Is Crystal, MN a good place to live? (Minneapolis, New Hope: real estate, 2015)

[Livk23]

My boyfriend and I are first-time home buyers and we're currently looking at a house in Crystal, right behind the Target there. Is this an okay/safe area to live? I don't know much about the area and it was hard to get a feel for the neighborhood when touring the house. Would appreciate some insight/opinion from those who currently live in that area of Crystal or are at least familiar with it.

Thanks in advance.

[MNheadingsouth]

Some of Crystal is ok, some of it is dumpy. There's been some crime in the area by the Target but nothing horrific. Smaller homes, school district is "meh" and I would categorize the city as average. Good location if you want 15 minutes to the airport, 10 to downtown, and close to hospitals.

[Radical_Car]

I lived down the street from that Target in an apartment from 2014 to 2018 and currently live like a 5-10 minute drive over in North Minneapolis now. Never had any issue. New Hope and Crystal are older, blue collar suburbs. Same crime that occurs in any other suburb. Oh, and I grew up in a small town of like 3000 people way out in rural Minnesota for 16 years, so this is the perspective of a small town person.

Worst thing about New Hope/Crystal honestly is the number of businesses that have closed since I moved here in 2014. Pizza Hut, Little Ceasers, Wendy's, Buger King, Half Price Books, Broadway Pizza, Caribou Coffee, Pizza Ranch. They did build a brand new Taco bell in the parking lot of the Target though. That Crystal Center strip mall and the one in New Hope off Winnetka Ave and 42nd are really depressing to look at.


The Jets Pizza and Marcos Pizza are fantastic though over in New Hope. Crystal has an Aldi right across the street from the Target and that Hyvee is just right over in New Hope as well. Short drive to downtown, short drive to Maple grove, etc. Crystal isn't a bad place at all and conveniently located to lots of other places.

[Livk23]

Thanks! Appreciate the reply!

[Camden Northsider]

My only real experience with Crystal is driving through/ shopping in the area and living 5-10 minutes away. I've never heard anything about problems with crime in Crystal and it seems like a decent place to live or start a family. There are definitely some nice pockets to be found around the city, and crystal real estate seems to be on an upswing as of late. There's a really nice Farmer's Market in the summer and I believe other local events for residents, and if the bottineau light rail line ever becomes a reality I would think Crystal will really take off (unfortunately planning for bottineau has completely stalled/ been put on hold).

[Livk23]

Good to know, thanks so much!

[KGreenwood64]

I'm originally from Robbinsdale, and spent a lot of time in Crystal as a kid. In the mid-2000's I rented a place near Welcome Park which isn't far from Target. My kids ran all over the neighborhood and I never worried much about them. It had the same homey vibe that it had when I was a kid. I go up there fairly often and it still has that laid back, quiet vibe.

I'm currently living in Loring Park, but I'm going to be in the market to purchase a home later this year and have been looking in the Crystal/New Hope/BC area, too

[Livk23]

Originally Posted by KGreenwood64

I'm originally from Robbinsdale, and spent a lot of time in Crystal as a kid. In the mid-2000's I rented a place near Welcome Park which isn't far from Target. My kids ran all over the neighborhood and I never worried much about them. It had the same homey vibe that it had when I was a kid. I go up there fairly often and it still has that laid back, quiet vibe.

I'm currently living in Loring Park, but I'm going to be in the market to purchase a home later this year and have been looking in the Crystal/New Hope/BC area, too

We actually currently live in Loring Park too! Love the area but we're over the apartment lifestyle now that we both work from home full time. Really appreciate your insight! Hearing that definitely makes me feel better about the possibility of living in that area. Good luck with your home search later this year! I will say that the market is absolutely crazy right now and competition is very intense, especially if your budget is between $250K-$350K. My boyfriend and I have only been house hunting for a couple weeks and we're already starting to feel overwhelmed. Hopefully it gets better as the year goes on! Take care!

[paiste13]

That same house would be about $400,000 5 miles south, so it's a decent house.

[Radical_Car]

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

That Crystal Center strip mall and the one in New Hope off Winnetka Ave and 42nd are really depressing to look at.

To elaborate further what I meant here, this isn't just exclusive to Crystal/New Hope. Strip malls all over the USA are looking more and more depressing. Online shopping over the past 10-20 years has really taken a toll on many of them, and the pandemic has made it even worse. Same exact thing has been happening (and will continue to happen) with traditional shopping malls all over the country as well.

And the old Pizza Hut in New Hope on Bass Lake Road that closed years back in 2015/2016 and Wendys in Crystal on West Broadway that closed in 2018, other restaurants have taken over those spots. I couldn't tell you what they're called or what kind of food they serve (I don't pay that much attention when I drive by them ) but if you love independent mom & pop restaurants, there you go! You may just discover a hidden gem.