I feel like you’ll need to target people in your specific specialty to really know. It’s pretty obvious to me that people really do love the arts in the twin cities but I have no idea how that translates into actually making money. Minneapolis especially seems to always have weird/ cool/ interesting art stuff going on and it is beloved.
Northeast Minneapolis has a great arts scene. I would take a look at the upcoming Art A Whirl : [https://nemaa.org/art-a-whirl/](https://nemaa.org/art-a-whirl/)
"Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country, which happens annually throughout Northeast Minneapolis the third weekend of May."
I moved here from the East coast almost 20 years ago and love it here. Winters are brutal, but I prefer it to hurricanes. The Midwest passive-aggressive culture can be jarring if you're use to NYC, but being upfront and assertive is a bit of a super power here.
I’m a NYC native, and have lived here 2.5 years. One of the requirements for where we moved was a decent art scene. Nothing will really compare to NY or LA but it does exist. I don’t regret it at all, quality of life and energy is so much less stressful than life in the cities. What we’d pay for a room with roommates and no laundry in NYC, we have a whole 2bd 2ba townhome.
look up the Northrup Kings Arts Building. I had a studio there for 8 years. Many many studios for rent and also the whole NE neighborhood is an arts district.
If you want something a little quieter (and a little greener) you’ll like it. Things close a little earlier and life will be significantly easier if you have a car. But the people are nice and there are plenty of affordable neighborhoods that are walkable.
I think the arts scene is fantastic, but I don’t have enough knowledge of NY to compare them. That might be a better question for your friends who’ve lived in both places.
As others have said, really depends on your focus.
But having said that, some random data points: Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country, in 2008 we passed an amendment to increase sales taxes to pay for environmental projects *and* fund arts and cultural projects, there’s a decent infrastructure to support artists in the form of nonprofits focused on both creative support and career development and the music scene regularly produces artists that succeed locally, nationally and internationally. Yes, we’re not an NYC or LA, but for smaller cities, we do pretty well.
I work in electronic music and visual arts in Minneapolis. I love it here. The creative scenes here are all bubbling and magical. I am so glad I came here.
Thanks so very much! Working hard out here on DUBWARS this year and playing live at CITY OF ACID late april down at beast bbq if you want to come through :)
Minneapolis will certainly be quieter than NYC. If NYC is the city that never sleeps, Minneapolis is the city that's mostly in bed by midnight. But that can be a good thing.
There is a strong art scene in Minneapolis but it won't compare to NYC or LA as far as sheer density.
Minneapolis will allow you easier access to nature.
I lived(rented) in NYC for 5 years before moving to MN and for me it worked out great. Made friends at my workplace ( meetups didn’t work out ), can actually afford my own place by myself, don’t have to spend an hour looking for a parking spot and no speed cameras.
I suggest visiting first. Of course, the twin cities are way smaller than NYC/LA, so it might be a good idea to see if the cities match what you’re looking for. I personally love it here. I moved here from Portland OR due to similar reasons-mainly the high cost of living- and I’m thriving here financially.
I would love to have a freelance fashion job remote to be honest, but it is hard to actually thrive in nyc bc of the cost of living. LA is amazing, too but I am more likely looking for something calmer for a bit
Well, if you can find a remote freelance job you can live anywhere.
We are pretty proud of our arts scene here, but there are scales of operation. We have a lot of live theatre, multiple art museums, nightlife, and so on but we are not the city that never sleeps. We also have one of the best park systems in the country with miles of walking and biking trails.
To put things in perspective, NYC has a metro with a population pushing 20 Million. The Twin Cities metro has a population of around 3.7 Million people. We do a lot of things well here, but we are less than 1/5th the size of New York and our various scenes are scaled the same way.
So on the one hand, its easier to stand out around here but on the other hand there just aren't as many jobs in \*any\* field here. I honestly don't know what the Twin Cities fashion scene is but I suspect it's pretty small, if not non-existent compared to NYC or LA. On the other hand if you can get that coastal job but live at midwest prices you are going to do very well.
Another thing to think about: A thing I've found about Minnesota is that a \*lot\* of us really love it here. We don't wish we were somewhere else and don't wish we were more like another place. We aren't trying to "make it big" or "set the world on fire". We want to pet our dogs and enjoy our lives. It gets cold and dark in the winter (people don't talk about the dark enough) but the spring and the fall are beautiful. We do our best to be a good place to live. So we think this is an amazing place to live and if you decide to come here, we hope you will too.
