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My family and i will be relocating from Washington DC to the Mall of America area. We have 4 kids so good schools are key. My wife will be at the mall of America so being close or next to the mall would be great. Can anyone give me some ideas of places near the mall. Thanks.
Well, suburban cities and city neighborhoods near the mall would include: Bloomington (which MOA is in), Eagan, Edina, Richfield, Apple Valley. And, within Minneapolis proper the Nokomis section and neighborhoods would likely be the most accessible to MOA.
I have no doubt you will get a wide variety of answers on which of these cities, which roughly correlate to school districts, is "good", and to be honest compared to other parts of the country all of these districts would be considered good. Of this list, Edina, Apple Valley, and Eagan are very generally considered the relative better ones. Bloomington will be okay, probably slightly better schools on the west side of the city (which would be a bit longer drive to MOA). Richfield or Minneapolis schools (depending on the particular school) would probably be the bottom of this list, again relatively.
That said, I would guess Richfield or Minneapolis schools would have the most exposure to diversity and associated programs, if that is important to you. This leads me to a question that I'm sure will be helpful for you to get quality answers to your question (and will hopefully help avoid a debate that's more centered on just respondents personal favorites, that might not be very helpful to you): what constitutes a "good school" for you? Ages of children? Access to specific programs? Extracurricular activities important to you? Magnet or charter type schools? Arts or music programs?
Keep in mind that when speaking of Minneapolis schools, you have a far wider variety than you have in the smaller, less-diverse districts; in other words, you have some of the best schools in the state, as well as some of the worst. Minneapolis' best schools are generally considered far better than Richfield, for example. (although I'm not knocking Richfield, as I don't have personal experience with their schools. They just don't have the reputation as do many of the SW and some South Minneapolis schools, or Bloomington, Edina, Apple Valley, etc.) I would suggest first telling us what you want in a neighborhood and go from there. The more specific you are, the better answers you'll get. Do you want a modern suburb -- a la subdivisions and cul-de-sacs? Do you want to live in a more traditionally urban neighborhood? How about somewhere in-between? (lots of nicely maintained 1950s houses on smaller but perfectly adequate lots near the MOA)? Does public transportation matter? (you can take light rail, or lots of buses, straight to the MOA, if you so choose) Budget? What kind of programs or schools do you want?
Or, since some of us are familiar with the DC area, what areas do you like best there? Once we get a sense of what kind of neighborhoods you like best, we can give you some insights into the schools themselves.
If I were you, I'd concentrate first on locations on the MOA side of the river. You'll cut down on commute time if you don't have to deal with a bridge crossing. Bloomington is very central, so whatever type of house and neighborhood you like best is probably going to be within relatively easy commuting distance. If it was me, personally, I'd go for something by Minnehaha Creek and near both Minnehaha or Lake Nokomis or Lake Hiawatha (not sure of your kids' ages, but Hiawatha has a great playground, complete with excellent wading pool); your tastes may be different, and certainly Bloomington itself has many good options that will appeal to many people, ranging from the 1950s houses up to more modern, large houses with lots of bedrooms, some of them relatively affordable, depending on your budget.
Eagan, Apple Valley, Rosemount and Edina are some of the best schools in the nation and all easy, easy commutes to the MOA. I would start the search there. A lot will depend on your price range. Housing here is going to be a lot less expensive then DC so that will help. With any of these commutes it will be like driving in the middle of the night in DC. You won't see any traffic at all-barring a major accident or snowstorm.
Thank you all. Per schools both my 11 year old and 7 year old are in tag. Which is much like a magnet program. Diversity is a huge plus, coming from our area we live on a very diverse block and we enjoy that. Is there actual location next too or very close near bye. We do have a 2 & 1 year old as well. Extra curriculars like girl scouts/brownies, soccer and baseball would be great as well.
Price point is a concern but from what I have seen on Craigslist were affordable.
Thank you all. Per schools both my 11 year old and 7 year old are in tag. Which is much like a magnet program. Diversity is a huge plus, coming from our area we live on a very diverse block and we enjoy that. Is there actual location next too or very close near bye. We do have a 2 & 1 year old as well. Extra curriculars like girl scouts/brownies, soccer and baseball would be great as well.
