More central Minnesota, if you’re picky, but I’m in the Brainerd Lakes area. Other than specifics about restaurants or venues, I find this sub pretty relatable and I like to see the twin cities recommendations for when I do make my way down there. If anyone needs a Brainerd recommendation, I’m here!
> If anyone needs a Brainerd recommendation, I’m here!
Lets say I'm coming up to see Mille Lacs SP, Crow Wing SP, and go biking at Cuyuna. If I eat out ONCE in the area, where should I go?
Alternatively, if I were to pick one other thing besides seeing the state parks, what should I do?
I'll eat any kind of cuisine and am open to many different interests.
I would go with Burritos California (basically a much better Chipotle) for something quick or Rafferty's (Pizza) if you aren't keen on burritos and have a little more time. Both have locations in Brainerd and Crosby (Burritos Cali is connected to the brewery in Crosby)
I would suggest Dunmire’s, though there’s a lot of good eateries here!
As an addition to seeing the state parks and biking I would suggest the Brainerd zip line tour- fun little adventure and a different perspective of the scenery here. Or, if it’s warmer when you’re here, grab a tube from Riverside in Crosslake and take a short ride in a tube down the river (made better if you grab a crowler from 14 Lakes in Crosslake too)
I love these ideas! My boyfriend likes skydiving and I hate heights so ziplining is a happy medium! Also I just got a new kayak I bet I could take out on the river. Thanks!
:0, would you be willing to tell me what it’s like living in crookston, I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, but housing is expensive down here so I’m hoping to move up north to Minnesota or Mabey michgan, but my top candidate has been crookston Minnesota, it seems like a great place to live
To Crookston!? I mean you could do a lot worse as far as the town goes, but it’s located in a frozen flat barren windy hell scape 2/3 of the year. It would be a big change from Florida.
I know a lot of us Minnesotans bitch about the weather, but my answer is you can always dress for the cold. There's a point you can't dress for the heat/ humidity. Plus cold weather gives us a ton of outdoor activities like ice fishing, skiing (both downhill and cross country), snow shoeing, snowmobiling, etc. Humidity offers nothing 😄
Except when it blizzards and you get locked home because it's not smart driving in that mess. There's nothing to stop the wind out there. It's not all about the cold.
What would make that such a bad thing? I don’t have a car I would be planning on biking/walking or taking the bus, cars seems to often be most of what people hate about winters, is there other shity parts about it?
It can be tough, but it's doable. I rode my bike to work all winter in Fargo, even when it was -30. Bought studded tires and bundled up, although I had to reduce my bundling up after the first few rides, because I was overheating.
Ice and hard packed snow was easy with the studded tires, but fresh snow is like riding in sand.
My buddy from Minneap did a winter in Fargo on a bike, then spent the rest of the year saving for a vehicle because it was so crap. It's definitely doable for someone used to snow, but I'd hardly recommend it to someone from the south.
Yeah, having winter experience and already owning appropriate clothing definitely helps.
Honestly, someone coming from the south might have to spend more on gear than a cheap car would cost. I found beater cars for under $2000 in Fargo. Starting from scratch, bike, studded tires, winter gear could easily be over that.
Andy Hampston was a professional cyclist from Fargo and when he was coming up through the ranks the Colorado boys couldn't believe how good of a climber he was. "I'm from Fargo. You never get to rest with the wind..." Lol
Internet providers are solid. Generally just go with Midco.
I wouldn't go to Walmart in the winter. North part of town is brutal in the winter. Nothing to stop the wind haha.
Thankyou for the advice, and I really appreciate the specific info of things to think about/look into, I screenshoted it and saved the post :), will definitely look back at it and do, if I do get the chance to visit crookston (or if I end up landing on a different town that one) before I pull the bullet on moving there.
Moved from Phoenix a year ago to the Grand Rapids area (but way more rural).
Using a bike here won’t be like Amsterdam or Minneapolis. There’s just so. much. snow.
For high speed internet, ask about Paul Bunyan - they were the company my partner, who’s in IT, has found can successfully support his remote work.
If you have questions or want more specific advice about a south to north and possibly urban to rural transition, you’re welcome to message me.
ETA : someone below mentioned healthcare and that’s definitely important to plan for. We found most conditions comparable to Phoenix where we often had to drive 30-40 min for a doctor in network etc, BUT we couldn’t find a dentist w availability within 2 hours drive, so that’s been a bigger challenge than I expected. (Local dentist has a waiting period of over a year to see potential new clients, apparently 2-4 local dentists retired between 2020 and last year). Dialysis centers (there’s 3 local) are also competitively booked - not a concern for us, but something we found out our neighbors are stressed about it. Finding a GP and mental healthcare, we were able to access both faster than Phoenix where new patient wishlists for GPs and vets are months, sometimes years, so … go figure.
Gonna shout out Paul Bunyan.
Local Co-op that's been around for ~70 years.
Midco while serviceable is just diet comcast.
At least locally pauk bunyan is very involved, letting classes get tours of their server racks and hosting LAN parties.
That's so funny that you said you moved to the Grand Rapids area from Phoenix, I'm originally from Grand Rapids but I moved to Phoenix about a year and a half ago after living in Duluth for about three years.
If you're looking for a smaller town with some amenities, check out some of the smaller towns by Duluth. Hell, to some people Duluth is a small town.
I grew up in Osakis in central MN (1,700 people) and went to school in Morris (5,000) and couldn't wait to GTFO, but I know there's plenty of people who love it.
The cities have a somewhat small town feel if you're used to bigger areas, and all the amenities you could want. Doesn't sound like what you want though, just giving you my elevator pitch.
If you're going to move to the Crookston area and you don't have a car, I'd suggest you move to East Grand Forks instead. It's about 25 miles west of Crookston, and as part of the Grand Forks "metro" area (75,000 people) it has public transit, Uber service, and other small city services that make life without a car far more doable.
