Outstate? (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth: how much, unemployed, neighborhood)

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Camden Northsider

A pet peeve I have is whenever I tell an "out-stater" I'm from Minneapolis I'm asked which suburb, or I'll say I live on the northisde of Minneapolis and they'll ask if that means Anoka or Blaine- I would say this happens 98% of the time in these interactions.

Yes! Totally agree with this one. I could understand "where in the Twin Cities do you live?" but it's never that -- just "what suburb?" (and there was one woman from Wisconsin who told me she didn't realize that there WAS an actual city of Minneapolis!) I know it's not intended to be annoying, but it's still very grating.

My impression is that people who are from Minneapolis, anyway, don't say that they're from "the Cities." I have always thought it was just a term primarily used by people who don't live in the Twin Cities. Or maybe people who come from "outstate" and then move to "the Cities" (and have therefore grown up with the term)? Just a theory.

I can understand people saying they're from "Minneapolis" (meaning somewhere in the general metro area), although also agree that it's mostly unnecessary within Minnesota. In other states, though, odds are slim that anyone will be familiar with any local suburb, so it's understandably easier to just say "Minneapolis." I don't think the people saying it are intending to be offensive, just assume that there's no reason to think that someone living outside of their immediate area would have any reason to know where the suburb was located (there are still suburbs that sometimes pop up on this forum that I've never heard of, and I am from the Twin Cities!). I think of neighborhoods in the city as the equivalent. I say I'm from Minneapolis, and then if they're interested, will mention neighborhood.

[Citykid3785]

I couldn't agree with the OP more. I hear this term more and more. I mean, if people in Sleepy Eye pay Minnesota taxes, they deserve to feel as though they have as much right to the state as say Minnetonka. Outstate makes me think of "out-of-state". Why not refer to the two areas as "the cities vs the country" or something of the sort. Even though that is generalizing, at least it somewhat reflects the different areas.

But to answer your question, I think anything outside of this specific 13 county metro area that is surrounding the cities is considered to be rural Minnesota (despite other cities like Rochester and Duluth).

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Yes! Totally agree with this one. I could understand "where in the Twin Cities do you live?" but it's never that -- just "what suburb?" (and there was one woman from Wisconsin who told me she didn't realize that there WAS an actual city of Minneapolis!) I know it's not intended to be annoying, but it's still very grating.

My impression is that people who are from Minneapolis, anyway, don't say that they're from "the Cities." I have always thought it was just a term primarily used by people who don't live in the Twin Cities. Or maybe people who come from "outstate" and then move to "the Cities" (and have therefore grown up with the term)? Just a theory.

I can understand people saying they're from "Minneapolis" (meaning somewhere in the general metro area), although also agree that it's mostly unnecessary within Minnesota. In other states, though, odds are slim that anyone will be familiar with any local suburb, so it's understandably easier to just say "Minneapolis." I don't think the people saying it are intending to be offensive, just assume that there's no reason to think that someone living outside of their immediate area would have any reason to know where the suburb was located (there are still suburbs that sometimes pop up on this forum that I've never heard of, and I am from the Twin Cities!). I think of neighborhoods in the city as the equivalent. I say I'm from Minneapolis, and then if they're interested, will mention neighborhood.

Well, if it means anything the actual 'cities' of the Twin Cities make up a very small population and land area. So it's not like out in LA where if you say your from "LA" you might be from Orange County, San Bernadino County or the valley or something. I've noticed this with Chicagoland too. I had someone tell me they were from "chicago" and once I found out about their town, it was over an hour from DT Chicago.

MPLS-STP MSA is 3,275,000 in population and covers 6,365 square miles.

So Minneapolis only makes up only 12% of the metro's population and .8% of the land.

St. Paul Makes up only 9% of the population and .8% of the land.

So, the two 'Twins' only make up 21% of the metro's population and 1.6% of the land area.

No wonder it's quite uncommon to hear of people actually from Minneapolis.

Minneapolis is very similar to Miami. rarely do you ever meet someone from Miami the city

I do agree, that most Suburbanites will say "I'm from the Twin Cities"

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

I couldn't agree with the OP more. I hear this term more and more. I mean, if people in Sleepy Eye pay Minnesota taxes, they deserve to feel as though they have as much right to the state as say Minnetonka. Outstate makes me think of "out-of-state". Why not refer to the two areas as "the cities vs the country" or something of the sort. Even though that is generalizing, at least it somewhat reflects the different areas.