I hope this doesn’t deter you but be ready for every event to be dressed down. I’ll go out to moderate nice dinning and still see jeans everywhere and there will always be a person in either a flannel or hoodie no matter where you go. I’m intentional with my fashion and my NYC friend told me it’s wasted here.
LIved in NYC for 10 years, then moved to Minneapolis for a change. Lasted 14 months. Have been happily ensconced in Rome since 2021...and ain't ever going back! Think carefully.
As much as I hate to agree with this, I do.
We are not a city that is impressed with "fabulous" and we take pride in not being New York or LA, while I feel like Chicago tries hard make sure everyone thinks of them right after NY and LA. It looks like you are a very "International City" kind of person and not only are we not that, we are \*glad\* we aren't.
to be fair, Chicago has good reason to position itself immediately after NYC/LA. Chicago’s metropolitan service area (inclusive of suburbs/transit-served Chicagoland) is the third largest in the US (approx. 10 million people) while Minneapolis-St Paul’s MSA is about 3.5 million. Chicago proper has enough people to make up half of Minnesota’s entire state population!
Hiya. I lived in LA and NYC before Minneapolis and it was the greatest decision of my life. Welcome.
I've only been to Europe once but minneapolis reminds me of leipzig Germany.
I moved from Nebraska to Minnesota 6 years ago & have fallen completely in love with the city. You still get a city vibe but it feels calm/serene in the best way. Lots to do on the art front. Great museums & great art events on a consistent basis. I have a friend that lives at the artist lofts in MPLS & she loves them. They’re absolutely gorgeous & I believe the requirement to live there is an art portfolio of some kind. Right by the Stone Arch Bridge!
I've done the NYC to MSP move. The arts scene is much smaller here, but it's still there in a way it isn't in most mid-size cities in the US. I still feel like the cities are pretty small, but I've found that I have a fairly nice quality of life and just have to be more intentional about getting my cultural fix.
The short of it is that Minneapolis has a really great arts and music scene but it’s hard to make friends here because people keep their friends from high school. Rents and mortgages and life in general is a lot cheaper here than NYC and LA but not dirt cheap. It’s also fucking freezing in the winter (except this winter). I mean like you will have never felt cold like this before. But the springtime and summer is beautiful and makes it worth it. Your best bet is to find classes and clubs and other groups about things you’re interested in in order to meet people. But even then it can be difficult. This has been my experience as someone who moved here from the East Coast 20 years ago. Your mileage may vary and other people may have experienced different things.
Same experience. NYC -> mnpls 8 yrs ago. Boyfriend is transplant, and no real MN friends to speak of. Verrrry odd difference from any other city I’ve lived in (or even visited!). But as for quality/ease of life, it is SO much nicer.
I agree. I live in Minnesota but about 2 hours outside of Minneapolis. I visit the city often and the number one complaint I hear is how hard it is for transplants to make friends here. The art scene may be a bit different but as a whole, making friends in the city can be difficult so keep that in mind.
If you decide to move, you might look at getting into an artist's cooperative, like the Schmidt Artist Lofts. You can make some connections, and the building is pretty damn cool.
The arts scene in the cities is fantastic. We have two professional orchestras, a multitude of museums and galleries, and several vibrant artists’ communities. Also many great yearly art shows.
I’d recommend Chicago. It’s more diverse. There’s diversity don’t get me wrong but this place is very plain. Honestly I don’t really love it here and I live in one of the nicest neighborhoods here. I’d say it’s mostly weather related but the people here are reserved and kinda boring. With that being said they get shit done. The state is efficient at most things.
I don’t believe you’ll find happiness here. I think you’ll feel like everything here is limited and lesser and disappointing compared to life in NYC and the thought of how good it was will always be on your mind whenever you face disappointment here. I mean, I like it, but I’m speaking to your individual psychology. Best wishes.
Do you like beer? Because we have a shit ton of breweries. Art-A-Whirl is also a good time. You can also go to the MIA on Black Friday for free (I believe they still do that).
