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I've read through many of the threads here on the TC and Eagan in particular but I still have so many questions.
We are moving out to Minnesota the 1st week of July and I will be working in Eagan.
We are a family of 5 with children ages: 14, 6, 1.
1.) My biggest question is actually regarding best or most realistic place to live. We will be renting for the first year and have no clue what area to focus our hunt. At this point based on what I've read in the forum we are leaning to the following areas: Eagan, Apple Valley, Rosemount, Bloomington, West St. Paul, Lakeville, Burnsville, or maybe south Minneapolis. I've lived in the cold and snow so a moderate commute doesn't bother me. The biggest factors are rental prices and schools for the kids. I would love to hear feedback regarding these or other areas that I should consider.
2.) Does it make sense to find a place before we move out? I have a very limited moving window before I start work. I would love to skip the hotel in Eagan and just move straight into a home or townhome.
3.) What is traffic really like? FYI- We are moving from Southern California.
4.) Is a garage a must due to the cold temps? We did not have one when we lived in Erie, PA but it wasn't quite as cold there. Lowest temp we had was -11 (-27 windchill)
5.) Are the people in the TC really as friendly as I've heard?
6.) Honestly, how bad are the mosquitoes in the summer?
7.) How often does it hit over 100 in the summer. One thing we hate about the Southern California valley is the number of 100+ days. I don't care if they say it's "dry heat". It sucks! We hate the heat and love the cold, rain and snow.
8.) Is a basement a must due to the tornado possibilities?
9.) Will we be welcomed in the community being outsiders?
I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along but these are just some that were not clearly answered in the forums. And trust me I think I read every thread on the first 3 pages.
Any feedback from the locals would be great! We have so many emotions right now but overall my wife and I are really excited. We can really see ourselves retiring here.
Eagan is a great place to live. There are 3 school districts that cover Eagan. The Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eagan and the Mendota Heights/West St. Paul districts are just fine, avoid the Burnsville/Savage district. Living there you basically have no "commute". Rosemount is also an easy, easy commute to Eagan if you want more of a smaller town/community feel.
Traffic--if you are coming from southern Calif. there is no traffic here, even on our worst days it is nothing like you will find in Southern California. One thing to be cautious about, people only drive about 10 mph above the speed limit here.
I would personally find a place and skip the hotel deal, especially with the kids.
Yes, you want a garage and a basement. Tornadoes happen and the chances of actually needing a basement are very slim but you still want one. Most houses here have a basement.
Mosquitoes vary depending on how wet it is. We had a wet summer last year and a very wet spring so far, they will be pretty annoying this year and they seem to like fresh blood. Bug spray will be your friend in the evening hours.
It usually hits 100 a handful of times over the summer but rarely on multiple, consecutive days. The humidity will be what gets you here.
To help narrow down places to live-what activities does your 14 year old like to do? We are very fortunate that most schools in MN are top notch and you have the luxury of picking schools based on activities because academics are all fairly equal among most schools.
Golfgal answered most of your questions but to expand on it -
In regards to basements, while most houses have them the majority of townhouses don't. Personally, I wouldn't let that be a primary consideration.
I would probably focus on School District 196 (Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan) as it's a great location to your work and has a stellar reputation. Since it is so large there are plenty of housing options to choose from within the boundaries. Commute time to Eagan from any of the 3 cities will be negligible.
Are people "friendly" - yes. But that doesn't make it any easier to make friends. That is still dependent on getting involved. Whether that's through church, work, volunteering, school, coaching, proactively engaging with neighbors or some other way to meet people. I don't think anyone will care at all that you are "outsiders".
A couple winters here and you may switch your tune about hating the heat. My politically incorrect saying is that "I am in favor of global warming" That's especially true these past 6 months. Sitting outside last night for a kids baseball game on May 31st with a jacket and blanket around us and still being cold just isn't right!
A garage is not a necessity, although one would be convenient when it snows. If you could live in Erie without one you can do it here.
I think you'll have a tough time finding a place that DOESN'T have a basement, so don't worry too much about that; basements are the norm around here. (although I didn't realize that many townhomes don't have them -- if that's true, I wouldn't let that become a make-or-break concern. Presumably they still have some sort of sheltered interior area where you could go if necessary)
You're not going to be an "outsider." Nearly 40% of Eagan residents were born outside of Minnesota (and presumably a sizable percentage of the 60% born in MN were not born and raised in Eagan, or even necessarily in the Twin Cities).
We don't get many 100+ days here, but I think you will see that the "dry heat" thing really does make a difference; while those southern CA dry heat days are also unbearable, the humid heat here means that there will be days when the temperature is lower but the humidity makes it really uncomfortably sticky. And moving into the shade only helps slightly. On the other hand, the period of uncomfortably hot days isn't too long, so you don't have to put up with it for months on end.
