Is Urban Dictionary Right About St. Cloud?
Oof. Urban Dictionary's two definitions of St. Cloud are, well, not too friendly. The big question is whether they are accurate?
Here's the most popular definition (572 upvotes and 180 downvotes) on Urban Dictionary, posted in 2012:
This is a city in which nobody would voluntarily return. It is a soul crushing miasma of crappiness. Imagine the cultural wastelands of suburbia mixed with the mug-a-day bleakness of urban blight and the backward ignorance of rural farm country. This would be the perfect way to describe St. Cloud, MN.
Ouch. Be sure not to hold anything back there, guy!
Here's a second (and somehow even harsher) description, posted in 2005:
A city in central Minnesota of about 50,000 people. The biggest city in the mostly rural central Minnesota area: either a bastion of civilization in the plains of corn farms or a pimple on the a** of the state, depending on how you look at it. The political climate can best be described as the only conservative area in a very liberal state. The city itself isn't that bad. The skyline leaves a bit to be desired. There actually is some culture if you look. For the most part a college town. The colleges keep the area stocked with fun and fine ladies.
By far the biggest problem with Saint Cloud is its traffic and road system. The traffic isn't as slow as some big cities, but the drivers are all ------ and the streets are laid out stupid. This town could use some more east-west corridors.
If we go for a walk in Saint Cloud we could see- wait- there is no point in going for a walk, as you will only be yelled at by the aforementioned a**wipe drivers.
Culturally, the area has all the types of people you could wish to avoid: goths, emos, rich kids from nearby suburbs, fake a** gangsters, rednecks, and ----.
The educational system is very underfunded, yet operational; this is because central minnesotans want only the best things, but will burn in hell before they have to pay for anything. However, St. Cloud has no less than 6 colleges or tech schools in the nearby area.
It is often asserted by many that there is nothing to do in St. Cloud. This isn't exactly true, it is just an excuse kids use to get wasted.
But other than that, Saint Cloud ain't bad.
The ending of this one makes it one of the all-time great, multi-paragraph backhanded compliments of all time.
There is one more definition of St. Cloud that tries to spin the city in a more positive light. However, this definition has 549 downvotes to only 538 upvotes:
A town in central Minnesota that is refered to as THE STC. The town is located around the Mississippi River which offers a countless number of water activities. THE STC has everything a person could want in a town. Low crime rates, great education system and a thriving economy make St. Cloud a great place to live.
I like that one the best. While the first two each hold some truths, living in St. Cloud is not as bleak as those definitions try to make it sound.