What's a North Dakotan “City” Like? - Grand Forks, North Dakota

[@sammymarrco47]

Corrections: the river flows from south to north contrary to what I thought in the video they also combine ( by going north) not split.
Also most widely accepted etymology for the name "Red River" is that fact there were red clay deposits along the banks, not the blood of war.
My apologizes, I will, and have endeavored to make sure the info is correct in my content.

[@StellaLive-le9hf]

Yes, the red river flows north into Canada. Coolest thing!😊

[@toolpusher-tz9op]

Actually, it's the only river in America that runs northbound.

[@jacks6632]

Ok I accept your apology 😅

[@toolpusher-tz9op]

@@jacks6632 Kiss the old boot on your head as well while smiling

[@sharlajohnson1033]

This is a small town with a big heart. We love having new people.

[@sammymarrco47]

Yep, never felt unwelcome 👍

[@GratefulOverlander]

I'm so glad to read this comment and see this video.
Seriously thinking about uprooting and moving there. I'm 48 and I've heard great things about that area my entire life
Thank you for sharing

[@ichibanlipstickformen]

wish i felt the same about the schools there

[@pensacola07]

I was stationed there in 1978 and spent 3 years there, and I loved it. Winters were brutal, but those were the best times I have ever had. Being raised in Florida, I would move back to Grand Forks if I could

[@sammymarrco47]

hope you get back there one day ✌️

[@thefloridianbadger2594]

thats a coincidence. im moving there in a month from florida for 13 weeks

[@hommedammn7132]

The River flows north, not south.

[@sammymarrco47]

got it, apparently I had the Mississippi mindset while researching.

[@eyesopen9139]

Got your history of the river wrong. The fork you showed is where the Red and the Red Lake river join not split. The Red river flows from south to north into Winnipeg.

[@sammymarrco47]

pinned, and thanks, gotta make sure I get my info right next time.

[@eyesopen9139]

@@sammymarrco47 most welcome. Best channel catfishing in the north on that river.

[@crux321]

@@eyesopen9139 how about some fall walleyes?

[@eyesopen9139]

@@crux321 you know it.

[@Chereke007]

Thank you man, You brought me some memories from Grand Forks I went to Red River High School back at 1993 , It was nice to remember the city , I am from Mexico I was there as an international exchange student👌🏻✌🏻😀

[@sammymarrco47]

Que genial! espero que hayas disfrutado tu tiempo en Estados Unidos!

[@kipthearcticfox5124]

As a North Dakotan from a town called Mekinock(A town of 158, 6 miles west of Grand Forks) I enjoy your in-depth look into our cities.

[@sammymarrco47]

Always nice to see something from a local, what did I miss that you would have added ?

[@kipthearcticfox5124]

@@sammymarrco47 Frankly, I though you hit the mark pretty well.

[@colonelpotter]

Ralph Engelstad also gave 10 million to his hometown of Thief River Falls,MN to build a small Ralph there because he graduated high school there.

[@sammymarrco47]

Good on him

[@drew3693]

Lol he sure did love his own name up in lights.

[@er...]

@@drew3693 Fun fact: He was also heavy into supporting Nazis, like actual Nazis.

[@garythompson4962]

This is a great video, I really love the way you go over the history and some of the beautiful areas. It's a very comfortable place to live!

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks and that’s the vibe I got

[@c-sfrancoeu1883]

I am French and was at Grand Forks once for a two week work travel, I was eating out every day (lunch and diner) and was fed up with the American food that was too hard for me to digest. But on the second week I discovered The Toasted Frog restaurant, easily on of the best restaurant in my life, like on my top 10 list including all the restaurant I tried in Europe, I was eating there every night for the rest of the week.

[@sammymarrco47]

Awesome to hear, yeah our food ain’t for everyone. What work were you doing there? Merci boucoup d'avoir regarde la video !

[@c-sfrancoeu1883]

Merci à toi pour la vidéo.
It was quite some time ago, an European company was starting a wind turbine plant, foreign technical knowledge (mostly form Europe) was required to setup the plant as per the company standards.

[@sammymarrco47]

Ah yep wind power is one of their biggest exports in GF

[@djobokuwali4316]

Really great job on this. I appreciate you putting some personality into it

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks, most videos on small places are devoid of that so that was a goal.

[@cyppy7473]

currently looking at UND so this is helpful!

[@sammymarrco47]

It’s not a bad collage but know I’m winter it can get to -30 degrees. If your not from the Midwest that could be difficult

[@sammymarrco2]

Dude, solid content

[@sammymarrco47]

Thank u, me

[@r.hunter5018]

I’m so homesick - I miss grand forks!!

