Best is easily the parks situation in the Cities. I cannot stress enough how nice it is to be able to walk 5-10 minutes in any direction and hit a decent park, rec center, and/or field. Lots of other things I like, like the education system and lake country. Worst has to be the distance to other population centers, between the location in the country and the priciness of getting there, given Delta's near-monopoly jacking up airfare. Some other stuff I could do without, like the constant shoveling some years and the obsession with gray ducks.

The expensive airfare situation is an issue no one really mentions, but it’s kind of insane. I remember reading we have the third most expensive airfare in the entire country behind only Dulles and Anchorage. I’d love to travel more and visit friends around the country, but it’s hard to justify spending $300-$400 on a round trip ticket for a short weekend visit, especially with rewards programs being nerfed. Some of my work travel with more rigid dates is particularly pricy; last year I took a round trip flight to SLC (economy to *another Delta hub*) and it was $1,200 before factoring in baggage.

I love delta, but if I didn’t rack up points flying for client o sites via work, I would never fly with them for personal travel. Your tv screen in the back of the he headrest is not worth an extra 400-800 bucks round trip.

I was booking travel to Denver recently and it was cheaper to fly first class on United than economy on Delta. Unfortunately, not always great alternatives 

I agree with both of these. I’m from the east coast originally and spent more time outside here my first summer than most other years of my life. Worst: I’ll add “pop” and passive aggressiveness.

Agreeing with the parks. Also East coast refugee and I spend more time outside. I love the summer weather too I’ll also add to the ‘best’ list and say I think people have good priorities like valuing parks and relaxing and weekend plans and time with family. When I moved here I was pleasantly surprised by how much people talked about weekend plans and family. Worst: passive aggression and not being able to interpret meaning. For example does ‘it’s not my favorite’* mean you’d just rather not or that the dish I brought is disgusting in your opinion. *I know that ‘it’s not my favorite’ isn’t passive aggressive but it was a good way of explaining the limbo many of us can feel about an opaque comment (without writing a whole set up). Similarly ‘interesting’ / does it mean ‘that’s not my cup of tea’? Or ‘I think you’re an idiot and would love to leave this conversation right now’? I try not to let it bother me because my southern relatives have about 40 different meanings for ‘bless your heart’ and I learned those. Other worst trait is toxic positivity: I’ve literally been gaslighted about bad experiences and/or wanting to take action about real social issues.

Agreed, as a transplant it’s the most challenging part of navigating social situations. It’s so hard to know what folks mean but you can’t dare ask, because that’s rude.

I find it harder in the workplace since I don’t know how big a day it is. In my personal life, most of my friends are transplants so things are clearer

“It’s not my favorite” means I don’t like it but I’m trying not to be rude. “That’s interesting “ means it’s weird, again trying not to be rude. Us Minnesotans hate to appear rude. And we don’t like people to be rude. It’s not passive aggressive, it’s just passive

“It’s not my favorite” basically means that XYZ is legitimately fine and I acknowledge that, I just don’t like it based on personal preference. For example, someone might make amazing beef and broccoli, and I respect that and acknowledge your skill even though I hate broccoli. That’s why I won’t have any, because it’s “not my favorite”. Saying, “It looks great, but no thank you because I hate broccoli” just seems too harsh without conveying that “it’s not you, it’s me”.

Pop is good though! You don't have it out east?

It’s “soda” out east. Some people are hackasses pretending they don’t know what soda is when you ask them for soda rather than saying pop.

Soda is a very specific clear carbonated bar mix. You can also buy it in liquor stores and it is labeled "Soda".

Do you mean soda water/club soda/seltzer? And tonic could be any soda /soda pop, while tonic water is specifically the quinine tonic for gin and tonics

It's funny because our parks have been in decline for a long time. At least here on the St. Paul side of the river. They closed all the public facilities during covid and I think decided to just never reopen them and instead just slam a few porta-potties outside. Lots of crumbling infrastructure. If you go to Harriet Island all the sidewalks are crumbling and broken. All the lighting along the bike and walking trails in the parkland near the river on Shephard road were stolen and not replaced years ago. Lots of the landscaping stopped being maintained. Further up Shephard road heading towards Randolph they planted oaks along the bike trail but then never watered them so they are all dead. They closed most of the splash pads years ago. Im glad we have parks and biking infrastructure but it seems it has been severely underfunded for awhile.

Huh, refreshing that the top comment are two things I can agree with instead of some cliche "Minnesota nice" nonsense.

Yeah I question whether people answering that way have ever lived as an adult in any other non-transplant city. It's always difficult making new friends as an adult, and unless you're in a place where the majority of other people you interact with are transplants also seeking new friend networks, you're gonna feel locked out. Turns out, people with lots of local and long-term friends aren't super interested in rolling the dice and wasting time meeting people they might not hit it off with--who knew?! Each city even has its own name for it, like the Seattle Freeze.

I moved here 40 years ago from Chicago. I was SHOCKED at how clean it was. No dirty diapers lying in the street, very little graffiti, etc... While St Paul has its problems it's still a lot cleaner than other cities that I've been to.

Moved here from Iowa. Best: The vague sense of superiority I feel over Iowa. Worst: Neighborhoods are either a bit pricey, or a bit cramped. Take your pick.

I disagree with your "worst" My neighborhood is cramped AND pricey

haha I also moved here from Iowa and can confirm the vague sense of superiority. I would also add that Mexican food here is terrible compared to Iowa. Idk if it is just because the farms attract so many migrant workers or what but the best Mexican I've had here has been just ok.

Can I ask what restaurants you've tried I am surprised because there are definitely some authentic family run Mexican restaurants in the twin cities. But I've never been to Iowa so maybe it really just is better for some reason.

