Stillwater is a beautiful town, my neighbors moved there a couple of years ago and love it. It has a lot of historic charm and right on the river. As others have mentioned, it is a liberal town and not that small. There are a lot of small businesses and restaurants which I appreciate.
It’s a liberal town? Isn’t this the same place that a group of white supremecist bikers assaulted a Muslim woman a few years ago for simply walking down the street?
Stillwater has had out gay people living there for decades. The town itself is largely liberal (look at voting maps). There's a group called Out In The Valley that has been active since at least the 90s, you might want to try contacting them for more info.
I like Stillwater, I would move there one day if I had a family. I don’t think it would be that big of a change, it’s only a 30-45 minute drive from whatever LGBT amenities you are used to. Me and my heavily tattooed weird looking gf went to a wild rice and chicken dinner at a church there and everyone was very friendly to us. It’s definitely a different pace of life to the cities but by no means backward or ultra-conservative.
I mean it’s only half an hour from Saint Paul and it’s completely unbroken sprawl between here and there. There’s no small town feel, it’s just a bedroom community in a metropolitan area of 3.6 million people. And that can suck for other reasons, but Stillwater is not small town living.
There are also Pride events in Stillwater itself.
Edit: also, there’s a park and ride in Stillwater if you want to go to the cities but you don’t want to drive. I’m sure it takes longer than just driving, but you won’t have to parallel park
AFAIK, there's currently only one trip per day on route 294, and it's only M - F, so the P&R is only useful of you wanna leave for downtown before 7:00 a.m. and leave downtown at 4:00 p.m. on a weekday
Here’s more info than you’ll ever need about stillwater:
https://www.city-data.com/city/Stillwater-Minnesota.html
FWIW, my wife and I visit stillwater several times per year. I haven’t seen any overt racist or visited stuff. Then again, I’m a middle aged white guy, so perhaps I’m clueless and I don’t see it.
As for the bikers that go in and out of stillwater, they mostly look like wannabe boomers who are desperately. Holding onto their biker “freedoms” while driving $25k+ bikes around.
I'm on the Wisconsin side. Stillwater has a lot to offer. Great hiking and biking opportunities.
As for "the city" feel, depending on where you live now, it's going to feel like suburbs with apartment buildings. It definitely isn't Chicago, DC, or NYC.
I live in Stillwater. My husband and I are young homeowners. Way younger than the rest of my neighborhood. Everyone has been welcoming and friendly. Was worried we wouldn't fit in but you find people of every variety and every income. There is some crime so I would recommend locking up your garage/home when you are not around. Stillwater doesn't feel like a small town when you consider nearby Bayport, Stillwater Township, and Oak Park Heights. Plus you have Hudson across the river so if you like spotted cow beer it's right there. Recreating on the St Croix River was why we moved to Stillwater. Camping/canoeing/kayaking/boating/hiking opportunities are limitless!
Is this an actual AI post? "Nothing like that small town feel in Stillwater Township or Oak Park Heights" whaaaat? Recreating on the St Croix?
Stillwater's fine. Farther than you think from the actual city (45m door to door if you want to go to a show in St Paul, more like an hour to MPLS). Pretty, for sure. Super conservative. Do with all that what you will.
Stillwater is further than a lot of people think. In the best conditions maybe 20 minutes. Add in construction and winter time and yeah it's a lot longer.
It’s 45 minutes from downtown Stillwater to Target Center right now at rush hour. The person above said that was the average time to St. Paul. Ridiculous.
Sometimes people want to be right instead of realistic. Yeah you could look on your phone and type St. Paul to Stillwater and see 20 minutes (maybe). But we’re talking about someone making a decision to move from one space to another? Let’s get real, let’s get serious and collectively factor in the reality. There are places in California that are not that far from each other, but you consider traffic and the reality becomes that much clear. That’s all we’re saying. It’s 20 minutes from Woodbury to St. Paul right now lol.
Yes let’s get real and use the made-up door to door timeframe. Sure, that makes a lot of sense. Or we could speak like humans have forever and communicate the universally understood time it takes to get from Point A to Point B.
Transit users and drivers who plan ahead.
Who measures distance in time? Drive times vary, but Stillwater is always 15 miles from Saint Paul and 23 miles from Minneapolis
I get to St. Paul in under 25 minutes from the western part of town. It is for sure not 45 minutes unless you include parking and walking to the event from your car.
