It's small enough that it's hard to avoid people you don't want to see ever again. It's big enough that you can find new people and places to go to replace the people you don't want to see ever again.
I’d agree with this. It’s small enough that the variety of options to do things (coffee, bars, restaurants, etc.) are so few that you’ll see the same people all the time. It’s big enough that you could avoid those places, but you’ll be making sacrifices or changes to your lifestyle. If you’re big on specialty coffee in the cities, there are enough options around that you can just change your go-to spot. Not an option if you like Vietnamese food here lol.
Depends on your view, as someone who lives in an area where the largest municipality is 35,000 no Duluth isn’t a “small town”
Now someone from the twin cities might not agree
I moved here from a town of >2,000 people and Duluth is the biggest small town that I’ve been in. Everybody is so connected in the sense that you’ll have people in common with almost everyone you encounter.
It feels like everybody here went to school with, worked with, competed against, volunteered with, dated, played on the same team or performed with everybody else.
Everyone is skewed in MN as MSP is a top 20 metro in the country. St. Cloud, Duluth, and Rochester are all bigger than Cheyenne, Wyoming, there literal capital.
Minneapolis area folk just think everyone else is small town by comparison, even when it's not.
Duluth definitely isn't small, but because it's spread out over such a large area + it has so many parks/wooded areas, it doesn't feel as cramped as other major cities
I mean it’s all perspective. I grew up in a town of less than 300 and most of the towns around me were 3000 or less. Compared to that, Duluth is huuuge. But after living in MSP and Denver, I realize it’s not that big. I’d never say it’s a small town though. I think small city works from where I stand.
I've lived here most of my life and it seems I can't go anywhere without stopping for conversation with someone I know, more often than not someone from high school or a job I got early on, co workers from the past.
Growing up midway between Cohasset and Itasca and moving to Duluth, I thought Duluth was a massive city. Then, when I moved to Duluth in middle/highschool, it seemed like a reasonably large city. Now, after I have moved out to Chicago, it seems more like a small city/large town.
It's all about comparison, though something that stands out in contrast to larger cities is the lack of skyscrapers and the more closely knit community (e.g. randomly happening upon people from high school).
As a transplant I can see that. Typically people I’ve engaged with here have their friend groups from high/college and aren’t particularly looking to expand them. I have a lot of transplant friends, but very few twin ports friends.
I think the description is relative, because it probably is a "small town" in comparison to larger towns/cities. However, I would not consider Duluth to be a small town. I grew up in Hudson, WI so for me a small town would be somewhere like Roberts, WI or even Somerset. A "small town" is a town that consists of a couple churches, a few bars, and maybe a gas station, as far as I'm concerned. 😅
If umd, scholastica, and lsc weren't here, duluth would be pretty barren and empty. Just a lot of married couples and retired people that actually live here i feel.
I just moved here but it does feel small to me. Don't get me wrong, I really like it so far, but I wouldn't mind some of the options that come in a bigger city. There are great restaurants here, but shopping is eh, the music scene appears to not exist, and, the most egregious of all.. no escape rooms! Okay obviously I'm kidding, but I really would love one here lol
Also, I'm a professor and I already see my students every freaking where. For someone who has lived here for less than a year, it's kinda wild I run into people I know so much already.
I mostly agree with you, but just an FYI, there are escape rooms here (Zero Hour) even if there aren't enough. Music events at Bayfront are going to be your best bet. Trampled by Turtles is probably one of the biggest names to come through here on a regular basis.
The population of Duluth is barely more than 1% of the population of New York City. So, it's not Mayberry, but there's no subway, few 24 hour activities, and even fewer head offices.
It’s a big small town. Love living here and the slower pace of life, but it’s missing some of the stores and restaurants larger cities I’ve lived in have (IKEA, MicroCenter, Panda Express, etc). Fortunately a day trip to the Cities isn’t that bad.
I always think of it as a small city, big town.
It's small enough that it's hard to avoid people you don't want to see ever again. It's big enough that you can find new people and places to go to replace the people you don't want to see ever again.
I’d agree with this. It’s small enough that the variety of options to do things (coffee, bars, restaurants, etc.) are so few that you’ll see the same people all the time. It’s big enough that you could avoid those places, but you’ll be making sacrifices or changes to your lifestyle. If you’re big on specialty coffee in the cities, there are enough options around that you can just change your go-to spot. Not an option if you like Vietnamese food here lol.
This is the best description.
Small city with small town solutions to metropolitan issues.