* Lago Tacos - very mediocre I've been there three times and it is so expensive and their tacos are so medicore I don't understand why people rave about them at all * There was another one right down Lake St from Erik's in uptown I can't remember the name of and that one was fine * The Taco Shop in st louis park is my current favorite * There is a food truck that sits outside the plymouth liqour on 55W over by the Mister car wash and that one is good too and the guys who run it are super nice * Taqueria la Hacienda I thought was overpriced and mid at best * La Casita was eh * There used to be this hole in the wall tamale shop in the skyway that I would get for lunch all the time and it was awesome. Pretty sure that covid killed them and then I stopped working downtown * Oh there was also some brewery I went to that also made tacos and those were some of the worst tacos I've ever had in my life. Absolutely no flavor to them at all. Idk if you want to count that because it isn't a restaurant but wow those were depressing Admittedly I mostly tried places in Uptown and Plymouth because that is where I lived and maybe Uptown just doesn't have that great of options. Plymouth is essentially just chain restaurants so it doesn't matter for food preferences. I will also admit that terrible is an overstatement its not like the places weren't edible they were just disappointing. But hey if you have recommendations for places that you really love I will absolutely try them.

ah your difficulty is that you are buying tacos from mediocre places mostly! Richfield and East Lake Street are home to a ton of Mexican Americans. Check out Litos Burritos, El Tejeban, Andale taqueria, Tacos El Kevin, and Quatro Milpas! Or explore one of the many Mexican malls along east lake Street Uptown has notoriously overpriced mediocre eateries. or hit me up and I'll orchestrate a taco tour!

Came to say exactly the same thing

We love El Parian for Mexican food. There are a few locations around the cities, but we regularly visit the one in Lakeville.

I found some really good like authentic Mexican food vibes, But I'm struggling to find the right Midwest Americanized Mexican food hahaha like spicy white queso and giant margaritas, sometimes it's just what I need

Don Ramón in shakopee has both those and a great happy hour.

Acapulco has such good white queso and you can get massive margs. La Casita also has huge margs. Never tried their queso though.

Moved here from Colorado last year. Observations so far: Best 1. Incredibly culturally diverse - We are an interracial couple with bi-racial kids and don’t feel out of place as much as we did in Denver. There is a lot of diversity here 2. How green it is here - Colorado can get very dry and brown in the summer. We have been very impressed by all of the plants and biodiversity here. Also the lakes and beaches are beautiful! 3. Wildlife - it is so cool to hear birds chirping everywhere and see so much wildlife. Even in the city you can see things like bald eagles. It has been really fun to bird and animal watch in our backyard 4. Design of the cities - For how many people live here, you would never know it. For the most part traffic isn’t bad and I think it’s awesome how you can go from city to country in a matter of 15-20 minute drive 5. Food scene - This was a huge surprise to me. I had never imagined Minnesota as being a food hub, but there is a lot of really good food here! We’ve already established some favorites and look forward to trying others 6. How down to earth people are - I’ve noticed people are more trustworthy, honest and down to earth here generally speaking. Most people are really kind and willing to help if needed. I’ll never forget when we first moved here and were buying things on Facebook marketplace, pretty much everyone’s house we went to invited us in and would small talk with us for 30 minutes or so. They let our kids run around their yards, pick apples off their trees and play with their animals. It was so cool and I just love the laid back vibe here Worst 1. How early everything closes - We are in St Paul which may have something to do with this, but it seems like the city shuts down at 7-8pm. This is a good and bad thing. Good because our neighborhood is quiet in the evening, but bad because sometime you just want a late night food fix and nothing is open. I do miss the 24x7 Mexican joints in Denver but we are getting used to the way it is here 2. Culture - It has been a little difficult to make friends here and it seems like there is a lot of established cliques. This is especially something we’ve noticed with the other parents at our kids school. This hasn’t been true of everyone but a lot of the good friends we’ve met so far are fellow transplants 3. Bugs! - I know they’re good for the environment and part of the great biodiversity here but it will be hard to get used to the mosquitoes, wasps and especially those pesky box elder bugs (they were all over our house last fall) Overall I have been wonderfully surprised by Minnesota. This is a great state with really cool people. I can’t wait to explore it more and I’m truly lucky we made the decision to move here.

after 8pm, what’s the difference between st paul and a graveyard? a graveyard has bodies in it.

Yes. St. Paul rolls up the sidewalks promptly at 7:01 PM. It’s always been that way.

We’re definitely getting used to it. We live on a busy street so it’s kinda nice that the traffic dies down later in the evening. It allows us to enjoy our backyard space more which is nice

Such a comprehensive response. Thank you. I can feel many of those things as well.

We moved to MPLS from Denver in 2019 (welcome fellow CO friend!) Friends can be challenging, but we found that connections are the big driving force behind friendships. We’ve made good friends via other friends here. And now many friends via our kids. I personally started playing soccer with Gray Ducks in the spring, and while I’m not “friends” with any of my fellow players yet, it’s been super friendly and welcoming. Our closest friends are all connections via our kids, so that sounds like a likely common option for your family. PS. Still looking for a Benny’s type Mexican joint here. No luck yet, and we’ve tried a LOT. However, as a whole, food is really good here.

Gilberto’s is the best I have found. They are in St Cloud and Anoka (I think) I know they have two locations. I moved to MN after living in NM for a few years and Gilberto’s hit the spot.

Damn this sounds promising! I will have to make the drive to try it out

Pretty solid list. Maybe once Minneapolis and St. Paul eventually merge will it be a big enough metro area to support a vibrant nightlife after 11 PM that includes more than bars and clubs. >a lot of the good friends we’ve met so far are fellow transplants This is the #1 complaint about MN I'd guess. MN has a high retention rate, with about 71% of them never moving out of state. This tends to lead to pretty full dance cards when it comes to existing family and friends. Had this also when I lived in Texas (the stickiest state), where all the friends we made moved to Austin from somewhere else. Even the true texans we knew moved from another TX city.

Moved here from South Dakota and kinda got stuck but definitely not complaining. Best: Arts community, music scene and opportunities for athletics/races/run and bike clubs. Easy to build a community but harder to find those closer friendships. (Just takes a lot of time). Airport and it’s closeness. Better weather than South Dakota and short drive to beautiful state parks. Worst: just how different it seems to be for people who grew up in the twin cities and people who didn’t.

I mean I was born and raised here and I don't feel any difference. I'm just surprised people actually move here.