[@sammymarrco47]

Hopefully you can return soon :) I

[@Kramchuck]

0:50 Red river actually flows North to Canada (:

[@sammymarrco47]

Yep pinned comment I had a Mississippi mindset while recording

[@Kramchuck]

And I see now there's already a comment about this, my apologies!

[@lucianogama398]

Very nice documentary/explanation, Sammy.....congratulations

[@sammymarrco47]

Thank you so much 😀

[@austenc4520]

This is an amazing video! I wasn't born in Grand Forks, but I've lived here since I was 1 years old. I absolutely love this town!! We have so much to offer for just a small town and it seems like nobody figures that out until they actually visit. I'm so happy that you took the time to come up and visit and show the world we exist! Some things I think would have made this video better is if you showed off more of the UND Campus and gave more info on it for people not familiar. I also think you should have talked about some of our local businesses and how they work together for the community. It would have also been cool to see you visit parks where there are 1997 flood monuments and visit the Alerus Center which was built after the flood as a community space/concert/sports venue! Other than that you did amazing! Come back soon!

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks austen, if I ever come back I’ll take your considerations in mind. Thanks I’ll try to incorporate that stuff into similar videos I do in the future.

[@youralibi2023]

Great video!! We've lived here for decades & still definitely learned a few things~ 😃Merci beaucoup!!

[@sammymarrco47]

De rien, merci por regar le video!

[@sao9995]

So nice to see heartland Americans. Working and trying for better days. Kind, polite, grounded -- I love Grand Forks.

[@sammymarrco47]

I barely met anyone from there, but I didn’t have any issues

[@Kategerszewski]

Great content! You tonight me some facts I didn’t know about my own town! TY!

[@sammymarrco47]

Glad you enjoyed! thats the goal :)

[@wutinthebritishbasement716]

I’m sad you didn’t mention the central high school! Built in the late 1800’s and then rebuilt in 1919 where the building still currently stands and serves as a high school with amazing history

[@sammymarrco47]

i dont remember seeing it, good to hear its still standing

[@SrslyNoz.]

30+ years ago Romantix was named The Plain Brown Wrapper, I assume still in the same business.

[@sammymarrco47]

Interesting history

[@pensacola07]

I remember the plain brown wrapper. Remember what they sold there?

[@SrslyNoz.]

@@pensacola07 Same thing Romantix sells, random penis shaped objects.

[@jackweinstein4322]

Actually, it was named "the plain brown rapper" and then they changed it when Dave Barry came to visit

[@SrslyNoz.]

@@jackweinstein4322 Thanks for clarifying that?

[@BasedJake1999]

I've lived here for about 3 years after leaving Florida late 2018 and I have to say, it was definitely a culture shock, feels like I'm living in another country, the people, weather, economics and just so much about North Dakota makes Florida look and sound boring lol

[@sammymarrco47]

Really I think ND is more interesting then Florida? I’ve never been but I’d imagine it’s more interesting. The weather though is probably the biggest difference and just goes to show the psychical diversity of the USA 🇺🇸

[@russellsambrano8599]

@@sammymarrco47 yes, he said that North Dakota culture makes FLORIDA "look and sound boring" lol

[@crux321]

@@russellsambrano8599 im intriged! lol heading their to work the beat harvest!

[@donkunes8630]

stayed in East Grand Forks in 1972 at some apartments not far from the bridge . There was a flood a year later i think , saw the apartment bldg in the water on the news

[@sammymarrco47]

In my other video about north Dakota I think I have some footage from the flood

[@umdlotus1]

I thought the explanation of the Red River name sounded like some Reddit garbage and it was lol
"French explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye arrived to the Red River Valley area in 1732. He coined the term “Red River” due to its reddish-brown silt. It was the primary source of transportation between Lake Winnipeg and the Mississippi River system."

[@sammymarrco47]

my apologies, see pinned comment.

[@amy109]

This brought back flashbacks for me😅. I lived there in 2009-2013. There’s really nice people there!

[@sammymarrco47]

let me guess, you went to UND?

[@danielsgustum2345]

Cool, I was studying there from 2007-2012. Big school, and as a Norwegian i felt home with all the Americans with Norwegian heritage :)

[@bridgetboone1979]

Wow! Thank you! I'm moving to grand forks next week to be close to family. I've been searching for information for this town you are awesome!

[@sammymarrco47]

Glad it was helpful! thx for watching!

[@LSLendingTeam]

Great video! :)

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks!

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

Interesting bit of trivia. Both North and South Dakota were admitted into the Union as the 39th and 40th states on November 2, 1889. But in reality, no one knows which one is the 39th or the 40th state because President Harrison kept the text covered when signing both proclamations. Officially, North Dakota is considered the 39th state but that's going in alphabetical order.

