Bridge to Better - the view from Minnesota

The St Germain family, consisting of Jessica, Dean, and their two children (8 and 10 years old), swapped the long, cold winters of Minnesota for the warmer climate of Nelson just over two years ago.

“We were living in Minnesota during lockdown. It’s the third coldest state in the USA, after Alaska and North Dakota. We started to get crazy ideas and thought, why don’t we try living in New Zealand? When researching where we could move, our main criterion was - where will it be sunny?”

With that in mind, they chose Nelson and found much to love about their new city and lifestyle. Before living in Minnesota, Jessica and Dean had spent many years in Los Angeles. “To get anywhere in LA, you are in your car for hours at a time. Walking and cycling just aren’t options, and there’s no green space. So, coming to Nelson, it's the walkability and the environment that we love. You can walk to town, or you can walk by the river. There are so many great options pretty much right on our doorstep,” Jessica says.

“When we lived in Minnesota, winter lasted over five months, and it was often well below zero, so you're not really walking around outside in the winter. In Nelson, you can walk around all year round. We’re also impressed that it’s just a short drive to mountains, the ocean, and rivers that you can jump in! We also love the Saturday market. You can get fresh fruit and vegetables, get something to eat, and see your neighbors. It’s so easy to get to, and we all enjoy it.”

People stopping to chat, work/life balance, and feeling safe are just some of the other things they appreciate about their new life in Nelson.
 
“We really notice the difference in the pace of life here. People have time to communicate with one another. It was hard for me in the beginning because I was so used to having to rush to be somewhere all the time.”

They’ve swapped their long commutes in cars for walking, cycling, or catching the bus to work and school.

“How good is the e-bus! We use it all the time. The kids are just old enough to have a little bit of independence, and they get themselves home from school on the bus – we love it.” When they’re not using the bus, the family cargo bike, which can take one adult and two kids, is their other main transport option. Safety, particularly when she’s got her kids on board, is always top of mind for Jessica when she is cycling.

“I always map out the route in my head before we go anywhere. And I don’t care if it’s longer, as long as it’s safer. I do find that people are, for the most part, very respectful of cyclists in Nelson more than where I've lived in the States, for sure. As a cyclist, I think let's do this together. If you're in a car, be aware of cyclists. If you're on a bike, be aware of cars.”

However, she feels like there is room for improvement to help make cyclists feel safe.

“I’d love to see better biking and walking connections from the city to the sea. I'm not taking my kids on the bike on Rocks Road with a logging truck coming at me; it’s scary. And getting to and from and through the inner city, there are places where we’d benefit from more delineation between bikes and other road users – both vehicles and pedestrians.”

Since moving here, another difference they have noticed is how quiet Nelson city is in the evenings and on the weekends.

“That was one thing when we first moved here; we're like, let's go out. We’d be in town around 6:00 pm and think, where is everybody? This is so quiet!” She loves the area around the top of Trafalgar Street and thinks the planned Bridge to Better infrastructure that will enable more people living in the inner city will bring even more vibrancy.

“What’s lots of fun is seeing other people out and about, and Nelson’s climate is perfect for that, whether it’s people who live in the city having dinner on their patio, groups strolling from one café to another, or people just hanging out. Upper Trafalgar Street really encourages people to sit outside and mingle; it’s got a great vibe, but I think we should explore options that will give the city even more of a buzz. 

Jessica welcomes the idea of more people living in the inner city, particularly if it’s a way to attract more young people to live in Nelson.

“I don't see very many young people here. There are families with young kids and teenagers, but there's not that 20- to 30-year-old community. If Nelson could figure out how to attract that group, it would add a lot to the city.”

“My husband and I have talked about it a lot - how do you get younger people into Nelson? We think one of the keys is education and really promoting NMIT as a study option. For example, they've got an amazing music facility with a state-of-the-art performance room and equipment. How cool would it be to have the reputation that if you wanted to study music, the best option would be to come to Nelson? And we’d get all that positive flow-on effect of having all those young creative people to spark up our town.”

As a parent with young children, she’d also love to see more spaces in town that are fun for kids, with an emphasis on color, interactivity, and creativity. “I actually love all the murals and artwork that are around town already, but there is always room for more, and more places and fun activities for families. Maybe an interactive pathway to explore, or a scavenger hunt activity, or places where you can make, build or create.”

Whatever changes through Bridge to Better that are to come, the St Germains love their new hometown.

“I feel like we've made a really good decision for our family, for our kids. They're having a childhood that is similar to mine back in the day - running around the neighbourhood, catching up with friends, and going down to the playground. They have so much fun.”