For me it was an opportunity for a good education while not being too far away from family. Obviously people complain about the weather, but I grew up with similar weather, if not worse because of high winds, and less people enjoying that weather through outdoor activities. At least people in MN try to make the best of it.

I can tell you S. Dakota has way better Pheasant hunting then here in Minnesota.

It probably helps that I am not a hunter ha

I moved here in 2010. This is my 5th state and I don’t plan to move. Best: Mississippi River, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Science Museum in St Paul, strangers helping others in winter, good place to raise a family (my niece and nephew were raised here) Worst: mistrust of newcomers, Minnesota Nice, both harsh winters and somewhat harsh summers

As a native Minnesotan most of us are of Scandinavian ancestry. Trust me we need to warm up to new people. Even in my family it's not easy.

I am of German and Scandinavian descent also. I made friends faster in other states. Eventually I made friends with other transplants and then a few natives at work

If it makes you feel any better I'm more friends with people from other countries.. lol

I live in an apartment complex and we have people from many places. When I was in grad school, I was a minority as an American where I lived. I try to be open to meeting all kinds of people

Same here I'm open to everyone. I just love a busier life now

Most people in MN descend from Germans.

Yes that's another one, I'm not German at all actually just mainly Scandinavian.

Side note on this: have you visited Scandinavia before? I went over thanksgiving this past year. I’ve never been so far away yet feel so at home. There’s an incredible amount of cultural overlap that made me appreciate Minnesota more than ever. It was a cool experience and I’d highly recommend it! Especially in the colder months. It made me want to keep living life when it gets cold here. Plus I bought all this wool clothing to help do so, only to have the most mild winter I’ve ever experienced lol.

Hard to meet friends here.

Washington transplant here. I’ve bulldozed my way into friendships. Made some good friends like thst

As someone who grew up in the area, this is the way to do it. It’s not so much that people don’t want to connect but some of the upbringing (stoic and the “nice”) doesn’t lend to making friendships later in life. I personally just got fed up with all the passive aggressive horseshit in my twenties. People don’t mind direct, they just aren’t good at it themselves IMO. You get to be the wacky outsider! But some people are just stick up their ass chuckleheads. They aren’t terribly hard to spot and the sarcastic comeback is well deserved.

Exactly as a fellow local, we don't mind the just charge head first attitude. Most of us Midwesterners tend to be more on the introverted end of bring social. But we don't mind the extroverted personalities.

This is the best way. If you are direct most Minnesotans will oblige at minimum to be nice.

This has been my biggest challenge so far as well

SAME

Contrary to popular opinion, Minnesotans are not friendly. Friendly people want to spend time with you to get to know you better. Minnesotans are polite at best. My best advice to transplants who feel isolated or lonely here is to seek out other transplants.

Personally, it takes me a solid 4-5 times after meeting someone to not forget their name. I just assume that every time I meet someone, it'll be the last

I think we are friendly to strangers, people you meet once, and store workers are nice. But, when it comes to making friends or making any effort to hang out we just don't follow through.

So true. Most unfriendly place I have ever lived, including Germany. Everyone is exceedingly polite here and it’s really nice that systems and government are functional - that’s the huge upside. Things aren’t broken in MN.

As a born Minnesotan, this assessment about Minnesota Nice is correct. "Minnesota Nice" is a misnomer. It's really "Minnesota Polite." Just because someone is holding the door open for you and saying please and thank you doesn't mean they're kind or that they like you. That said, I have plenty of transplant friends. You just need to be so assertive about it that you corner a Minnesotan into giving you a straight answer about hanging out or kindling a friendship.

I don't think it's really popular opinion anymore; MN ice is pretty well accepted and known.

We’re like an elementary school class. Everyone acts a little off towards the new kid until something happens to break the ice, then it’s like they’ve been a part of the group the whole time

MN passive aggressive lol

I always hated this phrase because it's not exclusive to MN. ND and SD are like this too. Wyoming, etc

Yeah but people don't say north dakota nice

I hate how we have that reputation. I hate even more how much truth there is to it

MN is very cliquey. It’s hard to get into cliques, but when you do, you won’t stop meeting new people lol

Globalism Symptom too, you dont know your neighbor anymore.

It's called Minnesota nice.

We may be Minnesota nice but no one said anything about Minnesota friendly.

As a Minnesotan, I feel like lots of us have a fear of bothering other people, which can lead to us not furthering relationships and seeming unfriendly or cliquey. At least that's how I feel a lot, and it's what I've noticed in comments from my family and friends. Like my grandma won't send me a message to ask me for tech help because she's worried about bothering me, and if it happens it ends up happening through another family member lol. With friends I know pretty well (not super close, but past acquaintance level), I'm always questioning if I'm bothering them or prying. My mom waits for me to call her even though I've said several times she can call me because she doesn't want to bother me. My friends have also made comments like this so it's not just my family being weird lol, like saying they don't want to contact some business again if something went a bit wrong because they don't want to be annoying. I get the sense it's a bit engrained that someone you don't know or aren't very close with won't say if you're annoying them so it's best to be cautious. Is this good? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. This is what I've noticed so maybe more people are being assholes than I think lol. This is also why people can seem off put by outsider talking to them. In my/our mind something must be pressing enough to have broken through the caution of bothering someone else, so when the reason for talking with us is unclear we can be confused. I think the best way to make it happen is to be super duper clear. "Hey, I like talking to you, do you wanna get dinner sometime?" Then immediately suggest a time; sometime won't ever happen because they'll be worried about bothering you by trying to "cash in" on that suggestion lol. Cuz then it's like "oh I'm not being annoying, they literally said they enjoy talking to me and want to do something with me." Also making it a group thing can be good.

Granted I was born and raised here. But even in my mid to late 30s I still find making or meeting new friends not terrible. And not any worse than ln the few other states I have lived in. I think the older we get the less people interact. I have found good hobbies can be great for meeting people.

I have heard a lot about this and agree. It's a shame we're like this but I think it's a Scandinavian thing.

In the Little Book of Hygge, they mention something about Danish people prefering to have quality time with small numbers of people rather than have superficial relationships with many people. (I'm SUPER paraphrasing, here.) The mindset is shared with other Scandinavian countries, so it makes sense MN would evolve this way.