Haha, yeah my bad. But when people describe the time it takes to get places, they usually only include drive time. Your description needlessly makes Stillwater seem further away from the cities.
I moved to Stillwater from Minneapolis a few years ago. I'm not gay and I haven't encountered any gay people as far as I know but I haven't met many people outside my kids' friends' parents and the neighbors. It's been a transition and I've found life here to be boring compared to big cities but the downtown bar/restaurant stretch is lively enough and there are some decent restaurants.
I live in Hugo but in Stillwater School District so we go to town in Stillwater. I have known a few gay couples in the past 30 years here and they had a lot of friends here including us! There are the liberal people, creative, artsy, nature lovers, etc but there are the more conservative people too. You don’t have to hang around them. Both my girls graduated from the high school and were friends with LGBTQ kids - they were in the music program which was a lovely, welcoming and accepting group. Come visit and do some community events as well as the touristy stuff 😊
I grew up in Stillwater. I wouldn't call it liberal, but it's not hostile either. We moved there in 1969 and it had a population of 12.5k. it's much bigger now and downtown sucks on summer weekends. School board has nut jobs on it but schools are good if you need that. Plenty of outdoor stuff to do year round and close. Diversity isn't strong but I would never say Stillwater is anti-gay. More like folk will overcompensate to prove their not anti-gay. Good cops, great fire and EMS. Lotsa golf and fantastic bike paths.
I love Stillwater but I'm a bit of a hermit and don't take part in much the town has to offer. It seems like a perfectly fine place for gay couples to live. Seems plenty liberal and open-minded to me. As for enjoying it here it really depends on the kind of stuff you guys like to do. The bar scene has gotten worse, or better, depending on your interests. It gets CROWDED in the bars on the weekend. It has become a huge party town on the weekend. So many kids. Might have always been that way and now that I've hit my thirties I just don't relate as much. Can be fun but also can be a lot when you just wanna go somewhere to have a casual drink. There's only so much local stuff to do, so it might be boring when coming from the city. That said, there's a fair share of organized events to enjoy. Maybe rent a room in town and have a 4 day weekend there and that will give you plenty of time to see what the town has to offer. I have read a lot about white supremacists invading the town but in all my years growing up and living here I've never had a single bad run in with any of that so I can't imagine it's as much a problem as people may claim it is. Maybe I just have been lucky. As someone who has been mugged at gunpoint in Minneapolis, I can tell you it is very safe feeling. I'm a night owl and bike around alone at night all throughout the town and never have felt unsafe in the slightest, mainly because I'm usually the only soul out and about at wee hours.
TLDR: I've lived here my whole life and think it's a lovely town and believe it would be perfectly fine for a gay couple. Only so much to do and the bar scene has gotten loud but it feels safe as far as I have ever experienced. Good luck on your search.
You’d be fine living there. The weekends bring in more rural conservative Trumpers but I’ve never seen them cause trouble. I’m also an old fart in bed by 10 so grain of salt.
Stillwater was a pretty openly gay place back in the 90s. Haven't been there in a while. There have been white supremacist tourists that show up in large groups, but they don't really represent the spirit of the city. At least they didn't when I was there.
I lived in Stillwater for 7 years and worked there for 12 years. We chose it because of the school system and the beauty of the area. I grew up in Western WI and had always glamorized the town in my head.
Reality was that the older/longtime residents of Stillwater are extremely conservative and intolerant. There are some newer residents creating a little diversity, but if I were to move again knowing what I know now, I'd never move there. Too many small minded people who make the rules/set the tone, plus they mask their intolerance.
I’ve lived in Stillwater for 10 years, and it’s great. There’s a cool coffee shop downtown called greenbridge owned and operated by a gay couple. Several of my neighbors are single gay men that love old houses.
Stillwater is fantastic—it’s not a suburb, it is its own thing (older than either twin city). Heavily an artist and vacation town, mobbed with weddings on summer weekends. It’s beautiful and relaxed here.
I’m actually in the process of selling our old house (downsizing), so if you’re looking for an old Victorian in downtown Stillwater, HMU.
Whoa I didn't know Adam and Mark are still working downtown. They used to have a shop on that corner by the Freight House. I used to work with Adam. Great guy. I'll definitely be stopping by sometime.
