Would you rather live in north Minneapolis or Bismarck, North Dakota?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I wonder how this breaks down...

For the record north Minneapolis is the home of the awesome red light district, and the most crime-ridden part of Minneapolis. I don't plan on moving there (I'll probably go the southeast), but I would most certainly rather live there than anywhere in North Dakota, or anywhere in Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities for that matter as well.

I can also say from my last visit there that Bismarck is actually now about 10x worse than it was when I lived there, and that's saying a lot! It has transformed from a merely boring city to a boring city that's now horrifically full of big box retailers, McMansion neighborhoods in areas that were pure farmland only 10 years ago, and a disturbingly high growth in megachurches.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Is North Minneapolis ghetto? Does it have a lot of decaying buildings and crime?

Depends on what part you're in. The part I'm usually in (read: red light district) has mostly clean new buildings, and lots of police patrols, so it's fairly safe. I've seen a few of the neighborhoods around it though, and they aren't quite the same. While it's mostly certainly the most decaying and dangerous part of the city though, pretty much all of north Minneapolis is still not as bad as your typical urban ghetto.

And yes, Bismarck has a Barnes and Noble.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I find it hard to believe that there are McMansions in North Dakota, but I'll take your word for it.

You're under the false impression probably that the state is just pure empty farmland. That's most of the land area, yes, but the larger cities, while not too large by traditional standards, aren't too much different cities of their sizes in other places, and that is where most of the population lives, and is growing (the 3 largest cities in North Dakota have almost 1/3 of the population). Bismarck has no real inner city type area, but the new neighborhoods growing up on the fringes of it are just like your typical sprawling exurbs. It's also full of big box retailers and strip malls like I mentioned. Really, no different from typical US suburbia. The outer parts of Fargo and Sioux Falls are no different either.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I wonder how this breaks down...

For the record north Minneapolis is the home of the awesome red light district, and the most crime-ridden part of Minneapolis. I don't plan on moving there (I'll probably go the southeast), but I would most certainly rather live there than anywhere in North Dakota, or anywhere in Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities for that matter as well.

I can also say from my last visit there that Bismarck is actually now about 10x worse than it was when I lived there, and that's saying a lot! It has transformed from a merely boring city to a boring city that's now horrifically full of big box retailers, McMansion neighborhoods in areas that were pure farmland only 10 years ago, and a disturbingly high growth in megachurches.

Is North Minneapolis near Lake Harriet?  Or is it closer to Lake Calhoun?

I liked the area around Lake Harriet.  But I suspect that's not the area you're talking about.

No, Lake Harriet is in southwest Minneapolis.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

St. Louis Park and Minnetonka are to the west, Edina is Southwest, Bloomington is south but Richfield is between it and Minneapolis. Lake Calhoun is north of Lake Harriet, but it's still in the southern half of the city. Kenwood is in the southeast.

There are no good parts of Minneapolis, by your standards. The only part I've ever seen that even came close WAS on the north side ironically, a bunch of fancy new condos, and I was only in that area by accident, I took a wrong turn coming home from a strip club. My aunt lives in a fairly safe and clean neighborhood, but it's all small densely packed houses, not sprawl. Plus there's no reason you should prefer any part of Minneapolis to Bismarck, Bismarck is your dream city, it's a sprawling hellhole of McMansions and big box retailers, just like your typical suburb (even though Bismarck is not a suburb because it has no city to be a suburb of). Besides, didn't you say living in all cities was unbearable?

Edina is a hellhole. It's a completely dry city. No bars or liquor stores in the entire place.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I don't know if it's the law in Edina or not. I just know the place sucks.

I'm just suprised you think there's any nice parts of Minneapolis. You said yourself that cities are unbearable to live in.

BRTD I used to know someone who moved to Lakeville, MN in Dakota County. Whats that town like?

Your typical outer suburban, Republican-voting, McMansion filled suburban hell. A textbook example of why I hate suburbs.

Cottage Grove is only marginally Democratic and rather expensive at that. Much better areas would be Richfield, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley or North/South/West St. Paul.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Well since I don't have kids, then by that logic there is no reason I should not live in the city and should not hate suburbs.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

you've never been to the Vu? It's quite obvious in that area. From the parking lot of the Vu you can see Choice. A few blocks down from Choice there is Sheik's. Sex World is right across the street from Choice. Augie's is only a few blocks down from the Vu. Dreamgirls is only a block away from Augie's. There's even a few more strip clubs in the area I believe.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's in north Minneapolis, even though it's somewhat close to the center of the city. All the streets there have N in the name.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Funny, one of my mom's best friends there is a Hispanic first-generation Mexican-American. Her husband is a white Buddhist convert.

There are black people there too. Not very many, but I typically would see at least one every time I went to the mall.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bump.

I'm now stuck in an interesting situation where I'll have to live in Bismarck before living in north Minneapolis. Luckily it'll be only about 2 weeks.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I suppose the residential neighborhoods north of there are much more ghetto than the business area, but the area around Sex World is still really really sleazy and sketchy. Though I remember once taking a wrong turn, ending up in some neighborhood I had never been in before around 2 AM in that area, and thought it was the creepiest place I've ever been. I got out of there as soon as possible.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

North Minniapolis, I dont mind bad parts of town....

Good for you! Awesome! Too bad the rest of the forum isn't like that.