[@sammymarrco47]

Interesting thanks for the info

[@sabriyahsmith346]

Cool video! Thanks!

[@sammymarrco47]

You’re welcome

[@lucianogama398]

For sure that whenever i go to Fargo, i'll have a pit stop in Grand forks!!

[@sammymarrco47]

you live north of fargo?

[@etc.4903]

Nice video. Barely scratched the surface of what's around here, but was interesting to see an outsider's perspective on the city.

[@sammymarrco47]

Yeah I was only there for a week. What else would you have suggested I see?

[@stephyc276]

I was born and raised in Grand Forks you did a great job of showing the city. I was uncomfortable with you calling the European descendants Americans to differentiate them from American Indians.

[@sammymarrco47]

The native Sioux weren’t American citizens until 1924 when Coolidge signed the Indian citizenship act. That’s why I phrased it like that. Thanks got watching!

[@joeminpa6705]

3:58 :) Oh, with the cross winds, the flight school is one of the best because you HAVE to learn to land in adverse conditions.

[@N734NJ]

That feeling when you move to Northern Virginia from Grand Forks and the first 10 seconds of the video just throw you off lol

[@sammymarrco47]

Haha good old switch a roo, what part of NOVA are you in ?

[@N734NJ]

@@sammymarrco47 Oh, scenic Ashburn lol

[@maidhall1699]

Why'd you move?

[@N734NJ]

@@maidhall1699 not many jobs in my field in GFK

[@sammymarrco47]

@@N734NJ you’ll like my newest video coming tomorrow

[@dhinds5927]

The Red River flows.north to Lake Winnipeg. I don't think you were clear about that.

[@sammymarrco47]

you're right, my lack of familiarity with the area did lead me to think that. I think i put a pinned comment with the correct info.

[@modms11]

Well guess what .. me and around 200 students all the way from saudi arabia 🇸🇦 used to live there for more than 3 years for each group, from 2009 till 2015. And we had a lot of memories with the ELS and UND aerospace. The city could be depressing especially in the long winter but overall it was good. and I still love the ( girlfriend pizza ) from Rhombus Guys.

[@sammymarrco47]

wow! were u aviation students?

[@modms11]

@@sammymarrco47 “yup” as they say it in north states 😅

[@CranstonSnordd]

The Red River of the North was named for its red/brown color silt, not because of the “blood of the Natives”.

[@sammymarrco47]

check pinned comment

[@joshupmeyer7318]

That’s me!

[@sammymarrco47]

Yes Sir thanks for having me

[@DakotaSBuildchannel]

I live here. I love it

[@sammymarrco47]

glad to hear it, we all need a place to call home.

[@liladdymrtrent117]

I’m from Red Lake Falls where people get so drunk that they fall in the river and make it more red! Yeah I’m going to hell

[@sammymarrco47]

That’s dark….

[@liladdymrtrent117]

@@sammymarrco47 At least it’s not South Park Colorado

[@justinl7496]

I live 45 minutes to this gem

[@sammymarrco47]

👍👍

[@donaldmilhoan6379]

I've never been in that area, North Dakota, Minnesota. Looks nice.

[@sammymarrco47]

It’s not a bad place by any means, but it gets COLD in the winter. (-30 yesterday). Also the Midwest flatness vibe and all the concrete road gave me this sort of Melancholy vibe.

[@donaldmilhoan6379]

@@sammymarrco47 Being from Florida, I'd probably freeze to death there. Ha

[@saz7772]

-30 isn't bad at all. I'm currently visiting and staying in a village where temperatures drop to -67 °C (in Fahrenheit its -88 °F). Although I'm used to it, sometimes we can't leave the house as it is dangerous sometimes. And btw with wind chill it's even lower than that.

[@mrs.harris6736]

Love this! I've been here 2 years its great! Awesome video

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks! What do u like most about the town?

[@mrs.harris6736]

@@sammymarrco47 I like that people are nice here and I love the winters here everyone tells me I'm crazy lol I'm from southwest Arkansas so I hate the heat. The town is beautiful I love that there's a river a few blocks from my apartment I love to fish. Do you live in grand forks?

[@sammymarrco47]

I also like the cold rather then the heat, but the winters there are brutal

[@dannobloomquisr8825]

Amazing !!!! I did not know that a river could flow uphill........

[@sammymarrco47]

yep, flows north unlike the Mississippi that flows south

[@er...]

It flows north, _not_ uphill. Direction and altitude are not the same thing. Also, there are others that do the same; one major example, the Nile River.