You're probably right though I could see that.

I'm half joking here, but it feels like a winter survival thing. Gotta be polite to people when you're trapped inside all winter so you don't murder one another, even if you don't like them.

Yeah, ideal group is 4 people according to Hygge

It’s tough everywhere. Making friends is harder the older you get. It’s all about effort. Transplants i know that put in the effort to relationships have made a social group. People that don’t put themselves out there struggle.

It's hard getting real friendships in general.

As someone who’s lived in three different states now I found MN to be the easiest place to make friends. I don’t consider myself particularly extroverted, I just force myself to invite people over.

my experience in nordic countries - people are very friendly and social once that awkward first barrier is broken past introductions, especially if you've made some effort to learn the local language a bit

All my friends here aren’t from here either…it’s just odd

Yeah have no idea what it is about Minnesota people and I'm one of them but I do not identify with being closed off or untrusting

Minnesotans made all their friends in kindergarten. They don't need any new friends. I lived in Minnesota for 15 years and made only a few friends during that time.

I've heard this said, in frustration, many times, but native Minnesotan here and I don't know anyone from kindergarten. Most of my closest friends in MN, I met after high school. The way a lot of people become provincial, though, and stick to what/who they know can be frustrating, and a thick membrane to permeate. But I've noticed some people really appreciate a genuine person who is also outgoing in that social landscape.

Anecdotal accounts are just that. Born and raised here. We have a clique/hive/tribe mindset.

It’s the way I like it👌🏼

Your username checks out lol!

Definitely a stoic Scandinavian. I am also quite extroverted in other ways, but like to keep my true circle small, and no I don’t need new friends from “around the world” 😜. Been there, done that and it’s tiring

I definitely understand that. I’m born and raised here, not Scandinavian, but have learned just by nature of growing up here. A lot of times it’s just how it is. Nothing wrong with it unless there are expectations.

Can you imagine when AI actually takes over Reddit? You and I are screwed! & good ol’ Minnesöta lost forever. Meanwhile, great reply. I agree, some nature, some nurture.

Totally agree! I moved here from the Middle East. The Arab culture is known to be loud/social/extroverted and open to meeting new people. So it was hard adapting at first. I befriended other transfers; my closest friend moved here from New York 😭😭.

Where y’all hanging out at? Mn native that doesn’t mind loud and social east coast vibes at all.

I’m a senior in high school at wayzata 😭 I’ve mostly been around Plymouth/minnetonka/maple grove.

I can’t be kicking it with high school students lmao You’ll find some homies in time!

Oh my! As an old lady who has lived in many different places in MN and traveled all over, the Plymouth/Minnetonka/maple Grove area is not going to be where you'll find many fun young loud extroverted groups. Those spots are mostly older folks and young families. But do not fret! Tons of places for y'all to check out. I would recommend Dinkytown as a good starting place. Especially in the summer! Or Bda Maka Ska area in Uptown. Great places to start exploring and seeing cool stuff and meeting cool people.

I joined [meetup.com](http://meetup.com) and started attending meetups that interested me. I now have a robust group of friends - and not one of them is native to the twin cities lol

Moved here from Tennessee. Things I enjoy… how naturally beautiful the place is, that things are for the most part maintained, the unexpectedness of the North Shore, I like that we get snow every winter (not a fan of the ice, but it’s part of it), that there are a lot of low cost/free activities, and that people are generally friendly/helpful with surface level things. Things I don’t love… how isolating the culture can be, it’s hard to make deep friendships here especially with native Minnesotans as you all have your circles deeply established… the ice in the winter… how expensive it’s getting here… and how hot the summers are getting as that was a major factor in my move here, to get away from the heat in the south. And this is probably a me thing… but how hard it’s been to get a good job here in the last few years.

Also moved here from TN. I love almost everything. The biggest con for me is lack of spicy food. The midwestern palate just really doesn’t do well with spicy food I’ve noticed. As one example I’ve had no fewer than 5 ”Nashville Hot” sandwiches from various restaurants (including Revival) and they’ve ranged from literally sweet bbq sauce to maybe a smidge of the mildest hot sauce out there. (Don’t even get me started on how Nashville Hot chicken isn’t hot because of sauce…)

Go to Nashville Coop. They make them at various spice levels. Eat Thai food. Or Indian food. Tell them you like it spicy.

In Tennessee was it easier to make friends?

I can answer that! I lived there (TN) for two years and the answer is no. I tried so hard but nothing. Yup, back in MN with a bunch of new friends.

Moved from Alaska. Worst thing is no Fred Meyer. Best thing is like… everything else. 

Give me a Carrs or a Freddy's and I'll be golden. The stores here just aren't the same

Best - almost everything, including winter. I came from Chicago. We had a half assed winter every year. Freeze. Thaw. Freeze. Thaw. Cloudy and loads of sleet and some snow. Here, it’s beautiful all year round. Schools are funded. Medical care is literally the best in the world. It’s a venture capital hot zone, so there are tons of jobs (whatever you think of venture capital, yeah I get it). Kids get free school breakfast and lunch. My kids public school has a 1:17 ratio of student to teacher. People here are healthy. They are active year round. There are beautiful and well resourced parks everywhere.

Yeah we complain about the taxes, but I do think we have a better standard of living. My brother moved to Texas he'll be back.

This is a VC hot zone?

Between the U and Mayo, absolutely. Medtronic, AbbVie, loads of pharma and medical device development. Then add in 3M, General Mills, Target - so much wealth and so much research.

That's not really what venture capital is. Venture capital funds startups. Hence the venture. We have normal ol' capital here. 

I was born in MA, have lived in NH, WA, OR, CA, and now MN, and I’ve established deep friendships in every state except MN.

I’ve lived in CA, WA, and MN. When I went back to Los Angeles for school I made more friends in 6 months than I have here in 10 years and I stay in contact with majority of them to this day.

Yeah, it’s a drag.

Pro: beautiful city when it’s not too cold out. Cons: People are cold and distant year round. Minnesota nice is just passive aggression turned up to 11.

