Living in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
Tips for Moving and Visiting

Minneapolis is a medium sized city in Minnesota. The city offers a variety of entertainment options, has many parks and lakes, and is easily accessible. People from Minneapolis enjoy the outdoors, and take advantage of all the cities parks throughout the year. Although the winters are cold, you’ll find lots of outdoor recreation opportunities from hockey, to ice fishing, to snowmobiling.

The most important thing to be prepared for when moving to Minneapolis is winters. People often underestimate how cold it can get here, especially those who come from a warmer climate. I recommend purchasing a thick, heavy coat along with gloves, a warm hat, and snow boots upon your arrival.

A Minnesota Winter is not for the faint of heart. Last winter, Minneapolis, was one of several cities in the “Polar Vortex”, known for its dangerously, frigid temperatures. Although most Minnesotans have to grunt through the pain of winter, in summer, there are plenty of parks to hike, bike, walk, and enjoy the warmth. Another fun aspect of daily Minneapolis living, is the coffee shops. If you are a coffee or tea lover, there are so many new coffee shops popping up around the city.

The city of Minneapolis began integrating sustainability practices into City decision making in 2003. The city’s commitment to making Minneapolis pedestrian friendly means you have several accessible transportation modes when it comes to moving around the city; the METRO light-rail transit (LRT), the Metro Transit with 120 bus routes in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas; the Nice Ride bike share program; and more than 77 biking, walking, running, and dog walking trails covering 780 miles to explore.

Minneapolis can boast of the first Muslim woman and Somali-American to be elected to Congress, Ilhan Omar, U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019. Minneapolis, has generations of U.S born citizens and immigrants from all across the world who have built their lives in the city and have experienced success in their home countries as teachers, social workers, lawyers, business owners, doctors, and countless other professions. In turn, they have brought all of their skills and expertise to open businesses invigorating urban and rural communities with their entrepreneurial spirit.

Currently, the most important thing to know about Minneapolis is the tense cultural climate. We have been the epicenter of civil unrest. If moving to Minneapolis be aware of the history of racial segregation. Over decades development in the city has pushed neighborhoods into stark economic contrast. Living on either side of a main street will mean the difference between higher taxes, crime rates, and access to education for families. The city is vibrant and thriving in many ways, but the lack of resources for disenfranchised communities is becoming a strain on all residents.

If moving to Minneapolis, you need to consider whether or not you want to live downtown. While living downtown is great, there are some wonderful neighborhoods outside the cities that are closer to nature. If you have a car, living in the city would be even more expensive when you consider the cost of parking. However, there is always so much to do downtown and you will never be bored.