Secrets of the City

My odd-ball suggestion is to check out Bryn-Mawr. A little folksy, a little modern, yet extremely close to downtown.

And I’ll say it before someone else does: Northeast. Sure, it’s the new Uptown, but prices still haven’t skyrocketed. There’s old development, there’s new development. It’s ground zero for the gallery scene and has emerged as the place to be on the weekends (if it had a Triple Rock, the whole city would tilt north).

You might find this website helpful: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-statistics/index.asp#TopOfPage

Northeast is the new Uptown? Oh god, here we go again…

Down by Minnehaha Park and Lake Nokomis is a pretty nice area. Easy to hop the light rail into downtown or down to the Mall or airport. Plus a nice walk or bike ride away from the river and the St. Paul Highland Park area.

I ditto Northeast. The only thing that kept me from seriously considering it was a lack of day-to-day shopping needs nearby so that I don’t have to do the car trip to a big grocery store. I know a Lund’s is going in, but I don’t consider that a real grocery store. But your needs may vary. I’m in Longfellow and love it, but am worried it’s going to become mostly chain stores and restaurants. Longfellow home values are skyrocketing but are still affordable, as is Northeast.

Oh, it totally is. I think there are even t-shirts out there that say that.

Also, check out this thread from a few days ago about the development around Lake Street. In addition to being a diverse community, it’s probably got “good investment” potential.

Check out Prospect Park. It’s in the tiny little wedge of Minneapolis that’s just east of the river. But it’s close to downtown and very close to the cultural/sporting resources of the U of M. It’s a neighborhood that attracts professors and creative types. It’s close to the artsy University/Raymond area, just over the line in St Paul. And, perhaps most compelling, you can walk to Cupcake.

I’m a St Paul loyalist but, if I had to move back to Minneapolis, I’d go back to Prospect Park. I lived there for five years back in the 90s and I just loved it.

Or you could try my neighborhood, Cathedral Hill in St Paul: great restaurants, funky Victorians, eclectic retail. I can get to downtown Minneapolis in 15 minutes, as long as it’s not rush hour. Of course, I drive like a bat out of purgatory.

loring park if you want to rent

And to plug one of our advertisers, you might want to check out Behind the Mortgage. You can browse posts by category/neighborhood. Alex knows what he’s talking about.

I used to not like the horrible access of that Minnehaha Park area, but light rail could have fixed a lot of that. If you work downtown, that’d be a great option.

I’m a big fan of NE.

There are many places to choose from within Northeast. I live in Audobon, which has a handful of shopping/eating spots, but nothing of Uptown level. It’s a little far away from downtown, too. The spot most refer to as the new Uptown is by Surdyk’s and all that other junk. There are some nice little blocks over there, but it’s getting expensive.

I also lived in Bryn-Mawr, but other than a couple awesome spots, there’s not much going on there in the way of shopping/eating.

Yeah, that’s true about Bryn-Mawr. I think of it as a good place for someone in their late-20s/mid-30s with one child.

Uptown actually has below-average renting prices due to so many apartments there.

I like it because I can walk to two grocery stores, a liquor store, shopping, coffee shops, bars, etc.

NE is also cool, especially if you like to go to bars.

Yeah, that’s true about Bryn-Mawr. I think of it as a good place for someone in their late-20s/mid-30s with one child.

…and, for some reason, a lot of gay men.

I’d endorse St. Paul too, but if you have your heart set on Minneapolis, that’s fine by me!

As far as my favorite spots in that fair city, I’d say Prospect Park and NE both have a lot to recommend them. NE is probably more affordable if you’re looking to buy. Of course, there’s always downtown, if you don’t mind condo/loft-living.

If I were buying today, I’d get as close to the light rail as possible. It’s convenient and property values can only increase…roughly in proportion to gas prices is my guess.

Low crime, high property values, good shopping, and fine dining within city limits. Sounds like suburban values without the guilt.

I live in the Nakomis East Neighborhood, which is in southeast Minnneapolis. I use the light rail to commute to work, I’m 2 blocks from Minneahaha Park- one of the many beautiful parks the city has to offer, with a gorgeous waterfall. There are bike/walking trails everywhere and easy access to all the major freeways, and quick access to St. Paul’s fun neighborhoods/restaurants/shops. Oh, and I don’t work downtown either- but the LRT line makes not driving so much easier, not to mention airport access. If you’re looking for a house with great transit options, this neighborhood is for you. If you’re looking to rent, Uptown is my suggestion. Good Luck!!

this is a weirdly specific suggestion: there are some really nice houses for sale in a bunch on Harriet Ave. between 24th and 22nd, like threee or four really nice victorians. no idea what price, they’ve been on the market for a while. i suppose it’s possible that there’s some big condo development coming in. but that’s a cool location, a walk to the Wedge and the Red Dragon, Walker, and Loring Park.

There’s fine dining in the ‘burbs? I can hardly wait for my next Skillet Sensation at Applebee’s.

kndrik, i guess i’d have to know what you mean by “better neighborhoods” — what are you looking for in a neighborhood?

St. Paul has fun neighborhoods????

Can I ask where you live now? I just did.

Oh, the anti-Suburban snobbery!

There IS life in the suburbs, thank you very much. My taxes are low, my property values high, my crime rate shockingly low and yet the “diversity” (read: people with other than non-euro ethnic background) is much higher than in Northeast, that’s for sure. I’ve got fine dining — yes, fine dining! — within a block of my house and at night there’s no sodding traffic. Also I am five minutes to downtown which puts me closer than all you Uptownies.

I live in Robbinsdale — and you couldn’t pay me to move. Unless it was to another suburb. Maybe Crystal or New Hope or Golden Valley.

Finding a neighborhood that suits you is a very personal decision, but I would have to agree that Bryn Mawr is worth checking out.

I bought my house there 1 1/2 years ago and love it. It’s a $7 cab ride downtown, biking distance from Theo Wirth, Cedar Lake, and downtown, and full of delightful and diverse neighbors who take great pride in their houses and the neighborhood. It’s got a kind of Urban Mayberry vibe that I love.