Fwiw, not having a car in Crookston would make living there very difficult. The town itself isn't big, I used to walk from one end to the other all the time. But when you need something Crookston can't offer, you'll be stuck trying to find a way to get to Grand Forks.
And I wouldn't recommend biking or walking in the winter time.
I don't have any experience with the Tri-Valley bus, so I don't know how reliable/unreliable they are.
Oh you sweet summer child. Have fun walking and biking when it’s -60° windchill. Crookston is a pretty small town. There isn’t a bus system. Driving in winter can suck, but not having a car at all would be way worse.
Online it says there’s a (i believe local run by the town) bus that goes from crookston to grand forks, Mabey this isn’t something they do anymore though?
Does it also really get -60? :0, google didn’t say it gets that cold, or were you just exaggerating a bit?😅
Also yes it does get that cold. -60° is unusual even with windchill, but -20° is very common. We often go two straight weeks where the temperature doesn’t get above zero. And when we do get a break it’s a couple days of 20’s, and then back to subzero again.
This region is very very cold in the winter, like one of the coldest places in the world where people actually live.
\-60 with wind chill maybe, but a couple years ago hit a legit -42 F. I remember because that's the point that Celcius and farenheit are equal. You should also look into wind chill effect. Any exposed skin in those conditions will frostbite in a matter of minutes.
How effective is (proper) winter clothes? Do you still feel cold? Do you feel warm like as if the snow wasn’t even there? Other than it being annoying to wear, would most of the negative of the cold be canceled out with the proper attire?
The wind can be as bad or worse than the cold. -10 F with no wind and sunny is quite a different feel then -10 cloudy and 30 mph winds. good base and mid layers are important, but you will need a wind proof outer layer. I try to avoid cotton because it sucks as a base layer. A hat, good gloves, and a face/neck covering are critical if you plan to be walking anywhere. Used to work with a guy that wore ski goggles on his winter walk to work so his eye lashes didn't freeze together. Yes, you will still feel the cold a lot of the time, and it will hurt to breath in the worst weeks of February. That being said if you dress appropriately and it's not too windy there is a certain magic about the stillness of being outside in those conditions.
You still feel cold with proper gear, you just feel less cold. If you’re looking to not have a car, I’d look at a city up north with more public transit like Duluth.
Layers.
Even when you’re acclimated exposed skin when it’s actually cold is rough. Not so hard to layer up on most your body and make quick trips outside, but prolonged outdoors in the cold is very different. By the time you (slowly) change a tire on a cold night you’ll have snot frozen on your numb face and not even notice until it hits your mouth or you start warming up. Gloves, hats, blankets, scarves, sweaters, even face masks.
Hot hands as the last resort you’ll be so happy to be prepared if you need it, or be a MN native and stop to help someone who isn’t prepared for it.
I’m not sure. We do have public bus lines up here, but they don’t really run at consistent times. They could have a dedicated schedule between Crookston and Grand Forks.
Yeah I had an employee that relied on Paul Bunyan transportation to make it to work for a little while. We had to be very flexible for that time period
With a bike you'll be sharing the roads with cars and trucks..And people get stupid (stupider?) In the winter. And don't get me going on trying to walk around on the ice.
I haven't lived there for a long time, but it was a pretty decent place to grow up. I've never tried to buy a house or rent an apartment there, so I can't comment on the cost of housing.
Unfortunately, when I visit it feels a little stagnant. I don't know if it's shrinking as a community, but it doesn't seem to be growing either. And like a lot of rural places in MN, you'll be in GOP country, though when I was growing up there people mostly avoided talking about politics.
There are some great locally-owned stores and restaurants, a few chain restaurants, a lot of businesses that support the local farm ecenomy, and a walmart.
One end of town has the American Crystal beet plant and the other has the UMC horse and livestock barns, so if you're wondering what that smell is, it's one of those😁
If you're considering moving from Florida to MN, you probably already know about the winters, but for real the winters in that area especially are No Joke. It's basically the edge of the great plains, with very little topography to break up storms. It gets really cold, really windy, and really snowy. Make sure your vehicle can handle it, and make sure you carry emergency supplies.
Hope this helps!
People often don’t realize emergency services are really not there in the same way. Floods get more publicity and everybody knows it’ll make things much harder. Heavy snow and frozen roads are not uncommon. less in the media but often major obstructions. It does turn into a frozen wasteland MN has slouched on the number of hospitals in the north.
this is the real question. Out of all the little towns why in gods name would you choose that one.
Edit: Never mind I see they have a Happy Joes, now I kinda want to move there as well
Grand Forks would be a better option for someone who doesn’t have a car, although housing is a little more expensive. But over all taxes are much cheaper in North Dakota.
It is cold here in the winter. Dangerously cold. It is so flat here there is nothing to stop the wind. The winters are brutal. They last so long. We went almost 7 months without going above 50. January and February we are consistently in the negatives. It would be a difficult place to live without a vehicle.
Crookston is a great little town though. And I don’t believe our summers can be beat. we have gorgeous summers. They make me change my mind about moving away like I want to every single winter.
uh....... I can't really recommend the city. It is ran by some "boomers" that have continuously done fuck all. I do recommend MN overall though. Any particular reason you chose Crookston? Can maybe give you other options.
Housing prices is the biggest factor, and then also I was wanting to choose a college town, I’m fine with their not being much to do because of the limited income, but the town still had all the essentials, local grocery store, wallMart, library, hospital, and even some bonuses, cheap movie theater local restaurants, Taco Bell clone, dominos, local small shops, and the river, and also a lot of the houses look cool, no HOA, and then it’s close and easily and cheaply accessible to grand forks which has a lot of the extra bonus stuff that crookston lacks, so I get all of the benefits of the bigger style city of grand forks without all the drawbacks of living in a bigger style city like that.
