Would you enjoy living in my city?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

you know what I've said about it in previous posts. And here's the raw statistics: http://www.city-data.com/city/Mankato-Minnesota.html

I like it here so I vote yes.

[Tory]

You hate suburbs but you like living in a town in the middle of nowhere.

[dazzleman]

How far are you from the Twin Cities?

[Jake]

Your city sounds like a normal city, with alot of strip clubs, college kids, and booze stores.  No thanks, I'll take the country.

[Tory]

How far are you from the Twin Cities?

75 miles according to that site

[dazzleman]

From what you've told me about it, probably not.

[David S]

The small town part is OK, but you can keep the winters. They're worse than ours! Being surrounded by Democrats would be tough.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You hate suburbs but you like living in a town in the middle of nowhere.

it's nothing like "town in the middle of nowhere implies". First of all, it's much larger than that population 33k figure says. That doesn't include North Mankato which basically part of the city but is only seperated because of county lines. In fact, the signs when you enter either city say both Mankato and North Mankato, and the combined population of around 45k. That also doesn't include many students. The actual number is probably over 50k. Not huge but hardly what most think of when they think of small town Minnesota.

It's also not that far from the Twin Cities anyway, and has plenty of fun parties, youth bars, and even has independent record stores that sell collector vinyl. It's very close to "Minneapolis-lite". In fact, our chamber of commerce's slogan is "Greater Mankato. A little Twin Cities. A lot Minnesota."

[nclib]

I'd probably like it except for the winters.

BTW, are you from there or do you just go to college there?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm not originally from here and go to college but I currently live here year round.

[Rob]

No- too cold.

[King]

How far are you from the Twin Cities?

According to BRTD's link, 74.5 miles from Minneapolis city limits.

P.S. NO WAY, TOO WHITE FOR ME

[dazzleman]

How far are you from the Twin Cities?

According to BRTD's link, 74.5 miles from Minneapolis city limits.

P.S. NO WAY, TOO WHITE FOR ME

Remember, we're talking about Minnesota here.  Except for a few urban areas, that is how the whole state is.  It's basically the same in Connecticut where I live, and even New York once you get much past the city line.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That 1.9% black figure is also misleading since it excludes lots of black students. I'm even skeptical of that number if it excludes students, since I see quite a few blacks every day.

[J. J.]

That 1.9% black figure is also misleading since it excludes lots of black students. I'm even skeptical of that number if it excludes students, since I see quite a few blacks every day.

Only someone who's never really lived in an integrated or Black community see that even 5 times that number of Black people and call it "quite a few."  :-)

[Nym90]

Those saying that they wouldn't like the Mankato winters would really hate Marquette then, and our 200 inches of snow annual average....

*looks out window at 6 foot high snow bank*

[DanielX]

I have a few questions:

1. Does your town have a Barnes & Noble and/or a Borders?

2. Are there any good, cheap Chinese buffets?

3. Are the suburbs any more Republican than the city itself? What about North Mankato?

4. How cold does it get in the winter (my biggest problem with Minnesota... it gets cold enough in Maryland!)

5. Why should i live in Mankato when Rapid City, South Dakota is only 6-8 hours away, has a Barnes & Noble, has beautiful scenery, and is pretty Republican? That's probably where I'd end up living if I lived in that part of the country. Of course, I'd much rather live in the Florida Keys, but then...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I like snow... we don't get enough of it here (****ing maritime climate...)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I have a few questions:

1. Does your town have a Barnes & Noble and/or a Borders?

2. Are there any good, cheap Chinese buffets?

3. Are the suburbs any more Republican than the city itself? What about North Mankato?

4. How cold does it get in the winter (my biggest problem with Minnesota... it gets cold enough in Maryland!)

5. Why should i live in Mankato when Rapid City, South Dakota is only 6-8 hours away, has a Barnes & Noble, has beautiful scenery, and is pretty Republican? That's probably where I'd end up living if I lived in that part of the country. Of course, I'd much rather live in the Florida Keys, but then...

1 - we actually have two Barnes and Nobles (one is the university bookstore), but I don't think we have a Borders

2 - I don't eat out at such places, but there are some on the downtown strip

3 - North Mankato is slightly more Republican, but it still voted for Kerry but about 2 points. In 2000 it did vote for Bush because of the Nader vote. The outer parts of North Mankato, far away from the Mankato city limits are mostly subdivision type housing and business offices and very Republican, I work in one of these areas. We only have one other real suburb, Skyline, and it's pretty Republican but it's very small and isn't really a city as much as it is a subdivision that's considered an independent town for some reason. But the outer parts of Mankato do have some boxy suburban subdivisions that are technically part of the city limits and don't seem like part of the city (that are also the only Republican part of the city)

4 - It was around -20 degrees a few weeks ago

5 - Rapid City is also in the middle of nowhere. Nowhere else to drive for miles. Here you can easily get to the Twin Cities.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That 1.9% black figure is also misleading since it excludes lots of black students. I'm even skeptical of that number if it excludes students, since I see quite a few blacks every day.

Only someone who's never really lived in an integrated or Black community see that even 5 times that number of Black people and call it "quite a few."  :-)

Perhaps, but I grew live in a city that's even more lily-white and I would go weeks without seeing a black person. My graduating class was more than 99% white. The number of blacks here is far higher. I suspect now it doesn't include many Somali refugees, but we have many, especially around my neighborhood. And there's shortage of black strippers, or black guys hanging out at the strip club.