Fargo, ND

[KINSANG]

Hi, all! I'll be starting at North Dakota State this fall and NEED any and all info about Fargo from someone who has lived/is living there. I've read the good, the bad and the ugly online but want a more "on the ground" report. Thanks in advance!

[WalterBenjamin]

What kind of info do you need on Fargo?

It is a very... straightforward kind of a city.

MONEY: It is very cheap to live in, although you need a car, that's for sure. Check out graduate residences on campus and see how much they are. See if you can find a roommate. It gets COLD, so make sure you have really-really good "equipment" for the winter. Very good parka, good snow boots, very good hat and etc. Buy long jones, when they become available at Wall mart. Unfortunately, I am serious. That, and winter tires, is something you absolutely need to invest in. I would probably go to Marshall's or a place like that and look for winter coats with very high percentage of dawn (make sure you check on the label). These will be warmer and lighter. Just don't put the thing in the dryer, it might stink.

HEALTH: Cook at home as much as you can. There aren't that many restaurants that are ... interesting, but that depends on what you like, of course. I used to work out every day, 30-45 minutes of swimming, cardio or weights. Especially in the winter to avoid winter blues. I was really afraid of getting unmotivated/depressed, but ended up feeling amazing.

CULTURAL LIFE: there's an art museum, but it's not very interesting. The good thing is that in a small city like Fargo, you can easily take Art classes (cheap, esp. on campus), get out into the national parks, travel the state and go into heritage villages. Drive down to badlands, go to reservations. That's what I did anyway.

I have two very happy years in North Dakota. Would definitely come back, but I am a type of person who tries to make my own happiness where ever I am. You sort of have to work on it, but it is true for wherever you are, isn't it?

[KINSANG]

Thanks so much, AlyaLeka! I was scared I wasn't getting any responses,lol. I do plan to take my car, even though I'm nervous about winter driving and I'll also be living on campus, at least my first year there. I love to cook and already intend to prepare my own meals. I think all in all,based on your response, I may be well suited for Fargo,lol. I've learnt how to keep myself entertained, despite external circumstances so it's very hard for me to get bored.

[grimmiae]

Hello there!

I have grown up in Fargo. My family moved here when I was about 7 and I am 24 now. It isn't so bad here. The biggest plus I would think is that perhaps you will experience that "midwestern nice" personality here. People are extremely helpful and friendly. Since you are from Florida, the bigest thing would be being prepared for crazy weather. There is no such thing as predicting what kind of winter we will have. For instance, this past winter we maybe got an inch of snow fall. Yet, other winters we got so much that everyone freaks out about flooding and thinks that we are all going to sink and blah blah blah. It's really funny actually.

I don't know if I agree with the same poster above, I mean it depends on your sensitivity to cold. Days when it is 30 below with windchill- yeah you need to bundle up. But I just make sure my face is covered, that I am wearing good shoes, and a heavey coat. But then again, I grew up here so I think my sensitivity to cold is greatly reduced. But I would laugh at someone wearing full gear.

The second thing that is true is that you really must have a car to get around unless you are a true bad ass. A sociology professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead, bikes to school in the winter...so depends on your cold tolerance. But you never know, we could have another mild winter.

I think that living here really just depends on what you do for fun. I think we have the highest rate of binge drinking...you will see that Broadway is a short run around for bar hoping.

The biggest plus here is that people are friendly. The biggest minus is the winter and creating your own fun. As long as you are creative you will fare well here.

[WalterBenjamin]

Oh, I loved the poster above, so North Dakota-like. So true!

And yes, if you grew up in Fargo, you have low sensitivity to cold. I remember days when I could not quite breath in, it was so cold. The air just sort of get stuck in your throat, and your eye lashes freeze. But if you have good coat, good shoes, and a friend with a fire place and a coffee pot, you are all set.

And oh my God, I totally know the professor you are talking about. In fact, I think about her from time to time. The bike, the attitude - it was golden.

Very true about the friendliness. My best friend's pipe exploded in the middle of the winter. She showed up in the morning to work and had no idea what she was going to do with her house and where she was going to sleep. Of course, I said she could move in with me. Still, by the end of the day, she had 7 (!!!) notes on her door from people offering her dinners, help, accomodations, and etc.

I love North Dakota!

[Ms.PhD]

Hello all,

 

I will be starting a program at North Dakota State in the Fall.  Any advice in regards to best areas to live would be greatly appreciated.  I see there are many new developments happening in West Fargo and South Fargo.  Are those decent areas?  How do people feel about Moorehead, MN?  I'll have a car and I don't need to be incredibly close to campus.  Any suggestions/guidance would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance. 

[mewtoo]

Hey, glad to see another person so recently posting on here! I may be going to NDSU in the fall as well to start my phd. I will find out soon as I have a visitation/interview there next month. 

 

My main concern is, however: I'm from the south and have never been in more than an inch or so of snow. WHAT IS SNOW? HOW DO I SNOW? (You know nothing, John Snow). I GET COLD IN 60 DEGREE WEATHER. AM I GOING TO DIE? Srsly, gais. Srsly.

 

I'm not so worried about what y'all call a "small" city (the biggest city I would have lived in to date by FAR if I end up there) and finding things to do. I'm more interested in finding a nice, cheap, pet friendly place to live if I end up there and also, obviously, omg the weather. In March its practically already summer here. I asked if it'd be snowy when I visit then and the professor basically said "don't worry, we always drop everyone off by the door so just make sure to bundle up!" That was a terrifying response to me. This isn't just simply not being used to cold, but I don't know how to drive in snow, even really walk in snow, and I'm also clumsy as hell and have convinced myself I'll probably break my ankle for the 3rd time while there. If I get accepted with funding I'm 99% sure I'm going to go there, but I'm scared. lol 

 

Also, for the weather in the beginning of next month, is a normal thicker coat adequate or am I going to have to find a new jacket and go all out?

