Best City in America 2011. And the winner is....
Being an American is one thing when abroad, but back home it's a totally different ball-field. My family moved from my birth state of New York when I was about 3-years old, and ever since then the state or country I find myself in has changed every few years. It's made the question "Where are you FROM?" quite a stress when the simple answer "I'm an American" does not satisfy. What makes matters even more complicated is, I left home when I was 16 and chose for the first time where I wanted to live. So what is it that defines where someone comes from? Where you're born, where you spent the most years of your life, what it says on your driver's license, or where you choose to live?
I usually change the answer to the question every few months anyway, but I feel it's about time to give Minneapolis another opportunity due to how awesome it is.
I moved into an apartment right off Hennepin Avenue in Uptown a few weeks before I turned 17 and university classes began. It was quite intimidating to move from a small town in South Dakota to somewhere "big" I knew very little about, but I found my way and spent a few years living in Uptown with just one short stint in the gorgeous, historical sister-city, St. Paul.
Although I left before I even turned 21, Minneapolis was the first place I really began to identify myself with. It has four very distinct seasons, ranging from sweltering heat to a winter so cold your toes go numb and you worry about your eyes freezing over if you forget to blink for a second.
But no matter the weather, it's spectacularly beautiful.
The state itself is known for its 10,000 lakes which means the city is surrounded by outdoor activities, nature, and a few hours drive from cabins and summers at the lake. There is a plethora of private and state universities keeping folks young and educated, it's clean, always a musician or artist in town you'd love to see if entertainment is what you thirst, cultural diversity from a large population of refugees who have relocated there, and apparently there are a few other reasons that have recently given Minneapolis a few spotlights in the news:
Just a few things Minneapolis has been recognized for in 2011:
- Best City to Find Employment - This is due in part to the large medical facilities that have weathered much of the economic downturns.
- Gayest City in America - This is a bit of a thorn in San Fran's side, but I think when even the straight guys are talking with a gay twang, then you're beat. It's just part of the culture to be gay... even if you're not.
- America's Most Bike Friendly City - Yes indeed it is, which may be surprising considering half the year the city is completely covered in ice. But when it's not, make the most of it! You put on those skinny jeans, roll them up like the true hipster you are, and live late into the night!
and finally,
- Best Places to Live in 2010 - Although I've never been to Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis, I've met a lot of well-educated, wealthy, kinda haughty Minnesotans that grew up there.
So, all in all, it's pretty sweet especially if you're looking for a sweet-ass place to settle down and maybe pop out a few babies. If it weren't for that cold, perhaps I would reconsider our relationship status of "seperated." But when the floods strike and global warming gets a kickin', I know where I'll be.....