. Paul.

Joanna nailed her response, but as a supplement, I would note that there’s some (slightly less ambitious than what you’ll find strolling down Valencia) street fashion to be seen and enjoyed, and the Mexican food on East Lake Street in my neighborhood seems to me to be quite excellent — specifically, La Poblanita, Taqueria La Hacienda, Taqueria Que Buena, Los Ocampo, La Loma, Mercado Central, etc.

A) Yes. Yes it is. From November to May. Seal your windows.
B) Anything north of the 45th parallel.
D) Don’t hold your breath on winter; don’t blink on summer.
E) I know of Steelers and Bears enclaves, but none for the 49ers.
F) Everyone assumes we’re “Minnesota Nice,” like living in Minnesota makes us a bunch of hayseeds who don’t know a thing about the hustle and bustle of city life with all-a them big billl-dins and stuff… and while this may be true, I don’t think geography has a thing to do with our generosity or kindness; these are the tenets of basic human nature; I guess we’re just good human beings. But don’t assume everyone’s going to be all cheer and welcome: our passive aggressiveness can be second to none. A recent New York Times profile says “remember, when they ask you at the coffee shop, ‘How you doing, today?’ they really want to know.” This is simply not true.

Buy music at the Electric Fetus or Treehouse Records in Minneapolis; Eclipse Records in St. Paul.

See music at 7th St. Entry and Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis; Turf Club in St. Paul.

Tons of stellar acts around town, and a very relaxed, encouraging music scene, with cheap cover most nights. Some of my recent faves: Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles, Plastic Chord, Roma di Luna… I’m just gonna go ahead and plug the tunes page over at my site, like the chaunce I am.

A. Dress in layers.
B. Brainerd counts as Up North, though it’s in the exact center of the state.
C. ?
D. Sorry, I’m a native Minnesotan, and the worst part is the cold. You didn’t ask about the best part, which is that many of us are not house poor and therefore can afford to get on an airplane once a winter to escape the cold.
E. I gave up on the NFL in 1998 after the Best Vikings Team Ever lost to Atlanta, so I’m the wrong one to ask.
F. Don’t go on a date with a man coming out of the airport men’s room next to Zeno’s Shoe Shine.

A) It is super cold, always. (Cause I want to keep out the complainers.)
B) Up North is a treat and wonder.
C) Never go to Blaine or BrooklynPark/Center, you will have to go to ‘Coon Town at least once, reasons vary.
D) I forgot the question.
E) Football?
F) Bring your own, in fact all of my friends and I would like work out some sort of exchange program with a city that actually has men that are not married/dating and/or totally retarded at dating. Seriously, it is impossible to date here.

Well according to Forbes, you’re actually making a downgrade from SF to MSP.

On the upgrade side, days like today.

There are some pretty tough neighborhoods in minneapolis and st. Paul so beware of them. Lots of crackheads and gangbangers.

You might also want to watch out in the suburbs. Lots of people driving SUVs while talking on cellphones, paying no attention to what they’re doing.

With any major city your liable to find a portion of the population that likes group sex.

This post has NOTHING to do with this thread. But this seems to be the only active one going.

So here goes: OUR GARAGE SALE IS OVER SO WE’RE PUTTING STUFF OUT ON THE STREET FOR FREE!!!!! COME GIVE THIS STUFF A GOOD HOME!!!!!

1515 NATCHEZ AVE. S., GOLDEN VALLEY, MN

Anything you’ll pay us to take?

I mean, you’re talking about a trip to Golden Valley.

I’m desperate. But this desperation has no price.

Still worth your trip.

Seriously: there’s one item I want to fall into good hands. I have a table saw my grandfather made with his own hands. I’ve never used it in the 15 years. So if you or someone you know is a wordworker, I’d love to hand it off to able and caring hands.

Nate, I would love that table saw. Email me at the fake address attached to my login and I will check that email.

Kwatt, the gangbangers i was referring to are the kind in jail that will have group sex with you against your will.

For a bit of historical context from a native re: the winters (and for the newest transplants), in my recollection the most recent winter was the worst/longest we’ve had in quite a few years. Generally, our winters since about 1990 have been pretty tame in comparison with the epic winters circa 1965-1985 that gave us our hellacious winter reputation. As a kid, I remember climbing on dirty snow piles into April, and trudging around in -20 weather, but since about 1990 or so this has been a relative rarity (the famous Halloween blizzard year of 1991 notwithstanding). April-May as pretty crappy this year, but in lucky years April is really quite nice. We’ve had quite a few recent Novembers where temps have stayed in the 50s and even 60s as well.