But to answer your question, I think anything outside of this specific 13 county metro area that is surrounding the cities is considered to be rural Minnesota (despite other cities like Rochester and Duluth).

You're comparing the economic impact of Sleepy Eye to Minnetonka?
The Twin Cities make Minnesota what it is. Without the Twin Cities, Minnesota would be another Iowa, South Dakota or Nebraska. Is that what you want? I'd rather be the elite state of the Midwest or Upper Midwest and be one of the elite metros in the midwest. Is that what you want to be, a South Dakota (ok bad example, SD is actually a very attractive and healthy state) but I am proud that the Twin cities pack quite a punch and are one of the best known cities in the Midwest, bringing in Millions of visitors to Minnesota every year and that my friend goes a lot further than Sleepy Eye's measily tax dollars

[uptown_urbanist]

But given that Minneapolis is still the biggest city (population-wise) in the state, it shouldn't be THAT difficult to imagine meeting someone from there.

Mostly it's about context: I expect someone to say they're from "Minneapolis" (even if from Edina or Plymouth or wherever) if they're somewhere out of the state; if we've established that we're both from Minnesota or if the conversation is taking place in Minnesota, I expect them to say either "Twin Cities" or a specific place. (or a vague "northern suburbs.)

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

But given that Minneapolis is still the biggest city (population-wise) in the state, it shouldn't be THAT difficult to imagine meeting someone from there.

Mostly it's about context: I expect someone to say they're from "Minneapolis" (even if from Edina or Plymouth or wherever) if they're somewhere out of the state; if we've established that we're both from Minnesota or if the conversation is taking place in Minnesota, I expect them to say either "Twin Cities" or a specific place. (or a vague "northern suburbs.)

I agree.

I usually say "I'm from the suburbs of the Twin Cities" and oddly people usually ask Minnetonka or Bloomington? lol

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by knke0204

You're comparing the economic impact of Sleepy Eye to Minnetonka?
The Twin Cities make Minnesota what it is.

The Twin Cities are NOT what makes Minnesota what it is. They are just a major metro area. They are very different from most of Minnesota. I've been to a lot of large cities (TC, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, The Bay Area, DC, Charlotte, etc.) and once you've been to one large city, you've seen them all (especially when you're talking about the suburbs). City-dwellers and suburbanites live a similar lifestyle everywhere. You could drop Minneapolis off in the middle of California and no one would know the difference (except it would be a lot warmer!).

Without the Twin Cities, Minnesota would be another Iowa, South Dakota or Nebraska. Is that what you want?

Yes!

I'd rather be the elite state of the Midwest or Upper Midwest and be one of the elite metros in the midwest. Is that what you want to be, a South Dakota (ok bad example, SD is actually a very attractive and healthy state) but I am proud that the Twin cities pack quite a punch and are one of the best known cities in the Midwest, bringing in Millions of visitors to Minnesota every year and that my friend goes a lot further than Sleepy Eye's measily tax dollars

There's nothing wrong with South Dakota (even though I wish it was more progressive). People from this area of the state identify far more with SD than MN, anyway.

In the government's eyes (officially), Sleepy Eye is just as important to this state as Minneapolis or anywhere in The Cities. It's a "city." The state does not officially discriminate between cities based on size. Sorry to say that, but it's true. I know Mpls has a bigger impact, but Sleepy Eye is no less important.

[QuantumIguana]

My experience growing up outside of the metro area is that people from outside of the metro area don't make much of a distinction between Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the suburbs, it's all the same to them. Of course, my experience is from about a five hour drive away, people who live closer to the the cities may make more of a distinction. My experience is that people from out of the metro area are more likely to use "The Cities" than people in the metro area.

[ozzie679]

In MN it's "outstate", IL it's "downstate", NY it's "upstate", etc...

[knke0204]

You can argue all you want, but you can't over look the Metros impact on the state, both for the good and bad.

MN is similar to Illinois w/Chicago , Oregon with Portland, Georgia w/ Atlanta.