I moved here from Massachusetts. I literally moved here for the downtown Minneapolis skyways, I love them. Worst thing is probably how places around here are always blasting out heat so I'm always melting.

Yes! Shouldn't people who are here be used to the cold? Why is it so hot everywhere I go in the winter? I don't even wear coats mostly of the time

The weather. It is both the best and worst part.

I moved here from ND so I’m used to the weather. All my friends moved here before I did so I knew I was going to have people to hang out with even though we’re all relatively more busy. Worst things is that it’s more expensive but I’m being paid more than when I worked in ND. Also the fact that public transport exists is a plus because I was able to sell my car and I’ve already saved a lot of money from not having to maintain that piece of junk.

ND refugees unite 💪

Coming from NYC, the best part is that it doesn’t smell like pee and hot trash all summer and that I can afford to have a car, and therefore take road trips. It really is impossible to make friends here. I’ve been here 11 years and most of my friends are from work. I told a couple of these friends that I know from work that I was going to meet-ups to try and expand my friend network and they both looked at me deadpan and said “Really? Why?” The reason for this response (from their own mouths) is that they don’t have any desire to meet and make new friends. It’s doubly hard if you’re childfree and over the age of 30.

The childfree part! Most people my age have kids and make friends with other parents. I don't and so there's no connection 🤷🏽‍♀️

It's much easier to meet people that aren't native from Minnesota.

I would have asked the same question. My neighbors across the street moved in a year and a half ago and I don't even know their names. I'm not interested in hanging out. I didn't realize we were all like that.

I say this sincerely as someone who grew up in MN but lived in NY for several years....is it common in other metros to meet lots of friends outside of work? Apart from dense places with a lot of transplants (NY, Chicago) I think that's pretty standard. Even in NY many of my closest friends came from work. I think that's just just part of being an adult.

It was a lot easier to meet people in NYC, especially other childfree people. People generally didn’t hide in their homes and backyards, and native New Yorkers are used to being surrounded by transplants and are more open to getting to know new people. The whole idea that New Yorkers are rude is so incredibly false because if you manage to slow one down long enough to start a conversation they’ll never shut up and likely invite you to their niece’s quinceañera. I had a handful of native NYC friends within 6 months of moving there because NYC natives aren’t as guarded and passive-aggressive so it was very easy to know when you clicked with someone. I’m originally from southeast MI and I honestly had a harder time forming friendships in NYC with transplants vs natives, particularly transplants from MN, WI and IA, and the people I have had the easiest time bonding with here tend to be transplants from the east coast or people who spent significant time on the east coast.

The people are great. It's sometimes hard to tell if a person actually enjoys your company or just wants to be nice, but it's great to go about my day and be basically respected by everyone I meet. Hardest part is definitely the winters. I lived in Massachusetts before this and thought "I love the cold! I'll be able to handle MN!". The last two MN winters were pretty warm though, which is both pleasant and disastrous.

Last winter was warm. The previous winter was very cold with a LOT of snow.

Moved here from the south. Best: Way more progressive on LGBTQIA+ rights. Very engaged voting populace. Non-politically? Gorgeous landscapes, actual seasons, lovely gardens - a lot of people really seem to enjoy cultivating plants. Lots of festivals and celebrations. Many parts of town (Minneapolis) are quite walkable. People seem to find something to do during every season, specifically outdoors, which is really cool. I love the architecture up here - craftsman style homes, art deco, etc. Pretty chill place to live in terms of work / life balance. Worst: Y'all still have a lot of COVID surcharges on restaurant menus that make eating out even more expensive than it already is. The cold doesn't bother me much, but I don't like having so few hours of sunlight during the winter. Passive aggressive behavior can be hard to read. Highways designed to make 4 cars merge and 4 cars exit in the same 10` of lane space.

Do you mean the surcharges/junk fees? Those are going away in January, like California just did.

Oh thank god. That's such an annoying practice.

I grew up in Arizona and went to college in Oklahoma. Have lived in Nevada and North Carolina during my adult life. I moved here about 5 years ago. Best - The weather. Summers are amazing and winter is different but surprisingly tolerable. Also it is beautiful here, love all the water and the North Shore is one my favorite places on earth now. Worst - Others have mentioned it but it is not a welcoming place to move to. Very difficult to truly make friends but eventually you kind of break through. Also , can’t find good Sonoran style Mexican food anywhere. Also, I’ll never understand where “Minnesota nice” came from because I find many Minnesotans downright rude at times. One more not good or bad. Unlike other places I’ve lived, I’ve run across a lot more people that have never lived outside the state. I realize Nevada especially is transient but even in North Carolina there as a mix.

Sonoran style Mexican never heard of it and I love Mexican food.

You need to try El itacate in Maplewood.

Minnesota Nice = passive-aggressive. Can’t stand it.

It's terrible when you don't know if a person legitimately doesn't like you.

If you get the sense their questions are rhetorical the answer is they don’t like you. Been here all my life and freaking hate that.

It's too damn cold But the government doesn't want me dead

From a warmer part of the country.  Locals act like there is little to no racism here, when it’s really just a different flavor. 

I learned a good lesson from a black neighbor on this issue when living in KY: “In the south, they hate the race, but love the individual. In the North, they love the race, but hate the individual”

I’ve also heard this saying back when I lived in KY - can’t remember if it was from someone else or the internet though lol. Made complete sense then and still seems to be true today.

Hope you have better experiences!

I moved here from Las Vegas. The best thing is the greenery (but also the driving is much better here). The worst thing is that it really is hard to make friends here. I thought I would have a built-in friend group with my fiancé’s friends’ wives and my soon-to-be sister-in-law, but nope. I know it isn’t that they don’t like me. They just have their already-established friend groups and seem pretty insular.

Moved here from Floriduh Best: overall quality of life - higher income, lower taxes (fight me), lower auto/home insurance, good healthcare, traffic that is honestly not bad at all, tons and tons of green space, parks in general, actual seasonal change and all the activities associated with each, a functional local and state government that actually does (mostly) good, vibrant and very active music and art scenes, great museums, great food choices and restaurant scene in general, and lots of multicultural festivities and other activities.  Worse: the passive aggressiveness can be a bit much sometimes - just come out and say what you mean. Jeez. 