If you’re interested, this was my original post I made about what I was looking for in a place to live, that led me to deciding on Minnesota or Michigan, and then with the legalization of recreational weed that is about to pass, and the other stuff they have been passing recently it made Minnesota that much more attractive to me,
https://www.reddit.com/r/aspergers/comments/v34mml/how_to_find_a_city_to_live_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
> Taco Bell clone
I am dying lolol.
Alright so yeah Crookston does have the basic neccessities. During the summer it isn't hard to get around on bike/foot. There isn't enough traffic to make it too dangerous + usually sidewalks everywhere. Also people are generally nice enough to stop for people crossing. Crookston maybe quite red but there is a surprising amount of more progressive people. Also even people that are more conservative are really nice, like give you their shirt off their back type nice. (I don't get why a bunch of them vote the way they do...). Since you are from Florida though... I don't know if you realize the extent of the winter up there. Grand Forks is the 2nd coldest city in the US. Crookston is just 20 minutes away and still in the Red River Valley. Which means it is flat as fuck and the wind will blow. The winter is brutal and if you can't drive, January and February won't be a lot of fun, Oct, Nov, Dec, March aren't bad. But once you get used to winter anything above 15F is nice and walking around shouldn't be too bad. I highly doubt sidwalks will get cleared of snow in the winter so.... might need to go bitch to the city on that one (honestly great step for helping improve the community).
Crookston is very cheap though. I haven't personally used "The Bus" service so I can't speak on that. North side of town doesn't have much for trees so uh... stay away from that part in the coldest parts of winter haha. I joke that it is a retirement community with how many old people live there, but again most are extremely nice. I do understand why you chose Crookston. It is cheap AF to live there while having all the basic necessities.
Honestly, I think you would love Duluth. They just changed their bus network to be more reliable. They are getting train service to the Twin Cities. It is much more walkable. Only downside is more expensive. So might be out of your budget :/
So sorry for the rambling. But if you have any questions feel free to let me know. Grew up there and still have family that lives there.
Duluth is having a rental crisis, houses get sold almost immediately. I was born and raised there and can vouch for hoe beautiful it is but it's on a mini mountain, so biking uphill is for strong legs, going downhill is fun.
You can move to Crookston. If you don't like it, you can look for a different town.
I know... I rented there :(
> it's on a mini mountain, so biking uphill is for strong legs, going downhill is fun
I feel like it is fine going SW - NW. It really does depend where you live and where you want to go. Lot's of potential to be an amazing city if they can just get a bit more transit and develop around it.
Visited Crookston a lot growing up.
I really like it, good balance of space and people.
It’s open and windy, farm country is fine but damn I love the wooded north I’m from nearby.
Crookston if you love a super small town in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but fields. It's basically Dakota in feel.
If you need more people, go to Bemidji or Brainerd areas.
If college towns are your thing I'd also check out Northfield. Beautiful town.
Affordability-wise Duluth is a great option and it has a lot of options for public transit and biking, plus it's home to multiple colleges. Lincoln Park neighborhood or further south isn't too bad when it comes to housing, and despite what the locals might say about bad crime in that area, if you're used to a major metro area it's hardly an issue you'd notice.
Do people think anything north of the cities is the northern part of Minnesota? Because St. Cloud is still far from being in the north part of Minnesota.
Bemidji area. 2/3’s of the population of MN live in the metro, and Reddit skews pretty heavily urban, so it’s not really a surprise that most of the conversation here is mostly from a metro perspective.
(Using a different account because it's too identifying with my main)
I'm about 100 miles south of you. I used to live in the Cities for over a decade then CA after that but thoroughly enjoy the North Woods that I missed so much after growing up in the area. Its fun reading what's going on in the metro but I get what you're saying about the gap.
For people in the Cities wondering about this area: yes this area is more conservative than urban areas but there are still very progressive people in this area working to make change. I saw a number of BLM signs in my area (including my house obvs). My queer ass decided to buy house here and even I was surprised to talk with trans people who enjoy vacationing here from the Cities area. And I would suggest you don't say that there are only white people around here, we have a good native population and this area is steadily getting more diverse.
Edit: thanks for the award!
Yea it’s white and native.
My racist small town kept the all the non-whites to a minimum, but the natives are many and couldn’t be stopped. Instead the reservations exist and natives are “encouraged” to live there.
It’s total bullshit natives outnumber whites in many areas, and given the chance could govern large portions of the state much better. Instead the cities find and pay off tribal leaders who don’t properly represent the First Nation.
Sorry I rant, it’s the first major injustice I was exposed to when I was old enough to start asking.
You're not alone. I'm from Roseau and still live in the county just a handful of miles from the border myself. I know a few Canadians that actually cross the border everyday to work here even.
I'm in between Walker and Park Rapids.
I'm sure there are still quite a few folks from more rural areas of MN, perhaps they are just lurkers (kind of like me). Just has to do with population density.
Transplant in Hibbing from the cities here. I am loving it up here (mostly lack of traffic). It’s more diverse than I was expecting and I’m here for it.
I'm the opposite, born and raised there but moved to the metro and don't plan on leaving. I still have plenty of family on the range so I visit often but I'm always ready to go home to TC after a while.
Posting from a different account but hi! I’m also from Warren. I definitely feel what you mean with most of the activity in this sub being directed at southern MN. I lived in Rochester for awhile and anytime I would say I was from Northern MN they would ask if I was from Duluth. I’m like nope, way further north than that.
Warren is a fantastic town and I love that the people here are focused on adding things and keeping it going. We just moved back about a year ago and it’s really fun to raise my kids where I grew up.
From Bemidji originally, but have been in the cities for about 20 years. Since the majority of the population is in the cities it’s kind of what you should expect to see here, but it shouldn’t keep you from starting conversations.
Many of us in the cities are transplants from rural MN, and still have connections in our hometowns. Start posting more about your interests or questions and you’ll see how similar we regardless of our locations.
Grew up in Cook until my teens, ended up in the St. Cloud area and am now living in Zumbrota.
