What should I know about relocating to Minneapolis?
Hello all,
I have been seriously considering moving to Minneapolis from my hometown of Winnipeg, Canada, in about seven years. If you [have] live[d] there or visited there recently, can you please give me some tips about the following things?
-climate
-cost of living/taxes
-crime rates
-major economic sectors
-general feel of the city
-good places to eat, shop, etc.
-whether or not it’s a good place for an aspiring political commentator to live
Thanks in advance!
2 Responses
MelodySong
01 Feb 2010
Charlie
01 Feb 2010
Your PRIMARY concern will be getting a visa that allows you to live and work in the U.S. The only way you can work in the U.S. is to get a temp. work visa. ‘this means you need to be VERY special and find an employer to sponsor you…nearly impossible….esp. now . See 1st site below. If you think you want to immigrate permanently…nearly impossible. You must have an immediate relative in the U.S. to sponsor you. Canadians do not qualify for the diversity lottery program…and it gives an infinitesimal chance and take years anyway. See 2nd site. See 3rd site to read about all the different types of visas to see if you qualify for one. If you wish to attend college in the U.S., you do not need a student visa. You do need to get accepted by a college and the foreign students office at the college helps you fill out the proper papers to file.
…
Winters are pretty long, and cold. The temperature seems to range from subzero farenheit to maybe 40 degrees farenheit during the winter. Lots of snow. Summers are pretty mild with temperatures often ranging from the 70s to 80s farenheit. It can get humid though.
It’s a pretty clean city. There a lot of nice little places to eat, and shop. The Mall of America (the country’s biggest mall) is just a short drive away. (I think less than an hour) It can be hard to find free parking downtown. There are a lot of parking meters.
I’m not sure about the crime rates, but I think they’re not relatively too bad.
It’s not uncommon to see people dressed in businesswear. Unlike cities like Los Angeles, where suits and ties can be rare sightings.
Overall, as far as big cities go Minneapolis is pretty nice.
Here’s a great website where you can compare Minneapolis to another city:
http://www.bestplaces.net/city/
I hope this helps!