What can you tell me about Fargo, ND.

[Thephranc]

I hate living here in the DC metro area. I have the means and skills to move anywhere and make it but I keep hearing about how great Fargo is so I was looking at homes, businesses services and it does look to be a very good place to live if you can deal with that thing called Winter. I'd love to hear the negatives the only one I can come up with is that almost every one there is white. Not really a bad thing, just the demographics, but I like a diversity of women. The city seams to have a good mix of everything. It has a Harbor Freight and a Menards. There is a 1/4mile track across the river in MN. Houses are pretty cheap compared to here. I can cash out of my 900sqft condo and buy a house with a 4 car garage.

So what am I missing?

[kmdracer]

For real ?

[Thephranc]

For real. Except for the HF and Menards, that was a joke. I'm closing my business at the end of Jan when the lease is up and from there its just a mater of moving some where. So far this is the best place I've seen when taking in all the variables I've been able to come up with. But I'd love more info top make a better educated decision. My other options are Billings or some where in Texas like Longview.

[kmdracer]

Oh, Okay. Well honestly can't help you much with Fargo. I've done a lot of work in N Dakota, but all middle and western parts of the state. I've driven through Fargo a few times. Seems nice enough, but I could never live that far north. I 'm from Texas, so natch my choice would be Longview, lol

[kmdracer]

What kind of work do you do, and plan to open wherever you move?

[Thephranc]

I make signs. We are primarily a neon shop but do all kinds of other signage too. I'll most likely work for some one else. Its easier that way. Owning is nice and all but regulations and taxes are out of hand all over the country. My back ground is in fabrication, signs, glazing, auto-mechanics and I have managerial skills.

[HarleyR]

Have you looked at the Charlotte NC area?

[hotrodneb]

Fargo is decent......cold of course....places to plug your car heater in nearly everywhere you go. I travel alot there for business, and do business in the area. Cost of living is stable, and Nd is the least affected by our current economy. The state government is very conservative, and the state is running a massive surplus, so the prospect of higher taxes is low in the state. The area floods nearly every spring so buy land as high as you can and away from the river. You aren't that far away from Minneapolis if you need a big city. You are also served by majot N/S and E/W interstates. Snow gets deep there in the winter. Good place to raise children, and crime is low.....but you need to be prepared that they will end up with a norweigen accent.....don't 'cha know?

[Thephranc]

I picked my car up down there in NC and have a buddy who moved there. It was on my list until decided I'm done withe the east coast.

[Thephranc]

Fargo is decent......cold of course....places to plug your car heater in nearly everywhere you go. I travel alot there for business, and do business in the area. Cost of living is stable, and Nd is the least affected by our current economy. The state government is very conservative, and the state is running a massive surplus, so the prospect of higher taxes is low in the state. The area floods nearly every spring so buy land as high as you can and away from the river. You aren't that far away from Minneapolis if you need a big city. You are also served by majot N/S and E/W interstates. Snow gets deep there in the winter. Good place to raise children, and crime is low.....but you need to be prepared that they will end up with a norweigen accent.....don't 'cha know?

Flooding I haven't considered. Do they have something like ****** for houses? I'd like to see if a house has been flooded.

[TheJDMan]

I have heard that Austin TX is a nice place and with the addition of the new F1 track they now have world class motorsports. Fargo is a nice place in the summer but the winters up there are a deal breaker for me.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

man it gets weirder and weirder in here lately...

[BuddyP]

^^ LOL!

Winter?? Cool! Buy a snowmobile when you move there!

[hotrodneb]

Flooding----Mostly farmland.....on the SW side of town gets some too

Snowmobiles---actually depending on where you are at it's pretty common. In the ditches they put stop and yield signs that are about 1/4 regular size. They don't face the road, they face the ditch. Turns out they drive the snowmobile in the ditch and the signs are for the riders. Of course I am talking the area not metro.

[Kenova]

Snowmobiles---actually depending on where you are at it's pretty common. In the ditches they put stop and yield signs that are about 1/4 regular size. They don't face the road, they face the ditch. Turns out they drive the snowmobile in the ditch and the signs are for the riders. Of course I am talking the area not metro.

I'm sure there would be days when you would need a snowmobile.

Ken

[Jetfixr320]

I think I would go check the area out in person, and also research the job market while I was there. You may not make the $$ that you were making in DC in the same or similar job.

Houses will be cheaper, but your wages may be lower also.