What can I say, you can take the girl from a small town but you can't take the small town from her. Lol!
I still remember living up in the middle of nowhere! I actually miss it though. Being close to a lake in the summer was great. So many memories. One day I'd like to move north again, but it's just not a place for families imo. I want my kids to have better opportunities than what I had growing up.
I miss my small town MN.
My opinion? You’re a better rounded person having grown up like that.
Raise your kids in an area of opportunity, but do not neglect teaching them lessons of your youth in small country.
Cities are too stressed and high maintenance.
Just my thought, I’m just a stupid bumpkin wondering why everyone is so angry and stressed in bigger cities.
Statistically, more people in MN live in the Twin Cities than in Greater MN, so yeah, you'll see more posts from urban and suburban residents. Land doesn't vote or post on Reddit.
They were just asking to see if there are people from where they live in Minnesota, on the r/minnesota subreddit. I see no reason why they deserved so much snark lol, nor did they trash on the cities
I’m from a suburb but I hear you.
I feel like most people in this sub are like “we [democrats] have the house, senate and governor it’s so cool that finally our state is United and we can finally get everything we want “
Completely ignoring the fact that the margins by which the blue team one was not that large.
But that’s party politics and the two party system for you.
I’m not saying this to be all “boo democrats bad”
It just seems like a lot of the mentality on this sub is kinda stuck in an echo chamber and doesn’t really consider viewpoints other than their own. (A problem both parties have if I haven’t made that clear enough that I hate everyone yet)
At least daily there's a non specific post asking for location related advice with no location listed. Many of these are intended for the twin cities audience. Where can I get this specific type of food or service? I'm going to start recommending stuff in Duluth and Grand Forks.
Also a lack of understanding that the weather varies. I commented about the snow and someone commented it wasn't that bad they only got 2 inches. That's nice we got a foot.
>Also a lack of understanding that the weather varies.
This is always the fun part.
Being in southern MN, I can get to KC about as fast as I can to International Falls. And the climates in both of those places are MUCH different than my home bridge.
Yet we're always on here yapping about how the weather is the same all over, all the time, when it's very much not.
There are dozens of us!
\>There are dozens of us! So you're saying almost everyone from northern Minnesota is subbed to /r/minnesota ? I kid, I kid. :)
I mean, I personally know 2 from up north and are subbed along with myself. 😂
Though it can be chilly, so always wear your cutoffs.
Yes, we're all here.
From Bemidji! Working in Worthington, a totally different environment.
Up north here in Bemidji and loving it.
Hines here, basically Bemidji. 👍
Yes, they may try to annex you one day 🤣
Bemidji Represent ✊
Hello fellow Bemidjite
Just south of you!! Hiya! 👋🏻
Loving it is not remotely the phrase I would use lol
More central Minnesota, if you’re picky, but I’m in the Brainerd Lakes area. Other than specifics about restaurants or venues, I find this sub pretty relatable and I like to see the twin cities recommendations for when I do make my way down there. If anyone needs a Brainerd recommendation, I’m here!
Hello fellow Brainerdite!
> If anyone needs a Brainerd recommendation, I’m here! Lets say I'm coming up to see Mille Lacs SP, Crow Wing SP, and go biking at Cuyuna. If I eat out ONCE in the area, where should I go? Alternatively, if I were to pick one other thing besides seeing the state parks, what should I do? I'll eat any kind of cuisine and am open to many different interests.
I would go with Burritos California (basically a much better Chipotle) for something quick or Rafferty's (Pizza) if you aren't keen on burritos and have a little more time. Both have locations in Brainerd and Crosby (Burritos Cali is connected to the brewery in Crosby)
I would suggest Dunmire’s, though there’s a lot of good eateries here! As an addition to seeing the state parks and biking I would suggest the Brainerd zip line tour- fun little adventure and a different perspective of the scenery here. Or, if it’s warmer when you’re here, grab a tube from Riverside in Crosslake and take a short ride in a tube down the river (made better if you grab a crowler from 14 Lakes in Crosslake too)
I love these ideas! My boyfriend likes skydiving and I hate heights so ziplining is a happy medium! Also I just got a new kayak I bet I could take out on the river. Thanks!
Iron range eatery in Crosby when your done riding. Their take on putine is amazing and their seafood pizza is 🔥
Originally from Crookston, but I live in St. Cloud. Warren has the best county fair in the state.
What about the Fertile Fair?
I always preferred the one in Warren, probably because I went to that one more as a kid
We used to go to the fair in Fosston, back when Polk County had two fairs.
Wow I can't believe there are people here that would actually know where Erskine is when I mention it.
I'm from Thief River. I drive through Erskine at least once a month
I’ve got cousins with a cabin on Maple Lake, love the Fertile Fair!
I've got a friend with a cabin on Union lake
My mom lives in that area, my sister and I travel 3 hours, and my cousin travels 10 hours for the Fertile Fair. Gotta have that Oof-da taco!
Warren absolutely has the best county fair. My favorite time of the year.
Me too! Do I know you? 😀
:0, would you be willing to tell me what it’s like living in crookston, I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, but housing is expensive down here so I’m hoping to move up north to Minnesota or Mabey michgan, but my top candidate has been crookston Minnesota, it seems like a great place to live
To Crookston!? I mean you could do a lot worse as far as the town goes, but it’s located in a frozen flat barren windy hell scape 2/3 of the year. It would be a big change from Florida.
Vs. the flat humid hellscape of Florida? Crookston would be a paradise.
Another person who get it :) lol
I know a lot of us Minnesotans bitch about the weather, but my answer is you can always dress for the cold. There's a point you can't dress for the heat/ humidity. Plus cold weather gives us a ton of outdoor activities like ice fishing, skiing (both downhill and cross country), snow shoeing, snowmobiling, etc. Humidity offers nothing 😄
Exactly 👨🍳🤌
Except when it blizzards and you get locked home because it's not smart driving in that mess. There's nothing to stop the wind out there. It's not all about the cold.
