Is The St. Cloud Area ’20 Years Behind Reality?’

I have lived in St. Cloud for almost 15 years now after moving from Minneapolis to attend St. Cloud State University. While I do agree that the area has its quirks, I don't necessarily agree with this Reddit post calling the St. Cloud area '20 years behind reality.'

Among the reason for the user's accusation include being one of the last cities to have Ciatti's, Ground Round and Bonanza restaurants (they have all since closed), treatment of Somali residents (saying they have all been 'provided with a ghetto on the NE side') and intolerance of the LGBTQ+ community (based on hearing homophobic slang).

Luckily, many commenting on the post are defending St. Cloud.

U/RedactedTortoise:

Saint Cloud resident here. Don't let a rando redditor ruin Saint Cloud's image for you. It's an absolutely fine place to live. You'll find bigots and idiots no matter where you go. It's less expensive than the metro area, and a little less chaotic. I see alot of people moving to the TC and end up moving back because you can ACTUALLY get a decent sized house for your money.

U/fishingman:

St. Cloud is a world leader in renewable energy.

St. Cloud generates 70% of its energy from renewables. Either solar, hydro, or recaptured bio solids.

St. Cloud has numerous sources to help immigrants.

https://www.findhelp.org/legal/citizenship-%26-immigration--saint-cloud-mn?postal=56301

Unfortunately there are also several comments that agree with the original poster, with one linking to St. Cloud born comedian Comrade Tripp talking about the city and its reputation.

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A post shared by Comrade Tripp (@comradetripp)

I personally have loved living in Sartell and working in St. Cloud since I got here. The area has so many wonderful amenities and is home to many wonderful people. I think there are certainly areas that could improve but that would be true with any city or region.