[@dannobloomquisr8825]

Thank you for correcting me. I was born and have lived within 5 miles of the red river for 63 years. Now I know.....

[@er...]

@@dannobloomquisr8825 Every day is a good day to learn something new!

[@christopherlockhart6769]

The unfortunate part of a river flowing from South to North up here is that the river thaws first upstream, so it encounters the still-frozen water downstream. That worsens flooding.

[@heyzus]

one of the best places on the planet it's real no crap

[@sammymarrco47]

What do you mean? its real no crap, I can confirm it’s a real place

[@min-dakwoodhound7314]

First thing, the two rivers combine , not spit... 2nd) the combined rivers flow NORTH to the Hudson Bay.

[@sammymarrco47]

fixed in pinned comment :)

[@silver12ashes]

Oh gosh of course you got the shot of Romantix! If you went into Widman's Chocolates next door you would have been able to see the water line of the flood of 1997.

[@sammymarrco47]

Wow didn’t know that! And I had to get a shot of that store, it surprised me haha

[@devy024]

And the first place I go when I go back home, which has been awhile.... GF Central High, 1979. It's a different place by the river and the river was everything. Hello!

[@derpyzmayhem420]

I was born in Grand Forks, miss my home city

[@sammymarrco47]

hopefully you can visit soon!

[@derpyzmayhem420]

@@sammymarrco47 Oh I can, I live in Red Lake Minnesota now so I am just 2 hours away from my city, yes sir 😁

[@beautyover6018]

Honey, I lived there and went to school in the 80s long before you were even born

[@ichibanlipstickformen]

as a resident of grand forks, i can assure you it is not this cool :,)

[@sammymarrco47]

I made it look cool? that's a complement in my book.

[@ichibanlipstickformen]

@@sammymarrco47 wow you have point there-

[@Fab619carttleer]

Uff after watching this video I know how rough my adjustment will be , I’m attending the med school

[@sammymarrco47]

best of luck!

[@aktn7416]

The river flows north bro

[@sammymarrco47]

Check pinned

[@SilentCheechGaming1991]

wait, are trains running through town unusual?

[@sammymarrco47]

I wasn’t there long enough to see, but i think at least a few times a week. Anyone from GF can confirm?

[@sharlajohnson1033]

@@sammymarrco47 Yes trains running through town is normal.

[@nsbioy]

you can watch freight trains slicing right through downtown next to the Rhombus brewery, the tan buildingon the left side at 3:35 . the train is some 30 feet from your table, which is cool. some train operators even waive at you while passing by.

[@hazard1648]

I never been to nd before but I hope I would

[@sammymarrco47]

It’s a chill place

[@clippedwings225]

I go to college here!

[@sammymarrco47]

Sounds like a plan, my friend enjoys it for the most part.

[@JM-ot8ux]

Did you see aurora borealis? It's one good reason to like ND.

[@sammymarrco47]

Unfortunately I did not, I think that’s mostly in the winter

[@JM-ot8ux]

@@sammymarrco47 Last night was an incredible hours-long display in Grand Forks.

[@DANIELAPPS2024]

Is easy to get bus to go to work in Dickson city pls

[@sammymarrco47]

Dickson city is in pennsylvania

[@GG-pr3yo]

You pretty much hit everything there is to do in about 10 min. The other 23hrs and 50min are thinking about leaving..........

[@consultancydanielfelos7]

that pretty much says it

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks

[@KYLAhehe]

I LIVE IN GRAND FORKS

[@sammymarrco47]

👍👍🥶

[@ZIRNHELT86]

This is where the magic happens. GUN STORE!

[@sammymarrco47]

Do they have a good selection?

[@etc.4903]

That gun store was an organic foods store before it switched to selling guns. Talk about regression.

[@snotrock3t64]

Lots of meth and heroin. My first week here I had all my shit stolen from my truck and the door left wide open. There is hardly anything for children to do here, and when there is the events are poorly planned and absurdly overpriced. I used to say we stay here because there’s no shootings and that’s slowly changing too. The racism here in my experience is pretty nutty too and I’m a white guy from Florida…

[@sammymarrco47]

that's unfortunate, I didn't notice much problems but I was only there for a week and didn't interact with many people.

[@aktn7416]

Also it’s called the RED RIVER due to its red colored silt and clay bottom which gives it a reddish appearance. Wtf kinda false info is that regarding the name of the River????smh. “French explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye arrived to the Red River Valley area in 1732. He coined the term “Red River” due to its reddish-brown silt. It was the primary source of transportation between Lake Winnipeg and the Mississippi River system.”

[@sammymarrco47]

I’ll update the pinned comment again.