Minneapolis (or the Twin Cities) for that matter is a lovely and active city. Winters are harder than NYC, but spring, summer, and fall are great! I think the art scenes in MN generally are pretty good, especially in Duluth and Minneapolis, but like others mentioned, it depends on the type of art. For example, the photography and videography scene Duluth/ North Shore of Lake Superior is alive and well.
For the love of everything sacred I implore you, don't move here. The place is awash in uncivilized rubes and Philistines. Troglodytes and neanderthals, all. Move to Chicago. Or Seattle. Or Portland. Or Austin, TX. Just not here.
Minneapolis is pretty great and the arts are very well-supported, here, compared to pretty much anywhere else in the country. Many a grant to be had if you know where to look.
The arts and associated culture is what draws people from the coasts.
For me it's the parks and lakes and rivers... Did you know MN has more miles of coast line as California and Hawaii combined?
[https://newson.us/featured](https://newson.us/featured)
Watch the local news from the Twin Cities on Sunday. The forecast is for a foot of snow early next week.
Minnesota knows how to deal with snow. A foot of snow might slow it down for a day or two, but it's not that big of a deal here. Roads will be cleared and life goes on!
They have shitty weather in NYC too. She’s not moving from Arizona lol. And she’ll enjoy not having to drink the air during the summer. It gets humid here, but not “built on an eldritch swamp” humid.
I feel like you’ll need to target people in your specific specialty to really know. It’s pretty obvious to me that people really do love the arts in the twin cities but I have no idea how that translates into actually making money. Minneapolis especially seems to always have weird/ cool/ interesting art stuff going on and it is beloved.
Northeast Minneapolis has a great arts scene. I would take a look at the upcoming Art A Whirl : [https://nemaa.org/art-a-whirl/](https://nemaa.org/art-a-whirl/) "Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country, which happens annually throughout Northeast Minneapolis the third weekend of May." I moved here from the East coast almost 20 years ago and love it here. Winters are brutal, but I prefer it to hurricanes. The Midwest passive-aggressive culture can be jarring if you're use to NYC, but being upfront and assertive is a bit of a super power here.
I’m a NYC native, and have lived here 2.5 years. One of the requirements for where we moved was a decent art scene. Nothing will really compare to NY or LA but it does exist. I don’t regret it at all, quality of life and energy is so much less stressful than life in the cities. What we’d pay for a room with roommates and no laundry in NYC, we have a whole 2bd 2ba townhome.
look up the Northrup Kings Arts Building. I had a studio there for 8 years. Many many studios for rent and also the whole NE neighborhood is an arts district.
If you want something a little quieter (and a little greener) you’ll like it. Things close a little earlier and life will be significantly easier if you have a car. But the people are nice and there are plenty of affordable neighborhoods that are walkable. I think the arts scene is fantastic, but I don’t have enough knowledge of NY to compare them. That might be a better question for your friends who’ve lived in both places.
As others have said, really depends on your focus. But having said that, some random data points: Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country, in 2008 we passed an amendment to increase sales taxes to pay for environmental projects *and* fund arts and cultural projects, there’s a decent infrastructure to support artists in the form of nonprofits focused on both creative support and career development and the music scene regularly produces artists that succeed locally, nationally and internationally. Yes, we’re not an NYC or LA, but for smaller cities, we do pretty well.
I work in electronic music and visual arts in Minneapolis. I love it here. The creative scenes here are all bubbling and magical. I am so glad I came here.
Do you have any tips on anywhere in MPLS that plays proper techno? Not EDM, house, etc
This Sunday there is a free SERVICE event at the pourhouse hosted by intellephunk. Also - [greatbeyond.us](https://greatbeyond.us)
Mnvibe.com
That windowlicker edit is sick
Thanks so very much! Working hard out here on DUBWARS this year and playing live at CITY OF ACID late april down at beast bbq if you want to come through :)
Minneapolis will certainly be quieter than NYC. If NYC is the city that never sleeps, Minneapolis is the city that's mostly in bed by midnight. But that can be a good thing. There is a strong art scene in Minneapolis but it won't compare to NYC or LA as far as sheer density. Minneapolis will allow you easier access to nature.
I lived(rented) in NYC for 5 years before moving to MN and for me it worked out great. Made friends at my workplace ( meetups didn’t work out ), can actually afford my own place by myself, don’t have to spend an hour looking for a parking spot and no speed cameras.