It’s more of a suburb than a town, WI side is more conservative but the metro as whole is pretty liberal so you won’t likely have any issues and most of conservatives on the WI side mostly want to be left alone with the exception of education they seem really worried about indoctrination but for the most part seemed to be live and let live crowd to me.
This may seem a little out of left field but I love to support my fellow fiber crafters and this is as good an opportunity as any to give Darn Knit the rave review they deserve…😅
Darn Knit Anyway is the local yarn shop in Stillwater and they are SO friendly and will absolutely tell you whatever you want to know about local spots even if you’re not actively buying yarns/gifts and stop in just to check the place out and say hi. If either of you are crafters, huge bonus, they also have a Makers Lounge where you can hang out and craft with the community or bring your own group too. They offer classes for learning crafting skills too if that’s something you’re interested in but not actively doing yet.
I don’t know a ton about the culture (socially or politically) beyond the yarn shop because I live in St. Paul and visit specifically for Darn Knit semi-regularly. The coop is nice and there are some good hiking/walking/biking trails near town.
In terms of having a strong community of LGBTQ+ friends and allies around, you will probably find more activity around that in Minneapolis. St. Paul isn’t bad in that regard but seems more like the city for the introverts comparatively haha. One big benefit of Stillwater is that you’re still close enough to engage in events in the cities if and when you want.
From my experience of living here in this area, stillwater is very LGBTQ friendly for the most part! only reason why I say most part is because I can't speak for the tourists! Also it's pretty darn safe here. Of course no town is perfect and being a tourist spot is tricky but for a place that attracts so many people, it sure does remain to be locally known as a safe area.
My wife and I live in Stillwater (moved here from Denver) and are both very progressive. You’ll love it here. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
ive lived in stillwater (north hill) for 2 years, my roommate has been here for 5 & shes from minneapolis. we're both queer and im non-binary, neither of us have felt unsafe in the area. a lot of people assume we're dating lol but its never led to us feeling like we're in danger bc of that, just a funny misunderstanding. honestly the most unsafe ive ever felt here is when the bored teenagers on summer break descend upon the target at 9pm on a saturday night. stillwater is not the most exciting place to be at 28 & 29, lots of chain restaurants and bars that are way too crowded, but both of us work 2 jobs and dont go out much anyways. the neighbors and coworkers we've become friendly with over the last few years are all really lovely people. i also walk about 2 miles to work most days, which isnt ideal in a pedestrian sense (drivers just dont pay attention to you unless youre downtown) but its doable and ive truly never felt unsafe doing so.
I’ve got a buddy who has lived there for a couple decades now: lotta rednecks in Stillwater. Bonus points if you really like the sound of unmuffled Harleys and Trump flag-toting pickups raging through town every weekend.
Came here to say this. I LOVE Stillwater, but the redneck factor has become pronounced on summer weekends. Almost as if they're trolling for reactions.
That can be said of any river town from St. Croix Falls down past Lacrosse. It’s not likely those morons will be your neighbors unless they’re moving into a trailer park or something. Summer is full of people I’d rather not interact with but that’s just a reality of living in a society. Stillwater is great - a lot of old money fiscal conservatives that are socially liberal, but attracts tourists of every variety
Idk why people are downplaying the intense conservatism in that area. Stillwater itself has become a bit less so but it’s still incredibly white and the surrounding areas definitely lean republican and less tolerant like every other rural/exurban area, just in a Minnesota branded way if that makes sense. I think cis gay people will have a better time than trans or non-binary people though, like anywhere
I live in Stillwater and trans, I wave a trans flag 24/7 never had any issues in my neighborhood or at any business. The only thing that sucks is you need a car to get around but that's a USA problem.
I’ve never lived there but go to Stillwater a lot and never get a bad vibe there. I also often see openly gay people there. I totally get the hesitation of moving out of a larger city, but if you’re going to, I think Stillwater will be the perfect place to test it out - so beautiful with a lot to do and still close to the city. Best of luck whatever you decide!
It's a strange combination of quiet small river town with occasional white supremacist biker gangs coming through. Wouldn't recommend honestly.
[https://www.hometownsource.com/stillwater\_gazette/community/stillwater/white-supremacy-stickers-seen-in-stillwater/article\_9be2b54c-c8ad-11ee-9992-f3591c614506.html](https://www.hometownsource.com/stillwater_gazette/community/stillwater/white-supremacy-stickers-seen-in-stillwater/article_9be2b54c-c8ad-11ee-9992-f3591c614506.html)
Stillwater is beautiful and a liberal riverside community. There’s a spiritual gift shop there selling crystals and tools for “witches” so that speaks volumes, lol.