[@mikebane2866]

Lived there for a year and it was the worst year of my life

[@sammymarrco47]

I’m sorry about that

[@u2fkeys665]

Does it still flood there?

[@sammymarrco47]

I dont know haha only was there a week.

[@atc_peeps6104]

No it doesn’t and I live there

[@elikurtyka131]

It dose but we divert it now so it doesn’t matter

[@Minnesotaman2]

Hah! My grandpa is the mayor of EAST grand forks.

[@sammymarrco47]

👏 👏

[@jacks6632]

NOT called Red River for what you stated!!!
That’s just insulting to the locals and those who founded the area; which were both Indians and European settlers. The river is RED, from the red clay, which is rare and is why the land is so fertile. If you did your homework, UND has world class pottery history (using river clay) that dates back to before UND even founded and there are museum pieces on campus also. Btw, there was so much Indian pride relations that we named the university AFTER the Sioux. Do better.

[@sammymarrco47]

check pinned comment.

[@cosmokramer5387]

Man you are wrong on the timing of the Ralph.

[@sammymarrco47]

Can you elaborate?

[@kenziecarriere8099]

YOO I live there 💀

[@sammymarrco47]

so does mu friend in collage, what do you like the most and least about it?

[@vincentforce1]

This place looks depressing as hell

[@sammymarrco47]

Welcome to the Midwest lol, the tundra weather definitely adds to that, but North Dakota is booming with oil recently so who knows what’s in store?

[@lokilokicheese4619]

Yep that's grand forks

[@nsbioy]

depends on what makes you depressed. it is a nice little town

[@mjlover4evr100]

don't speak too fast you might end up stationed here sometime. there's a huge air force base here

[@DeanZimmerman-rt6gh]

Roberta Benson

[@sammymarrco47]

Johnny McMaster

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

Alexander Griggs was the father of Pud...let alone a dump of a town

[@sammymarrco47]

I just said what I found online

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

@@sammymarrco47
You have to look up what pud is ...hahahah

[@krusty5347]

You tried man, I’ll give you that much…

[@sammymarrco47]

I did my best

[@krusty5347]

For never being there before u did good. Keep it up

[@MartyTaillon6162]

I live in Grand Forks North Dakota and I hate it cause most of the people are big shots and jerks

[@sammymarrco47]

That sucks 😔

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

It's a dump. I unfortunately Grew up there

[@sammymarrco47]

How is it a dump, most comments here are saying the opposite

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

@@sammymarrco47
Dude you don't know what your talking about. Unfortunately I had to spend most of my childhood there. 5th grade all the way to high-school graduation. As soon as I walked into their meth addicted inbred town they treated me as an outsider and gave me a problem for years. They treated me in this way because I wasn't one of them.

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

@@sammymarrco47
But it's cool bro. I'm not rich but ever since I left that nasty dirty meth addicted cow town I joined the military and after my discharge I was able to get a really good paying job. Also my investments are doing quite well even in the middle of this Pandemic. I also got married to a smoking hot Philipina. She's from Batangas in Luzon. We have two beautiful daughters and a nice big house with a nice buisness. Life is so good

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

@@sammymarrco47
I was always kind to these nasty people. But they treated me badly and I was bullied. It's kind of hard to fight off five or more people that hate you.

[@MikeybthInfantryBrigade]

@@sammymarrco47
But like I said before bro. I saw what all the pigs I went to high-school are doing now on Facebook . Not all but most are either broke, recovering from addictions, suffering from broken marriages, single mothers etc.... They are in a world of pain and I am in a world of gain. The girls there I went to high-school with wouldn't ever give me the time of day. They thought they were better than me. Joke is on them. They look like a single motherhood train wreck/ dumpster fire. My wife loves me, serves me, obeys me. I'm the king. And she knows that the entire Island would love to have me. That's why she's afraid of losing me. I'm in full control.

[@cindydawes3350]

#gf2022

[@sammymarrco47]

thanks 4 watching

[@amandaenright3583]

BEST SCHOOL EVER GO SACRED HEART EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jameskjv8236]

For now until liberalism takes over and corrupts everything. Still good ol' America up here. Love being around my kind of people 🇸🇪🇳🇴🇩🇰🇩🇪. ✝️

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks for watching

[@etc.4903]

You put up flags of some of the most liberal countries in the world saying you love being around your kind of people but you start off by saying "until liberalism takes over"? You're not very smart, but I suppose that's why you're a conservative.

[@netzel6723]

your history is all wrong

[@sammymarrco47]

Which parts?

[@vitormenezes3464]

You cute.

[@sammymarrco47]

Thanks?