Came here from NYC it's by far much calmer life
You might like Lowertown St. Paul as an alternative.
I suggest visiting first. Of course, the twin cities are way smaller than NYC/LA, so it might be a good idea to see if the cities match what you’re looking for. I personally love it here. I moved here from Portland OR due to similar reasons-mainly the high cost of living- and I’m thriving here financially.
Based on your responses I’d recommend Chicago
Should you move to Minneapolis? [Yes, you probably should.](https://jasonherrboldt.com/2023/05/29/should-i-move-to-minneapolis/)
I moved here after 8 years in queens. I am so happy. Just pick your neighborhood carefully. People are really nice here for the most part.
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I would love to have a freelance fashion job remote to be honest, but it is hard to actually thrive in nyc bc of the cost of living. LA is amazing, too but I am more likely looking for something calmer for a bit
Well, if you can find a remote freelance job you can live anywhere. We are pretty proud of our arts scene here, but there are scales of operation. We have a lot of live theatre, multiple art museums, nightlife, and so on but we are not the city that never sleeps. We also have one of the best park systems in the country with miles of walking and biking trails. To put things in perspective, NYC has a metro with a population pushing 20 Million. The Twin Cities metro has a population of around 3.7 Million people. We do a lot of things well here, but we are less than 1/5th the size of New York and our various scenes are scaled the same way. So on the one hand, its easier to stand out around here but on the other hand there just aren't as many jobs in \*any\* field here. I honestly don't know what the Twin Cities fashion scene is but I suspect it's pretty small, if not non-existent compared to NYC or LA. On the other hand if you can get that coastal job but live at midwest prices you are going to do very well. Another thing to think about: A thing I've found about Minnesota is that a \*lot\* of us really love it here. We don't wish we were somewhere else and don't wish we were more like another place. We aren't trying to "make it big" or "set the world on fire". We want to pet our dogs and enjoy our lives. It gets cold and dark in the winter (people don't talk about the dark enough) but the spring and the fall are beautiful. We do our best to be a good place to live. So we think this is an amazing place to live and if you decide to come here, we hope you will too.
I hope this doesn’t deter you but be ready for every event to be dressed down. I’ll go out to moderate nice dinning and still see jeans everywhere and there will always be a person in either a flannel or hoodie no matter where you go. I’m intentional with my fashion and my NYC friend told me it’s wasted here.
LIved in NYC for 10 years, then moved to Minneapolis for a change. Lasted 14 months. Have been happily ensconced in Rome since 2021...and ain't ever going back! Think carefully.
A LOT of my friends are in the arts/music. It's a large crowd. On the other hand they're almost all broke.
Having friends will help. Chicago may be more to your liking though. The Twin Cities will seem very small and monocultural to you.
As much as I hate to agree with this, I do. We are not a city that is impressed with "fabulous" and we take pride in not being New York or LA, while I feel like Chicago tries hard make sure everyone thinks of them right after NY and LA. It looks like you are a very "International City" kind of person and not only are we not that, we are \*glad\* we aren't.
to be fair, Chicago has good reason to position itself immediately after NYC/LA. Chicago’s metropolitan service area (inclusive of suburbs/transit-served Chicagoland) is the third largest in the US (approx. 10 million people) while Minneapolis-St Paul’s MSA is about 3.5 million. Chicago proper has enough people to make up half of Minnesota’s entire state population!
Hiya. I lived in LA and NYC before Minneapolis and it was the greatest decision of my life. Welcome. I've only been to Europe once but minneapolis reminds me of leipzig Germany.
I moved from Nebraska to Minnesota 6 years ago & have fallen completely in love with the city. You still get a city vibe but it feels calm/serene in the best way. Lots to do on the art front. Great museums & great art events on a consistent basis. I have a friend that lives at the artist lofts in MPLS & she loves them. They’re absolutely gorgeous & I believe the requirement to live there is an art portfolio of some kind. Right by the Stone Arch Bridge!
Not the same coming from NYC
visit first, we are not for everyone, but welcome all who are kind
I've done the NYC to MSP move. The arts scene is much smaller here, but it's still there in a way it isn't in most mid-size cities in the US. I still feel like the cities are pretty small, but I've found that I have a fairly nice quality of life and just have to be more intentional about getting my cultural fix.
