I have been a Minneapolis resident for one full year.
I still haven’t eaten at all of the restaurants within a 10-block radius. Back home, I had not only eaten at all the restaurants in town, but I’d worked at half of them. I don’t have a favorite grocery store, although I’m narrowing my choices down. Sadly, there isn’t a natural foods co-op closer than 15 minutes away, but many of the groceries stores have a good selection of organic foods. (And I don’t think I should drive more than five minutes for anything.)
I’m learning new routes to avoid the traffic jams. I picked this house because of it’s proximity to a major street, Hiawatha Ave., but now I avoid that road at all costs. Driving on Hiawatha Avenue is a sure way to get me boiling mad and frustrated. It’s all about waiting for traffic. That’s the reason why I didn’t move to the suburbs; the wait at lights can be 7 to 10 minutes. And so I take Cedar. It’s narrower, but the lights change quick.
I’m not a city girl by any means, but I’m figuring out how to survive down here.
HERE ARE THE IMPORTANT LESSONS I’VE LEARNED SO THIS COUNTRY GIRL CAN SURVIVE:
•Just stay home between 3 and 7 p.m. The roads are clogged and getting around is a lesson in frustration. So, I save myself the hassle and stay home.
• Even though the distance isn’t far on a map doesn’t mean you’ll get there in five minutes. Nope. Better plan on 10 or 15 or 20 — 30 during rush hour or if there’s construction. There are lots of stoplights, cars and people. I used to be envious of city folks because everything was just 20 minutes away. That was when I had one store to buy clothes at in my hometown. But now I realize that EVERYTHING is 20 minutes away — whether I’m heading for a surburb and just going down the street.
• Use GPS. Always. Now, I’ve always been the kind of girl who couldn’t get lost. I never lost North. But down here... I’m lost. A lot. Exits curve off in a different direction. Buildings are tall. I’m coming from the south rather than the north, so exits are different. I can’t count on the route being the same that I was used to. And so I plug my destination in my phone’s GPS unit every time. Then, if I don’t need it I can congratulate myself. And when I do (which is usually, though it’s getting to be less and less), I can make it where I’m heading - instead of drving round and round.
• Driving takes a lot of concentration. A lot. I’ve always prided myself on being a good driver. No accidents on my record. Just the occassional speeding ticket. But down here there is SO MUCH to look out for. Other cars with driver’s who don’t know what they’re doing. Pedestrians. Bicyclists. Mopeds. Trains. Stop lights that hard to see because they aren’t above the lanes but just on the side of the road. Construction workers. Buses that stop frequently.
• Watch out for the bicylists. They think they own the road and that you shouldn’t be driving a gas-hogging vehicle. Because of that, they won’t watch out for you. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to hit a bicylist. I sure don’t.
- This is one of bridges I love best in Minneapolis. It provides a way for those on the Greenway to travel safely across Hiawatha Avenue.
I still haven’t eaten at all of the restaurants within a 10-block radius. Back home, I had not only eaten at all the restaurants in town, but I’d worked at half of them. I don’t have a favorite grocery store, although I’m narrowing my choices down. Sadly, there isn’t a natural foods co-op closer than 15 minutes away, but many of the groceries stores have a good selection of organic foods. (And I don’t think I should drive more than five minutes for anything.)
I’m learning new routes to avoid the traffic jams. I picked this house because of it’s proximity to a major street, Hiawatha Ave., but now I avoid that road at all costs. Driving on Hiawatha Avenue is a sure way to get me boiling mad and frustrated. It’s all about waiting for traffic. That’s the reason why I didn’t move to the suburbs; the wait at lights can be 7 to 10 minutes. And so I take Cedar. It’s narrower, but the lights change quick.
I’m not a city girl by any means, but I’m figuring out how to survive down here.
HERE ARE THE IMPORTANT LESSONS I’VE LEARNED SO THIS COUNTRY GIRL CAN SURVIVE:
•Just stay home between 3 and 7 p.m. The roads are clogged and getting around is a lesson in frustration. So, I save myself the hassle and stay home.
• Even though the distance isn’t far on a map doesn’t mean you’ll get there in five minutes. Nope. Better plan on 10 or 15 or 20 — 30 during rush hour or if there’s construction. There are lots of stoplights, cars and people. I used to be envious of city folks because everything was just 20 minutes away. That was when I had one store to buy clothes at in my hometown. But now I realize that EVERYTHING is 20 minutes away — whether I’m heading for a surburb and just going down the street.
• Use GPS. Always. Now, I’ve always been the kind of girl who couldn’t get lost. I never lost North. But down here... I’m lost. A lot. Exits curve off in a different direction. Buildings are tall. I’m coming from the south rather than the north, so exits are different. I can’t count on the route being the same that I was used to. And so I plug my destination in my phone’s GPS unit every time. Then, if I don’t need it I can congratulate myself. And when I do (which is usually, though it’s getting to be less and less), I can make it where I’m heading - instead of drving round and round.
• Driving takes a lot of concentration. A lot. I’ve always prided myself on being a good driver. No accidents on my record. Just the occassional speeding ticket. But down here there is SO MUCH to look out for. Other cars with driver’s who don’t know what they’re doing. Pedestrians. Bicyclists. Mopeds. Trains. Stop lights that hard to see because they aren’t above the lanes but just on the side of the road. Construction workers. Buses that stop frequently.
• Watch out for the bicylists. They think they own the road and that you shouldn’t be driving a gas-hogging vehicle. Because of that, they won’t watch out for you. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to hit a bicylist. I sure don’t.
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