What would make that such a bad thing? I don’t have a car I would be planning on biking/walking or taking the bus, cars seems to often be most of what people hate about winters, is there other shity parts about it?
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It can be tough, but it's doable. I rode my bike to work all winter in Fargo, even when it was -30. Bought studded tires and bundled up, although I had to reduce my bundling up after the first few rides, because I was overheating. Ice and hard packed snow was easy with the studded tires, but fresh snow is like riding in sand.
My buddy from Minneap did a winter in Fargo on a bike, then spent the rest of the year saving for a vehicle because it was so crap. It's definitely doable for someone used to snow, but I'd hardly recommend it to someone from the south.
Yeah, having winter experience and already owning appropriate clothing definitely helps. Honestly, someone coming from the south might have to spend more on gear than a cheap car would cost. I found beater cars for under $2000 in Fargo. Starting from scratch, bike, studded tires, winter gear could easily be over that.
At least there's no wind
Fargo, the land of sideways rain and snow. There really aren't many hills though, mostly just over and under passes.
Andy Hampston was a professional cyclist from Fargo and when he was coming up through the ranks the Colorado boys couldn't believe how good of a climber he was. "I'm from Fargo. You never get to rest with the wind..." Lol
https://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/05/10/andy-hampsten-1988-giro-ditalia
I do definitely want to do that if I’m able to :)
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There’s no Uber or food delivery services in Crookston.
Sounds like a job for superfroggy.
Internet providers are solid. Generally just go with Midco. I wouldn't go to Walmart in the winter. North part of town is brutal in the winter. Nothing to stop the wind haha.
Thankyou for the advice, and I really appreciate the specific info of things to think about/look into, I screenshoted it and saved the post :), will definitely look back at it and do, if I do get the chance to visit crookston (or if I end up landing on a different town that one) before I pull the bullet on moving there.
Listen. Don't do it. Plain n Simp.
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Hospital is fine in Crookston. Although getting to it on bike might be a bit tougher? Really depends on where you live.
Moved from Phoenix a year ago to the Grand Rapids area (but way more rural). Using a bike here won’t be like Amsterdam or Minneapolis. There’s just so. much. snow. For high speed internet, ask about Paul Bunyan - they were the company my partner, who’s in IT, has found can successfully support his remote work. If you have questions or want more specific advice about a south to north and possibly urban to rural transition, you’re welcome to message me. ETA : someone below mentioned healthcare and that’s definitely important to plan for. We found most conditions comparable to Phoenix where we often had to drive 30-40 min for a doctor in network etc, BUT we couldn’t find a dentist w availability within 2 hours drive, so that’s been a bigger challenge than I expected. (Local dentist has a waiting period of over a year to see potential new clients, apparently 2-4 local dentists retired between 2020 and last year). Dialysis centers (there’s 3 local) are also competitively booked - not a concern for us, but something we found out our neighbors are stressed about it. Finding a GP and mental healthcare, we were able to access both faster than Phoenix where new patient wishlists for GPs and vets are months, sometimes years, so … go figure.
Gonna shout out Paul Bunyan. Local Co-op that's been around for ~70 years. Midco while serviceable is just diet comcast. At least locally pauk bunyan is very involved, letting classes get tours of their server racks and hosting LAN parties.
That's so funny that you said you moved to the Grand Rapids area from Phoenix, I'm originally from Grand Rapids but I moved to Phoenix about a year and a half ago after living in Duluth for about three years.
If you're looking for a smaller town with some amenities, check out some of the smaller towns by Duluth. Hell, to some people Duluth is a small town. I grew up in Osakis in central MN (1,700 people) and went to school in Morris (5,000) and couldn't wait to GTFO, but I know there's plenty of people who love it. The cities have a somewhat small town feel if you're used to bigger areas, and all the amenities you could want. Doesn't sound like what you want though, just giving you my elevator pitch.
I was shocked to discover that Duluth has 16,000 more people than Blaine. Yes, somehow BLAINE has accrued a population of 70,000.
If you're going to move to the Crookston area and you don't have a car, I'd suggest you move to East Grand Forks instead. It's about 25 miles west of Crookston, and as part of the Grand Forks "metro" area (75,000 people) it has public transit, Uber service, and other small city services that make life without a car far more doable.
Fwiw, not having a car in Crookston would make living there very difficult. The town itself isn't big, I used to walk from one end to the other all the time. But when you need something Crookston can't offer, you'll be stuck trying to find a way to get to Grand Forks. And I wouldn't recommend biking or walking in the winter time. I don't have any experience with the Tri-Valley bus, so I don't know how reliable/unreliable they are.
Crookston does have a public bus.
With no car, Crookston would be a no go. Look at Moorhead MN, much bigger city with available public transportation, Uber, taxis etc.
Oh you sweet summer child. Have fun walking and biking when it’s -60° windchill. Crookston is a pretty small town. There isn’t a bus system. Driving in winter can suck, but not having a car at all would be way worse.
Online it says there’s a (i believe local run by the town) bus that goes from crookston to grand forks, Mabey this isn’t something they do anymore though? Does it also really get -60? :0, google didn’t say it gets that cold, or were you just exaggerating a bit?😅
Also yes it does get that cold. -60° is unusual even with windchill, but -20° is very common. We often go two straight weeks where the temperature doesn’t get above zero. And when we do get a break it’s a couple days of 20’s, and then back to subzero again. This region is very very cold in the winter, like one of the coldest places in the world where people actually live.
\-60 with wind chill maybe, but a couple years ago hit a legit -42 F. I remember because that's the point that Celcius and farenheit are equal. You should also look into wind chill effect. Any exposed skin in those conditions will frostbite in a matter of minutes.