[Ms.PhD]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one utterly confused.  I'm used to the snow.  I don't know if I'll ever get adjusted to Fargo's cold temps though.  I will be investing in a good coat and some heavy duty boots.  Hopefully, someone can give us some good advice!

[AtomDance]

Hi all, I'm a Fargo native. Feel free to PM me with additional questions.

 

Yes, it gets very cold, especially January-February. As others have said, I would strongly recommend you come with a car, as you do NOT want to be outside waiting for the (often late, I think) city buses in -30 F weather. You do not want to be outside at all in -30 F weather! Most of us deal with the cold by not really going outside for more than a few minutes to scamper to/from the car. Something to think about if you have dog(s) that love long walks outside! You'll also want to add ~15 minutes to your travel time to let your car warm up before you head out during these extremely cold months. A normal thicker coat could be okay... it will at least be a good start for early winter months (late October-early December), but you might find yourself wanting different gear for the extreme months. Learning how to layer helps a lot too!

 

You'll learn to bear the cold, but I don't think anyone there ever really adjusts to it. It's a terrible experience each and every year for me, and its a big reason why I left the area for college! Don't let it affect your decisions though- as unpleasant as it is, you do learn to cope (not sure if that's actually inspiring or not!).

 

In terms of places to live, south Fargo is a perfectly fine area. There's a TON of new development going on in both south Fargo and southern West Fargo (West Fargo is its own city... not the western part of Fargo!), but there's also been a lot of redevelopment in downtown Fargo to make it a more desirable place to live. I'm not sure if the prices downtown are significantly higher than anywhere else... and I would guess that area is less pet friendly though (just a guess). The only place considered "rough" that I know about is the apartments behind the local Kmart on University Drive, and that may not even be true anymore. Moorhead is a fine place to live too but I don't know of anyone who lives there to work/study in Fargo. Also, traffic coming into Fargo on I94 might be a bit worse than average before and after work (I have no idea about that, really).

 

Bottom line is anywhere you choose will probably not be terrible, and compared to some other cities will probably be very nice for what you're paying. Downtown/north Fargo are the older parts of the city, and most of the southern part is quite new. 

Edited February 13, 2015 by AtomDance

[mewtoo]

Thanks so much for the info!

[Ms.PhD]

Wow.  Thank you so much for all the great information.  I will definetely PM you if that's okay because I do have a few additional questions.  Thanks again for your time.  I greatly appreciate it. 

[twentysix]

Yes, you'll need a winter coat when it's winter. However, you can buy one once you get here. In late August/early September, it'll be in the high 90s. It's not always winter. 

 

2 bedroom apartments are between $500-$700, depending on the area. If you don't care about living close to campus, look for apartments in South Fargo. The commute is 15-30 minutes, but the apartments are much newer. I live in an old triplex near campus and it's crappy/cheap. It depends on the quality of apartment that you are looking for. The apartments around campus are older except for T-Lofts (http://www.roers.com/t-loft-apartments/home), a new complex South of campus. It's overpriced though. I know many grad students who live in T-Lofts their first year (for convenience) and then move to other parts of the city. There are also apartment buildings further south of campus (on College Street) that are newer. Also, there are newly built, 3 story town homes within walking distance of campus for $1100/month. 

 

For on-campus apartments, the Niskanen apartments are newer and located in the University Village area NE of campus. There is a bus that continually takes students from University Village to campus. The apartments that are labeled "University Village" are older/cheaper and in the same area. However, mainly international students seem to live in those. 

 

Downtown Fargo has been revitalized within the last 10 years. There are unique restaurants and shops. Also, there is a rather large bar scene downtown. We have at least 3 small breweries in Fargo/Moorhead. The art community is growing too. It's a nice place to live, except for the terrible temperatures in the winter and the humidity in the summer. However, every place has something that sucks about it. 

 

On the plus side, NDSU also has a great football team (4 consecutive D1 national championships) and is an R1 university. 

[Dbollin]

I've also applied to NDSU, and I'm curious what you guys have applied for? This is the school Im really wanting to get into! 

[twentysix]

My girlfriend is currently finishing her MA in English (composition) at NDSU with a teaching assistantship if you have any questions that she can answer. 

[Ms.PhD]

Thanks for all of the information, twentysix.  I really appreciate it.  I was actually looking to rent in South Fargo but I wasn't sure of how the commute would be, especially in the winter.  It's nice to know that you would actually recommend that area.

[twentysix]

Thanks for all of the information, twentysix.  I really appreciate it.  I was actually looking to rent in South Fargo but I wasn't sure of how the commute would be, especially in the winter.  It's nice to know that you would actually recommend that area.

 

Driving from the furthest tip of south fargo ~60th ave S, to NDSU shouldn't take more than 30-40 minutes in traffic. The majority of apartment complexes will not be that far south either, and will be more like a 20-30 min commute in traffic. If you are driving to campus any time other than 7:30-9:00 and 4:45-6:00 these commutes will be nearly cut in half. Fargo is also bisected by two interstates 94 and 29, which you can use to buzz around the city without stop lights and at 55-60mph  (all of the commute times I've listed are for driving within the city only, not on the freeway/interstate).