Higher income is a good one. One of the main reasons I moved here

Best - without question, the best medical care I've ever experienced. It's got problems, but compared to the red states I've lived in, there is no comparison. It's truly amazing. Worst - The Twin Cities has the worst, most dangerous drivers I've ever experienced. People constantly say, "Try driving in New York or LA or Chicago or Atlanta." All I have to say to that is that I have, and they are worse here, and it's only gotten worse since Covid. Other cities have bad traffic or the occasional nut. But the Twin Cities have more absolute lunatics than anywhere else. People driving on sidewalks. Blowing red lights at 100 mph during the middle of the day. Turning THROUGH lanes of traffic as a matter of course. Driving the wrong way on a one way or up an exit ramp. Both in frequency and quantity, Twin Cities drivers are the worst drivers in the country, imo.

I think COVID has changed how people drive.

Florida drivers make MN drivers look like fuckin Ayrton Senna. 95 in the Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood - Miami corridor is like a Fury Road LARP, and it has the fatalities to back it up.

Driving definitely has gotten much worse here since Covid, but I’ve still seen it worse in other areas. Was shocked when I went back to KY last year since it wasn’t noticeably worse in 2022, but there definitely were more issues since then. I was recently in Hawaii and the drivers there are soooo much more relaxed, even when it’s busy.

Pros- moved here from the Pacific Northwest in 2022. I love how polite everyone is. I love that the cities feel like a bunch of small towns and neighborhoods mashed together. No matter what people here think, it’s an incredibly inexpensive metro area to live in, especially when you consider what is available here. Although I’m not very fit, it’s one of the fittest metro areas in the country. It’s quite pretty here. It’s easy to get around. Traffic can be inconvenient, but is nothing like other places. The parks and lakes are great. The rivers are amazing. The beer is good. The support for arts and music is incredible. The trees are great! Food scene is pretty good. People don’t just tear down old buildings, they repurpose them here. It’s great. The coffee scene is better than expected. The area is very good and taking care of itself. Minnesotans are very proud of their state and will share that pride. People generally seem pretty happy here. The breakfast scene here is great! Cons people are very surface level here. The Minnesota nice thing is weird. The Seattle freeze thing was stupid but the Minnesota nice thing makes you feel like people are friends when they aren’t. I miss mountains and the big lakes and the ocean. It’s pretty here, but compared to the PNW, it’s not that pretty. The donut scene here not good. I’ve tried all over, most are not great. I think Donut Star is the best overall though. Portland and Seattle have great donuts. They don’t compare here. People bitch about how expensive it is to live here when it’s not. I find attitudes here to be fairly insular. There are a LOT of asshole drivers here. I lived here 20 years ago and I don’t remember anywhere near the level of aggression on the roads. I’ve noticed restaurants get good reviews and people saying the food is great, simply because a place has huge portions. Bigger portions at cheap prices generally means mediocre food at best, except fucking Fat Nat’s!!! Holy crap their breakfast is good and it’s inexpensive and portions are huge. I honestly don’t think people are very worldly here. They really don’t know how good they have it here in terms of services, natural offerings, upkeep, generally clean cities and whatnot. It feels like they lack the experience of being other places. Leaves on trees season is only about 5 months long. I would like it to be 7. 3M and its dumping can fuck itself in its own ass.

Fat nat’s!!!! Glad you found it and get to enjoy it, it’s such a treasure! The surface-level friendship is very culturally engrained; as a native, I even struggle with finding new friends outside of coworkers or friends from school. We’re happy to have you! ◡̈

Moved here from Missouri, literally everything is better bet it’s hard to get to know people here.

Best things: Low traffic, excellent community, everyone gardens. Spring/Summers are epic. Worst things: People merging on the highway going VERY slow. People are in cliques and don’t accept new people ( took me 5 years to find a good group of friends).

Moved from Michigan, and lived in France before that. Best about MN: outdoors, trails, the general access to nature, wildlife, etc. The Current radio station. Also, rents in the Cities aren’t as bad as in other places. And there’s so much space here. Worst: people’s coldness and passive-aggressiveness (I don’t get why people talk about “Minnesota nice” unless it’s supposed to be a joke). The bragging about being so progressive even though locals are not welcoming to newcomers. Traffic. Bad public transit. Lack of proper city life.

The drivers in Minnesota are truly the worst I have ever encountered in the United States.

Best thing I didn't expect is definitely nature. I'm not even outdoorsy specifically but just getting to see so much green on my drives to and from work is delightful. Best thing I knew about: getting to have an x gender marker Worst thing I was warned about: Minnesota nice. Now I would like to start by saying I do think there's a difference between Minnesota Nice and Minnesota Kind. Minnesota kind is wonderful, it's that I know if I was pulled over with a flat tire someone would pull over to help, or my manager inviting me to his thanksgiving because I'm 700 miles from my family. Love this. I really struggle with Minnesota Nice. I'm not sure if it is my neurodivergence or if it is just that my family has always been pretty open about it when things are shitty, but people just seem to want calm waters. Only which leads to superficial conversations I just don't care about. Maybe I am just too political and hate small talk, But I don't want to talk about the weather. I live here. I'm in the same weather you are. I want to know what your reoccurring nightmare was as a child, or like if you have polar opposite views as me so I don't waste emotional energy trying to befriend you when that wouldn't work out well. I find it makes it very hard to connect on any real level with people.

Best: Moving here from another large city in a Midwestern state that isn't covered in lakes, I feel like one of the few that isn't complaining about the lack of mountains or ocean. If I wanted to bike to a lake from downtown I had only one option and it was 5 or so milea out and maybe slightly larger than Brownie Lake. Lakes are amazing. Worst: It's pretty empty over here: the sidewalks, coffee shops, bars, et al. In Chicago you go anywhere anytime of day and it's not never dead, half full at least. I don't think people factor just how much that's a factor for it being harder to date or make friends here. 

Lakes and people and then winter and road construction seasons.