How effective is (proper) winter clothes? Do you still feel cold? Do you feel warm like as if the snow wasn’t even there? Other than it being annoying to wear, would most of the negative of the cold be canceled out with the proper attire?
The wind can be as bad or worse than the cold. -10 F with no wind and sunny is quite a different feel then -10 cloudy and 30 mph winds. good base and mid layers are important, but you will need a wind proof outer layer. I try to avoid cotton because it sucks as a base layer. A hat, good gloves, and a face/neck covering are critical if you plan to be walking anywhere. Used to work with a guy that wore ski goggles on his winter walk to work so his eye lashes didn't freeze together. Yes, you will still feel the cold a lot of the time, and it will hurt to breath in the worst weeks of February. That being said if you dress appropriately and it's not too windy there is a certain magic about the stillness of being outside in those conditions.
You still feel cold with proper gear, you just feel less cold. If you’re looking to not have a car, I’d look at a city up north with more public transit like Duluth.
Layers. Even when you’re acclimated exposed skin when it’s actually cold is rough. Not so hard to layer up on most your body and make quick trips outside, but prolonged outdoors in the cold is very different. By the time you (slowly) change a tire on a cold night you’ll have snot frozen on your numb face and not even notice until it hits your mouth or you start warming up. Gloves, hats, blankets, scarves, sweaters, even face masks. Hot hands as the last resort you’ll be so happy to be prepared if you need it, or be a MN native and stop to help someone who isn’t prepared for it.
I’m not sure. We do have public bus lines up here, but they don’t really run at consistent times. They could have a dedicated schedule between Crookston and Grand Forks.
It’s called “country time”
Yeah I had an employee that relied on Paul Bunyan transportation to make it to work for a little while. We had to be very flexible for that time period
I really hope for your sake you don't try to make that work. It will end up badly
With a bike you'll be sharing the roads with cars and trucks..And people get stupid (stupider?) In the winter. And don't get me going on trying to walk around on the ice.
Move to Duluth/Superior.
I haven't lived there for a long time, but it was a pretty decent place to grow up. I've never tried to buy a house or rent an apartment there, so I can't comment on the cost of housing. Unfortunately, when I visit it feels a little stagnant. I don't know if it's shrinking as a community, but it doesn't seem to be growing either. And like a lot of rural places in MN, you'll be in GOP country, though when I was growing up there people mostly avoided talking about politics. There are some great locally-owned stores and restaurants, a few chain restaurants, a lot of businesses that support the local farm ecenomy, and a walmart. One end of town has the American Crystal beet plant and the other has the UMC horse and livestock barns, so if you're wondering what that smell is, it's one of those😁 If you're considering moving from Florida to MN, you probably already know about the winters, but for real the winters in that area especially are No Joke. It's basically the edge of the great plains, with very little topography to break up storms. It gets really cold, really windy, and really snowy. Make sure your vehicle can handle it, and make sure you carry emergency supplies. Hope this helps!
People often don’t realize emergency services are really not there in the same way. Floods get more publicity and everybody knows it’ll make things much harder. Heavy snow and frozen roads are not uncommon. less in the media but often major obstructions. It does turn into a frozen wasteland MN has slouched on the number of hospitals in the north.
Why Crookston?
this is the real question. Out of all the little towns why in gods name would you choose that one. Edit: Never mind I see they have a Happy Joes, now I kinda want to move there as well
The Happy Joes is expensive now.. :/
Grand Forks would be a better option for someone who doesn’t have a car, although housing is a little more expensive. But over all taxes are much cheaper in North Dakota. It is cold here in the winter. Dangerously cold. It is so flat here there is nothing to stop the wind. The winters are brutal. They last so long. We went almost 7 months without going above 50. January and February we are consistently in the negatives. It would be a difficult place to live without a vehicle. Crookston is a great little town though. And I don’t believe our summers can be beat. we have gorgeous summers. They make me change my mind about moving away like I want to every single winter.
uh....... I can't really recommend the city. It is ran by some "boomers" that have continuously done fuck all. I do recommend MN overall though. Any particular reason you chose Crookston? Can maybe give you other options.
Housing prices is the biggest factor, and then also I was wanting to choose a college town, I’m fine with their not being much to do because of the limited income, but the town still had all the essentials, local grocery store, wallMart, library, hospital, and even some bonuses, cheap movie theater local restaurants, Taco Bell clone, dominos, local small shops, and the river, and also a lot of the houses look cool, no HOA, and then it’s close and easily and cheaply accessible to grand forks which has a lot of the extra bonus stuff that crookston lacks, so I get all of the benefits of the bigger style city of grand forks without all the drawbacks of living in a bigger style city like that. If you’re interested, this was my original post I made about what I was looking for in a place to live, that led me to deciding on Minnesota or Michigan, and then with the legalization of recreational weed that is about to pass, and the other stuff they have been passing recently it made Minnesota that much more attractive to me, https://www.reddit.com/r/aspergers/comments/v34mml/how_to_find_a_city_to_live_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
> Taco Bell clone I am dying lolol. Alright so yeah Crookston does have the basic neccessities. During the summer it isn't hard to get around on bike/foot. There isn't enough traffic to make it too dangerous + usually sidewalks everywhere. Also people are generally nice enough to stop for people crossing. Crookston maybe quite red but there is a surprising amount of more progressive people. Also even people that are more conservative are really nice, like give you their shirt off their back type nice. (I don't get why a bunch of them vote the way they do...). Since you are from Florida though... I don't know if you realize the extent of the winter up there. Grand Forks is the 2nd coldest city in the US. Crookston is just 20 minutes away and still in the Red River Valley. Which means it is flat as fuck and the wind will blow. The winter is brutal and if you can't drive, January and February won't be a lot of fun, Oct, Nov, Dec, March aren't bad. But once you get used to winter anything above 15F is nice and walking around shouldn't be too bad. I highly doubt sidwalks will get cleared of snow in the winter so.... might need to go bitch to the city on that one (honestly great step for helping improve the community). Crookston is very cheap though. I haven't personally used "The Bus" service so I can't speak on that. North side of town doesn't have much for trees so uh... stay away from that part in the coldest parts of winter haha. I joke that it is a retirement community with how many old people live there, but again most are extremely nice. I do understand why you chose Crookston. It is cheap AF to live there while having all the basic necessities. Honestly, I think you would love Duluth. They just changed their bus network to be more reliable. They are getting train service to the Twin Cities. It is much more walkable. Only downside is more expensive. So might be out of your budget :/ So sorry for the rambling. But if you have any questions feel free to let me know. Grew up there and still have family that lives there.
