Stevens Square Neighborhood Good For A Family? Moving Soon and Need Help. (Minneapolis: condos, violent crime)

[dcrab986]

My wife and I are moving to Minneapolis in the next couple months and found a place we really like at the far North East corner of the Stevens Square neighborhood on Clinton Ave. We are a young couple with two little kids (pre-K).

What is the current condition of that area? I've seen some older threads on the topic, but am wondering if anyone can give me some up-to-date info regarding Stevens Square/Loring heights, the NE corner particularly, families living in this neighborhood, etc.

Thanks!

[Mr. In-Between]

I wouldn't move small kids into that neighborhood. Drive up and down Nicollet Avenue at night, and then up and down Franklin Avenue and Third Avenue. I think you'll see what I'm talking about. Crack dealers, hookers, gangbangers, and drunks on 3 sides of you. The block you'd be living in may not be bad, but it's a small pocket surrounded by crime and filth only a block or two away. And they tend to drift back and forth through Stevens Square on their way to and from the main streets on the borders.


That's a good neighborhood for young urban pioneers, but not young children. They've been trying to clean it up for 20 years, and it just keeps going back to being what it is. I'm not sure where you're moving from, or what you're accustomed to, but I don't think you'd feel comfortable living there with small children.

[dcrab986]

Thanks, Albert. Helpful.

What about Loring Park neighborhood (just north of Stevens Square)?

[gweilo845]

Nice neighborhood overall, but not very many families or kids, even with a couple of schools in the area.

Used to be known as the gay neighborhood, and there are still a good number of GLBT people, but it is a lot of young hipster types and recent college grads now who like the relavtively cheaper rents in comparison to Uptown and Downtown.

Not a huge amount of crime, but there are winos/druggies who can be pretty aggressive in panhandling. Also some break-ins and muggings, especially later at night.

Parking is awful, especially in winter. If you can't find a building with its' own lot, I wouldn't bother living there.

The neighborhood can be a zoo during certian events like Pride Week, Basilica Block Party, etc.

No real grocery stores in the neighborhood, just a few overpriced convience stores and a Superamerica. There is a Target downtown and actually I found the Dollar General store on Nicollet to be really useful for getting household stuff (cleaning supplies, TP, etc.)

FYI Loring Park is west of Stevens Square, not north.

[dcrab986]

Thanks gweilo845. To be clear--you're talking about Stevens Square in your above comment?

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by dcrab986

Thanks gweilo845. To be clear--you're talking about Stevens Square in your above comment?

No, he's talking about Loring Park. Neither of these neighborhoods is family oriented. Loring Park has no kids, and Stevens Square is a tough area with mixed pockets of hipster gentrification. Look further south or Northeast instead. You can get a lot for your money in Longfellow and Northeast.

[gweilo845]

Yep, my response was about Loring Park. LP isn't bad, in fact, I liked a lot of parts about it when I lived there as a single guy, but it isn't really a "family" neighborhood.

As for Stevens Square, there has been an effort to clean it up by putting in new condo buildings. There is definitely still a good amount of street level drug dealing and the like, ironically oftentimes right under the new expensive condos. Violent crimes (ie murder) don't happen a lot, but they're not unheard of. Not somewhere I would bring a family to live unless I absolutely needed to. I'm a big guy (6' 2", 250 lbs) and I felt sketchy walking through there sometimes.

[Mr. In-Between]

I second the recommendation of Longfellow. Some very nice homes there, and very affordable as well. You're close to the lakes and to Minnehaha Creek, and as your children start school and begin to form friendships, you'll find a lot of children in their age group there.

OP, I suggest you take a look at this index of Minneapolis neighborhoods, if you haven't already seen it. Many of the communities we're mentioning here have strong, active neighborhood associations, and I recommend you contact those organizations as you get closer to making your decision. They should be able to give you a great deal of information to help you learn more about their neighborhoods.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Albert_The_Crocodile

I second the recommendation of Longfellow. Some very nice homes there, and very affordable as well. You're close to the lakes and to Minnehaha Creek, and as your children start school and begin to form friendships, you'll find a lot of children in their age group there.

OP, I suggest you take a look at this index of Minneapolis neighborhoods, if you haven't already seen it. Many of the communities we're mentioning here have strong, active neighborhood associations, and I recommend you contact those organizations as you get closer to making your decision. They should be able to give you a great deal of information to help you learn more about their neighborhoods.

Good suggestions. And here is a link to neighborhood maps so you know where these places are located.

City Neighborhood Maps - City of Minneapolis

Note that there are areas (shown in red letters on the city map) and neighborhoods within those areas ( shown in smaller black letters.) So there is a Longfellow area and a Longfellow neighborhood. Neighborhoods are often, but not always, named for a major park within them.

[chessgeek]

Originally Posted by Albert_The_Crocodile

I wouldn't move small kids into that neighborhood. Drive up and down Nicollet Avenue at night, and then up and down Franklin Avenue and Third Avenue. I think you'll see what I'm talking about. Crack dealers, hookers, gangbangers, and drunks on 3 sides of you. The block you'd be living in may not be bad, but it's a small pocket surrounded by crime and filth only a block or two away. And they tend to drift back and forth through Stevens Square on their way to and from the main streets on the borders.


That's a good neighborhood for young urban pioneers, but not young children. They've been trying to clean it up for 20 years, and it just keeps going back to being what it is. I'm not sure where you're moving from, or what you're accustomed to, but I don't think you'd feel comfortable living there with small children.

I have read several posts stating that violent crime is significantly less in Stevens Square these days.