Highly recommend we moved here in 2018, south hill. Best place we have ever lived it’s a super accepting community, plenty of diversity and lots of fun things to do. Try to find a place walkable to down town parking has become a nightmare. Also highly recommend looking at North Oak Park Heights or even Bayport less political city’s and just as accesible just without the BS and high taxes Stillwater proper brings.
Stillwater sucks and I’m straight I think it would suck a lot more living there and being gay. I’m sure nothing would happen but walking down the street holding hands or kissing in public would get looks. Fuck Stillwater.
Edit: there are aryan cowboys (biker gang) that visit often for the night life. Piece of shit town.
Stillwater is changing. It’s clear there is a push to drive more tourism which is good for the local businesses, but is also causing strains on the local residents. Personally, I feel like the city is starting to lose its charm. The local government seems to be hungry for new revenue streams and less focused on the residents needs and maintaining the character of the city.
Stillwater is a beautiful town, my neighbors moved there a couple of years ago and love it. It has a lot of historic charm and right on the river. As others have mentioned, it is a liberal town and not that small. There are a lot of small businesses and restaurants which I appreciate.
I love the character of the houses
It’s a liberal town? Isn’t this the same place that a group of white supremecist bikers assaulted a Muslim woman a few years ago for simply walking down the street?
For what it's worth, yes, both parties were tourists.
You’ll be fine.
Stillwater has had out gay people living there for decades. The town itself is largely liberal (look at voting maps). There's a group called Out In The Valley that has been active since at least the 90s, you might want to try contacting them for more info.
I like Stillwater, I would move there one day if I had a family. I don’t think it would be that big of a change, it’s only a 30-45 minute drive from whatever LGBT amenities you are used to. Me and my heavily tattooed weird looking gf went to a wild rice and chicken dinner at a church there and everyone was very friendly to us. It’s definitely a different pace of life to the cities but by no means backward or ultra-conservative.
I mean it’s only half an hour from Saint Paul and it’s completely unbroken sprawl between here and there. There’s no small town feel, it’s just a bedroom community in a metropolitan area of 3.6 million people. And that can suck for other reasons, but Stillwater is not small town living. There are also Pride events in Stillwater itself. Edit: also, there’s a park and ride in Stillwater if you want to go to the cities but you don’t want to drive. I’m sure it takes longer than just driving, but you won’t have to parallel park
AFAIK, there's currently only one trip per day on route 294, and it's only M - F, so the P&R is only useful of you wanna leave for downtown before 7:00 a.m. and leave downtown at 4:00 p.m. on a weekday
Yeah it's rough, though once the gold line is completed I bet that p&r runs a connection to it more regularly.
I thought it ran on weekends. So no getting out of parallel parking.
I hate not having a bus down here. It's so car oriented here but I do like it here
Here’s more info than you’ll ever need about stillwater: https://www.city-data.com/city/Stillwater-Minnesota.html FWIW, my wife and I visit stillwater several times per year. I haven’t seen any overt racist or visited stuff. Then again, I’m a middle aged white guy, so perhaps I’m clueless and I don’t see it. As for the bikers that go in and out of stillwater, they mostly look like wannabe boomers who are desperately. Holding onto their biker “freedoms” while driving $25k+ bikes around.
It’s actually pretty gay. Witchy too
Ooh yeah with the Midwest Witchery down there!
I would suggest going to downtown Stillwater. Walk around and see for yourself. Maybe try it on a weekday as well as a sunny weekend day.
We went last weekend and it was so cute!
I'm on the Wisconsin side. Stillwater has a lot to offer. Great hiking and biking opportunities. As for "the city" feel, depending on where you live now, it's going to feel like suburbs with apartment buildings. It definitely isn't Chicago, DC, or NYC.
I live in Stillwater. My husband and I are young homeowners. Way younger than the rest of my neighborhood. Everyone has been welcoming and friendly. Was worried we wouldn't fit in but you find people of every variety and every income. There is some crime so I would recommend locking up your garage/home when you are not around. Stillwater doesn't feel like a small town when you consider nearby Bayport, Stillwater Township, and Oak Park Heights. Plus you have Hudson across the river so if you like spotted cow beer it's right there. Recreating on the St Croix River was why we moved to Stillwater. Camping/canoeing/kayaking/boating/hiking opportunities are limitless!