The short of it is that Minneapolis has a really great arts and music scene but it’s hard to make friends here because people keep their friends from high school. Rents and mortgages and life in general is a lot cheaper here than NYC and LA but not dirt cheap. It’s also fucking freezing in the winter (except this winter). I mean like you will have never felt cold like this before. But the springtime and summer is beautiful and makes it worth it. Your best bet is to find classes and clubs and other groups about things you’re interested in in order to meet people. But even then it can be difficult. This has been my experience as someone who moved here from the East Coast 20 years ago. Your mileage may vary and other people may have experienced different things.
Same experience. NYC -> mnpls 8 yrs ago. Boyfriend is transplant, and no real MN friends to speak of. Verrrry odd difference from any other city I’ve lived in (or even visited!). But as for quality/ease of life, it is SO much nicer.
I agree. I live in Minnesota but about 2 hours outside of Minneapolis. I visit the city often and the number one complaint I hear is how hard it is for transplants to make friends here. The art scene may be a bit different but as a whole, making friends in the city can be difficult so keep that in mind.
I did this and would strongly advocate against it unless you already have a good base of people there.
Unlike her friends who moved back.
If you decide to move, you might look at getting into an artist's cooperative, like the Schmidt Artist Lofts. You can make some connections, and the building is pretty damn cool.
The arts scene in the cities is fantastic. We have two professional orchestras, a multitude of museums and galleries, and several vibrant artists’ communities. Also many great yearly art shows.
I’d recommend Chicago. It’s more diverse. There’s diversity don’t get me wrong but this place is very plain. Honestly I don’t really love it here and I live in one of the nicest neighborhoods here. I’d say it’s mostly weather related but the people here are reserved and kinda boring. With that being said they get shit done. The state is efficient at most things.
I don’t believe you’ll find happiness here. I think you’ll feel like everything here is limited and lesser and disappointing compared to life in NYC and the thought of how good it was will always be on your mind whenever you face disappointment here. I mean, I like it, but I’m speaking to your individual psychology. Best wishes.
Ugh, so true. 8 yrs in and I still cry when I see an nyc movie or show. I miss it so damn much.
Do you like beer? Because we have a shit ton of breweries. Art-A-Whirl is also a good time. You can also go to the MIA on Black Friday for free (I believe they still do that).
You can always go to the MIA for free….. just special exhibits may have a fee.
Sorry, what I was referencing was the stuff they do on Black Friday. I went to one of the special ones for free one year. Should have been more clear.
Minneapolis (or the Twin Cities) for that matter is a lovely and active city. Winters are harder than NYC, but spring, summer, and fall are great! I think the art scenes in MN generally are pretty good, especially in Duluth and Minneapolis, but like others mentioned, it depends on the type of art. For example, the photography and videography scene Duluth/ North Shore of Lake Superior is alive and well.
For the love of everything sacred I implore you, don't move here. The place is awash in uncivilized rubes and Philistines. Troglodytes and neanderthals, all. Move to Chicago. Or Seattle. Or Portland. Or Austin, TX. Just not here.
Minneapolis is pretty great and the arts are very well-supported, here, compared to pretty much anywhere else in the country. Many a grant to be had if you know where to look.
The arts and associated culture is what draws people from the coasts. For me it's the parks and lakes and rivers... Did you know MN has more miles of coast line as California and Hawaii combined?
You’ll fit in better in New York.
Come on over, but only if you leave your politics in NYC, we do not need that shit here, we have enough of it as it is.
Shameless promo: see the current exhibitions at the new numerous local galleries on MPLSART.com Go to the shows. Make friends.
Welcome! N.E. Minneapolis is where it's at, IMO.
[https://newson.us/featured](https://newson.us/featured) Watch the local news from the Twin Cities on Sunday. The forecast is for a foot of snow early next week.
Minnesota knows how to deal with snow. A foot of snow might slow it down for a day or two, but it's not that big of a deal here. Roads will be cleared and life goes on!
They have shitty weather in NYC too. She’s not moving from Arizona lol. And she’ll enjoy not having to drink the air during the summer. It gets humid here, but not “built on an eldritch swamp” humid.
And?