AND the local coffee shop started serving beer and wine a few months ago (with 2-for-1 drinks on Saturday nights!)

I’ll pay each and every one of you $5 to not turn this perfectly good thread into an anti/pro suburbs rant.

What’s so great about being close to downtown? Unless you can walk there, you can drive there in under 20 mins from just about anywhere in the metro. Also, what’s so great about downtown? I guess people work there. I’ll shut up.

Great neighborhood round-up. This is a question I get a lot, and a very hard one to answer unless you know the person who’s asking it, or the neighborhood they are moving from. Honestly you won’t get a much better synopsis of neighborhoods and areas than what’s been posted here – again, really good stuff. Next step is to hit the street and see these ‘nabes for yourself.

My only piece of advice for you, regardless of neighborhood, is get as close to water (creek, river, lakes) and the associated parkways as you can afford. Even if that distance is measured in blocks, over the long haul you’ll do better from an appreciation standpoint. People pay a premium for this – always have, always will.

Fair enough, Rex. That made me chuckle. I’m truly sorry for being an ass, good people.

…and good point, Slim!

I’ll pay each and every one of you $5 to not turn this perfectly good thread into an anti/pro suburbs rant.

is PayPal convenient for you?

Thanks for that Rex… I was thinking about how great this thread is. A different definition of “news”… but to kndrik this is important news. And cool info about some great neighborhoods.

I’m just sayin’ — there’s a few good suburbs out there that haven’t been explored in terms of “places you might like to move.” I’m mighty fond of the aforementioned from my last post, but I’d vouch for St. Louis Park and Hopkins as “places that are pleasant to live.” Hopkins especially — all the charm of a small-town within spittin’ distance of Uptown.

I gotchya Jonny. I was sorta kidding and not kidding. Although, I just did paypal Gerg $5.

DAMMIT rex, I was joking!!!

I want my money, too! And I won’t spend a dime of it in any stupid old suburb! Oh, crap.

Buy yerself sumthin purty.

We’re getting a Super Target in the Midway (St. Paul)! The Midway is safe, convenient, and cheap. Lightrail..someday.

one warning, for what it’s worth: Longfellow, south of Seward, has a lot of great housing stock, and a lot of jerk-wad neighbors. seriously. the first house i bought was in longfellow. a lot of my firends with young families also bought starters there. and to a person, we’ve all been run off by angry “locals” who seemed to resent newcomers. i had to get a restraining order against one, who excused her insane behavior by saying it was just her “irish temper.” my ass. it was her hormonal imbalance. i know this sounds anecdotal, and it is. but it’s the last place i’d buy, even though its perfectly appealing driving through.

North of Lowry and east of Johnson is best in NE. Few arsonists and a good coffee shop to walk to.

EJO rock! East of Johnson, North of Lowry.

Dudeman: But the closer you live to Central, the more ethnic restaurants you’ve got right outside your door. I’ll take felafel over coffee any day.

NE is great, and the ONE arsonist is now in prison. Hooray!

South of Lowry, East of Johnson is better — MORE BARS.

I guess I would prefer a safer neighborhood where people actually shovel to a close walk to falafel. The Holy Land always has lots of parking in the Sully’s lot anyhow.

I noticed nobody mentioned downtown itself. It’s exploding with condos and is an option if you don’t have your heart set on a single house with a yard.

Oh sorry, I thought this was mnspeak, did I just accidently go to the Livejournal twin_cities group?

Live in Nordeast or “Uptown”!! (that is, if you’re one of the cool kidz)

I live in the Bancroft neighborhood. It’s a quiet area with nice houses, no apparent crime, and quick access to downtown and uptown by bus. I’m also within easy walking distance of Powderhorn Park and Minnehaha Creek. There are bars and restaurants within a few blocks — although nothing too trendy — and I expect the area to bloom as development spreads up and down Chicago and Bloomington Aves.

As a U of M student I suggest staying out of Prospect Park unless you are going to live in the Park (up in the hilly neighborhoods by the watch tower). If you’re outside of the park at all there is student noise (because these areas are more affordable, it’s filled with students) and you’ll have either the depressing view of crap student housing (read: no siding, cars in the lawn) or grain elevators/railroads. And as far as easy access to the city, there’s a direct bus, but it stops every block and goes right through campus cramming the bus. Anyway I’m done ranting about my crappy neighborhood, go to uptown.

RE: downtown

…and if you have tons of cash to burn. Similarly sized condos in every other neighborhood will be cheaper than downtown.

I noticed nobody mentioned downtown itself.
»» Submitted by Elizabeth at 3:33 PM on February 2

Of course, there’s always downtown, if you don’t mind condo/loft-living.
»» Submitted by »»» gerg at 1:38 PM on February 2

I did, and I don’t even live in Minneapolis!

I noticed nobody mentioned downtown itself

Also surprising that no one has really mentioned Southwest MPLS. If you stay out of the direct vicinity of Uptown with all its traffic, there are great neightborhoods – for example, right about now I’d like to give a shout out to my peeps in the Kingfield neighborhood.

Props to Linden Hills, yo.

Longfellow locals a problem? Where the heck in Longfellow were you? My neighbors have been great. However, there’s a fair amount of rental property on our street and I can say that some of the homeowners really do not like renters, which is stupid. Heck, one of the owners of the rental property next door to where I lived came over, and gave us a bottle of nice red wine to welcome us. My other next door neighbors have lived here for a very long time and they are really nice. Maybe it was the goofballs that gave you problems?

