Tell me about Rochester, MN

[Beau Vine 55028]

Daughter is probably going to take a job there.  Any of you savages ever live there?

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

I don't have a ton of time today, but I'm your man here.  I live an hour south and Rochester is our nearest "big" town (along with La Crosse, WI and Waterloo/Cedar Falls, IA).  My mom (and many people I know) have worked at Mayo for years.  My dad lives there about 2/3rds of the year (his second wife is from there and she has kids and grandkids in town).  I actually went to high school there (Lourdes - Catholic school), and my two best friends from childhood live there currently.  We get up to Rochester at least once a month, and I know the town quite well.

Short version:  It's a very nice, clean, new city.  Mayo Clinic/St Mary's have invested a shit ton into the community.  The downside is that it basically feels like a big suburb, and nothing is that lived in or unique.  Everything downtown feels like a version of something from somewhere else.  People still get excited when a new chain restaurant comes in.  There's not a lot of character, but there are ton of young people, lots of single people, and (this is probably it's biggest recreational asset) Rochester is Minnesota's gateway to the Driftless Area.  The outdoor opportunities that presents are as good as it gets in the Midwest, and the best part is absolutely nobody outside of the states that comprise it (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois) know it exists.

If your daughter can handle winter, it's a great place to live that is growing rapidly and attracting folks from all over due (mostly) to Mayo Clinic.

I'll plug some more info in here over the weekend, and have plenty of pics to illustrate what I'm talking about.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Al_4_ISU

[Beau Vine 55028]

What are the "outdoor opportunities?"  I don't think she's into ice fishing, but she's coming from Denver, so she has snowshoes.

[texasdago 7648]

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

14 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

What are the "outdoor opportunities?"  I don't think she's into ice fishing, but she's coming from Denver, so she has snowshoes.

Is she into bicycling?  Hiking?  Lots on that front.  Snowshoes are a good call for winter, as are cross country skis, but winter snow pack is getting less and less every year.

Rochester has a good network of in-town bike trails that connect all corners of the city to downtown and a lot of the breweries are right off them.  They feed into the Douglas Trail, which runs north to Pine Island. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/douglas/index.html

The Root River Trail is about 25 miles south of Rochester on Highway 52.  It's about 70 miles long, paved, and strings together a bunch of quaint little towns along the Root River and it's branches that have good restaurants, bars, breweries, etc.  https://www.rootrivertrail.org/

 

 

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Whitewater State Park is 20 miles east of Rochester. Great hiking spot.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Kayaking/canoeing/tubing is popular in the summer. The Root and Upper Iowa rivers are the most popular. Accessed within an hour of Rochester.

[texasdago 7648]

looks like "skiing" is not too far but, coming from Denver, its like going to Chapman Hill in Purgatory, not Snowmass.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

This is clearly all small potatoes compared to fucking Denver, but it’s better outdoor recreation than places like Dallas or Houston, IMO.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

looks like "skiing" is not too far but, coming from Denver, its like going to Chapman Hill in Purgatory, not Snowmass.

I don’t even count Southern Minnesota downhill skiing as part of the recreation options, but it does exist. It’s pretty expensive for what you get and not something I’d ever highlight as a benefit of the area.

[texasdago 7648]

5 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I don’t even count Southern Minnesota downhill skiing as part of the recreation options, but it does exist. It’s pretty expensive for what you get and not something I’d ever highlight as a benefit of the area.

I mean, I totally get that but I guess its better than zero... or is it?

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

I mean, I totally get that but I guess its better than zero... or is it?

I don’t think so. Lift tickets are north of $60 for 300’ of vert. I’ve been to Welch Village (closest area to Rochester) once in the past decade. Been out west 3x in that window.

I XC ski, snowshoe, and fat tire bike in the winter. Those are all free (after purchasing equipment obviously).

[Beau Vine 55028]

Really dumb question -- How do you XC ski in a place like Rochester?  Do you need to drive out to those trails you mentioned earlier?  Or can you walk out your door, slap on skis and ski around town?

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Really dumb question -- How do you XC ski in a place like Rochester?  Do you need to drive out to those trails you mentioned earlier?  Or can you walk out your door, slap on skis and ski around town?

Chester Woods park on the east edge of town has groomed trails. About 10-15 miles worth. You can fat bike there too.

Gamehaven Park on the south end of town has a great mountain biking network, and it’s close to Whistle Binkie’s, my favorite watering hole in Roch. Awesome (and cheap) Bloody Mary’s, great selection of local craft beer, and solid bar food. Place is a riot for Vikes games.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

There’s lots of undeveloped public land that’s good for snow shoeing. The aforementioned Whitewater park is great for that.

I go a lot at Forestville State Park, which is about 30 minutes SE of Rochester

[Texzilla58 4745]

Minnesota is hard to recruit to, but even harder to recruit from. If folks can handle that cold they tend to love it.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Southern Minnesota is cold for 2-3 months a year.