For what its worth, I read that the Farmers almanac says another cold one is in store for the upper midwest this year, but I can’t vouch for it’s accuracy. We’ll see how chubby the squirrels are looking as Halloween approaches (I trust the squirrels in this regard more than weather forecasters)….

The years 2005 and 2006 were very mild/balmy/sultry(depending on what month). In november ‘05 it was so warm the bushes started re-bud.

Last february i felt gyped. We never had those nice days where all the snow is melting and people are walking around with no jacket. Instead it was freezing.

Mrboho- ‘95, ‘96 and ‘97 were pretty terrible winters. I remember driving up to Morris, MN and having walls of snow 15′ high on each side of the road. It was scary. And people died, at least in West Central MN, where I was at the time.

And Berfus, you are an idiot.

There are some pretty tough neighborhoods in minneapolis and st. Paul so beware of them. Lots of crackheads and gangbangers.

So? Like no other major city (like SF) would have these? Jeeze, people act like crime was invented here. Like my hairdresser says (who lives in North Minne), if you’re not actively looking for trouble, you probably won’t find it.

if you’re not actively looking for trouble, you probably won’t find it.

I actively look for trouble and rarely find it. *sigh*

Truth be told, I kinda miss my crackhead neighbors from the former ‘hood. There was always some high drama playing out in their front yard.

There are some pretty tough neighborhoods in minneapolis and st. Paul

lol I’m pretty sure our “tough” neighborhoods are weaksauce next to SF’s tough neighborhoods.

A crackhead helped me move out of my south Minneapolis apartment.

There are some pretty wholesome crackheads in Powderhorn I enjoy seeing.

Also, there is not much mileage to be gotten out of Minneapolis:San Francisco::St. Paul:Oakland comparisons. I was just visiting out there last month and searched in vein for socio-psychic civic identity similarities. Very few!

Although, how’s come Oakland and SF aren’t “Twin Cities”?

I think 1995 got a lot of snow which lead to big time flooding in the Red River Valley. The flooding that nearly wiped out E. Grand Forks, if I remember correctly. I just bought my house then and was shoveling every other day, so it seemed like the snowiest winter on record…

And Berfus, you are an idiot.

“Search in vein,” oops. I’m a writer! Hurray!

“Search in vein” is a nice coinage, actually…

Although, how’s come Oakland and SF aren’t “Twin Cities”?

Oo, oo. I can answer this one. It’s because SF is too full of itself to ever consider that any other city could be its “Twin.”

(Note: I say this having gone to college in the Bay Area, and having loved it; still, SF is pretty damn snobby–even more so than NY, although I can’t speak to Boston, never having been there.)

You may be thinking of the ‘97 floods. Winter of 96/97 set records for snowfall in the valley.

Oh, Andyst. So many inappropriate jokes…

Central Powderhorn was full of wholesome crackheads. And by wholesome, I mean full-blown crackhead awesomosity.

The best was the naked crackhead ho’ fight in the middle of the day. My neighbors didn’t really want to break it up because the funny was just too great. I finally broke down and called the cops. They enjoyed the show as well.

Perhaps it was 96… The memory is the first to go…

… in my recollection the most recent winter was the worst/longest we’ve had in quite a few years. Generally, our winters since about 1990 have been pretty tame in comparison with the epic winters circa 1965-1985 that gave us our hellacious winter reputation.

Funny that, because I’ve always considered the ‘65-’85 winters to have been normal more or less. Everything after that has been relatively mild by comparison. The winter of ‘83-’84 was damn cold with record snow but that was about the worst we’ve had in the past 40 years.

The winters of the past 20 years have been so mild (IMHO) that now anytime it gets below zero — even at night — it headlines the news. A 6-inch snowfall now will mean wall-to-wall TV coverage on all four local newscasts.

IIRC we didn’t even have “snow days” from school back in the ’60s. Maybe the kids who took buses couldn’t make it in but the rest of us — and we could walk to school if we lived within 8-blocks — sat in half-empty classrooms til at least noon. If the bus kids still hadn’t made it in by then, then we got to go home … retracing the steps we’d made earlier that morning in the deep snow.

Kids these days … they’ve got it made. lol

We can talk about “mild” winters all we want, but to someone who is possibly moving from SF, it will seem like hell has frozen over.

I think the biggest concern would be boredom here if you dig the scene in SF. But, if you’re looking to slow it down, then Minneapolis/St. Paul is a lovely place to be.

There is a picture of me from about 1980-1981 on a very warm January day. I’m wearing a snowmobile suit to stay dry (I’m about 3 in the pic), and my dad is in jeans and a tee shirt.