Stevens Square (primarily a renter’s neighborhood) is worthy of some consideration. This affordable neighborhood is a 10-minute walk from downtown Minneapolis (with a lot more parking than Loring Park), and the area’s high density and historic buildings give it an urban feel that is otherwise elusive in Minneapolis. On the downside, the urban feel is replete with the sense that you’re not entirely safe walking around at night.

i gotta second jonny’s defense of the first tier western ‘burbs (StLP, Golden Valley, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Hopkins, etc.)

i used to live downtown Mpls near Eliot Park (Park & 14th), and while i loved that i could walk to and from First Avenue and just about any music venue when the weather was good (or via skyway after a few blocks when it was not too cold), i absolutely love the western ‘burbs just to the near west of downtown. right now i live at 169 & 394 and it takes me about 6-7 minutes to get downtown for any show (the exits into downtown are perfect if you’re a concertgoer), if there’s traffic MAYBE 10-15 minutes.

i definitely agree about Bryn Mawr too, very cute/neat lil neighborhood. i will def be considering looking there when my fiancee and i buy a house next spring. and we’re also eyeing Hopkins as well. the comment about the small town feel of it while being 15 minutes tops from downtown is spot on.

i’m not a big fan of much south of Minneapolis to be perfectly honest, nor anything east of St. Paul, or any of the northern ‘burbs (no offense to people who live in any of those, just not my thing). the only other place i’d like to look is near St. Anthony/New Brighton, simply cuz of the close proximity to my work, but i’m really hoping we can stay out west just a bit.

imo, anything within the 694/494 corridor is still very much the metro and a bit unfair to stereotype as a typical ‘burb.

besides stevens being mainly a renters neighborhood – we’ve had our fair share of nasty looking condos going up as well. i still love it. i’m within walking distance of downtown or uptown and biking of just about anywhere.

I am new to this bog, but really have to put a plug in for the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul. You can get a MUCH nicer house for way less money than any desireable in Minneapolis (when we bought 2 years ago, we paid $50,000-$60,000 less than we would have in S or SW Mpls, for a sweet 1920’s bungalow). I work at the U of M and have a 10 minute commute to work, no freeways. Downtown Mpls is 10-15 minutes in one direction, and downtown St. Paul is 10-15 minutes in the other direction. I have every kind of ethnic cuisine and shopping I need within walking distance from my house, and have never felt unsafe.

I also find it interesting that no one mentioned any of the Northside neighborhoods — unless you’re counting Nordeast. Victory and Camden have great access to nearly everything, some great housing stock, and are still VERY reasonably priced while being insulated from anything faintly resembling serious crime. Not to mention you’ve got great neighbors up there.

I am wondering if the orig. poster still wants to move to Minneapolis after all this…….

I lived in Robbinsdale for 11 years. It’s regular folks, a real downtown (albeit sort of in a strip mall) with things like a diner, a couple of really good restaurants, a bakery, a hardware store and an actual local barber. Plenty of parks with ballfields and playgrounds…and only 10 minutes from Downtown, just on the other side of Victory Memorial Pkwy. Housing prices are reasonable, as are taxes. There’s a VFW and American Legion club where you are welcome and drinks are cheap. And St. Petersburg, which is a great bar with hundreds of vodkas and cheap happy hour appetizers. I go back often.

I just moved here in August, and I’m living right downtown, by the river. It’s beautiful. It’s safe. You can walk every where. You’re right by the light rail system, and all the buses come through here. There are beautiful parks, bridges, and walks in all directions. And there’s a gorgeous view. I highly recommend it. The lofts in the warehouse district are beautiful, but way too hip and pricey. The townhouses just over the river are nice, and “housier”, but also expensive. However, there are a few less expensive buildings/options around the river towers, the crossings, and just over the river in one of the larger condos. (I can’t remember the name off hand.)

If you can be a bit more specific about what you’re looking for and what your priorities and budget are… I think you’ll get plenty of good advice.

The uptown area is very nice as well… with lots of nice old houses, charm ,and spunk.

My wife and I bought a house in the Como area of St. Paul for $180k that would’ve easily been $280k in most of the hoidy toidy neighborhoods folks are talking about. Our area is quiet, too, and it’s not that far from everything really. Merriam Park in St. Paul is awesome, too, a little spendier but a very progressive neighborhood with lots of cool unpretentious folks of all ages. Tons of amenities around there too (Cheapo Records, libraries, coffee shops, hardware & antique stores, bars, bookstores, restaurants, Grand Ave. area not too far for more upscale shopping, great ethnic restaurants in the Midway, etc.) There are a lot of cool old houses in St. Paul with tons of character and they can be had at good prices in a lot of areas.

We don’t have the hip factor of being in Uptown or NE or whatever, but if we wanna go to those parts of town we can always hop in the car and get there in about 15-20 minutes and thankfully come back to a reasonably quiet neighborhood. If I lived in Uptown I think I might feel packed in like one of the millions.

I did like NE a lot when I lived there, the reason actually being how much it reminded me of St. Paul. I think NE has the best of both worlds, it’s a little quieter and low-key, but it also has lots of art galleries, restaurants, bars, etc. – the lack of a decent grocery store/ co-op or bookstore were about the only things I thought were missing there.

I’m very provincial about St. Paul, probably b/c I grew up there, but I’ve been around both plenty enough ….

Clearly the posters on this topic love Mpls, as well they should. It’s about criteria as to where to live: Rent or buy, yard or not, parks important or not, will you use public transportation or drive everywhere, is walkable shopping important, is walkable entertainment important.

My wife and I live in Uptown, six blocks east of Calhoun. We love it here. It’s a little busy for us, but it’s nice to walk to Lake and Hennepin for a dinner out and know that if one place is too long of a wait there are half a dozen other options within two blocks.

We’ve been looking for a more kid-friendly single family house (we have a duplex now) and I like Longfellow, Powderhorn and Byrn Mawr (north of 394). BM is my favorite because it’s right next to Basset Creek, Eloise Wildflower and Wirth. I’d be walking through there everyday and mountain biking as often as possible – plus, we lake at Twin Lake so we could more easily get there.

Regardless, every other neighborhood is a 15 minute drive or 30 minute bus ride away.

only 10 minutes from Downtown, just on the other side of Victory Memorial Pkwy.

Speaking of Victory Memorial Parkway, I’m surprised no one has mentioned Victory Memorial Parkway. M’haha-Parkway-type housing at much lower prices, and less airplane noise.

-d (Hidden Lakes here — McMansions in the inner ring! *Definitely* not for everyone, but suits my current needs just fine.)

