5 Reasons Why Hudson is Better Than Eau Claire

I spent close to a year living in Eau Claire and moved to Hudson not too long ago. The difference is night and day. In Eau Claire, I stayed holed up in my apartment because I had nowhere to go—or should I say, nowhere worth going. I longed for weekends where I could leave town and get closer to civilization. I moved to Hudson primarily to be closer to the Twin Cities, but have been pleasantly surprised by the vibrant community in this charming town. It was hard to narrow it down to five, but here are my top reasons why Hudson beats Eau Claire any day.

1. Food, Glorious Food

I'll admit it. I'm a total foodie. I like my beef grassfed and my produce organic. I don't mind spending a bit more than most on food, but Eau Claire made it impossible. The best source is Just Local Food Cooperative, but it's so overpriced that I found myself driving to Menomonie just to get groceries.

I was absolutely thrilled to discover . Not only is it affordable, it boasts a wide variety of everything a foodie could ask for. Where in Eau Claire can you stock up on grassfed steak, elk meat, gluten-free brownies, persimmons and coconut flour? And since we're talking about affordable and delicious food, I just have to point out that Hudson has a , something I will never take for granted again. Who wants to eat at Burrachos?

2. A Thriving Downtown

I've only spent a modest amount of time in downtown Hudson, but I became an instant fan. Handcrafted jewelry, paintings by local artists, a wide assortment of restaurants and a smattering of historic buildings was all it took. In contrast, Eau Claire's downtown offers very little other than Christmas music blaring in the abandoned streets all winter long.

3. The Twin Cities, Right Around the Corner

This, of course, means Hudson has the convenience of being just a short drive away from Minneapolis or St. Paul, making it easier to go to a play at the Guthrie, drink chai at Uncommon Grounds or spend hours poring over books at Magers & Quinn.

Aside from this obvious benefit, there's a trickle-down effect to local businesses that must remain at the top of their game. Many businesses in Eau Claire are run by smug, self-satisfied owners who will gloat about being the only game in town. The virtual lack of competition allows them to thrive despite their mediocrity. They wouldn't last very long out here, and the difference is palatable.

4. Comcast is Better Than Charter

In the ideal world, one would be able to choose between various cable networks instead of the limited selection between DirecTV and the one cable game in town. But in this ideal world, Charter would have long since gone out of business. Why wouldn't they be, when Comcast offers many more channels (including a wider selection of HD channels) at a far, far better price?

To make matters worse, Charter even switched Fox Sports Net's HD channel to Fox Sports Wisconsin during baseball season, forcing Twins fans to watch their team on regular definition. (Then, when the season was over, Charter inexplicably switched back to FSN.)

5. Variety, Not Homogeneity, is the Spice of Life

I can't quite put my finger on what gives Eau Claire its incredibly close-minded vibe except to say that escaping to Hudson was a breath of fresh air. Suddenly, I could talk to people that had perhaps lived in other parts of the country, weren't afraid of strangers and didn't marry their middle school sweetheart.

Perhaps it is the proximity to the Cities (see No. 3) or perhaps it is because people don't feel the need to leave (brain drain), but I've been pleasantly surprised that Hudson doesn't have the same exclusive (dare I say inbred?) feel so prevalent in Eau Claire. When I lived in Eau Claire, the only thing I could think about was leaving. Living in Hudson has rekindled my sense of adventure and exploration. It's good to be here.