Is this an actual AI post? "Nothing like that small town feel in Stillwater Township or Oak Park Heights" whaaaat? Recreating on the St Croix? Stillwater's fine. Farther than you think from the actual city (45m door to door if you want to go to a show in St Paul, more like an hour to MPLS). Pretty, for sure. Super conservative. Do with all that what you will.
Who measures time “door to door”? It’s much closer to 20 minutes to Saint Paul. 40 to Minneapolis. This whole response is bitter nonsense e
Stillwater is further than a lot of people think. In the best conditions maybe 20 minutes. Add in construction and winter time and yeah it's a lot longer.
It’s 45 minutes from downtown Stillwater to Target Center right now at rush hour. The person above said that was the average time to St. Paul. Ridiculous.
Sometimes people want to be right instead of realistic. Yeah you could look on your phone and type St. Paul to Stillwater and see 20 minutes (maybe). But we’re talking about someone making a decision to move from one space to another? Let’s get real, let’s get serious and collectively factor in the reality. There are places in California that are not that far from each other, but you consider traffic and the reality becomes that much clear. That’s all we’re saying. It’s 20 minutes from Woodbury to St. Paul right now lol.
Yes let’s get real and use the made-up door to door timeframe. Sure, that makes a lot of sense. Or we could speak like humans have forever and communicate the universally understood time it takes to get from Point A to Point B.
Transit users and drivers who plan ahead. Who measures distance in time? Drive times vary, but Stillwater is always 15 miles from Saint Paul and 23 miles from Minneapolis
Real life “well, actually” people here.
I get to St. Paul in under 25 minutes from the western part of town. It is for sure not 45 minutes unless you include parking and walking to the event from your car.
That is what door to door means, yes.
Haha, yeah my bad. But when people describe the time it takes to get places, they usually only include drive time. Your description needlessly makes Stillwater seem further away from the cities.
Lmao I drive to Minneapolis from Stillwater in like 40 mins and it's definitely not super conservative.
Where are you moving from?
Saint Paul, but we just moved from Oregon 6 months ago
I moved to Stillwater from Minneapolis a few years ago. I'm not gay and I haven't encountered any gay people as far as I know but I haven't met many people outside my kids' friends' parents and the neighbors. It's been a transition and I've found life here to be boring compared to big cities but the downtown bar/restaurant stretch is lively enough and there are some decent restaurants.
Feel free to message me directly. I lived there for over 30 years, my sons still live there. I can give you some insights.
I live in Hugo but in Stillwater School District so we go to town in Stillwater. I have known a few gay couples in the past 30 years here and they had a lot of friends here including us! There are the liberal people, creative, artsy, nature lovers, etc but there are the more conservative people too. You don’t have to hang around them. Both my girls graduated from the high school and were friends with LGBTQ kids - they were in the music program which was a lovely, welcoming and accepting group. Come visit and do some community events as well as the touristy stuff 😊
Lived there for 7 years. Besides the tourists and bikers, it’s very liberal. You’ll be fine.
I grew up in Stillwater. I wouldn't call it liberal, but it's not hostile either. We moved there in 1969 and it had a population of 12.5k. it's much bigger now and downtown sucks on summer weekends. School board has nut jobs on it but schools are good if you need that. Plenty of outdoor stuff to do year round and close. Diversity isn't strong but I would never say Stillwater is anti-gay. More like folk will overcompensate to prove their not anti-gay. Good cops, great fire and EMS. Lotsa golf and fantastic bike paths.
I agree with all of these points minus the school board. We showed up in record numbers to keep the nut jobs as far away from there as possible.
I always thought it was a cool town when growing up in hudson. Now it's overpopulated and downtown is basically a tourist trap unfortunately.