Victory neighborhood = Victory Memorial Parkway.

Im smack in the heart of North Minneapolis and I highly recommend it. We have the housing stock to rival any working class n’hood in the city at half the cost, values can only go up. Plus the rewards for living here beat out anything else. where else can you fulfill your social justice quota’s simply by being a nieghbor. Being a good neighbor just by NOT doing something is the best.

by the way Richg, Victory neighborhood does not = Victory Pkwy. Sorry.

How do you figure? I’ve been living in Victory for the last 5 years and last I checked, the parkway forms the border for Victory. No, not every house is on the parkway, but Victory’s identity IS the parkway.

Loring Park is the best – most urban hood in all of MPLS. It is smack in the middle between downtown AND Uptown. It is a quick drive to the best of NE and right on the all the freeway access points.

Now the question is…what kind of life do you live?

Because Minneapolis has a neighborhood to fit any of your needs. It is so far beyond just safe, nice, close to things – everything is close to everything.

It is the best city in the country for REAL living.

So, are more inclined to drive or walk or take a bus?
Do you love great resturants or is diner fair your thing?
Do you go out clubbing or do you love a quiet drink with friends?
Do you bike?
Do you sail?
Do you hike, run, skate?
Family house or condo for two?
Modern or Victorian?
Coop shopper or big box retail?

After the Loring area – my second choice is the Wedge – and someone else posted that there are some houses for sale on Harriet in the 24th street area – I may have to call my realtor.

Move here – take some time to get to know the city before you settle…but anyplace you pick will have it’s own rewards and treasures.
Near North will be the next NE – NE by the 331 and The Modern Cafe is the hip crowd hangout – Dinkytown for the college crowd – uptown and southwest for a casual slightly hippy/yuppy vibe…great city, something for everyone.

Mid-thirties, one child, Bryn Mawr? Hey, that’s me!

Love the neighborhood and the access to everywhere. And Theo Wirth Park isn’t going away anytime soon.

Quick example…when my wife and I were wandering the neighborhood before buying we came upon a telephone pole with what looked like a typical ‘LOST MY BIKE!’ flyer. Looking closer, it was actually “FOUND BIKE. If it’s yours call…”. What the f? I couldn’t believe it.

After living for 12 years, let’s just say, “a bit further North” this was the clincher for us.

Prospect Park is great. It’s a straight shot from downtown through the University area, and it’s a wonderful neighborhood with beautiful houses and gardens.

Because Minneapolis has a neighborhood to fit any of your needs. It is so far beyond just safe, nice, close to things – everything is close to everything. It is the best city in the country for REAL living.

Good point Sugar. Minneapolis, St. Paul and inner ring suburbs are so great, and offer so much variety, that you can’t go wrong, but it really depends on what type of person you are.

Maybe most major metro areas are like this, but I haven’t been around other areas enough to see it. Seattle seems to be similar, I guess.

Wow! Thank you guys so much for all the great info. I have been posting this question at various message boards and websites, and the most response I have received was 1 or 2 options that didn’t really help me. Some of you have asked what I am looking for exactly. My wife and I are in our 20’s and will have a kid by the time we get there. I am pretty into art and that whole scene. I am an architect and she will be starting her medical residency when we move there. From what it looks like, the North East is out best bet? We don’t want all the hustle and bustle of downtown, but we would like to be on the cusp of it , if you know what I mean. Socially, a quiet drink with friends is more our style than clubbing. We are coming to Minneapolis in a few weeks to check things out. We currently live in a Kansas City suburb. A more urban lifestyle is much more appealing to us. Thanks again for all the help. We will definately be checking out your suggestions.

sorry, thought I should add that parks, walkable entertainment, shopping dining, and public transportation are are plus

NE is full of – yes – hipsters. Even worse, hipsters over 30.

—- brrrrrr —-

Also, I hear that Bird Island is lovely this time of year.

Seward Neighborhood. No one has mentioned this neighborhood and after reading kndrik’s follow-up it popped in my mind for three distinct reasons: kid friendly, great access and housing stock. Here comes the wrath of all the nordeast fans, but I’m thinking with architect and doctor salaries, they can do better that NE for housing stock. also on the edge of the light rail. one mile to downtown. on the missisippi river and greenway. . . and Milwaukee Avenue, how cool is that place?

anywhere in minneapolis for arts, anywhere in minneapolis for parks!

Trust me you’ll love it. I moved out of there 4 years ago to Colorado and absolutely MISS the The Cities!! I’m moving home next summer. It’s cold but so worth. i

Given kndrick’s elaboration of his circumstances and criteria, I urge him to further investigate the Cathedral Hill (a St. Paul neighborhood) recommendation. You would be within a stone’s throw of a run or bike ride down Summit Avenue, which some have called the best preserved boulevard of Victorian Houses in the country. Northeast may be a bit gritty for a couple of young professionals with a baby on the way. (This from the guy who initially suggested Stevens Square.)

Since most posters are recommending the neigbhorhood where they reside, this thread is somewhat reminiscent of the Seinfeld bit where he jokes that everyone recommends their doctor, claiming “s/he’s the best, the best.”

Considering your likes:

Check the Wedge/East Lowry/Whitter – Franklin Ave South to Lakestreet around the Lyndale Ave and over the Nicollete Ave areas. House prices are higher – but worth it and there are condos going in that area – the Greenway at 29th Street is fantastic…it’s a walking/biking path that goes straight to Uptown and the Lakes.

NE – is a little cheaper, check out the area around University Ave and 13th Street.

Being familiar with KC – you are going to feel that most every area of MPLS is more urban than your current living situation.

I love the Bryn Mawr area, and so I have a question for those of you who live there and seem to love it– aren’t houses there kind of spendy, compared to some of the other areas mentioned? Just curious, as I would love to own there someday….

Bought a house just south of Logan Park in Nordeast two years ago. Love the area. Good neighbors (mostly), and the place feels like an actual neighborhood. Still some bargain housing to be had. Interesting ethnic mix. As much history as Minneapolis posses.