I would try to find a place in advance (just to simplify things), but would not rent sight-unseen. Do you have time for a short scouting trip? You might find that you hate some of these areas when you see them in person. Or find that you really love one area much more than the others.
Mosquitoes are annoying, but they're not that bad in the city.
I've read through many of the threads here on the TC and Eagan in particular but I still have so many questions.
We are moving out to Minnesota the 1st week of July and I will be working in Eagan.
We are a family of 5 with children ages: 14, 6, 1.
1.) My biggest question is actually regarding best or most realistic place to live. We will be renting for the first year and have no clue what area to focus our hunt. At this point based on what I've read in the forum we are leaning to the following areas: Eagan, Apple Valley, Rosemount, Bloomington, West St. Paul, Lakeville, Burnsville, or maybe south Minneapolis. I've lived in the cold and snow so a moderate commute doesn't bother me. The biggest factors are rental prices and schools for the kids. I would love to hear feedback regarding these or other areas that I should consider.
2.) Does it make sense to find a place before we move out? I have a very limited moving window before I start work. I would love to skip the hotel in Eagan and just move straight into a home or townhome.
3.) What is traffic really like? FYI- We are moving from Southern California.
4.) Is a garage a must due to the cold temps? We did not have one when we lived in Erie, PA but it wasn't quite as cold there. Lowest temp we had was -11 (-27 windchill)
5.) Are the people in the TC really as friendly as I've heard?
6.) Honestly, how bad are the mosquitoes in the summer?
7.) How often does it hit over 100 in the summer. One thing we hate about the Southern California valley is the number of 100+ days. I don't care if they say it's "dry heat". It sucks! We hate the heat and love the cold, rain and snow.
8.) Is a basement a must due to the tornado possibilities?
9.) Will we be welcomed in the community being outsiders?
I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along but these are just some that were not clearly answered in the forums. And trust me I think I read every thread on the first 3 pages.
Any feedback from the locals would be great! We have so many emotions right now but overall my wife and I are really excited. We can really see ourselves retiring here.
1. My father works in Eagan, and I spend most of my 15 years in Minnesota in Eagan, and I can say that it is a wonderful place for families. West St. Paul is not bad, but it's certainly not as good as some of the other places you mention. I am partial to the south of the river suburbs, so I like Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley and Lakeville. All have fabulous schools and great parks and trails, etc.
2. Yes
3. Traffic is not bad in our city when compared to many others, and traffic will be especially good if you live south of the river and also work in Eagan. It's certainly nothing like SoCal. This will be a plus for you
4. Must is a strong word. It's almost a must. The good news is this, with the exception of S. Minneapolis, Bloomington, and W. St. Paul, all you will find is places with garages.
5. MN nice is a long debated topic here. Some say Minnesotans are passive agressive (fake nice without ever really letting you in to the genuwine side of them), while others say Minnesotans are small town kind. I come from the NJ originally, so I tend to lean more towards the first definition. I'm obviously generalizing a big topic, but that what you asked for right? I also feel it gets worse as you move west in some respects, so it might be a pleasant surprise for you.
6. Mosquitos fluctuate with the moisture level of the seasons, some years are good, some bad. But it's not something to concern yourself with. If you're planning on having drinks by the bon fire till 10pm 4 nights a week, you just wear repellent.
7. I would say 2-4 days near 100. 20 days over 90.
8. It's not a must, most townhouses here don't have basements, although some do. Those that don't will usually have an interior bathroom will all walls and a storm door. So no it's not, although this year has been bad for tornados already!
9. Yes and no. I just moved from Burnsville to Apple Valley, and in 5 months, 0 neighbors have introduced themselves (I realize it ain't Mayberry anymore, but c'mon people!). Then again, I started a new job 9 months ago, and they treated me like family from the start. Everyone is nice, I just find that I have the be the agressor in introducing myself, even if I'm the outsider.
I've lived in 5 different states and can tell you the Twin Cities are awesome! We are constantly rated as having a great quality of life and it's true. The cities have a small town feel with big city amenities. Our parks, trails, and lakes are second to none. There aren't many metros of 3.5 Million people where you can still leave your house in a suburb 30 miles outside of the city and be parked in downtown to catch the local sports teams in 30 minutes and $5 to park. Our schools are also some of the best in the country, and we have 20 F500 companies to aid in future job security. Welcome to the Twin Cities!
