On the whole I think the Duluth News Tribune does a great job of covering Duluth. And maybe I am too sensitive but I struggle with the overall message of the article Minneapolis couple drops corporate jobs and makes living a priority with move to Duluth (at least how I perceive it). As my friend pointed out it seems like “the unspoken angle is that sacrifice has to be made to live in Duluth.”
I grew up in Richfield, went to college in St. Paul, and came up to Duluth for graduate school. After graduate school, I got a corporate job in the south and relocated with my wife. We hated it, and when the opportunity came to return to Duluth we jumped on it. The opportunity came with some sacrifices but we could both continue in our respective career paths while having what we consider a much better overall standard of living.
We love Duluth for the same reasons why it attracts many people. The accessibility to the outdoors, the progressive feel of the city, plus the proximity to our hometowns. We’re some of the people that Mayor Ness is talking about. My wife and I are in our late 20s, home (and dog!) owners, and are about to start a family. But I disagree that living in Duluth has to be “living the simple life” or “Life 2.0.”
I agree that we should continue to take pride in these things that make Duluth unique but I think we are selling Duluth short if we paint a narrative that one has to sacrifice career or job opportunities to live in the Northland. Duluth and Mayor Ness has done a good job of expanding opportunity but I still know of many young people who are un- or underemployed and we need to continue focusing on opportunities to existing Duluth residents while growing our city.
The amenities Duluth offers will continue to attract some of the Midwest’s best and brightest. I believe that the city and region need to make sure that we continue to expand and incubate opportunities and avoid a narrative of sacrifice. We can have our cake and eat it too.