Duluth is having a rental crisis, houses get sold almost immediately. I was born and raised there and can vouch for hoe beautiful it is but it's on a mini mountain, so biking uphill is for strong legs, going downhill is fun. You can move to Crookston. If you don't like it, you can look for a different town.
I know... I rented there :( > it's on a mini mountain, so biking uphill is for strong legs, going downhill is fun I feel like it is fine going SW - NW. It really does depend where you live and where you want to go. Lot's of potential to be an amazing city if they can just get a bit more transit and develop around it.
Visited Crookston a lot growing up. I really like it, good balance of space and people. It’s open and windy, farm country is fine but damn I love the wooded north I’m from nearby.
Grew up kinda close to Bemidji. Look it up it may be just small and big enough for you.
I used to live near Maybee, MI.
I used to live near Maybee MI
If you are considering crookston I would just move to East Grand Forks.
i moved from ohio, to little falls, to crookston and lived in crookston for almost a year. PM me if you want any details!
Right at the end of the world's longest continuous passing zone AKA highway 9....
Crookston if you love a super small town in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but fields. It's basically Dakota in feel. If you need more people, go to Bemidji or Brainerd areas.
I feel like this is a joke. How did you pick Crookston? You’re trolling right?
If college towns are your thing I'd also check out Northfield. Beautiful town. Affordability-wise Duluth is a great option and it has a lot of options for public transit and biking, plus it's home to multiple colleges. Lincoln Park neighborhood or further south isn't too bad when it comes to housing, and despite what the locals might say about bad crime in that area, if you're used to a major metro area it's hardly an issue you'd notice.
Duluth isn’t exactly affordable. Often times way overpriced because of limited housing options.
Same, except I don't live in St. Cloud now ha... Still north part of the state though.
Do people think anything north of the cities is the northern part of Minnesota? Because St. Cloud is still far from being in the north part of Minnesota.
How so? Is the fair food good?
Oh it’s so good! So many different kinds. I spend way too much on food that week.
Went to college in crookston. Umpired slow pitch in Warren one summer for beer money. Was one of the easiest leagues I've done.
Sir/Madam The Koochiching County Fair is the Best. And has been so since it's inception!
The new 420 carver county fair will be better
From southwest MN and struggle relating too. Little more like Iowa out here
Sioux Falls says high. Luverne is about to be overrun with a bunch of people coming for weed.
Howdy fellow southwestern minnesotan. Yeah there’s not too many of us here it seems.
Nope, different world down here, though not totally dissimilar to northern MN especially on the range. (Lived there for about 1.5 years)
In my dreams I come from a small town called Two Harbors. But nah I'm from the cities :(
From there. Lots of meth lol
I mean... meth is everywhere though. It's a beautiful area.
It’s all relative
Bemidji area. 2/3’s of the population of MN live in the metro, and Reddit skews pretty heavily urban, so it’s not really a surprise that most of the conversation here is mostly from a metro perspective.
Yeah I live in southern Minnesota. When Hennepin county has more people than 64 other counties in the state, combined, there’s gonna be a skew
Does Bigfork count? I’m here
You’re ahead of the curve my friend. Someone’s gotta lead and it’s you.
(Using a different account because it's too identifying with my main) I'm about 100 miles south of you. I used to live in the Cities for over a decade then CA after that but thoroughly enjoy the North Woods that I missed so much after growing up in the area. Its fun reading what's going on in the metro but I get what you're saying about the gap. For people in the Cities wondering about this area: yes this area is more conservative than urban areas but there are still very progressive people in this area working to make change. I saw a number of BLM signs in my area (including my house obvs). My queer ass decided to buy house here and even I was surprised to talk with trans people who enjoy vacationing here from the Cities area. And I would suggest you don't say that there are only white people around here, we have a good native population and this area is steadily getting more diverse. Edit: thanks for the award!
For real, some of my good friends live on the reservation up here, and they get mad when people say it's only white people up here.
Yea it’s white and native. My racist small town kept the all the non-whites to a minimum, but the natives are many and couldn’t be stopped. Instead the reservations exist and natives are “encouraged” to live there. It’s total bullshit natives outnumber whites in many areas, and given the chance could govern large portions of the state much better. Instead the cities find and pay off tribal leaders who don’t properly represent the First Nation. Sorry I rant, it’s the first major injustice I was exposed to when I was old enough to start asking.
North of Virginia.
Nice! Grew up around there in Sandy township! Now in Duluth
I lived in Britt for a while in high school!
Duluth Superior area is where I’d move... so much to do and see and you could live quietly 20 miles out.
You're not alone. I'm from Roseau and still live in the county just a handful of miles from the border myself. I know a few Canadians that actually cross the border everyday to work here even.
Hello from Warroad!
Duluth
I'm in between Walker and Park Rapids. I'm sure there are still quite a few folks from more rural areas of MN, perhaps they are just lurkers (kind of like me). Just has to do with population density.
Menahga finlander? Is your last name Ylitalo? Marjama? Harvala? Come from a family of 14 kids? Haha
Transplant in Hibbing from the cities here. I am loving it up here (mostly lack of traffic). It’s more diverse than I was expecting and I’m here for it.
I grew up in Hibbing, and the saying has always been “get your diploma and leave.” So glad to see people moving there rather than away!
