DC & Minneapolis residents please help

[mblax10]

I've been out of college for nearly 2 years now and have decided I'm ready to relocate. After considering many possible cities DC/N.Virginia/Maryland & Minneapolis/St.Paul are my two finalists. I've weighed a lot of the pros & cons of each area and they're very close in my mind. Some of the bigger factors in my decision are:

-I have friends in both areas, but my college roomate and my sister (who knows lots of people) live in the DC area.
-DC has a much higher cost of living. I will probably be renting for 6 months to a year and than buying a condo. Rent in the DC area appears to be around twice as much as Minny. It also looks like it may be pretty tough to find anything in DC for under 200K.
-Salaries look to be pretty similar giving me a lot more purchasing power in Minny.
-I really enjoy live Go Fish. Canterbury is 20 minutes away from Minny. Atlantic City is 3 1/2 hours from DC.
-My girlfriend (who is long distance now) would probably move to DC if I did. There's no way she's moving to Minny.
-I like snow and cold and don't like it when it gets much hotter than 90 degrees.
-Jobs seem to be a non-issue with my work experience, I shouldn't have a hard time finding one in most cities.

I'm not looking for anybody to weigh the above factors for me, I've already done that. Instead, what factors am I missing? Tell me a thing or two about your city I haven't considered that may sway my decision.

[Jeffage]

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It also looks like it may be pretty tough to find anything in DC for under 200K.


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That's the understatement of the year. Try more like 250-300k (plus) for a one bedroom condo (in some cases studio) anywhere you want to live.

Jeff

[meep_42]

How serious are you about the gf?

Other than that point, it seems like you've already made up your mind.

-d

[TheBlueMonster]

well, I near DC and I like it. Of course I don't in the city.

[NLSoldier]

Theres lots of cool 2p2ers in minneapolis.

[d10]

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-I like snow and cold and don't like it when it gets much hotter than 90 degrees.

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>90 degree days don't happen often in DC, although the humidity can be bad. It also gets pretty cold in the winter and snows quite a bit. Maybe not as much as MN, but I don't think the difference is huge, so unless this factor is really important to you I wouldn't think much about it.

Another pro for DC is that you're close enough to other major cities like New York and Baltimore to drive there and back in a day if you wanted to. I don't know of any other cities near Minneapolis that you could visit if you got bored. Also in DC you're close to a number of good Atlantic beaches.

[Autocratic]

I like the atmosphere of DC, and being on the East Coast is just my preference. But, unless you are in love with your girlfriend, it looks like you have made up your mind already.

[LockForward]

I don't know what DC has to offer so its kind of hard to compare the two. But the Twin Cities have a lot to offer. Great parks and lakes in the city. Pretty good live music scene. NFL, NBA, NHL, and (indoor)MLB teams. The traffic in the Twin Cities is probably better than that in DC. Good healthcare available. Lots of new condo devlopment. Canterbury games are soft. Minnesota is a fairly progressive state and has fairly high taxes. No buying liquor on Sundays. Lots of tall blondes. Lots of mosquitoes in the summer. The Twin Cities are kind of off by themselves, Chicago is the closest major city at about a 6 hour drive.

Were there anymore specific things you were looking for in a city?

[StevieG]

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I'm not looking for anybody to weigh the above factors for me, I've already done that. Instead, what factors am I missing? Tell me a thing or two about your city I haven't considered that may sway my decision.

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Minneapolis has a lot more live theatre and music than you might expect. Lots of small independent theatres and bars that book shows. The cold does not stop anyone.

But, man, it is cold. I know you said that you are interested in factors you have not weighed already, but have you ever been to the Twin Cities in February? Ever experienced a week straight of -20 degrees F?

It's not just the intensity, either, it's the duration. The first snow is usually October. The last one in April.

And it's not as if you are escaping 90 degree heat in the summer. It's hot and humid on the plains in summer.

That said, I enjoyed the Twin Cities. You can have a good time there.

[danvh]

Odd the company I work for has two offices...Outside Dc (Fairfax) and Minnaepolis. But whatever..

I cant speak for MN, but my vote would go for DC.. But since I dont know much more about what you actually want, dont know if I can help. PM if you have spefic questions. But without knowing your job and goals and crap...Its hard to say..