Close to downtown. My wife can bicycle to work in the warm months. Real bocci courts in Beltrami Park.

I would suggest a little bit away from Uptown anywhere in the Wedge if you’re looking to buy a house. If it’s condos, you might want to look into the Midtown Exchange (old Sears Building) or along Nicolett (that would be extremely close to downtown). For renting… well, the world is your oyster.
The one place I would say definitely do not look is the condo jungle just down Washington on about 5th through 10th. I work down there and it seems like it’s just absolutely dead at night (in a boring way and in a crime way), there’s no shopping for hardly anything, and I guarentee those things won’t go very far up in value.

Kenwood rocks my world. five minutes from downtown, three from uptown. plus, a funny-shaped lake!

what are property values like in the Seward area these days? Anything reasonable?

Also, I love Prospect Park too, I sure as hell wish I could afford to live there. It seems like such an ideal neighborhood, I feel like I’m in a fairy tale when I drive thru there.

We definitely paid for Bryn Mawr 3 years back. I did a quick comparison this morning online (by no means scientific) and it seems the major difference is there are very few, if any, ‘low end or fixer-up’ properties avail in Bryn Mawr as there are in NE or other areas. Apples to apples though seemed somewhat comparable. Of course, you’re paying for dwntwn proximity, parks and the fact that Gary Louris of the Jayhawks is in the hood.

When they put the rail station in at Penn (please, please!) it’s only going to get better, I think.

My only experience with Bryn Mawr was this summer when I played kickball at the fields over there (what are you snickering at?) and I thought it was a really nice looking neighborhood… Until the ref told us we couldn’t drink during the games because of complaints from the neighbors about open containers…

Grr…

We were all given flasks as home-warming gifts from the neighborhood association.

I really think Uptown is the way to go. It’s close to the 3 lovely lakes, there’s several great supermarkets, a bunch of shopping, a YWCA, a public library, several bookstores, movie theaters all in walking distance. There’s plenty of quick busses that go from Uptown to Downtown in a flash. The newly renovated Walker Art museam is nearby. My husband and I can get by with just one car between the two of us living in Uptown. And Uptown is a real renters market right now.

Uptown seems like the ideal place to raise kids. Although I’m not the best judge of that since I don’t have kids yet.

I’ve lived in most of the areas you all have mentioned. Northeast as a whole is great but it can be spotty. Any ware along Johnson is good with access to 35W and food but not a bar to be found since the Stonehouse closed! When I lived a block from Central Ave. I spent my weekend nights watching the police chase people including the guys who stole everything out of my garage!

Bryn-Mawr (north of 394) was great if you love the park and that small town feel, which I did but the cost!! The neighbors where all great, but with little to no food around unless you run downtown (5 minutes away).

Uptown was great but the entire original feel is gone, it’s one chain store after another with no where to park!

Loring Park area (might as well say Down Town) best for the young at heart with everything a stones throw away. I loved the people watching but the noise and drunken youth wandering down the street at three am singing of key did get a little old.

Now with a youngster on the way and the need for more room I have landed in Longfellow. The house prices are not bad with good neighbors and it is convenient to everything. I have a yard to play in again (unlike downtown), no police sitting outside my door (unlike Central Ave.) a bar or three within three blocks (…Johnson Street) and a variety of ethnic foods and shops (…Bryn-Mawr). Longfellow seems to be the best of all the neighborhoods to me. But to each their own, good luck.

Great thread, y’all. Neighborhood pride and a real desire to help prompts my first post…

Marcy-Holmes aka SE is a quiet little gem. We walk to downtown ‘cross the StoneArch bridge and have pretty sizeable lots and people who like to gather on their front porches. Coffee, movies, a new Lunds forthcoming, Surdyk’s, Marcy Open School, The Soap Factory, restaurants, and the diversity that comes with the mix of college rentals and owner-occupied historic homes. Prices vary dramatically by block.

Just sayin’.

If you’re going to look into Northeast I’d avoid the immediate area surrounding Central Ave. I live three blocks off of it, I love it , but if you have a kid on the way it’s pretty busy and loud (I am young and single and enjoy noise so it doesn’t bother me). But you do have Crescent Moon and the Eastside Coop close. Check out Logan park, there’s a lot of nice places off of Washington and Monroe- full-size porches and everything. The 17 bus would go right by you too, which goes to Uptown.

Dude, we currently live in the Mac-Grove neighborhood on the boundary with Highland in St. Paul. We’ll be moving to Bryn Mawr after we finish building a house in the fall. But, we don’t leave St. Paul w/out some regrets. The only two active theaters in St. Paul proper are within walking distance — Highland and Grand — and they’re the old hall theaters, my kind of viewing (just don’t pay for upstairs movies). And, it’s easy biking across the Ford Pkwy bridge to the Riverview. OK, enough with the cinema chatter.

The commute is perfect — about 15 minutes to either downtown without having to take a freeway. Mississippi River Blvd is a few blocks away too. I’m with others on Cathedral Hill if you can find a decent joint that doesn’t break apart your marriage (if you rehab) or your wallet (if you work for a non-profit like me).

North Minneapolis is the shits. I lived on 29th and Knox for several years. Great little bungalow but gun shots in the distance almost every night. My idealism took a hit living there, and the worry about my wife getting off the bus became too much. And with the riots a few years back — too much. Why do I tell you this? Because I don’t want you to mistake North for Nordeast. And, Northeast is a big-ass area man. The parts most of these cats are talking about center around the Surdyk’s area. If you get caught up in no-man’s land by The Depot, then forget it. Move to Golden Valley or St. Louis Park then.

And, finally, Bryn Mawr. It’s a little sleepy but it’s tangly and close to a couple of nice parks and a 15-minute walk from downtown. Who the heck would take a cab there, I have no idea. It’s curious how the whole money vibe changes once you cross I-394 to Kenwood — a great area to be sure but it keeps to itself. I just wish BW would get a decent little cafe and a wine/beer shop. Cheers.

