I’m Carl from 1500 Days to Freedom. Before I headed to Camp FI Midwest, I had a few days to spend in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Before I get to my Minneapolis wanderings, a bit of backstory…
I was born just outside Chicago and lived there most of my life. As a kid, my family took camping trips to Wisconsin Dells or House on the Rock. We also had relatives in the Twin Cities, so we’d visit Minnesota for holidays. Around age 30, Mrs. 1500 and I wanted a change, so we moved to Madison, Wisconsin. “Madtown” is a great place to live—big enough for plenty to do, but not so big that you sit in traffic for two hours. (Looking at you, Chicago.)
The winters and taxes in Wisconsin eventually wore us down, so we moved to Colorado. We love our town of Longmont, but I still think about the Midwest. Colorado is great, but when I’m back in the Midwest, it feels like home.
I met Cubert when his family visited Longmont in the summer of 2018. He even wrote a great post about whether he should move to Longmont. Now I’m returning the favor with some thoughts on possibly moving to Minnesota. Writing this in winter is handy—if I say anything negative about the Gopher State, folks’ brains might be too frozen to notice! Just kidding. Maybe.
Before Camp FI, I spent a couple of nice days walking around the Twin Cities, mostly wandering without a plan and taking things in. I wanted to visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art, so I parked near the Stone Arch Bridge about three miles away and walked in. Right away I noticed how many good ways there are to get around: scooters, bikes, and plenty of non-motorized lanes. I like cities that give people options.
The Twin Cities have a great feel—big buildings, modern architecture, and some funky, fun spots too. I always look for cranes in a new city; they mean someone’s investing and building. Minneapolis had plenty of cranes. The city also has lots of green space; some planners clearly thought ahead.
Another perk of moving to Minnesota would be joining a great personal finance blogging community—Financial Toolbelt, Financial Panther, Physician on FIRE, to name a few. I know I’m leaving out dozens more—sorry if I forgot you.
Minneapolis is also a wonderful beer town. One of my favorite beers is Todd the Axe Man from Surly. Good beer isn’t limited to the city; when I visited Physician on FIRE up north a few years ago, we shared some excellent brews.
I’d never been to the Minnesota State Fair, and I was surprised to see it has a permanent home with buildings and attractions. Some state fairs I’ve seen are set up in rough fields—this is much nicer. And state fairs mean one thing: terrible-for-you food. Food that’s delicious and probably dangerous if you eat it more than a couple of times a year.
First up on my guilty pleasure tour: cheese curds. I made the poor choice of ordering the largest size. I didn’t feel great afterward, but that didn’t stop me from getting a massive sundae shortly after. Go big or go home. Later I met up with Physician on FIRE, who defended his turf with a gigantic corn dog. Between the heart-stopping food and oversized corn dogs, the fair also had interesting displays—like creative stitchery about sexually transmitted diseases, which I never expected to see.
If you’ve been following, you might think I’m ready to pack up and move to Minnesota. Not so fast. There’s one big problem: the skyways. Minneapolis has an extensive system of enclosed walkways connecting buildings so people don’t have to go outside in the deep cold. They’re everywhere. I call them hamster tunnels—but for humans. Their purpose is to keep you from freezing to death in winter.
I don’t want to live somewhere where uncovered parts can start to freeze after a few minutes outdoors. I like my nose, ears, and fingers, thank you very much. So I won’t be moving to Minneapolis.
But one of the great things about FIRE is choice—especially geographic freedom. Right now we’re anchored in Colorado because our kids are in school. In about ten years the kids will be gone, and so will we. It’d be nice to spend summers somewhere other than Colorado. It gets too hot here, and I’d love to live near water again.
I can picture Mrs. 1500 and me spending summers in Minnesota—or maybe Wisconsin. Same thing, right? We’d be reverse snowbirds, heading north for summer and then back to Colorado before winter sets in. See you soon, Minnesota—just not until June.
Thank you, Carl! Great write-up. Honestly, that pretty much matches how I feel about Minnesota. If we moved away, we’d probably miss the cool stretches in May, June, and September. July here can be brutal—hot and humid—but we find shade and enjoy a beer on the patio. In winter, game nights by the fireplace are cozy. Wherever you live, build friendships—they’ll help you get through any climate. Giant microwave corn dogs help, too. Minneapolis might not be for everyone, but we’re staying put!
Update 10/20/22: Since George Floyd’s death and the protests in 2020, Minneapolis has seen a lot of change. The riots caused billions in damage, and it’s taken time to rebuild. We spent a weekend downtown recently and noticed a strong comeback—stores reopening, people out and about, restaurants filling tables. With accountability around law enforcement and justice for George Floyd, I believe Minneapolis will stay strong and vibrant for years to come.