Hello; moving to MN ( 1

Hi all,



I've been reading this board for a few weeks now and have found all your experiences to be extremely eye-opening, and to be honest, more than a little foreboding and frightening! I am set to begin med school this fall (so my wife would be the "medical spouse") and I'm having some serious cold feet after reading of all the experiences you've shared, but we're still hoping and praying this is the right path for me/us.



We're both in our mid-20s. I've been in the biotech field for a couple years, and my wife is a musician/writer. We will be moving to Minneapolis for med school shortly. It seems that there are at least a couple people here that are from Minnesota. Can you chime in if you don't mind? I'd love any advice on living in the area. Thanks very much!

Wow...everyone is moving to MN!!! When will you all be going? My hubby and I are moving in just one WEEK! We will be a little less than an hour from MN. Both Jason and Kelly are in Minneapolis as well!



First off.....don't be frightened away by some of our experiences. I won't lie to you and say that med school and residency aren't going to be challenging times...but there are many, many good times!!! You are embarking on the ultimate ADVENTURE!



Many of us use this forum as a sounding board to rant and vent during stressful times....and somehow it seems to be easier or perhaps more interesting to share the unfun stuff. Fortunately, Kelly has stepped up and started the gratitudes/inspirations forum to give us all a positive kick in our droopy, negative pants!



You are welcome here anytime as is your wife. Congrats on your acceptance to med school...I understand U of Minn is a GREAT school!!!! And just think...it is sooooo close to the Mall of America!!! (Can you tell that I have one interest in moving to MN?)



Kris
The Medical Spouse Network

Thanks for the reply, Jason. We are looking for a place now, and hoping to move mid-August or so. Although I grew up just outside the Twin Cities, I don't know Minneapolis very well, as I've lived in Chicago for the past several years. I've found it difficult toget a "feel" for where to live in Mpls, as it seems the downtown area is kind of sparse in conveniences (groceries, restaurants, transportation, etc.) compared to the city of Chicago, which is weird. Mpls seems vey suburbanized.



We'd probably like to live close to the University, (east bank or downtown area). I always liked the Uptown/Lakes area, as well as Loring Park, but I'm not sure if they would be too far. Anyway, I'm glad you replied, and I appreciate any additional advice you have on finding housing in the different neighborhoods etc. Like I said, it's been hard to get a "feel" for the place again. Thanks!



David



P.S. Any peripheral tidbits like favorite restaurants, parks, etc. are appreciated as well!

David,



Have you spoken to anyone at the Medical Education office at UMinn? They may know where many of the med students/residents live and would be able to point you in that direction. Perhaps they could even give you the number of a student that would be willing to help?





Kris
The Medical Spouse Network

Thanks to you too, Kris, for sharing as well as for maintaining this site! We're excited and nervous about moving in August, finding a job for my wife (she'll do grad school after this year), etc. Will you be living in the 'burbs or in the country? Are you both completely new to the area, and how did you decide to go there? Forgive me if I am not up to speed on all of this info, as I'm sure it is archived among the hundreds of posts here! I suppose you can't really say where your husband will be practicing either. Thanks again, and keep up the great work on the site!



David

David we live in teh Lake of the Isles area--we are actually in a brownstone right behind the calhoun beach club on Lake Calhoun--yes the uptown area is awesome



I like the area because you are a stones throw to uptwon



You will have to check out Chino Latino--All of us need to go to dinner some night when you move here



a note of advice though the occupancy rate is only 1.5 % so I would suggest looking now--I can talk to my landlord and see if they have anything opening up with their management company if you lile.



Of course the Lakes are great for recreation and Loring Park is great any time of year.



And KELLY lives here--what is that all about--Kelly I didn't know you lived here--what the hell we could be having a 1/8 medical sposue reunion in two weeks



Kelly where abouts are you



Dave let me know if you want us to look into something for you here--not a big deal at all



Kelly--how in the world did I miss that you lived here--Have you eaten at Chino Latino



In the summer I normally grill everynight and have been keeping track since the start of April--to date I have grilled over 100 pounds of steak, chicken, pork and the off and on again fish.



and Kris I CAN'T WAIT to meet you--I am way excited.