I just want to also thank everyone for their postings, and for the original request for information, I’ll be printing this list and reading it over and over. My family, husband, self, two kids 3 and under, will be moving to Minneapolis also. (We just found out, yeah!)

What if you put into the mix good neighborhood public schools? We are leaving the East Coast and are really thirsting for more affordable housing (to buy), a home to raise our kids in and good public school–along with amenities that are pedestrian friendly, parks and decent distance from downtown. Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

I can’t speak from personal experience, RKaye, but there are a few school districts with such shining reputations, even the resolutely childless have heard of them:
- Highland Park in Saint Paul
- Wayzata & Minnetonka (westerly burbs)
- Stillwater/Washington County (easterly exurbs)

If you have the kids – but don’t have a lot of the money – consider St. Louis Park. Great neighborhoods, close to everything, good schools, relatively affordable housing. You probably won’t be able to walk to a cool restaurant or art gallery, but you’re not getting out much anyway.

Also, I’m having trouble identifying “Bryn Mawr” based on the MLS listings. I can see where it is on the map, roughly, but what is it considered, “Minneapolis-North?” Golden Valley? Or what? Thanks.

Most of Bryn Mawr is in South Minneapolis, there are a few blocks that are in North Minneapolis (but don’t tell those who live there that, they get kinda touchy about it Under the MLS look for Lakes area or my zip when I lived there was 55401. That may pull up alot of non Bryn Mawr north Minneapolis, so look for the area South of Glenwood and west of the railroad tracks and/or south of Basset creek. (Not sure if that really will help but I’m trying).

When I was looking for a house in early 2004, I looked in:

- Southwest (Kingfield, East Harriet, CARAG, East Isles, Linden Hills)
- Southeast (Prospect Park)
- South (Seward, Cooper, Bancroft)
- Downtown (North Loop/Wharehouse District)

All of them are great neighborhoods. I looked the most in Kingfield since it has a great neighborhood feeling and relatively lower prices but still close to a lake. (Access to trails is important to me as I’m an avid runner.) I also concentrated on south and southwest Minneapolis since my employer is in Mendota Heights, and I am more likely because of my profession to work in the south and southwestern suburbs – and possibly downtown Minneapolis. But I ended up buying a block west of Kingfield in East Harriet where I lived in the late 1990s before moving out of state. It was the southern exposure and great condition of the house that drew me in. (It’s difficult to find good southern exposures in Minneapolis because of the way the city streets is laid out.)

I like my neighborhood. It’s close to two lakes (Harriet and Calhoun), has nice parks (East Hariett Farmstead Park, bird santuary, rose gardens, peace gardens, trial gardens), is convient to uptown, lyn-lake, lake st. and nicollet ave., and has six grocery stores (2 Kowalski’s, Lunds, Rainbow, Whole Foods, Cub) and two food co-ops (Wedge, Linden Hills) within three miles. The neighborhood itself has three commercial nodes (36th and Bryant, 43rd and Bryant, and 46th and Bryant). (Bryant was an old street car route, so the commerical nodes developed along Bryant.) I also like that I can take the 4 bus to downtown and the 23 bus if I want to go crosstown, including to the Hiawatha light rail to go to the airport and to work (with an additional transfer.) Both routes have stops a block from my house. While I wouldn’t know for sure being a single gay man, I would say my neighborhood is kid and family friendly. It unfortunately is not a racially diverse neighborhood at about 95% white.

The city of Minneapolis has a website about its neighborhoods with various information:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/neighborhoods

A map of Minneapolis neighborhoods is at:

http://old.tcfreenet.org/nhoods/mpls/maps/nbmap.html

If you’re interested in transit information, Metro Transit is the public transit provider for the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and many of their suburbs.

http://www.metrotransit.org

I live in the East Harriet neighborhood but right at the border of Kingfield and Uptown neighborhoods and would highly recommend this area. The prices are higher than some other parts of town but we’re a short walk to lakes/bird sanctuary/Uptown/LynLake/movie theaters/cafes and 2 of the better bakeries in Minneapolis. Oh, and really great playgrounds for the tot.

I can’t disagree with most of the other postings here-there are so many great little areas in Mpls/StPaul. Good luck in finding the one that suits you.

There’s an interesting stat there, Brian. There are lots of well-to-do neighborhoods in Minneapolis that are pretty white.

The Richfield Public Schools are now 54% “ethnic” (that’s what they call it, for lack of the ability to use “minority” anymore) and that’s wonderful. My block in a suburb south of the river is about one-third black or Hispanic (many of whom speak only Spanish). The block is full of working-class people who make an actual attempt to know each other. It’s wonderful. So, RKaye, please know that some suburban neighborhoods are great little secrets because there are so many folks that very stubbornly refuse to live outside of Minneapolis when they’re actually surrounding themselves with quite an elite concentration of neighbors. So, don’t equate “urban” with “diverse” in the Twin Cities.

We’re also planning a move to mpls this summer and have been debating the neighborhood issue, so this thread is fascinating. I’ve been to the cities a few times as a visitor, but only once as a potential homebuyer. We have two small kids so we’re probably less interested in the clubby hipster scene, which is the vibe I’m getting from the NE and Uptown comments, and more interested in schools and parks and commute routes. Last visit we really liked Linden Hills as a micro-hub (amazing kids’ bookstore, The Wild Rumpus, converted firehouse/cafe, barber), although maybe it’s a bit cute rather than functional, as a neighborhood. Hard to tell from one quick visit, of course.

One issue we’ve run up against is that the Mpls schools are “open enrollment,” which means that even if you buy a house in a neighborhood you aren’t guaranteed a spot in their school since those spots can also be claimed by folks from other neighborhoods.

This is the stuff that drives high property values in the burbs. Hello, Edina!

Yes, oofdah, there’s no denying the beauty, charm and excitement of Minneapolis neighborhoods. Unfortunately, it’s just not that big of an area. It seems like the desirable urban neighborhoods are ever-gentrifying, both in terms of property values and homogeneous demographics. Check out Robbinsdale; one of the best school districts on the country and an older suburb than many, so the homes have quite a bit of charm.