[Thephranc]

If I was to base my income on an hourly wage I make about $10 an hour ( sure there are other perks to being a business owner too that are hard to calculate). I've seen noob jobs in fields I'm skilled for paying $15 or more for no skill entry level. The cost of doing business here is very prohibitive here unless you are an immigrant and can get the few years worth of taxes waived. While a profitable company the combined taxes I paid out every year was more than the profit I made. Also being a business owner I am seen as rich to the government and barred from receiving any of the hand outs some one else making the same amount per hour is eligible for. Many companies around here look like they are doing good but its all tied up in debt financed equipment and taking out loans to pay next months payroll. I have no debt at all ,besides my personal credit cards monthly bill, and can't leverage my future to compete in a gamed system. I'm at the point I'll just work for some one else. If the state and local governments are business friendly I might start another company out there. I'll be taking my shop equipment with me. I'm not risk adverse and money isn't much of an issue as I don't spend like a drunk sailor. I'm also not above doing anything for a job. I once worked a job that had me climbing in storm drains dislodging obstructions. Ever seen a bloated dog carcase ready to burst after a week in the sewers?

I had planned on a week trip out there after the winter. I've all ready been to my other options and liked them. Texas is missing the winter I want but the area had that vibe I'm looking for. Billings was really nice and was my primary local before I started hearing about North Dakota.

[Johnny Blaze]

I think they made a movie about it a few years ago, perhaps it can give you some insight into the culture and language.

[zombiekiller]

i've been there more than i'd like to admit ( wife went through there on tour a few times).

Different strokes for different folks, but we could never, ever, in a million years live there.

[1red68]

This post kills me... i'm waiting for someone from Fargo to jump in... this is just my 2 cents, yes, it's cold compaired to where your comming from. for me its 4 hours south and thus warmer.. :) yes, it snows and tents to be windy, the summer is humid and sticky.. it can and has flooded there. but there are flood maps, it would pay to study them before buying anything, maybe even live there a year to get your feet wet before buying? most of the people are good hard working folks. They turn out good Amarican products. Bobcat and IH both have plants there along with Integerity windows and cardnel glass. the only ones not working are the ones that don't want too.. outdoor living, hunting/fishing are normal way or life. If you do not like firearms you will not be comfortable there. and yes, we all talk funny..

[Thephranc]

I live in a glorified swamp, I know humidity. If I can live through 102*F and 95% humidity I can deal with what ever they have there. I miss snow a lot. Lived in northern Japan up in the mountains where it snowed every winter unlike this hell hole where we get snow every 5 years for 2 days. I've been checking available homes and then google checking them to see if they are in flood planes. You can typically tell its been flooded by the really low price for a huge old house. No issues with fire arms. When I went to pick up my AMC the guy selling it in NC was open carry and made it a point to reassure me it was ok once he heard I was from MD. He was shocked to learn you can own a gun in MD.

All in all there are not a lot of down sides that I've seen so far. A little diligence on the recon when it comes to housing appears to be the most important thing to consider. The outdoor more rural lifeset out there is much more in tune with my personality than this horrible place.

[BuddyP]

Flooding----Mostly farmland.....on the SW side of town gets some too

Snowmobiles---actually depending on where you are at it's pretty common. In the ditches they put stop and yield signs that are about 1/4 regular size. They don't face the road, they face the ditch. Turns out they drive the snowmobile in the ditch and the signs are for the riders. Of course I am talking the area not metro.

Yep, and that's why they call it ditch bangin. And ND had some big azz ditches. Once you get a decent amount and snow and it drifts over the ditches it turns into a friggen blast!

[southernfriedcj]

If I owned hell and Fargo, I'd live in hell and rent out Fargo.

[1red68]

If you end up in Fargo drop me a line and we'll see if we can get together one day...

[novaderrik]

I think they made a movie about it a few years ago, perhaps it can give you some insight into the culture and language.

you mean that one movie where everything actually happens 200 miles to the east in Brainerd?

i live about 80 miles southeast of Fargo, right on I94..
Fargo is an ok city, but it's boring. you can stand on one side of the city, look down the street, and see the other side of the city.
it gets cold- for a few weeks. otherwise it's no worse than anywhere else in the upper midwest.
they get heavy snow, sometimes, but no worse than anywhere else in the upper midwest.. of course it seems worse because the wide open flat spaces don't slow down the wind at all.
Fargo seems to be benefiting as the jumping off point to get out to the oil fields- people come up I29 from the south and along I94 from the east and head on out there.
but it's also seeing a rise in the violent crime rate as the undesirable people also head up towards the oil fields to bring the drugs and what not that are growing in popularity out there.
there is a strip club, but i can't vouch for the quality of the women because i've only ever been in the basement bar playing pool one time..
there are quite a few immigrants in the town- you can't drive across town without seeing at least a couple of older Honda 4 doors with no less than 10 Somalis packed into it.
the stores aren't open on Sunday morning- it's a ND state law... so it can really suck if you wanted to head to Menard's to pick up some stuff before heading home to watch the Vikings lose a game.
but, yeah, they do have a Harbor Freight, a Menards, a Lowes, a Home Depot, and a Sears that has a pretty good selection of tools..

[Thephranc]

Violent crime sucks but it can't be worse than it is here. Never been to a strip club and plans on going. Somalis are nothing but trouble ( at least here they are ). I can do boring town. All I need is a garage to entertain my self. I was kidding about the HF and Menards but after looking at an overview of the city it seems to have just about everything. Its beginning to look more like 'when I move' as opposed to 'if I move' there.

