Leaving MPLS - which suburb should we head to? (Minneapolis: new home, purchasing)

[homeschooldad1]

Consider st. Louis Park or Golden Valley. They are very walkable for being suburbs and some of the more left leaning suburbs in the area.

[slamont61]

While St Louis Park has much going for it, the up-tic in crime and the pending arrival of the Light Rail had me move away. Positives include easy quick access to Down Town, Uptown and the lake formerly known as Calhoun. The Cedar Lake Trail, when open is nice and there are good parks and recreation facilities.

Is SLP walkable? Not really. There are places there that are though. Most neighborhoods are small quaint and away from commercial districts. Much new apartment complexes are going up, including low income housing. A boat load of construction ongoing.

SLP seems more like a City neighborhood and less like a suburb.

I do miss watching the airplanes approaching MSP's runways 12 and 12R. Other than that my favorite time there was the early exploration of the community when I moved there and then the time during the Covid Lockdown in 2019 when it was so quiet and peaceful.

[naycherboy]

Originally Posted by TxTnVtMn

You should definitely check out Hopkins, and just a few miles further down Excelsior Blvd is the Glen Lake section of Minnetonka. Hidden Gem. There’s a commercial node at Excelsior and Eden Prairie road serviced by two-lane roads and adjacent to leafy neighborhoods. Easily the most walkable and charming area of the suburbs aside from Excelsior (town) and Wayzata.

Amenities include small Lunds & Byerlys market, a Caribou, several independent restaurants, a brewery (Unmapped Brewing), a Post Office, and other useful businesses (cleaners, hair salon, barber, etc). There’s even a Christmas Tree Lot in November/December, adding to the small town feel. This is also an area that the DFL wins comfortably.

Best post of the thread. Indeed, Hopkins is an excellent fit with more affordable housing given it's a west suburb, more diversity (racial, political, economic) relative to the area, and the potential to grow/improve with time.

[Single Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Philly Flash

We live in Eden Prairie. Moved from Uptown in 2014. EP certainly has its own set of problems, bur we've grown to like it. Housing is reasonably affordable, especially if you're OK with a late-80s to early-00's era place.

Hi Philly,

Do you care to elaborate on what you mean by EP's "own set of problems"? I'm considering purchasing a home there, but I'm slightly concerned about the possibility of encountering racism. I'm Hispanic, professional, and a considerate and quiet person. I'd like to avoid setting roots in a place where I may be overtly unwelcome or worried about my safety.

[knke0204]

We had good friends adamant about buying in the first-ring. We were looking to buy at the same time, although wanting to live further out. They chose St. Louis Park and were thrilled with what they found. We live about 15 miles from downtown Mpls in a second-ring suburb, thrilled with what we found.

6 years later, they desperately want out. At first they were concerned about cookie cutter neighborhoods and "being away from DT amenities". Now with kids it isn't their thing. Add the crime and they're over it. It's not to say that second-rings don't see crime, they absolutely do.

I am just sharing this as an anecdote. I also know that SLP isn't Mpls, and most would consider it a "suburb", but it's a desired place to live due to it being close in proximity to Mpls.

[Moirarose]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. After we sold our MInneapolis place we rented in west Edina for a while. It was a terrific place to dip our toes in the suburbs, and it taught us that we really wanted to be closer to the city.

We bought in Morningside, Edina, close to Mpls and SLP. We love the location - the walkability and amenities - but most of all we are BLOWN AWAY by the schools. Compared to Minneapolis Public Schools, Edina Public Schools are a gift. A Gift.

Our house is smaller than we'd like - we miss our brick colonial and our 2-car garage - but knowing that our kids are getting a top-notch education, and that the police will respond if we call them...that's priceless. That's not to say that the odd 3,500 square foot listing in Plymouth doesn't make me drool, but we can live with it ������

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Moirarose

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. After we sold our MInneapolis place we rented in west Edina for a while. It was a terrific place to dip our toes in the suburbs, and it taught us that we really wanted to be closer to the city.

We bought in Morningside, Edina, close to Mpls and SLP. We love the location - the walkability and amenities - but most of all we are BLOWN AWAY by the schools. Compared to Minneapolis Public Schools, Edina Public Schools are a gift. A Gift.

Our house is smaller than we'd like - we miss our brick colonial and our 2-car garage - but knowing that our kids are getting a top-notch education, and that the police will respond if we call them...that's priceless. That's not to say that the odd 3,500 square foot listing in Plymouth doesn't make me drool, but we can live with it ������

Congrats on the move. If I ever moved to Edina it’d probably be in that neighborhood (although the Country Club/White Oaks area is very nice as well).

[paiste13]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

The votes in the suburbs are evenly split between the two parties as opposed to Minneapolis, which is 75% Democrat, half of which are extreme leftists, so please stop with the narrative that suburbs are just as liberal as Minneapolis.

If the OP wants a suggestion, I say go to Edina. It’s full of limousine liberals who fled the consequences of their politics in SW Minneapolis, and the quality of the schools has just started to deteriorate as they have implemented their social justice curriculum. It will take a few years for them to fail, and by the time his kids are through school, it will be another Berkeley and he can move on to ruin another area.

When did citydata become the Daily Stormer?

When people talk about democratic cities they say how bad they are, but they ignore the fact the richest cities in MN (and the country) almost all vote Democratic, too. But that doesn't fit the narrative, does it? What's the difference? Hmm, could it be racial diversity? Gee, let's think about what you're really criticizing.

[paiste13]

Originally Posted by Moirarose

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. After we sold our MInneapolis place we rented in west Edina for a while. It was a terrific place to dip our toes in the suburbs, and it taught us that we really wanted to be closer to the city.

We bought in Morningside, Edina, close to Mpls and SLP. We love the location - the walkability and amenities - but most of all we are BLOWN AWAY by the schools. Compared to Minneapolis Public Schools, Edina Public Schools are a gift. A Gift.

Our house is smaller than we'd like - we miss our brick colonial and our 2-car garage - but knowing that our kids are getting a top-notch education, and that the police will respond if we call them...that's priceless. That's not to say that the odd 3,500 square foot listing in Plymouth doesn't make me drool, but we can live with it ������

Great news! It makes a move easier when you can afford one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the entire metro (I mean that with respect, not criticism)

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by Moirarose

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. After we sold our MInneapolis place we rented in west Edina for a while. It was a terrific place to dip our toes in the suburbs, and it taught us that we really wanted to be closer to the city.

We bought in Morningside, Edina, close to Mpls and SLP. We love the location - the walkability and amenities - but most of all we are BLOWN AWAY by the schools. Compared to Minneapolis Public Schools, Edina Public Schools are a gift. A Gift.

Our house is smaller than we'd like - we miss our brick colonial and our 2-car garage - but knowing that our kids are getting a top-notch education, and that the police will respond if we call them...that's priceless. That's not to say that the odd 3,500 square foot listing in Plymouth doesn't make me drool, but we can live with it ������

A family member taught at Edina High School - including AP courses - for many years until about five years ago. She often talked about the caliber of the students, the expectations set by parents and most of all the financial support from the parents. It was the money coming directly from the parents to support that was the real game changer.

They - the school, the students and teachers - wanted for nothing if a group of parents (or one or two particular parents) made it their priority. That did occasional cause some issues as some parents had pet projects which were not thought out or felt they could push through by force of status, but for the most part the teachers and administrators were able to work very well with parents and it showed in opportunities for students and their continued success.