Hi All,
i am going through an interview process for a position in Rochester, MN. Having grown up in the mid-atlantic in mostly a farm community, I know almost nothing about the mid-west. Not to say I dont know that its a big world - thanks to the US military the wife and I have lived overseas for the past 10+ years and its now time to come back to the US.
Does anyone in the forum know what Rochester is like? I've queried the oracle (Google) so I sorta understand what is going on there as it concerns news, economy, etc. but it is always best to see if I can find someone that is living or has lived there recently to see what they thought of the place.
Thanks
Erick
i am going through an interview process for a position in Rochester, MN. Having grown up in the mid-atlantic in mostly a farm community, I know almost nothing about the mid-west. Not to say I dont know that its a big world - thanks to the US military the wife and I have lived overseas for the past 10+ years and its now time to come back to the US.
Does anyone in the forum know what Rochester is like? I've queried the oracle (Google) so I sorta understand what is going on there as it concerns news, economy, etc. but it is always best to see if I can find someone that is living or has lived there recently to see what they thought of the place.
Thanks
Erick
30 years ago I had occasion to be in Rochester on a few occasions for business - always several days to a week at a time, so I had some opportunity to get a "feel" for the place. Based on those experiences I decided it was a place I'd probably like to live - maybe even make a definite effort to live there - if the chance presented itself. Probably due to the strong academic presence, there seemed to be a lot of arts/cultural/intellectual activity. The general pace of life seemed slower, and the awareness of the "outside world" seemed greater, than in Suburban Washington DC (where I was living at that time).
Dale
Dale
Rochester is pretty decent. Mid size with many professionals due to the Mayo being there. Lots of nurses. LOL
If I wasn't in the Twin Cities I could live in Rochester.
I think IBM still has a plant there.
Winters in MN are a bear so be prepared.
Hunting, fishing and boating are standard past times. The Mall Of America is 1.5 hours away for the shopping members of the family.
If I wasn't in the Twin Cities I could live in Rochester.
I think IBM still has a plant there.
Winters in MN are a bear so be prepared.
Hunting, fishing and boating are standard past times. The Mall Of America is 1.5 hours away for the shopping members of the family.
It helps keep the riff-raff away. At least that's what they said when I lived in the state of Superior.
Winters are cold there, who knew? 😉
Mike - we are looking at parts of St Paul and are thinking of getting on the Mayo commute wagon as a possibility. We dont have any children - so schools are not an issue and we like where we live now - in a downtown area where we can walk out our door and hit a restaurant/shop/bar as needed. It seems as though Rochester has a bit of sprawl and not that type of life.
./e
Mike - we are looking at parts of St Paul and are thinking of getting on the Mayo commute wagon as a possibility. We dont have any children - so schools are not an issue and we like where we live now - in a downtown area where we can walk out our door and hit a restaurant/shop/bar as needed. It seems as though Rochester has a bit of sprawl and not that type of life.
./e
You'll learn to speak "Minne-soh-a-tease" -- you can get lessons on NPR courtesy of Garrison Keilor. Minneapolis Airport has pronunciation guides.
Couple years ago NPR had an episode talking to folks who had moved to the upper midwest on temporary assignments from all over the States -- none of them moved back. One was a woman internist, another was a lineman...
Couple years ago NPR had an episode talking to folks who had moved to the upper midwest on temporary assignments from all over the States -- none of them moved back. One was a woman internist, another was a lineman...
Rochester is pretty nice. I live in the Twin Cities and have occasion to do business there. I would never do a 3 hour commute every day, it isn't THAT nice, and driving in the winter (~snow a good possibility in Nov-Mar anyway) can be a pain. I'd consider living in some intermediate community like Cannon Falls or Zumbrota if I wanted to be a bit closer to the big city.
By the way, the cold here is nothing like the bone-chilling damp cold you can get in parts of Germany. I had a coat I bought when I lived in Austria and I was cold in Berlin in Febuary at -4C, but was never cold here, even at -20C.
By the way, the cold here is nothing like the bone-chilling damp cold you can get in parts of Germany. I had a coat I bought when I lived in Austria and I was cold in Berlin in Febuary at -4C, but was never cold here, even at -20C.
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Hi Ron,
Thanks for the insight - I keep forgetting that when I look at Google Earth for traffic analysis that Rochester/ST Paul hasnt started their day, a 70 minute trip turned into 90 real fast.
Very true on the damp cold here as well. I woke up this morning and it is was a rainy 46 degrees - this weekend looks to fare better with a sunny high of 50ish. Here it more important to get a coat that is waterproof than any other type of coat.
The issue we were having w/ Rochester is the 'things to do' aspect after work. Granted a bunch of highly educated people work for the Mayo Clinic and Rochester in essentially a company town you would think there would be gobs of stuff but we are having a hard time finding it. We keep seeing announcements that Mayo is giving the city $ to build more items of interest but that will take time. The ability to walk out our door right now and do almost anything has really jaded us and that is what lead us to examine ST Paul - particularly Summit/University and West ST Paul areas. I think the wife is also looking at Red Wing and some of the other towns along the Mississippi.
Thanks for the responses - helps quite a bit.
./e
Thanks for the insight - I keep forgetting that when I look at Google Earth for traffic analysis that Rochester/ST Paul hasnt started their day, a 70 minute trip turned into 90 real fast.
Very true on the damp cold here as well. I woke up this morning and it is was a rainy 46 degrees - this weekend looks to fare better with a sunny high of 50ish. Here it more important to get a coat that is waterproof than any other type of coat.
The issue we were having w/ Rochester is the 'things to do' aspect after work. Granted a bunch of highly educated people work for the Mayo Clinic and Rochester in essentially a company town you would think there would be gobs of stuff but we are having a hard time finding it. We keep seeing announcements that Mayo is giving the city $ to build more items of interest but that will take time. The ability to walk out our door right now and do almost anything has really jaded us and that is what lead us to examine ST Paul - particularly Summit/University and West ST Paul areas. I think the wife is also looking at Red Wing and some of the other towns along the Mississippi.
Thanks for the responses - helps quite a bit.
./e
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Get a garden or even a hobby farm, that takes care of the summer.
Get a snowmobile and a nice icehouse and your winter is taken care of 😉
Take trips to the big city on the weekend if that is what floats your (marital) boat. It might also be important to make a man cave for the times you can't get out 😉
Get an ice-hut for the lake.
Garison Keilor ice-fishing joke:
Amos: "How do you catch a fish when you're ice-fishing?"
Andy: "You dig a hole in the ice with your pick-axe and put a circle of canned peas around the hole"
Garison Keilor ice-fishing joke:
Amos: "How do you catch a fish when you're ice-fishing?"
Andy: "You dig a hole in the ice with your pick-axe and put a circle of canned peas around the hole"
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