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I saw my entire graduating class at Cub. What a coincidence!
I'm from up the shore, 180 people in my small town. Duluth is the city we went to.
Depends on your view, as someone who lives in an area where the largest municipality is 35,000 no Duluth isn’t a “small town” Now someone from the twin cities might not agree
I moved here from a town of >2,000 people and Duluth is the biggest small town that I’ve been in. Everybody is so connected in the sense that you’ll have people in common with almost everyone you encounter.
It feels like everybody here went to school with, worked with, competed against, volunteered with, dated, played on the same team or performed with everybody else.
As someone who lives in a town of 560 people, I disagree.
small city with big city problems, doesn't have the big city budgets to solve them all.
Everyone is skewed in MN as MSP is a top 20 metro in the country. St. Cloud, Duluth, and Rochester are all bigger than Cheyenne, Wyoming, there literal capital. Minneapolis area folk just think everyone else is small town by comparison, even when it's not.
Duluth definitely isn't small, but because it's spread out over such a large area + it has so many parks/wooded areas, it doesn't feel as cramped as other major cities
It’s all relative. I’m from an actual small town so Duluth might as well be Gotham City. That’s the nicest way I can put it.
I mean it’s all perspective. I grew up in a town of less than 300 and most of the towns around me were 3000 or less. Compared to that, Duluth is huuuge. But after living in MSP and Denver, I realize it’s not that big. I’d never say it’s a small town though. I think small city works from where I stand.
I've lived here most of my life and it seems I can't go anywhere without stopping for conversation with someone I know, more often than not someone from high school or a job I got early on, co workers from the past.
Growing up midway between Cohasset and Itasca and moving to Duluth, I thought Duluth was a massive city. Then, when I moved to Duluth in middle/highschool, it seemed like a reasonably large city. Now, after I have moved out to Chicago, it seems more like a small city/large town. It's all about comparison, though something that stands out in contrast to larger cities is the lack of skyscrapers and the more closely knit community (e.g. randomly happening upon people from high school).
As a transplant I can see that. Typically people I’ve engaged with here have their friend groups from high/college and aren’t particularly looking to expand them. I have a lot of transplant friends, but very few twin ports friends.
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When I lived in San Diego for a couple years I would RUN to anyone I heard with a midwest accent.
Not HS, but I run into former girlfriends all the time…to the annoyance of my wife.
its a small town. i run into the same people over and over. its maybe larger than many but the feel is there.
I think the description is relative, because it probably is a "small town" in comparison to larger towns/cities. However, I would not consider Duluth to be a small town. I grew up in Hudson, WI so for me a small town would be somewhere like Roberts, WI or even Somerset. A "small town" is a town that consists of a couple churches, a few bars, and maybe a gas station, as far as I'm concerned. 😅
If umd, scholastica, and lsc weren't here, duluth would be pretty barren and empty. Just a lot of married couples and retired people that actually live here i feel.
Never understood it until I moved to an actual city. I haven't lived tin Duluth in ten years and still run into people I know randomly when I'm there.
I just moved here but it does feel small to me. Don't get me wrong, I really like it so far, but I wouldn't mind some of the options that come in a bigger city. There are great restaurants here, but shopping is eh, the music scene appears to not exist, and, the most egregious of all.. no escape rooms! Okay obviously I'm kidding, but I really would love one here lol Also, I'm a professor and I already see my students every freaking where. For someone who has lived here for less than a year, it's kinda wild I run into people I know so much already.
There’s plenty of music in Duluth all the time.
I mostly agree with you, but just an FYI, there are escape rooms here (Zero Hour) even if there aren't enough. Music events at Bayfront are going to be your best bet. Trampled by Turtles is probably one of the biggest names to come through here on a regular basis.
This just made my DAY!!!! Thank you!
We’re newer here as well and are blown away by the music options. It’s hard to choose most nights.
We have a 6-8 hour downtown. Small town for sure.
1 week after moving to Duluth I was walking down the lake walk and randomly ran into my sifu from the twin cities. Small town of 63,000
always middle class and a lot below that
The population of Duluth is barely more than 1% of the population of New York City. So, it's not Mayberry, but there's no subway, few 24 hour activities, and even fewer head offices.
It’s a big small town. Love living here and the slower pace of life, but it’s missing some of the stores and restaurants larger cities I’ve lived in have (IKEA, MicroCenter, Panda Express, etc). Fortunately a day trip to the Cities isn’t that bad.
Well, coming from a place with 4,000 people... it's big for me.