There have always been warm days in the winter. And last winter was cold, very cold.

When I was growing up, Sioux Falls didn’t really call snow days, but we did have a few “cold days” where if the temp was colder than 40 below, the buses wouldn’t run and we could all stay home.

Although, how’s come Oakland and SF aren’t “Twin Cities”?

Because SanFran is dom.

Hey, do any of these “moving to MN” folks ever follow up? I can’t think of a single time anyone has ever posted a follow up comment letting us know whether he/she moved here or not.

They use us until they refuse us, Jane.

Re-reading ch110308’s post above, she writes “I am moving to…” so I think we can count on her actually moving here. I thought she fit in well with the goofy vibe on MNspeak, and think she would be a good addition to the entire state of MN. That said, as a native I am due to start ignoring her and all of you newbies in 5, 4, 3, 2…

Jane brings up a good point. I wish the authors of “Moving to MN” posts past would check it and let us know how it’s going.

Still here. Enjoyed and appreciated all the comments/concerns/web links. I am moving … probably in the worst month of all, January … but its fine. I don’t have that much too move. And SF is probably way over-rated hence why I want to check out other places.

Perhaps it was 96… The memory is the first to go..

I seem to remember some people indicating that the Twin Cities had more snow the previous year, but the big flood that took out downtown GF was in spring of 97. I was in Fargo that year, my first winter back after living in W Lafayette for a few years, so I remember the winter of 96/97 very well.

Actually, IMO, February is the worst time to be here, but bring lots of socks, a good pair of mittens/gloves, and a cozy hat and you’ll be fine! Welcome!

Oh, and find a really good moisturizer for both face and body. My friend moved here from Argentina and she said the worst thing was not the cold but the incredibly dry winter air.

January is a great month to move. You won’t even break a sweat climbing four flights. Also, added bonus, you will test your mettle immediately. If you can last Jan-Feb, you know you can handle anything.

I moved here in February, and it turned out OK. Like aliecat said, just bring a good hat.

If you like meat and cheese all baked with some vegetables, I recommend tater tot casserole (or is it hotdish? which is the term we use here?). I have a great recipe and will gladly pass it along; food like that is extra delicious in extra cold weather.

Jan is technically colder on average, but those 28 freezing days of Feb seem to drag on f-o-r-e-v-e-r……..

kc!: you actually anticipated a follow-up post i was planning to make re: ‘96 in particular as an exception to the milder winters thing. I was going to cite the houses buried in snowdrifts in western MN, I’m sure traveling in that area was terrifying as you say. You may be right about the other years as well..

One recollection I have in particular about 96 was that we had an incredible cold snap very early — I remember it being something like -25 on Christmas eve, so cold that it froze my mom’s marinated vegetable salad in the attached garage….

This upcoming winter will, I believe, be my fifth winter here, and every time it’s always March that has been the hardest for me to deal with. Because it’s still freezing, but almost everywhere else in the country (and certainly where I came from), March is a pretty mild, spring-y kind of month. Not here! It’s just snowy and cold! With no end in sight!

We bought our house in 1991, just in time to experience the infamious Halloween Blizard. How we managed to cleared our drive with shovels, I’ll never know. We have a snowblower now.

The day after the halloween blizzard my uncle drove down to the farm to get my grandma who lived down there all by herself. He was worried she’d get snowed in so he brought her back here to stay with him for a week.

I seem to remember some people indicating that the Twin Cities had more snow the previous year, but the big flood that took out downtown GF was in spring of 97.

While we did have a fair amount of snow during the winter of ‘96-’97, what really caused the serious flooding in Grand Forks, Granite Falls, etc. was the below-zero cold snap that happened the first week of April, ‘97. It created huge ice dams that dramatically raised the flood levels past some-flooding to OMFG-flooding levels.

andyst: yes, March can be a brutal month — it is my Wife’s least favorite month of the year for sure. A big factor in March is the level of the snowpack — in years where we have had little snow, the ground may be bare and it is easier for the temps to jump up into 50+ territory — when there is snowpack on the ground, this tends to happen less frequently…

Just had to jump in here, sorry!..I was born and raised in Minn. seen snow higher than my Dad’s shop many winters and colder than you-know- what!. Have live in Co for a long time, and while the mountains are beautiful and the state is great if you’re a outdoor person..I have really missed the fresher air and lakes up north in PR..I have to say also that everything is sky high here and You talk about crazy drivers…we really have them here. Our winters are milder but sometimes very cold here too, I want to move back to PR, snow cold and all. Nice people..well the ones that are nice here in Denver are usually the out of staters…I’ll take Minnesota anytime. At least you know where you stand with folks there!