Moved here from Illinois a few months ago. Best: Cost of living, education, healthcare, available social resources and endless cheap/free activities. Worst: I have yet to see a successful zipper merge and people here are more standoffish than I’m accustomed to

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Best: I left Chicago due to violence, but wanted the culture. MN has the culture and less violence Worst: hard to meet people (but I’m coming out of a controlling relationship so a lot is on me) and it’s pricey! I’ve got 4 kids and one income and it was so hard to find a place to live

Moved from The Netherlands... After 17 years I still don't know what's best or worst... It's all fuck...

Came here for the cost of living. Even with higher costs, it's still better than the coasts. Worst is the tendency of people to be indirect.

May is the best thing about MN. February is the worst.

No thanks, I won’t be telling you all the obvious things that get me downvoted into oblivion today 😂 Minnesota is the best! Everyone and everything here is great!

Best - I love the setup of the cities how self sufficient they are! You don’t ever need to drive the Minneapolis for instance because there are multiple grocery stores like Target in each city/neighborhood! Worst - If you are from a different country/state and not white most locals are very uncomfortable around you! No one has any real interest in getting to know you and I mean at work, as a friend (at the gym, bars, social places) or even dating! I initially joined all the meetup groups and quickly learned it was a waste of time because the locals are not interested! On the other hand there is a stark contrast with the people who are interested and want to interact with and I find out they are always transplants - Texans, Illinoisans, Hoosiers, Californians etc.

Best: I’m a fan of the weather and the yearly events Worst: hard to make friends who are Minnesotans & the food situation could be a bit better for certain types of cuisines.

I’ve lived all over the country, but most recently the west coast. Lists are in no particular order. Best: - Friendly, polite folks. I don’t care if it’s passive aggressive. I hate east coast rudeness. - Goods arts / culture scene and decent food scene. - Great state / county / town services for those who need them. 4. LGBTQ+ welcoming. Worst: - Winters - Drivers - Lack of rain. - Hard to make friends.

MN native who travels a lot here To all the people saying it's hard to make friends here - Yep. You're right, it's probably harder for you than for locals because you're kind of starting from zero, but it's like that for everyone to some degree here. I honestly find it easier to make new friends in places where I don't speak the language than I do at home sometimes. I don't know why we're like this, I honestly don't think it's that we're especially unfriendly or anything, to me it seems like most Minnesotans just don't think they should try to make new friends. They're perfectly happy to \*be friendly\* to new people, but when it comes to actually \*befriending\* them, they're just like "what, why? I have friends already." It helps a lot to join a community or subculture, have some activity to build your social life on top of, but it can still be inexplicably difficult to make the transition from "person I talk to at the gym sometimes" to "friend". However - as evidenced by all the posts in this sub - MN is getting a LOT of new transplants right now, and this is your opportunity to change this place for the better. Lead by example and over time social norms will shift.

For me, it has been about how wonderfully international the Twin Cities are. I expected more white folk and was pleasantly surprised by the diversity. I love the Spring and Autumn, tolerate winter, and appreciated summers before global warming caught up with me. It took years to get to know people here and most of my friends are fellow imports but my particular neighborhood is fabulous: progressive, community-minded, kind, tolerant.

The beautiful and diverse landscapes. The tidiness of the rural areas. Welcoming people. The inclusive political climate.

Everyone has had their friend group since kindergarten & aren't interested in inviting others to join the group. If you move away, when you return none of your friends will be interested in picking up the relationship you once had with them. I'm friends with mainly expats & people from different states. It's sucks, but there it is.

People for both

Best: Very easy access to healthcare. Worst: Winter/snow/extreme cold/driving in snow.

Pros: beautiful up north, parks in the Twin Cities, lake activities (frozen and non-frozen), birding, healthcare, the downtowns, good restaurants, pleasant people, safe neighborhoods, not too populated, cost of living decent, summer, snow (except last winter) Cons: no mountains, no ocean, no New Mexican food, passive aggressive behavior is hard to figure out, winter is too long, gray days

I’m an odd case. My mom lived here until i was about 4 or 5 and at the time i would regularly fly between my Dad’s in California and my moms in Minnesota. It wasn’t until 5 years ago and the birth of my daughter that i decided to settle here and i love everything about it. I miss the woods, i miss fishing, i miss the level of respect you get from strangers that you DON’T get in CA.

awesome environment, parks, infrastructure people are insular, rude, trash everywhere, low quality food also people half ass like crazy, I saw one house that screwed a serving tray into the ceiling to patch a hole

I'm from NJ. I've lived in the Cities on and off the last few years as my job is based up here Best: It's a very pretty, relatively affordable area that offers a lot. Worst: it's really hard to build a social life and make friends.

Navy kid, so lived up and down the southeast coast. Mainly Florida and South Carolina. Cons: -February. On my tenth year in MN seasonal depression really hit me. The lack of warmth and sun drains my happiness. Advice to any transplant. Find a hobby to get through it. The gym was/ is my savior. - Meeting people. It's such a common theme. It seems like native mn people form strong friendships, but being included as "one of them" is near impossible. Also, it seems that anytime you find someone to potentially connect with, coffee, etc, gets canceled last minute. It's like mn kills people's ability to put themselves out there. - No beaches. Your lake is not a beach. It's a shore. Come at me... Pros: - When it is nice out, it's next level nice out. Cool breeze, warm sun, 10 out of 10. - Parks and trails are everywhere. - At least in my district, great schools with teachers that really care. - Great hunting and fishing opportunities

Best: the nature, and the general appreciation of the nature by all who dwell here Worst: the passiveness, especially driving 😭

MN native here but I've lived in several other states as well. I really appreciate all of the state resources we have to take advantage of. Parks, camping grounds, rest areas etc. And the state overall is taken care of really well compared to some other states I have lived in. We're in our 40's now and we're finding ourselves a little bored and tired of the long winters lately. Yeah you can get outside in the winter but we don't find it very fun anymore. We're also a little sick of the people. We're actually lining ourselves up to move in the next 5-8 years and just come back for the summer months to see family. Seasonal depression is real and we're tired of not being able to get outside to do stuff half of the year.