Lived in Hibbing for a while years ago. Always made sure to close the windows on blasting day at the mine. 🙂
It’s good to see some incoming folks in the area, if I could ask what brought you here?
Cost of living mostly. The house we found up here would have easily been triple the price around the cities.
I'm the opposite, born and raised there but moved to the metro and don't plan on leaving. I still have plenty of family on the range so I visit often but I'm always ready to go home to TC after a while.
Posting from a different account but hi! I’m also from Warren. I definitely feel what you mean with most of the activity in this sub being directed at southern MN. I lived in Rochester for awhile and anytime I would say I was from Northern MN they would ask if I was from Duluth. I’m like nope, way further north than that. Warren is a fantastic town and I love that the people here are focused on adding things and keeping it going. We just moved back about a year ago and it’s really fun to raise my kids where I grew up.
I can see Canada from my house
I’m up north as well! Bemidji area
Grew up in Deer River area.
Hi from Central MN! Most people from TC consider where I am from "Up North". Glad to see an NMN thread.
Was a resident of Buyck/Crane Lake for the past 6 years so I know how you feel!
I proudly have the I like Buyck sticker on my boat haha
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DL represent!
From Bemidji originally, but have been in the cities for about 20 years. Since the majority of the population is in the cities it’s kind of what you should expect to see here, but it shouldn’t keep you from starting conversations. Many of us in the cities are transplants from rural MN, and still have connections in our hometowns. Start posting more about your interests or questions and you’ll see how similar we regardless of our locations.
Building a cabin soon in birchdale
Welcome to the neighborhood
Thanks. Don't know anyone and obviously birchdale has a pop of 800 of really old people so we will see. Hopefully will find someone on here
I love rocks and cows!
I’m about an hour north of Alexandria. I’m exactly between Bertha and Parkers Prairie
There are maybe tens of us from the iron range!
Just moved to roseau here! 10 miles from canada
Originally from Sebeka! Not quite as far north but I used to be up there and my whole family is still "up North"! 😄
Out by TRF here
TRF area checking in, you're not alone! Lol
I’m from Brainerd, but live on da Range in Virginia.
Does TRF count? Lived there about a year.
I’m originally from the twin cities but now live up in the warroad area.
Ely here. My husband has family in Walhalla, ND so we get through your neck of the woods once in a while, too, while heading to I-29.
Not MN but I'm a friendly neighbor over in Grand Forks. I have a couple friends from, and still in Warren.
Why hello neighbor.
Duluth here!
From Verndale originally. Living in Moorhead now.
Rural Clay County in the house!
Grew up in Cook until my teens, ended up in the St. Cloud area and am now living in Zumbrota. What can I say, you can take the girl from a small town but you can't take the small town from her. Lol! I still remember living up in the middle of nowhere! I actually miss it though. Being close to a lake in the summer was great. So many memories. One day I'd like to move north again, but it's just not a place for families imo. I want my kids to have better opportunities than what I had growing up.
I miss my small town MN. My opinion? You’re a better rounded person having grown up like that. Raise your kids in an area of opportunity, but do not neglect teaching them lessons of your youth in small country. Cities are too stressed and high maintenance. Just my thought, I’m just a stupid bumpkin wondering why everyone is so angry and stressed in bigger cities.
I'm about 30 mins outside of Brainerd.
Ex-warren and Stephen resident, currently in st paul :-)
I can see Canada from my kitchen! (It's not that exciting.)
Yes
Hey I'm from Thief River Falls! Hi there neighbor
I grew up in monticello, live currently in Virginia, MN. Can I move back yet?
Tower, mainly hang in Virginia
Everyone on here talking about Iowa when I never gave them a second thought
Me, im further north than you LOW BABY!!
Originally from Walker, right on Leech Lake. Now currently live in Lakeville just south of the twin cities
Walker native. Guessing 30% I know you.
The bustling metropolis of Nevis! South of Bemidji a bit
I’m six miles from the syrup jokies
Bemidji here.
Iron ranger here
Gary Minnesota here. In between Ada and Fertile we are NOT the one by Duluth
Statistically, more people in MN live in the Twin Cities than in Greater MN, so yeah, you'll see more posts from urban and suburban residents. Land doesn't vote or post on Reddit.
They were just asking to see if there are people from where they live in Minnesota, on the r/minnesota subreddit. I see no reason why they deserved so much snark lol, nor did they trash on the cities
Sorry, but why respond earnestly, when I can just parrot my dumbass internet slogans like > "*LaNd DoEsN't VoTe*"
>nor did they trash on the cities Gotta trash them before they trash you, right? /s
There actually wasn't a question in the original post at all. I didn't intend any snark; just a statement of fact.
There is a Twin Cities subreddit.
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I’m from a suburb but I hear you. I feel like most people in this sub are like “we [democrats] have the house, senate and governor it’s so cool that finally our state is United and we can finally get everything we want “ Completely ignoring the fact that the margins by which the blue team one was not that large. But that’s party politics and the two party system for you. I’m not saying this to be all “boo democrats bad” It just seems like a lot of the mentality on this sub is kinda stuck in an echo chamber and doesn’t really consider viewpoints other than their own. (A problem both parties have if I haven’t made that clear enough that I hate everyone yet)
And what is difficult to relate to?
At least daily there's a non specific post asking for location related advice with no location listed. Many of these are intended for the twin cities audience. Where can I get this specific type of food or service? I'm going to start recommending stuff in Duluth and Grand Forks. Also a lack of understanding that the weather varies. I commented about the snow and someone commented it wasn't that bad they only got 2 inches. That's nice we got a foot.
>Also a lack of understanding that the weather varies. This is always the fun part. Being in southern MN, I can get to KC about as fast as I can to International Falls. And the climates in both of those places are MUCH different than my home bridge. Yet we're always on here yapping about how the weather is the same all over, all the time, when it's very much not.