Like I said Dave just let me know--it is good to have an in when you are looking for a place.



Kris is here in less then two weeks--Oh my GOD I am psyched.

Dave our management's website address is



http://www.apartmentmanagementco.com

Jason....and what is your social security number and D.O.B.?







I worry that putting too much info out there might be dangerous....just a thought...
The Medical Spouse Network

hooray--my name is Jason and yes dan and I live in MNPLS--do you have a place to live yet--have you found an apartment.



where are you moving her from?



Glad you found us--the foreboding and frightening stuff is how some of us feel from time to time. I think that most of us get upset from time to time--both spouse and medical spouse. The board is a wonderful sounding board for us to yell and scream and then go back to the relationship at hand.



I believe there might be one person I have heard on this board who has never once complained--



So when do you guys move

Minneapolis is a huge city I am not worried



and my dob is 8-12-69



cards and gifts gladly accepted

So is that August 12 or December 8? If it's August 12, that my mom's bday too! Easy for me to remember.



janet

Thanks again, Jason. Your info has been very helpful! I hope I didn't cause you to divulge too much personal information about where you live. I will take a look at the website and map out the buildings to see which ones are within the "acceptable" distance from the school. I'll be in touch!

OH NO.....now he's gonna expect at least a card or something !!!



Hope I didn't offend you, Jason...I'm just trying to protect you in a codependent sort of way....



Kris
The Medical Spouse Network

David,



It would be neat if all of us "minnesotans" could get together once everyone is moved in! I hope you don't misunderstand my comments to Jason about the info about where he lives....The web is big...I don't expect that any of us lovely people would have any devious thoughts....you never know about the many different types of lurkers (read: non-medical spouse) that might come across the info...



I say...once you are settled that you and your wife, Jason, Kelly and myself will definately have to meet......My vote is of course the "Mall of America" but since Kelly has been forbidden to be within a ston'es throw of it we'll have to shoot for a restaurant or something.



We won't be living in /practicing in Minneapolis, by the way. My husband will be working with a group outside of the area...so I don't really know much of anything about living in MN...I do hear they are building apartments in the "Mall of America"... !



Kris
The Medical Spouse Network Edited by: kmmath  at: 6/20/01 7:54:50 am

ABSOLUTELY NOT--No way should you want to live out by the mall--I actually hate that mall--it is huge and on any given day half of Wisconsin's population is there--not that I have anything against Wisconsin (GO VIKES) but if I wanted to be surrounded by 40,000 packers fans I would go to the games in green bay instead of watching it on television.



Oh ya and Kris after two or three visits out there--after you are an official Minnesotan you will see it for the tourist trap that it is.



I have not been banned from the mall but Daniel has been denied going un-chaperoned.



there is of course Jilian's at the mall and that is pretty cool. It is a bowling alley in a very very very upscale bar--never seen anything like it in my life--with major shootem up video games out front. I go to the mall by default only for that one location



No David and his beloved I am sure would feel much more comfortable in uptown or dinkytown if he is coming from chicago. The burbs might be too much of a culture shock. nothing against them, they just are so different from the city--and don't even get me started on St Paul

Jason,



I'm Kidding about the Mall of America!...I am not that big of a mall-go-er actually, although I am curious to see this "amusement park" inside...it is something that I have to see at least once....



I did see this special though on tV about it and they are actually building some kind of apartments in there, etc...and there was a woman who was talking about moving in there and then "never leaving the mall"...can you imagine? She was saying that living in the mall would enable her to do all of her shopping, work, provide entertainment and amusement (movies, shows, amusement park) and that there is even a University inside the mall that offers a couple of DEGREES! I couldn't believe it! Hey, my kids can consider themselves luck if Gymboree is having a 70% off sale and I take them....but I don't think I could get into regular shopping in a crowded mall!



,



Kris
The Medical Spouse Network