You gotta get up into the pines before it gets brutal.

[jimmyjazz 46526]

18 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Southern Minnesota is cold for 2-3 months a year.

You gotta get up into the pines before it gets brutal.

" . . . but it's a dry heat."

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

" . . . but it's a dry heat."

“It wouldn’t be so bad without the wind”

[ztejas 43777]

39 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Southern Minnesota is cold for 2-3 months a year.

Hah. Bullshit. Your definition of cold is different. That's 5 months minimum of cold for a reptile like myself. I'd be ruined. 

I also think you should start a $9.95 for Midwest travel tips. 

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Hah. Bullshit. Your definition of cold is different. That's 5 months minimum of cold for a reptile like myself. I'd be ruined. 
I also think you should start a $9.95 for Midwest travel tips. 

“Cold” starts around freezing for me. Seasonally dependent as well.

Winter is basically Christmas through March 1st. There are 50 degree days in February and April blizzards, but this is the general span of snow cover and single digit temps.

When you’re in an actual 4 season climate you don’t consider 40 degrees to be cold. If there’s no snow, and it’s above freezing, it’s not cold.

[jimmyjazz 46526]

12 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

When you’re in an actual 4 season climate you don’t consider 40 degrees to be cold. If there’s no snow, and it’s above freezing, it’s not cold.

Says you.  "Above freezing" is about 35 F below my minimum allowable temperature.

[Texzilla58 4745]

“Cold” starts around freezing for me. Seasonally dependent as well.

Winter is basically Christmas through March 1st. There are 50 degree days in February and April blizzards, but this is the general span of snow cover and single digit temps.

When you’re in an actual 4 season climate you don’t consider 40 degrees to be cold. If there’s no snow, and it’s above freezing, it’s not cold.

Cold is fucking Portland. I lived there three years. 44 and drizzle ten months a year and no fucking sun. 80% of women have seasonal affective disorder on top of usual crazy, so extra crazy. It’s why they are national leaders in drug addicts, suicide, drunkenness, and insane politics.

[jimmyjazz 46526]

1 minute ago, Texzilla58 said:

80% of women have seasonal affective disorder on top of usual crazy, so extra crazy.

See, for instance, my wife.  Seriously, a cloudy day plunges her into depression, which creates all kinds of collateral damage.  I could retire anywhere, but it will damn sure be somewhere with sunshine the vast majority of the time.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Says you.  "Above freezing" is about 35 F below my minimum allowable temperature.

It’s a thread about living in Minnesota. If you require 70+ degrees, show up in May and leave before Halloween

[jimmyjazz 46526]

Just now, Al_4_ISU said:

It’s a thread about living in Minnesota. If you require 70+ degrees, show up in May and leave before Halloween

Been there, done that, saw the 'mats at their reunion show in St. Paul.  Greatest old guy weekend of my life.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Cold is fucking Portland. I lived there three years. 44 and drizzle ten months a year and no fucking sun. 80% of women have seasonal affective disorder on top of usual crazy, so extra crazy. It’s why they are national leaders in drug addicts, suicide, drunkenness, and insane politics.

Portland is tougher than Minnesota, IMO. Lack of sun does more to SAD than anything for me.

I’m not depressed when it’s 5 degrees and sunny AF. I just wear more layers.

44 and cloudy drizzle? That sucks. Thankfully we got less than a month of that

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

Been there, done that, saw the 'mats at their reunion show in St. Paul.  Greatest old guy weekend of my life.

My brother lives in St Paul. His neighbor is the (very recently) former program director of Minnesota Public Radio. My brother (not a Mats fan) was at a party there a few years back, hanging with his neighbor and his buddy Paul - a 50ish year old guy wearing sunglasses and dressed in rock star-ish clothes.

When he left, my brothers neighbor goes “thanks for not being weird.” My brother didn’t understand. His neighbor then explained who Paul was, and my brother immediately called me to rub it in

[jimmyjazz 46526]

I was one of probably a thousand dorks who went to look at this house:

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

I’ve done it too

[Beau Vine 55028]

Thanks for your help, Al. It seriously meant a lot.

This is now official.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Beau Vine

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

12 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Thanks for your help, Al. It seriously meant a lot.

This is now official.

Awesome!  Don't hesitate to bump it if you have any further questions or want a rec.

One thing I didn't mention previously is that I'd warn her that Rochester natives can be weirdly insular.  They sort of embody the Minnesota Nice stereotype in that they'll be very polite, but extremely hesitant to invite people into their social circles.  They also have an unusual lack of awareness of the world outside of Rochester - it almost feels like how the characters in the Simpsons are with Springfield (or Pawnee on Parks & Rec).  She will also probably be shocked by how pronounced the Minnesota accent is there.  It's as strong in an and around Rochester as it is anywhere.

I'm assuming though if she's working for Mayo that she'll be around lots of other folks in similar situations to her that will make it an easier transition.  And it's not like people are assholes, but it may seem very "small town", especially coming from a big city with tons of transplants.