Thanks, this is all very interesting. I thought the open enrollment thing would be an advantage, living in a place right now where the median home price is $500K (Yes, MEDIAN) and the public school system has been all but abandoned by the upper socio-economic class (not just “white” but all)–not even to begin to mention the crunch of NCLB. So, it is all relative, and from my vantage point, Mpls schools look GRREEAAT! I think we are looking at South in general, my husband would like to live southwest. I looked at pictures of homes in Edina (great schools, right?) and they are pretty spread out by my expectations (I prefer smaller lots–and frontage). But then a friend from Rosedale (?) said that Edina is expensive and such.

I did find Bryn Mawr on the map. It looks great. Our friends live a block or two from Lake Harriett, but we are not in a position to spend 500K yet. Again–in my current east coast county, there are absolutely no single family homes under 400k in a decent public school district. Simply in pure available inventory terms, we’re going to be in better shape in the Twin Cities.

I like what I’m reading about possible neighborhoods, and then we’ll have to decide–buy right away or live renting for a year to get the feel. I’ll be working downtown. Is renting a whole house easy?

Yeah, the link between economic class and racial class is a pretty widely known correlation. I’m not sure the Minneapolis-St. Paul area has seen the easing of that correlation as has happened in other metro areas; if the correlation is still strong here, that is very sad indeed.

This was part of the reason I looked quite extensively in Kingfield and Seward. I miss the racial diversity I experienced when I lived in Ann Arbor, MI and Madison, WI. Granted, those were while as a student, so that’s completely different than living in those cities as a non-student. On the flipside of the dearth of diversity in the MSP metro, two friends – one who grew up in Boston and the other in Detroit – about seven years apart have spontaneously commented to me that they see a surprising number of biracial couples in Minneapolis. The friend originally from Boston is in a biracial marriage, so I take his observation with quite a bit of weight.

On a related note, I heard Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak say a week and half ago that the city of Minneapolis has one of the largest gaps between rich and poor of core cities in the U.S. That’s a sad statement.

We bought a starter in Standish Ericson, just a few blocks from the light rail and Minnehaha Creek (Lake Hiawatha & Lake Nokomis buffers the west & Hiawatha/Light Rail buffers the east — http://www.standish-ericsson.org). Walking out the door to walk/hike/bike by the creek/lakes is amazing. We also love the area because of the new Northrop Elementary School, an urban environmental magnet program on 31st Ave S. This area is beautiful, progressive, safe, fun (Chatterbox) and affordable but going up in price. The light rail is key to get to the airport (less than 10 minutes) or to downtown for events — great area to invest for active people.

Brian–yes, we have lived in Madison and also Cleveland as students and the diversity is rich. I would think with a school with the size of UMinn, the culture is more diverse, progressive, urban and eclectic than here—Annapolis!!! And now I know what causes I need to begin to be involved in upon arriving.

Now back to neighborhoods…I’m royally confused. I think almost every neighborhood has been mentioned in this thread. Feeling like going ahead and looking for a pre-k program first, and then figuring out housing later. Anyway, we’ll be traveling there in March to hunt. No one has said anything about rental prices for single family homes…

I’ve lived in both Mpls. and St. Paul, and prefer Mpls. in the end. I’ve also taught in the public schools in both cities and think St. Paul is better, generally speaking.

If you like Linden Hills but want diverse, good schools, I suggest looking in Mac/Groveland, Mirriam Park, Desnoyer Park, or Lex/Ham neighborhoods in St. Paul. All are fairly far west in St. Paul, so you’d have easy access to Mpls. The commercial amenities surrounding Macalester College are great- grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, movie theatres). St. Paul also has open enrollment. As for schools, check out J.J. Hill Montessori (it’s Montessori but public!) and Randolph Heights for starters. . .

RKaye, if you’re thinking of your kids and schools, see the City Pages cover article this week.

several people have asked about renting houses. please to be checking out http://www.housingmaps.com, a google mashup with craigslist rental listings. you can sort by price range and then zoom in on the map to find locations. very cool. works for househunters too, but the houses for sale on craigslist haven’t been that exciting as i’ve been watching. lots of condos and such.

Lowertown in St. Paul is where it’s at. At least it’s where it was. Arists used to be in the majority down here, but “loft living” has once again become hot and “luxury” condos are springing up like toadstools after a spring rain. so now my neighborhood has turned into an outpost of SUV’s and other autos in the +$3,000 class.

Ya’d think with all this development we’d at least get a grocery store. Infrastructure people!

Oh wait, this isn’t the bitch about your neighborhood thread?

salothsar, cars over $3K? golly! line em up and shoot the bastids! power to the peeps.

wtf?

Hey. I just noticed a lot of people mentioned Longfellow as a great neighborhood for families but when it came to schools no on mentioned it. What is up with Longfellow schools?! Should I be scard. I have a four year old. I am tempted to move to Highland.

This is pretty off topic but interesting no doubt.

The elementary schools in Longfellow are very good with excellent teachers and committed staff. I would go for it. Highland Park is a good choice, also.

Bring a Gun if you move into the Phillips neighborhood. My advice is move into a downtown condo if you can afford it. The Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul is safe and quiet. My question is how urban do you want to be? To get a feel of NY city I suggest the Uptown area of Minneapolis. Rent is higher, but it is more like NYC than any part of the city, yet a bit safer. The safe neighborhoods of MPLS are getting smaller and smaller. I suggest St. Louis Park near the border of Minneapolis. St. Louis Park offers afordable housing that borders some of the wealthiest sections of the city. Your close to downtown and unlike other inner ring suburbs does not border high crime areas. Living in the city sounds nice but even Northeast (Nordeast) is changing. Lake Nakomis area is solid but your the spot where the near by criminals target. Minneapolis police are not concerned about protecting your property. I have dealt with them over the years having been in the city all my life. That is why I suggest St. Louis Park (one of the first suburbs in Minneapolis) for living in a lower to upper middle class section of the city. With the highways you could be downtown in 5 to 10 min. As for St. Paul I have a friend and his wife living in the Como Park area of St. Paul. It is much better than any section of Minneapolis as affordable housing and a safe place to live goes. There is a Golf course and the Como Park Zoo which people from all over the city came to growing up. It borders the suburb of Roseville. Crime is lower in the St. Paul area.