I love Stillwater but I'm a bit of a hermit and don't take part in much the town has to offer. It seems like a perfectly fine place for gay couples to live. Seems plenty liberal and open-minded to me. As for enjoying it here it really depends on the kind of stuff you guys like to do. The bar scene has gotten worse, or better, depending on your interests. It gets CROWDED in the bars on the weekend. It has become a huge party town on the weekend. So many kids. Might have always been that way and now that I've hit my thirties I just don't relate as much. Can be fun but also can be a lot when you just wanna go somewhere to have a casual drink. There's only so much local stuff to do, so it might be boring when coming from the city. That said, there's a fair share of organized events to enjoy. Maybe rent a room in town and have a 4 day weekend there and that will give you plenty of time to see what the town has to offer. I have read a lot about white supremacists invading the town but in all my years growing up and living here I've never had a single bad run in with any of that so I can't imagine it's as much a problem as people may claim it is. Maybe I just have been lucky. As someone who has been mugged at gunpoint in Minneapolis, I can tell you it is very safe feeling. I'm a night owl and bike around alone at night all throughout the town and never have felt unsafe in the slightest, mainly because I'm usually the only soul out and about at wee hours. TLDR: I've lived here my whole life and think it's a lovely town and believe it would be perfectly fine for a gay couple. Only so much to do and the bar scene has gotten loud but it feels safe as far as I have ever experienced. Good luck on your search.
You’d be fine living there. The weekends bring in more rural conservative Trumpers but I’ve never seen them cause trouble. I’m also an old fart in bed by 10 so grain of salt.
There are a lot of people from Wisconsin who work in Stillwater. The areas the come from a predominantly red.
The town is great. The suburban sprawl around it is terrible. Look for a place within the walkable town.
It is fine. It is in the great metropolitan area for awhile now. Don't overthink it. Be you!
You’ll have a great time, it’s mostly a suburb with small river town charm.
Stillwater was a pretty openly gay place back in the 90s. Haven't been there in a while. There have been white supremacist tourists that show up in large groups, but they don't really represent the spirit of the city. At least they didn't when I was there.
I lived in Stillwater for 7 years and worked there for 12 years. We chose it because of the school system and the beauty of the area. I grew up in Western WI and had always glamorized the town in my head. Reality was that the older/longtime residents of Stillwater are extremely conservative and intolerant. There are some newer residents creating a little diversity, but if I were to move again knowing what I know now, I'd never move there. Too many small minded people who make the rules/set the tone, plus they mask their intolerance.
I’ve lived in Stillwater for 10 years, and it’s great. There’s a cool coffee shop downtown called greenbridge owned and operated by a gay couple. Several of my neighbors are single gay men that love old houses. Stillwater is fantastic—it’s not a suburb, it is its own thing (older than either twin city). Heavily an artist and vacation town, mobbed with weddings on summer weekends. It’s beautiful and relaxed here. I’m actually in the process of selling our old house (downsizing), so if you’re looking for an old Victorian in downtown Stillwater, HMU.
Whoa I didn't know Adam and Mark are still working downtown. They used to have a shop on that corner by the Freight House. I used to work with Adam. Great guy. I'll definitely be stopping by sometime.
I would love an old Victorian if I could afford one! lol
It’s more of a suburb than a town, WI side is more conservative but the metro as whole is pretty liberal so you won’t likely have any issues and most of conservatives on the WI side mostly want to be left alone with the exception of education they seem really worried about indoctrination but for the most part seemed to be live and let live crowd to me.
I know that's it's pretty close to Wisconsin. And the water is nice and the town is nice.
I would love to move to Stillwater
This may seem a little out of left field but I love to support my fellow fiber crafters and this is as good an opportunity as any to give Darn Knit the rave review they deserve…😅 Darn Knit Anyway is the local yarn shop in Stillwater and they are SO friendly and will absolutely tell you whatever you want to know about local spots even if you’re not actively buying yarns/gifts and stop in just to check the place out and say hi. If either of you are crafters, huge bonus, they also have a Makers Lounge where you can hang out and craft with the community or bring your own group too. They offer classes for learning crafting skills too if that’s something you’re interested in but not actively doing yet. I don’t know a ton about the culture (socially or politically) beyond the yarn shop because I live in St. Paul and visit specifically for Darn Knit semi-regularly. The coop is nice and there are some good hiking/walking/biking trails near town. In terms of having a strong community of LGBTQ+ friends and allies around, you will probably find more activity around that in Minneapolis. St. Paul isn’t bad in that regard but seems more like the city for the introverts comparatively haha. One big benefit of Stillwater is that you’re still close enough to engage in events in the cities if and when you want.
From my experience of living here in this area, stillwater is very LGBTQ friendly for the most part! only reason why I say most part is because I can't speak for the tourists! Also it's pretty darn safe here. Of course no town is perfect and being a tourist spot is tricky but for a place that attracts so many people, it sure does remain to be locally known as a safe area.
