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Ely MN Welcome Sign

Are you interested in getting to know the community, but not sure how?
Check out our line up of Hello Neighbor programs and services below.

Welcome Neighbor Gift Bags

Receive one of our Welcome Neighbor gift bags featuring messages of welcome, informational resources about local programs and services, coupons, and free items from local businesses. Sign up to receive a welcome gift bag via the form below.

Get Paired with a Peer

One on one or small group neighbor meetings at a local coffee shop in which new residents are paired with an established resident based on their unique interests and questions about the area.

New Resident Socials

Boundary Waters Connect hosts informal new resident socials multiple times a year. We meet for free beverages and snacks in Society Hall above Northern Grounds Coffee + Wine Bar. Check our events page for the next new resident social date.

Meet New Elyites at Tuesday Group

Tuesday Group is a Boundary Waters Connect sponsored community gathering that takes place weekly over the noon hour on Tuesdays at the Grand Ely Lodge. We invite new Ely-area residents to introduce themselves via our regular “Meet New Elyites” Tuesday Group segments.

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Why We Live Here

Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. Our Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap. We want to help you understand what your lives here might look and feel like.

Prospective Residents

Boundary Waters Connect has interviewed dozens of new residents for our video series, our Meet New Elyites segment of Tuesday Group, and other projects. We observe common themes among new residents. Many people who relocate to northeastern Minnesota’s Wilderness-edge communities:

Value having quick and easy access to the wilderness as an essential part of their daily lives.
Prioritize spending time outdoors and value closeness to nature.
Want to enjoy where they are, and strive for a work-life balance that suits their unique needs.
Are interested in recalibrating their pace of life and quality of life.
Seek to benefit from communities and environments that encourage lifelong learning.
Appreciate intergenerational exchange and opportunities to connect with elder knowledge and wisdom.

Why we live here:

Why We Live Here: Eric & Lacey

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Why We Live Here: Eric & Lacey

"We are immersing ourselves in meaningful experiences." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Eric works in the outdoor industry, and Lacey works in community development. They live in Ely with their dog Wendell.

Why We Live Here: Dee

04:25

Why We Live Here: Dee

"The serenity of this environment is beneficial to us." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Dee is a retired artist, graphic designer, and professor. Dee and her wife Joy spend summers outside of Ely, splitting their time between the Ely-area and Asheville, North Carolina.

Why We Live Here: Tia & Margaret

04:22

Why We Live Here: Tia & Margaret

"We are all living for the same place and loving it." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Tia & Margaret live, work, and play in Lutsen.

Why We Live Here: Ellen

04:09

Why We Live Here: Ellen

"Daily life is going walking or running on the trails with the dogs, with weekly saunas on Sundays." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Ellen is a social worker who lives, works, and plays in Babbitt.

Why We Live Here: Megan and Jesse

04:16

Why We Live Here: Megan and Jesse

"There is an eclectic mix of people here." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Jesse works remotely and Megan is a stylist at Roots Salon in Ely.

Why We Live Here: Kes

04:07

Why We Live Here: Kes

"Our natural resources are our passions and our careers." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Kes owns a natural resource management business, Growing Futures, and is an engaged community member in Ely.

Boundary Waters Connect & Bear Witness Media's Why We Live Here video series

57:20

Boundary Waters Connect & Bear Witness Media's Why We Live Here video series

Lacey Squier and Matthew Baxley presented to Tuesday Group on March 1, 2022 at the Grand Ely Lodge. The presentation served as an introduction to Boundary Waters Connect, a new program of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, and Bear Witness Media, a video and audio production company that bears witness to our most meaningful human experiences. Boundary Waters Connect & Bear Witness Media collaborated to produce the Why We Live Here video series, which features interviews with residents of the wilderness edge communities of northeast Minnesota. Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play.

Why We Live Here: Sven

04:11

Why We Live Here: Sven

"We wanted to raise our kids closer to nature." Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play. Sven lives with his two children about 20 minutes outside of Grand Marais on a 60 acre sugar bush.

Why We Live Here: Ryan

06:08

Why We Live Here: Ryan

Relocating and making a home somewhere new is exciting and challenging at the same time. The Boundary Waters Connect Why We Live Here video series gives prospective residents a window of insight to the day-to-day lives of people who have taken the leap, and moved to northeast Minnesota's wilderness edge communities to live, work, and play.

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