I think many folks who actually live in Minneapolis would disagree with that last comment. There are many great neighborhoods (Longfellow, Bryn Mawr, Kingfield, Nordeast, Prospect Park, etc.) and I believe they are vibrant and growing. St. Louis Park is nice, but I prefer the city.

Barry — I agree with what you said. Like to add that I’ve lived in the Nokomis area for two years and I haven’t noticed a higher crime rate compared to other areas… In fact, my sister lives in Como Park and there is plenty of break-ins around her, 2-3 blocks from the zoo gates.

Hey everyone, i just leased an apartment on oak grove street right in loring park down the block from the basilica church.

What do you think about this hood? I was apartment hunting and i just stumbled into that neighborhood and it looked really safe and quiet to me. No thugs hanging around and apts were all pretty good it looked like. Then again im not from minneapolis, but compared to the franklin/nicolette and even the nearby stevens community this area looked 10x nicer.

Im really excited about this move and im confident i made a good decision.

Some background info : im a single 20 male who is moving on the 1st. Also anyone have any info on any GYMS around? The closest 2 i could find were the downtown YWCA which is like 5 minute bikeride and The Firm which ive heard is REALLY GAY but any info is appreciated! Also are there any grocers nearby?

Please reply here or email me at Saintcloud2k4@yahoo.com

THANKS!

Hi all:

My special lady and I will be moving to the twin cities next year as well, but since we will be teaching in St. Paul, we are really interested in living in that area. Both of our schools are in the highland area, but we aren’t necessarily committed to living there. Like many people, we want a nice community with a grocery store within walking distance, that kind of thing. Is phalen good? What about St. Anthony? Suggestions? Also, where should we stay away from? Thanks and sorry for all the questions!

relocating very soon, will be working downtown. like to road bike, jog, hike and would prefer to be able to commute without a car to work.

i’m used to eclectic/international food (cheap is good). like to go to a nice, hole in the wall bar with friends (when i make some there), coffee shops (non-starbucks), whole foods/trader joes or co-op type markets…or even a local international/asian market. i like thrift stores and vintage furnishings. diversity is good, but so is safety (i.e. don’t need to use my 4 years of kickboxing or pack heat). i don’t think that just because everyone isn’t white, i’m gonna’ get mugged (currently i live in a neighborhood where spanish and vietnamese are the most common languages). BUT i also know from experience, that it’s nice to feel safe coming home alone at night. i once lived in a loft in downtown los angeles and witnessed someone being beaten to death. would rather not repeat that since i’m a 32 y/o single female. want to live in a single family home/duplex or fourplex.

will be buying something once i get my bearings. i love being around artists (i am one), teachers/professors, writers. don’t mind students (the non-fraternity ones). don’t want to live a block away from the mecca for the tragically hip or where my lawn would become a receptical for someones trash or vomit. but of course i’ve lived in LA for most of my life, so my version of tragically hip would probably invoke nightmares in most of you

sooo…does that help with any recomendations before this starts to feel any more like some warped personal ad? thanks

I think that if you want to buy a home and would like
to see the value increase in value at a steady pace, checkout Corcoran/standish-ericcson and the Powderhorn areas (all around lake st)

Since the redevelopment of Lake St from Uptown to the river, I saw my home’s value increase in just a year (and the project isn’t even done on my end)

I have even left my front door wide open (not recommended of course) overnight and never had a problem.

Southside is up and comming, as seen from the Midtown branding that we have received.

East Lake is filling in with a better class of people and the many excellent small businesses that line the block. The value of living close to this street is many!

Nordeast is dead when it comes to a “urban feeling” Its like living in a ghost town, unless your near Central/20th-ish.

You might also consider Longfellow. You get the best of the river views, easy access to lightrail/downtown/airport/mall as well as a skip and a jump to saint paul/downtown via Lake/Marshall.

Just my opinion folks — hope it helps someone.

I am a life-long resident of Mpls, and have lived in Boston for two years.

STAY WAY FROM: North Mpls, Powederhown, central, longfellow.

Stay away from: Bryn Mawr (yawn), lindin hills (yawn)

Go for: well, I’m not going to name my faves, sorrry.

Lol…stay away from Longfellow? I’ve lived in Mpls all my adult life. Moved from Uptown (5 yrs) to Linden Hills (13 yrs) to Longfellow (4 yrs). I probably enjoy Longfellow the most out of all of them. Nice people, cute bungalows to restore, great location, strong property values.

The only things to consider….if you are looking for a McMansion you are not going to find them here. The houses are typical modest bungalows, tudors & foursquares. There are still some houses that need repair. Good opportunity if you are interested in restoring a historic house. But, ever year I have been here more & more of those houses are snatched up (see Twin Cities Bungalow Club).

Suburbs SUCK…stay out there. NE is definitely hipper, but SHHH. It’s where all the creatives and cool people have gone. Uptown has basically been took over by lame suburban kids moving to the “city”. NE has a got a little ways to go still in regards to nightlife, but MPLS will always be like that.

Excelsior and Grand has great apartments and condos and you can google those words. Phillips and Powderhorn? Those are more inner city than urban. There are also great new development options just north of excelsior blvd on hwy 100. This location gives you quick access downtown, uptown, lake calhoun, and the suburbs as well.

The condo market in the Twin Cities is bust! So, don’t go that route.

Yeah, you can rent your very own studio at Exsellsior and Grand for about $1100. Sheesh.

I’ve rented in the NW suburbs for my entire life, now looking to buy, and I have to say this thread has been very informative!

I can vouch that Robbinsdale is a decent area, the more valuable homes being by Victory Memorial Parkway. While Camden has some promise, it’s still pretty sketchy, especially south of Dowling and along Penn Ave.

that’s really not Camden.