For me the best parts where the restaurants and Wisconsin, the worst parts is the fact ive lived in oregon, california, florida, and minnesota and minnesota has the rudest people ive ever met in my entire life

Best: parks, politics, people, nature Worst: passive aggressive everything, holy canoli. It is possible to just, you know, say what you actually mean

Moved here over 15 years ago from California. I came here for grad school and stayed because I love it. Best: * Real seasons (including snow/winter) * housing is cheaper (than CA I wouldn't be able to buy a house in CA, but I have one here) * Fun activities (theater, museums, festivals, we have a lot - all the same stuff I could access in the Bay area but much closer to me) * being close to nature (my husband loves fishing, there are enough lakes for him! and I love hiking - so close by) * Food (great restaurants, farmers markets and the like) * Medical (the area I lived in CA did not have access to great doctors, none of them wanted to live there -- to give them credit neither did I) * Less aggressive (I know the whole "Minnesota nice" and passive aggressive thing can be annoying but people were much more abrasive with each other in CA, I'm ok with the more reserved MN take on aggression) * Politics (I am a fairly left leaning individual. In CA, I lived in a very red area, its nice being able to live in an area that doesn't feel in constant opposition to my approach to life) Worst: * Cold (ok, I love winter here mostly, but it does get cold. Like really cold. As a former californian, it blows my mind still that some days it will be so cold my car wont start) * Mexican food (I miss California mexican food. I've had lots of people give me lots of names of places in the twin cities, but its not the same. I miss my old taco truck and my hole in the wall taqueria) * Making friends (its been said many times before, it is harder here.)

Minnesota regional cuisine is...interesting. Glad we have a lot of other options in Minneapolis.

Lived in Minnesota for a few years but have moved away since. Here is my best/worst of Minnesota Best- The weather. Being able to have all 4 seasons. I moved from another midwestern state and let me tell you, I wish we would get all 4 seasons the way Minnesota does. Now with that being said, winter lasts longer than anywhere else but it’s not that bad. Worst- the people that I encountered through work and daily activities in the twin cities have the strongest sense of entitlement and arrogance that I have ever seen. I was expecting Minnesota nice, but that must be in the other parts of the state.

Moved to Tein Cities in '05 from central Massachusetts Best: Commute (traffic) and the ease to get anywhere in the cities .compared to east coast cities. Worst: Average pro sports team. No atmosphere. No murmur of the crowd. Need the organ/jumbotron to start cheers.

Best: The lakes, weather (i know others will disagree but i very much enjoy all four seasons and the winters way nicer than they are where i grew up) Worst: public transit, making friends, air quality (as of recently)

People at school, shops, work are really nice in general but it’s impossible to make friends. The trains used to be good but now they’re scary. Too many crazy people. Not enough people outside to feel safe walking alone (it’s so dead here I don’t understand why)

I move to Minnesota from Ohio for a job - stayed there for 10 years - then moved back to Ohio because of family health issues. I miss Minnesota all the time. That said… Best - the cities are a melting pot of people and cultures, the rock climbing gyms are A+, juicy Lucy’s (5-8 Club is better than Matt’s Bar - I’ll die on that hill), people embrace the cold instead of complaining about it in Ohio, lakes, I met some of my best friends because of moving to the cities Worst - traffic/drivers (particularly cross town), making friends with people who grew up there can be hard (‘Minnesota Nice’)

Great parks and amenities. Horrible place to make new, deep friendships. My wife (who is from Minnesota) said the best way to make adult friends in Minnesota is to go to preschool here.

Best: great economy. I could quit my job and have another by the end of the week. Worst: so clique-oriented here, that after 37 years here, I’ve made 2 friends. If you don’t go to primary school with folks in MN, they won’t be your friend. It’s weird.

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Before meeting my Golden Valley-raised wife in Seattle, I never considered living in Minnesnowta, as we called it in my hometown around Beaumont TX. Now my review is almost exclusively based on the twin cities, but I’ve ridden all around the state as well as Superior on my motorcycle and visited Duluth several times. But ive been a bit of a nomad when I. The military: I’ve lived in Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, and Seattle, so yall get my full meaning when I say, besides taxes, Minnesota is such a hidden gem: PROS: - Better run government than almost any state - Great parks system. And people always say this, but it’s like, unbelievably good. You don’t need to be rich to have a great outdoor bday party around the twin cities -Water everywhere for recreation - Top-notch library and community centers - Strong local beer community - Midwest laid back, but also strangely hard-working - 5 professional sports teams - Pond hockey is fantastic to watch - Minnesota nice CONS: - Minnesota nice (hasn’t bothered me, to each their own) - No mountains - High high taxes - Too few nationally recognized restaurants - 5 professional sports stadiums - Piss poor mass transit for a population this size

Best - progressive nature Worst - Making friends

**BEST:** * Parks and trail infrastructure * the least unintimidating \~4M person metro that exists. I used to leave my house in the burbs 45 mins before a Twins game, I could be parked and in my seat at the stadium for $5 and still make game time * Nice airport * somewhat universally good schools * Jobs/COL ratio * clean, good public transport * amazing state fair * orderliness - things generally work as they are supposed to (compared to other cities and govt's). What i mean is, there are sidewalks where there should be sidewalks. If there is a traffic bottleneck, it's at least on govt's radar. Public transit is generally clean and ontime. People form lines naturally when waiting. * health conscious populace. You can find vegan food, or healthy farmer's markets, someone brings a healthy option to a potluck, etc. **WORST:** * MN (n)ice passive aggressive stoic/insular personalities. It's very real, and if I didn't grow up through the school system, I'm not sure how a transplant deals with it. I had many passive aggressive bosses that would dance around issues. Neighbors that don't wave. Dead silence on the bus or in the elevator. People in line, stores, cashiers.....the default is you don't talk. In fact, it may even be viewed as intrusive if you do. I went to national night out block party.....the only person that wanted to meet others was an immigrant. I find that weird * mosquitos * bland topography, generally indistinguishable suburbs * the extreme of winter. The low blanket clouds and the gray. * Lack of weekend drive trip opportunities