Come visit uptown Minneapolis some time.  It is a vibrant place with thrift stores, co-ops, and delicious restaurants with fresh food and cheap happy hours.  You can rent a studio&#x2F;1BR for as low as $600.  Houses can be had for as low as 100k.<p>I currently rent a 1br with a huge deck and skyline view of Downtown for $900.  I can walk to the co-op and coffee shops, don&#x27;t need a car for anything except getting to my silly suburban programming job in the winter.