Twin Cities' National and Global Image

[NickP]

I hope everyone is doing well. I read these articles on Minnpost and thought that people here would appreciate them. They are a two part series so be sure to read both.
http://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/20 ... our-future
http://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/20 ... able-place

Enjoy

[mulad]

I guess there's a lot to be said about identity and image, but my biggest worry in this realm is that Minneapolis will drop out of the top 50 largest cities in the country, and cease to be measured in a lot of statistics. Minneapolis is currently ranked 47th, so it wouldn't take much to fall off the list. The WalkScore website has sometimes only looked at the top 40 largest cities in their rankings -- a lot of folks were confused why Minneapolis wasn't measured at all, especially after we climbed close to the top of their charts after a broader list was used.

If Minneapolis and St. Paul merged, we'd be back up at about #19, which isn't too far from our Metropolitan Statistical Area ranking of #16 -- and that could be bumped up by including a few suburbs like St. Louis Park or Richfield.

[mullen]

we will just always be labeled as minnesota or "twin cities". its just the form and function of our geography, how we had two major cities grow next to eachother. then we had decades of city rivalry. to a lesser extent it still exists. our local medica doesn't help matters. it's always these general labels put forward. then you lump on our winters. when i lived in florida for a short time people would start would cringe when i mentioned where i was from. a cold outpost bascially. we know how great the autumns are here. that was one of the seasons i missed most.

the cities will never merge...there is too much history and parochialism for that ever to happen. maybe in 100 years when everyone is using flying cars or something.

twin cities and minnesota are two unfortunate monikors. I think MSP is the best brand to use moving forward. also unfortunately our local media perpetuates stereotypes and puts an emphasis on weather. compare the amount of time our local medica spends on weather vs other cities. so yes, we have a definite brand identity nationally. but we tend to be insular and think everything is fine while at the same time wanting national validation. witnes the countless stories about our ranking in some arbitrary category after another.

[Unity77]

the cities will never merge...there is too much history and parochialism for that ever to happen. maybe in 100 years when everyone is using flying cars or something.

Hence the reason we will continue losing ground to our peer cities such as Seattle, Denver, and Portland and be surpassed by the likes of Charlotte, Austin, Nashville, and San Antonio.

[PhilmerPhil]

Can we get the spelling of this thread fixed too?

[Chauncey87]

I cringe when I hear local news anchors call MSP International airport. Twin Cities airport. I think I heard that on CH 5? Or for that mater when ANY major event happens in Minneapolis the anchors say "In the Twin Cities today.....", Counter that with crime or murders. The anchors are seem eager to point out that it happened in Minneapolis. The media does a great job of helping Minneapolis and to some extent StP seem like such a insignificant place. It hurts when Portland and Denver are spreading around how much "more they have" When in fact they only seem to have more in LRT miles and MT's. WE have more people, international corporations, and to some extent a better quality of life. How much of Joe public knows that?

For Minneapolis to leap into the global spotlight it needs to drop the whole Twin Cities idea. For that matter DROP MSP from everything. Re-brand and stick to calling the area known as the "Twin Cities" the Minneapolis Metro. Does anybody say Dallas Ft. Worth anymore? They only time I hear DFW now is when I hear about the airport.

[gahwi003]

I grew up in dfw, and they never refer to it as the Dallas metro.

[Gregory]

I grew up in dfw, and they never refer to it as the Dallas metro.

YUP. The Metroplex

[lordmoke]

Relevant article from the Strib:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/217800871.html

[Snelbian]

I cringe when I hear local news anchors call MSP International airport. Twin Cities airport. I think I heard that on CH 5? Or for that mater when ANY major event happens in Minneapolis the anchors say "In the Twin Cities today.....", Counter that with crime or murders. The anchors are seem eager to point out that it happened in Minneapolis. The media does a great job of helping Minneapolis and to some extent StP seem like such a insignificant place. It hurts when Portland and Denver are spreading around how much "more they have" When in fact they only seem to have more in LRT miles and MT's. WE have more people, international corporations, and to some extent a better quality of life. How much of Joe public knows that?

For Minneapolis to leap into the global spotlight it needs to drop the whole Twin Cities idea. For that matter DROP MSP from everything. Re-brand and stick to calling the area known as the "Twin Cities" the Minneapolis Metro. Does anybody say Dallas Ft. Worth anymore? They only time I hear DFW now is when I hear about the airport.

St. Paul and much of the eastern metro would like a word with you about the "Minneapolis Metro" idea...

[FISHMANPET]

I'd be curious about what people from Dallas/Fort Worth (since gahwi003 is from the area) thinks about being called Dallas Metro vs Forth Worth Metro vs Metroplex. I'm guessing anywhere you get cities growing together into a single Metro area you're going to get rivalries between the two cities. Other than Minneapolis and St Paul being so close together I don't think our situation is all that unique in that regard.

[Snelbian]

It's not even a question of simple rivalry. Growing up in some of the northeastern suburbs, most of the people I knew thought of the central city as being St. Paul, not Minneapolis. Not out of rivalry, just perception probably based on proximity and frequency of visiting.

[Nick]

Out of curiosity, why are people so opposed to Twin Cities? I kind of like it.

[RailBaronYarr]

^^I like it, too. It's unique (Dallas & Fort Worth are a full 30 miles apart), still puts the focus on the cities rather than pandering to a region/state like other entities (pro sports teams...) try to do.

[mullen]

eh, just embrace our uniqueness. I like MSP....but i guess st paulites quibble with having an "M" in front. hence our image problem. we can't even agree on how to brand ourselves. damn you geography and settlers! curses st anthony falls and upper landing! if not for st anthony falls we'd probably be one city...

there is something to be said for a quality, city brand. chicago...denver...nobody calls seattle seattle-tacoma. maybe the residents there do, if the live in tacoma, i have no idea. i think the best region with a similar identity problem is tampa bay.

[mplsjaromir]

I was talking to someone in Des Moines once and I mentioned I was from the Twin Cities. They immediately started talking about the Bloomington-Normal Illinois area. It took me second to realize what they were talking about. From now on I say I am from Minneapolis and refer to this metro area exclusively as Minneapolis, sorry haters.

[RailBaronYarr]

Meh, I don't concern myself with people who aren't aware of the moniker that describes two major cities 8 miles apart from each other in one of the top 20 metros in the country. With the moniker being understood enough to spawn the name of an MLB franchise.

[talindsay]

curses st anthony falls and upper landing! if not for st anthony falls we'd probably be one city...

If not for St. Anthony Falls we wouldn't *BE* a city - the falls is the reason there was a settlement here that grew into the world's largest grain milling town.

[MNdible]

curses st anthony falls and upper landing! if not for st anthony falls we'd probably be one city...

If not for St. Anthony Falls we wouldn't *BE* a city - the falls is the reason there was a settlement here that grew into the world's largest grain milling town.

Right, we'd be one city, and it would be St. Paul (which was established first).

If anybody asks me where I'm from, I say Minneapolis, but that's easy because I actually live *in* Minneapolis. The more important question is what do people who live in Bloomington or St. Paul say.

[bptenor]

I almost always say St. Paul. Sometimes Twin Cities. Maybe because its the capitol city that everyone learned in school, or the people I've talked with, but I have yet to run into someone who doesn't know where one or both of those places are, and I've been to 40 states...