I moved from New Jersey to Minneapolis 4 years ago. The Midwest city totally won me over, and I don't plan on leaving.

17.09.2023 - 15:27 / insider.com

I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Ewing, New Jersey, in 2019 to attend the University of Minnesota. I planned to earn my degree, get a job on the East Coast, and fall right back into the comfort of my hometown — but that never happened. 

So many things about the Midwestern city won me over, so I decided to continue living here postgrad. Here are some reasons I fell in love with Minneapolis.

I've never had a car in Minneapolis. Street parking generally isn't free, I'd need a garage in the winter, and I simply don't want to pay for gas. 

In my hometown, there's only one major train station nearby and limited bus stops that aren't within walking distance. Fortunately, public-transportation stops in Minneapolis are within walking distance, cheap, and easy to navigate. A light-rail day pass brings me all around the Twin Cities — Minneapolis and St. Paul — for $5, and the express bus is only $2.50. 

I also walk a lot in Minneapolis. I love having the convenient proximity to a variety of stores without the East Coast's busyness. 

I expected the Minnesota winters to be unbearable, as the state's known for its below-freezing weather and blizzards often resulting in feet of snow. Surprisingly, I actually love the snow, even if it's way more than what I'm used to in New Jersey. 

After learning how to dress with layers and walk on ice properly, the winters in Minneapolis quickly became nothing to worry about.

I like having snow in the city because it coats buildings and trees in a beautiful way, creating enjoyable scenery on my walks.

I've always wanted to live in New York City or Philadelphia, but they're overwhelmingly busy. New York City's population is over 8 million, and Philadelphia's is about 2 million — Minneapolis consists of only about 430,000 people.

It's usually only swamped here on the weekends and peaceful during the week because there aren't as many tourists roaming around in the city. 

Minneapolis is more expensive than its surrounding suburbs, but the cost of living has never come close to rent prices I've looked at on the East Coast — which is one of the biggest reasons I've stayed. My apartment in Minnesota costs $700 a month, whereas rent in New York City is more than double that price for anything of or below the same quality.

I expected there to be a bigger art scene in Minneapolis when comparing the city to my New Jersey suburb of 36,000 people, but it's even better than I imagined.

The city has backyard performances featuring local bands almost every weekend, frequent art and vintage festivals, and even its own MN Fashion Week — with events similar to bigger cities. 

There are more family-run restaurants in Minneapolis than what I'm used to, so a lot of restaurant dishes here taste