Looking for new resident info (Minneapolis, Roseville: coupon, renting, neighborhood)

[Bighook01]

I have just got a job in Minneapolis and had a couple questions.

My job will be with BNSF at the train yard at 44th and E River Rd, next to Columbia heights. I would prefer to live near work so was looking at Columbia heights. Is this a decent neighborhood? If not any nearby alternatives?

Also what are your grocery stores up that way so I can see where I can buy food?

Thanks, I'll have more questions as folks reply.

[wamer27]

Columbia Heights is ok, not great, but not really horrible. Fridley I would say is worse, the farther east you go from the train yard gets better. Things get much better each block going east of Central Ave. Would you be buying or renting? NE Mpls the south end of the train yard is a fun area with tons of dive bars and good eats. Area is a mixture of nice, ok, and crap areas. Stay on the east side of the river. We have Target, Cub Foods, Rainbow, Byerlys (Lunds) Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wallyworld (wal-mart) to name a few. I used to live within 50 ft of the 4 tracks leaving the yard to the south, I'd pull a chair up and drink a beer and watch all the trains. Anyway I could get a ride I the engine?!?!?

[pete6032]

In order from cheapest to most expensive: Aldi, Cub Foods, Walmart, Rainbow Foods, Super Target, Byerly's, Lunds, Whole Foods.

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[QuietBlue]

Originally Posted by pete6032

In order from cheapest to most expensive: Aldi, Cub Foods, Walmart, Rainbow Foods, Super Target, Byerly's, Lunds, Whole Foods.

Cub isn't cheaper across the board than Walmart or SuperTarget; it's typically a bit more expensive unless there's a coupon or price cut of some sort.

[Astron1000]

Columbia Heights is a solid working-class neighborhood. Some stupid neighbors but aren't they just about anywhere? Advantage is that it is 5-15 minutes on city streets to get to the real treasures of NE and downtown Minneapolis.


The nearest Lund's is across from downtown in NE Minneapolis. The nearest Byerly's is in Roseville; Whole Foods in downtown Minneapolis; Trader Joe's in Arden Hills. So none of these higher-end chains are particularly close to Columbia Heights.

The 5 nearest large grocery stores in or near to CH are below. I've found the CH Rainbow location to be among the worst of that chain, though it's not terrible. (I've been to many dreadful grocery chains in other large US cities. There is a much better Rainbow at 18th & Stinson in NE.)

SuperTarget is always good. Aldi's has great bargains if you shop wisely. Cub is arguably best of the lot. I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, but that's my bias.

[northsub]

Originally Posted by Astron1000

Columbia Heights is a solid working-class neighborhood. Some stupid neighbors but aren't they just about anywhere? Advantage is that it is 5-15 minutes on city streets to get to the real treasures of NE and downtown Minneapolis.


The nearest Lund's is across from downtown in NE Minneapolis. The nearest Byerly's is in Roseville; Whole Foods in downtown Minneapolis; Trader Joe's in Arden Hills. So none of these higher-end chains are particularly close to Columbia Heights.

The 5 nearest large grocery stores in or near to CH are below. I've found the CH Rainbow location to be among the worst of that chain, though it's not terrible. (I've been to many dreadful grocery chains in other large US cities. There is a much better Rainbow at 18th & Stinson in NE.)

SuperTarget is always good. Aldi's has great bargains if you shop wisely. Cub is arguably best of the lot. I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, but that's my bias.

There's also a Cub just north of 694 and west of University. That would be a closer Cub for a good chunk of Columbia Heights.

Mike's Discount Foods would be cheaper than Aldi and just a bit north of the Rainbow on the map. Food there can be, umm, scratch-and-dent though.

There are also a number of ethnic groceries along Central in Columbia Heights/Fridley.

[QuietBlue]

I agree with Astron1000 that overall, Cub is the best. ST and Walmart often beat them on pricing (especially on owned brands), but I've never been impressed with their vegetables, fruit, and meat -- I've probably seen more bad fruit on the shelves at Targets than I have anywhere else around here. Since I'm a Costco member, though, I do my bulk purchases there, get national and owned brand stuff at ST, and the rest at Cub. I'd shop at TJ more if there was one closer to me, since their prices are pretty good on a lot of things.

[Astron1000]

^ Thanks, Northsub. I stupidly forgot about that Cub on University! I've never shopped there though. How's the experience? Is it as good as the St. Anthony Cub?

[katmu]

Note that the St. Anthony WalMart isn't a Super Walmart, but it does have a fair amount of groceries minus fresh vegetables and meat.

The St. Anthony Cub seems bigger to me than the Cub on University.

To the OP, if you are willing to go a little farther east you could also look at New Brighton and St. Anthony Village. I agree with Astron's assessment of Columbia Heights as a solid working class area. NE Minneapolis might also be an option.

[northsub]

Originally Posted by Astron1000

^ Thanks, Northsub. I stupidly forgot about that Cub on University! I've never shopped there though. How's the experience? Is it as good as the St. Anthony Cub?

I don't know if I've ever been inside that one. I do think it is recently remodeled, so I'd guess it's nice inside.