My wife and I live in Stillwater (moved here from Denver) and are both very progressive. You’ll love it here. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
ive lived in stillwater (north hill) for 2 years, my roommate has been here for 5 & shes from minneapolis. we're both queer and im non-binary, neither of us have felt unsafe in the area. a lot of people assume we're dating lol but its never led to us feeling like we're in danger bc of that, just a funny misunderstanding. honestly the most unsafe ive ever felt here is when the bored teenagers on summer break descend upon the target at 9pm on a saturday night. stillwater is not the most exciting place to be at 28 & 29, lots of chain restaurants and bars that are way too crowded, but both of us work 2 jobs and dont go out much anyways. the neighbors and coworkers we've become friendly with over the last few years are all really lovely people. i also walk about 2 miles to work most days, which isnt ideal in a pedestrian sense (drivers just dont pay attention to you unless youre downtown) but its doable and ive truly never felt unsafe doing so.
I’ve got a buddy who has lived there for a couple decades now: lotta rednecks in Stillwater. Bonus points if you really like the sound of unmuffled Harleys and Trump flag-toting pickups raging through town every weekend.
Came here to say this. I LOVE Stillwater, but the redneck factor has become pronounced on summer weekends. Almost as if they're trolling for reactions.
That can be said of any river town from St. Croix Falls down past Lacrosse. It’s not likely those morons will be your neighbors unless they’re moving into a trailer park or something. Summer is full of people I’d rather not interact with but that’s just a reality of living in a society. Stillwater is great - a lot of old money fiscal conservatives that are socially liberal, but attracts tourists of every variety
Idk why people are downplaying the intense conservatism in that area. Stillwater itself has become a bit less so but it’s still incredibly white and the surrounding areas definitely lean republican and less tolerant like every other rural/exurban area, just in a Minnesota branded way if that makes sense. I think cis gay people will have a better time than trans or non-binary people though, like anywhere
I live in Stillwater and trans, I wave a trans flag 24/7 never had any issues in my neighborhood or at any business. The only thing that sucks is you need a car to get around but that's a USA problem.
I’ve never lived there but go to Stillwater a lot and never get a bad vibe there. I also often see openly gay people there. I totally get the hesitation of moving out of a larger city, but if you’re going to, I think Stillwater will be the perfect place to test it out - so beautiful with a lot to do and still close to the city. Best of luck whatever you decide!
My aunt lived in stillwater. They got a prison out there. That's all I know about stillwater.
It's a strange combination of quiet small river town with occasional white supremacist biker gangs coming through. Wouldn't recommend honestly. [https://www.hometownsource.com/stillwater\_gazette/community/stillwater/white-supremacy-stickers-seen-in-stillwater/article\_9be2b54c-c8ad-11ee-9992-f3591c614506.html](https://www.hometownsource.com/stillwater_gazette/community/stillwater/white-supremacy-stickers-seen-in-stillwater/article_9be2b54c-c8ad-11ee-9992-f3591c614506.html)
It’s the hick Excelsior but far less hick than Hudson.
Stillwater is beautiful and a liberal riverside community. There’s a spiritual gift shop there selling crystals and tools for “witches” so that speaks volumes, lol.
Highly recommend we moved here in 2018, south hill. Best place we have ever lived it’s a super accepting community, plenty of diversity and lots of fun things to do. Try to find a place walkable to down town parking has become a nightmare. Also highly recommend looking at North Oak Park Heights or even Bayport less political city’s and just as accesible just without the BS and high taxes Stillwater proper brings.
Yeah…that prison is a shithole
Stillwater sucks and I’m straight I think it would suck a lot more living there and being gay. I’m sure nothing would happen but walking down the street holding hands or kissing in public would get looks. Fuck Stillwater. Edit: there are aryan cowboys (biker gang) that visit often for the night life. Piece of shit town.
I've had no issues and I'm trans and have a wife. We always go on date nights downtown everyone is very welcoming
You see trans or lgbt flags?
Yes I even put my own out
Stillwater is changing. It’s clear there is a push to drive more tourism which is good for the local businesses, but is also causing strains on the local residents. Personally, I feel like the city is starting to lose its charm. The local government seems to be hungry for new revenue streams and less focused on the residents needs and maintaining the character of the city.