I really do love this area and consider the Driftless one of America's last undiscovered places.  It's a great place to live and the negative stereotypes about weather and topography keep it from being overrun with shit heads.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Al_4_ISU

[Beau Vine 55028]

Yeah, I'd heard about the insular thing, but she's an attractive female engineer who'll be working at Mayo, so I doubt that she'll have trouble meeting people.  

I had already thought that she needs to watch Fargo again before she moves to get a handle on the accents.  I'm actually in Denver with her this weekend and I keep saying YOU BETCHA to her, partly to annoy her.  Gonna try to work in some DONTCHA KNOWs tonight at dinner.

I guess the only other thing is where to live.  We're thinking downtown apartments, where she can use the "subway" and skywalks.  Any big downside to that?

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

7 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Yeah, I'd heard about the insular thing, but she's an attractive female engineer who'll be working at Mayo, so I doubt that she'll have trouble meeting people.  

I had already thought that she needs to watch Fargo again before she moves to get a handle on the accents.  I'm actually in Denver with her this weekend and I keep saying YOU BETCHA to her, partly to annoy her.  Gonna try to work in some DONTCHA KNOWs tonight at dinner.

I guess the only other thing is where to live.  We're thinking downtown apartments, where she can use the "subway" and skywalks.  Any big downside to that?

Parking and ease of access to grocery and box stores would be the argument against downtown, I guess.  Otherwise, no.  Downtown is clean, safe, and has some nice spots (although like I said, they tend to be just a model of something somewhere bigger).  Newt's (there are 3 locations, but downtown is the OG) is one of my favorite places to get a burger in the world, and has a cool vibe.  If I lived downtown I'd eat there like 4x per week and be really fat.  Taco Jed is walking distance and a cool place.  It's incredibly unassuming from the outside (anchors a strip mall) but has a cool bar with great drinks and tasty food.  Kathy's is a fun bar that always has a band playing and a cool rooftop patio.  There's a really nice co-op downtown as well.

Southeast, and the area immediately north of downtown off of Broadway is considered the "rough" part of town, but that's absolutely fucking laughable in this day and age.  There's no remotely rough part of Rochester.  The northwest part of town is growing the fastest and has the best bike trail access.  My favorite breweries are out that way.

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Al_4_ISU

[Beau Vine 55028]

9 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Parking and ease of access to grocery and box stores would be the argument against downtown, I guess.  Otherwise, no.  Downtown is clean, safe, and has some nice spots (although like I said, they tend to be just a model of something somewhere bigger).  Newt's (there are 3 locations, but downtown is the OG) is one of my favorite places to get a burger in the world, and has a cool vibe.  If I lived downtown I'd eat there like 4x per week and be really fat.  Taco Jed is walking distance and a cool place.  It's incredibly unassuming from the outside (anchors a strip mall) but has a cool bar with great drinks and tasty food.  Kathy's is a fun bar that always has a band playing and a cool rooftop patio.  There's a really nice co-op downtown as well.

Southeast, and the area immediately north of downtown off of Broadway is considered the "rough" part of town, but that's absolutely fucking laughable in this day and age.  There's no remotely rough part of Rochester.  The northwest part of town is growing the fastest and has the best bike trail access.  My favorite breweries are out that way.

 

One of the apartments we were looking at that kind of looks the best is literally above that co-op.

[millhouse 2709]

3 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

....she's an attractive female engineer....  

Prove it

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

One of the apartments we were looking at that kind of looks the best is literally above that co-op.

That’s a real convenient spot for someone working at basically anything Mayo.

[Beau Vine 55028]

Update, mainly for @Al_4_ISU...

She took a trip there last weekend to look for places to live and came back excited by the town.  She's signing a lease with the apartment just south of DT that has the co-op (and pizza place) on the 1st floor.  She was complaining about how much garage parking costs for all the apartments she looked at, and was talking about just doing street parking to save $150/month, but I said, "Are you out of your mind?  That's like getting an apartment in Texas that has no A/C" and that apparently got through to her.  

The place that she signed a lease with waived the background check because she'll be working for Mayo, which amused and pleased her.

[Al_4_ISU 12549]

14 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

Update, mainly for @Al_4_ISU...

She took a trip there last weekend to look for places to live and came back excited by the town.  She's signing a lease with the apartment just south of DT that has the co-op (and pizza place) on the 1st floor.  She was complaining about how much garage parking costs for all the apartments she looked at, and was talking about just doing street parking to save $150/month, but I said, "Are you out of your mind?  That's like getting an apartment in Texas that has no A/C" and that apparently got through to her.  

The place that she signed a lease with waived the background check because she'll be working for Mayo, which amused and pleased her.

That's a nice spot, I know exactly where you're talking.

Yeah, street parking in Rochester is a pain in the ass even when the ground isn't covered by 5' of snow.  It's one of those "alternate every day and you'll get a ticket at 12:01" type towns.