Since you're moving in July, a tip for meeting the neighbors: go to the yard sales! Everyone seems to have one around here, and when we recently held one all of our neighbors stopped by. I know most of our neighbors already, but there were a few new people who had recently moved in. Tell everyone you're new to the state. I don't know about Eagan, but National Night Out is VERY big in Minneapolis (and I think most suburbs, too) and comes up in early or mid August; every block I've lived on has had a block party, and that will also be an easy and fast way to meet all the neighbors, exchange contact information, etc. I think it's probably MUCH easier to move in the summer than in the winter, as at least in the summer people will be outside and not just rushing out to the car. There are also several active meetup groups for parents with kids; they have lots of playgroups, nights out for the adults, that sort of thing.
If you are looking in Eagan I would suggest Rosemount-Apple Valley -Eagan (School District 196)my own personal bias as we have kids in the district. I have heard that for elementary Pinewood, Woodland and Northview are the top schools. Pinewood has a lot of young families I know(my kids did not attend Pinewood but I have heard excellent things about it). For middle school we have really enjoyed Dakota Hills and it does seem to be slightly better rated on Greatschools over Blackhawk. If you have any specific questions about sports, band or other programs at the middle school level I would be happy to help if I can. Eagan is a nice community and we have been very happy here. There is a great recreational league in Eagan for sports that is well run. There is a water park, nice library, and a newer community center. It is a very easy trip to get to St. Paul straight up 35E.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
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Although you never asked about it, I feel like I have to suggest making many an effort to visit the Chain of Lakes (especially Harriet and Calhoun), and ESPECIALLY during the summer! It really distinguishes the Twin Cities in my mind and it's one of the best places for people watching I've ever seen (but that may not mean much to a S. CA'er).
We moved to Eagan 2 years ago from Northern California with our 3 kids (7, 5, and 2). We have very much enjoyed living here (more than I anticipated). If you are working in Eagan, I don't really see a reason to look elsewhere to live. Why have a commute if you don't need to? You could make it home early for sporting events, go to preschool programs, eat lunch occasionally with your kids, make it home easily in bad, snowy weather, I could go on and on. Eagan is close to the zoo, the MOA, airport, Children's museum in St. Paul, has tons of parks and has Lebanon Hills (a huge national park with camping, hiking, etc.) and has fantastic schools.
I guess I'm not sure why you are looking elsewhere to live unless it's about money. In that case, you could move a little farther south to Rosemount and still be in the same school district (196) and still be close to everything else.
We found a nice house to rent on craigslist, flew out for the weekend to check it out in person and finalize the deal, and it was ready for us when we arrived. Very nice to skip the hotel.
To answer a few of your other questions...
*Traffic here is NOTHING like CA--don't even worry about it.
*I do think it is important to have a garage and basement. It is a very nice convenience (though not essential I suppose) to have a garage when there is SO much snow outside. You will be glad later that you have one. As far as the basement is concerned, I think that it is a little more of a priority given the crazy tornado season this country (and the twin cities) have had this year. Also, the severe weather really freaks my kids out since they are not used to it at all and it's very nice to have a basement bedroom they can sleep in when the sirens go off during a bad thunder storm. It takes a lot of their stress and mine away. You should also get a weather radio. I didn't even know what that was when I moved here but I'm very glad to have one now.
*I've encountered both types of MN nice here but I do think that overall the people are very friendly. What I do is I just assume that everyone I encounter means well and is very nice and wants to be my friend and I don't worry about anything else. The vast majority of the time this works and then I don't spend any time worrying about who is being fake and who is just nice to my face etc. Just assume everyone wants to be your friend, and you will have friends. But like a previous poster said, get involved! Whether it be through sports, playgroup, church group, school activities, community activities---get yourselves out there and involved.
*Honestly, to me, the mosquitoes are bad. Coming from CA where there are pretty much no bugs at all, I've had a hard time dealing with the mosquitoes. I had never even put bug spray on my kids one time before we moved here. There have been so many afternoon/evenings where we were at a park or sporting event or something and all of the sudden the mosquitoes were all over us! It always catches me off guard and I frequently forget to bring bug spray with me places because it's just not on my radar. I think it is a pain in the rear to deal with but it's just one of those things that everyone has to get used to. Just buy lots of bug spray and keep it in both your cars and maybe purse/diaper bag. Hopefully it won't be that big a deal to you!
*Regarding the humidity, yes it makes a big difference. But there are only a handful of days where it gets up in the 90s so it's not TOO painful The nice thing about the humidity is it keeps things warm in the evenings. In CA we always had to bring jackets with us where ever we went because as soon as the sun started setting it would get cold (at least in NorCal it was like this, not sure about SoCal). So it's very pleasant to go out in the evenings (if you can stand the mosquitoes.)
Hope that was helpful!
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We live in Eagan