[wally_245]

I have been to Fargo a bunch, but never lived there, so I will just speak about the weather, as I am from about two hours north (across the border in Winnipeg, Canada).

You will get about 2 months of beautiful sunny weather, with the occasional thunder storm (boy do I miss those, seriously). Spring and fall will be pretty bad for mosquitos and kind of humid, but nothing like down south. Spring frequently brings floods, so like other people have mentioned, make sure your house is on a hill.

Winter, for all everyone complains about it can be pretty awesome. Yeah, it will get damn cold, as in exposed skin freezes in less than 2 minutes, but you deal with it. You can always dress for the cold. I really miss walking down the sidewalk and hearing absolutely nothing except the fresh snow crunch under your feet.

If you do end up buying a house, look at radiant in-floor heating. My friend who lives in the country outside of Winnipeg has it and it is incredible. He even has it in his garage, so he can work in there in the middle of winter.

Fargo is much smaller than where I am from, so I am sure their will be lots of pickup trucks and snowmobiles, which can be a lot of fun. Not sure how much outdoorsy kind of stuff they have, but in Winnipeg we have lots and lots of stuff to do if you like nature.

After living in LA for 5 years, I am ready to leave. But, I just started a new job, so it will probably be a bit before I escape ;) We are thinking Washington/Oregon or maybe Colorado. I would consider moving back to Winnipeg, but I don't know if their is much work there for me.

[Noone]

I am from Fargo maybe I could help you. I have lived in Fargo since about 1992. Im not sure about the person who said he could see across it from one side to the other. Lol Fargo is actually pretty spread out. I live on the north side and my son goes to a private school on the south side. House is on 35TH AVE N and school is on about 60TH AVE S. Thats a little bit to far for him to see. Maybe he was last here a hundred years ago. The area actually has 4 citys in a row, West Fargo ND, Fargo ND, Moorhead MN and Dilworth MN. Area population is about 215,000. The two guys I hang out with the most at work are a black guy from Louisana and a Mexican guy from Texas. There are alot of whites but still pretty diverse.

There is crime in Fargo and getting more and more every day. But comming from DC you will laugh at what we have.

Jobs are all over you should have no problem there. Unemployment is Low low low. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/01/13/the-10-best-cities-for-finding-a-job
The only people who dont have jobs dont want one. Its a right to work state. We were pretty much not touched by the bad economy. Houses and cars kept on selling also the whole time. Some of the bigger manufacturing companys slowed down but are now at record highs and expanding. The bigger places in the area of the top of my head CAT, CASE NEW HOLLAND, MARVIN and Integrity Windows and Bobcat. Thats just manufacturing. You should be able to get $15-20hr.

Shopping and dining out are fine, every damn chain store is here and there are over 350 restarants. Entertainment wise there are some semi pro and college sports going here if you need pros Minneapolis is 3.5hrs down the interstate.
There are plenty of casinos also within driving distance.

Weather wise winters are some thing you deal with. All 3 of our every day cars have auto starts so they are warm when we get to them. The cold also means less bugs than other areas of the US. There are no Cockroaches or rats up here. Fargo sprays for mosquitos so I hardly ever see any because of spraying. As far as flooding goes whe have beaten off every flood they have thrown at us. If its going to happen we sandbag and dyke the fker. Sitting on our asses and crying doesnt happen up north. They are working on a big permanent project. Then we will have a drought I bet lol.

Your realtor will make sure you dont get a bad house. Allot of the problem areas have already had buyouts from the city. You cant get a loan on a house that hasnt been inspected to make sure its worth what the loan is for. And if the house is in the flood plain they would force you to take out flood insurance. Dont worry about it thats what your realtor is for protecting you the guy whos paying him. Come on up and check it out let me know if you have any more questions i was kinda in a hurry and might have skipped some things.

ND is expected to have a tax surplus of 2 billion by mid summer. Google some other states and see how they compare.

[Thephranc]

Finally some one from Fargo! Thanks for the info.

Our DC Fox news last night had a report from Fargo where the temp was -11 while we were at about 20.

[Noone]

Yep its frosty. Autostarts rule. Takes me about 10sec to get to my car. I move pretty damn fast when its like this. If you like car stuff theres this with in driving distance.
Top End http://www.topenddragways.com/
BIR even has some road and time attack type stuff http://www.brainerdraceway.com/
Devils Run is supposed to be a good time http://www.greaterdakotaclassics.com/events/devils_run.html
Car Craft summernationals in Minneapolis is awesome http://www.carcraft.com/multimedia/videos-01/2012-car-craft-summer-nationals-miss-car-craft-2013/17563/
Cruise Nights in West Fargo and Fargo. Once a month both citys have a cruise night. The West Fargo one is getting pretty big for a Thursday night after work 1,200 cars and 7,000 people is busy for a week night.