Opportunity to reolcate to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
 

i have an opportunity to relocate to Sioux Falls. Am I crazy?

coming form a temperate climate.

professionally its the right thing to do.

I worry about the climate and the isolation. Of course, you can do so much by net these days - Amazon Prime, Skype, etc.

I would think the weather is the major issue, especially in the winter. They do seem to be never ending. Plus the days are shorter/nights are longer.

On the plus side, you are only 230+ miles from Minneaplolis. Easy drive for a weekend.

I have never been to the area but I figure it is fairly flat (or somewhat flat). The wind blows a lot in the winter so that makes for hazardous driving (plus very dramatic windchill temps).

I would keep in mind what your everyday interests are. What do you like to do on the weekend?

Sioux Falls is really not that different from many cities (even Atlanta), just much, much, smaller. The Avengers will open there on the 1st, they have a Walmart, they have bars, restaurants, mechanics, cable, etc. It isn't Nome.

If you really enjoy the variety that city life offers you, then no, definitely not. If you are kind of a homebody, I would consider it.

I've never lived there, but have been there multiple times (even in the winter - which ... are harsh), and it is a nice smaller city. I personally think it is beautiful in a barren sort of way, but I've had people look at me like I'm crazy when I've said that.

The climate will be colder with snow in the winter (see the movie Fargo) and hot, humid summers (not hugely different from Atlanta).

The biggest difference will be going from a mega metro area with everything a 10-minute drive away to the heart of Great Plains farmland and small-town ambiance. Factoid: Sioux Falls is 84.5% white.

Minneapolis is indeed 237 miles away. Omaha is a closer and an all-freeway 185 miles south with a smidgen of culture. But it won't be Atlanta by a long shot.

On the plus side, I bet you can get a tremendous house for $100K...and the summer evenings last forever.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/sioux-falls/

Please explain: "professionally it's the right thing to do".

NB Unless you have an employment contract with a generous golden parachute from a deep pocketed employer, you've drunk someone's kewlaid.

On the plus side, the days are long and the nights are short in the summer...

FSD
https://dbffkv15yp72v.cloudfront.net...ht_hours_h.png

ATL
https://dbffkv15yp72v.cloudfront.net...ht_hours_h.png

I also thought FSD would be a tad less humid, but it's about the same as ATL, so you won't have to miss that. :D

And should be slightly longer than what you posted, as FSD (Foss Field, Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is a little ways north of SUX (Sioux Gateway Airport, Sioux City, Iowa) ;).

Sioux Falls metro area is 250k people, obviously a lot smaller than Atlanta. Depends if you feel you can make new friends there, that will affect how isolated you might feel.

OP, the summer will likely be just as hot and humid as Atlanta. However, duration will be MUCH shorter at those temps and humidity levels. May-June and August-September ought to be very beautiful in Sioux Falls. December-March will be cool to cold, windy, some snow. You'll get used to it though after the first year.

If it were the other end of the state (e.g. Rapid City), at least you'd have Badlands, Custer, the Black Hills, etc. assuming you like nature. As it is, Sioux Falls is nowhere I'd personally want to live...

OP, are you in the banking industry perchance?

Sans bad weather, most everything in Sioux Falls is within 10 minutes driving time. Walgreens, Hy-Vee, Walmart, movie theaters, etc. As I said, it really is the same as Atlanta, just on a much smaller scale.

Now, if you are talking the theater, gay bars, fine music, upper class dining, etc., sure that can be a drive - but the same could be said of Denver (spent many an hour driving back and forth from Parker).

If you really like the job, then you'll likely learn to appreciate the area. I've read many articles about the lengths large companies in somewhat rural areas go to attract highly talented business professionals and it's very interesting.

I do not that FT has a lot of posters who live in and around Anchorage and really like it, knowing that it's going to have a number of fun things to do and all the major amenities, but is not a huge metropolis. Granted, Alaska is not South Dakota, but you might very well like South Dakota, especially if you find Atlanta to be too congested at times.

It's a pleasant small city with a low cost of living and low crime rates. Public schools are pretty good too. There's a small airport with mainline service, a restored downtown historical district, a park close to downtown with the falls, a bunch of malls, coffee houses, wine bars, a history museum, an art museum or two, some butterfly house and nature trail, etc. I don't know much about restaurants and cultural activities, but I would expect them to be representative of a small city that's doing reasonably well. People are nice, friendly, and generally pretty well educated, so day-to-day life should be pleasant and stress free.

Ominous airport code given what the OP is asking...;)

"Minneapolis is 230 miles away"

That's supposed to be a selling point?

Darn those Sioux...inhabiting so many places. :D

The charts and humidity comment are for the correct Sioux Fall, SD.

Are you married or single?

I could do some recon on match of the greater Sioux Falls area if you'd like.