Price point is a concern but from what I have seen on Craigslist were affordable.
Do you want a cramped, urban neighborhood where you are 5 feet from your neighbors or do you want more of a yard, etc.? How much do you want to spend on a house?
Do you want a cramped, urban neighborhood where you are 5 feet from your neighbors or do you want more of a yard, etc.? How much do you want to spend on a house?
Way to frame this in an unbiased way, moderator.
So to the OP, are you looking for more of a sprawly, 85%+ white (non-diverse), unwalkable car dependant suburb with cheap ticky-tacky vinyl siding exteriors in cookie-cutter single-zoning townhouse developments in a maze of windy streets ending in cul-de-sacs, where a few miles away you might find some big box stores and chain restaurants or do you want a diverse, walkable urban environment in established neighborhoods with mature tree-lined boulevards, independant busineses and an abudance of parks and other public spaces within a short walking distance to where you're living?
Last edited by Cruz Azul Guy; 08-24-2011 at 07:02 AM..
When I moved back to Minneapolis from the Washington DC area I was driving through downtown Mpls on a Saturday morning, and remarked about how calm and spread out everything was compared to the East.
If you need to find a nice spot in town where the neighbors are pleasant but not in your face, Mpls is a great place to be. If you need 40 acres of golf range next to your property, you can find that too.
Do you want a cramped, urban neighborhood where you are 5 feet from your neighbors or do you want more of a yard, etc.? How much do you want to spend on a house?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slig
Way to frame this in an unbiased way, moderator.
So to the OP, are you looking for more of a sprawly, 85%+ white (non-diverse), unwalkable car dependant suburb with cheap ticky-tacky vinyl siding exteriors in cookie-cutter single-zoning townhouse developments in a maze of windy streets ending in cul-de-sacs, where a few miles away you might find some big box stores and chain restaurants or do you want a diverse, walkable urban environment in established neighborhoods with mature tree-lined boulevards, independant busineses and an abudance of parks and other public spaces within a short walking distance to where you're living?
Agreed...says one who lives in a suburb. A better way to have phrased the question would be "do you want an urban neighborhood in closer proximity from your neighbors...?"
Also, what is "cramped" to one may be not so to another...though most reasonable people could agree Minneapolis housing will likely be smaller lots and closer proximity to your neighbors than the suburban locations.
However, be careful, Slig...one might be saying you're equally as biased in your descriptions - though at least you're not a moderator.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sevfamily
Thank you all. Per schools both my 11 year old and 7 year old are in tag. Which is much like a magnet program. Diversity is a huge plus, coming from our area we live on a very diverse block and we enjoy that. Is there actual location next too or very close near bye. We do have a 2 & 1 year old as well. Extra curriculars like girl scouts/brownies, soccer and baseball would be great as well.
Price point is a concern but from what I have seen on Craigslist were affordable.
Based on what you are saying here, it seems you may want to look to Minneapolis, Bloomington, or Richfield schools. These will have the diversity you've said you like, Minneapolis most of all. Minneapolis will also likely have the most magnet programs, though the others will have them too. However, you might have more luck on extra cirriculars on Bloomington or Richfield (at least directly through the schools...of course Girl Scouts can be found independent of the schools.) I would guess you will also find the most reasonable housing in these neighborhoods pricewise.
Eagan and Apple Valley would be more expensive the Mpls, Richfield, or Bloomington (at least generally). Edina likely most expensive, unless you happen to select the 50th and France area (to a limited extent)
The other districts mentioned by others are all likely to offer quality education, but Edina, Eagan, and Apple Valley are not known for a diverse student body. Neither is Rosemount and, while I have no doubt it is a fine school, will be the furthest from MOA of all these - and you said you want to be near MOA.
Last but not least, what does everyone know about Open Enrollment? Perhaps the way to take this is help the OP select a neighborhood and then they could choose any school through open enrollment once they get here. Of course, that does mean a daily drive to school versus the possibility of a school bus.
Agreed...says one who lives in a suburb. A better way to have phrased the question would be "do you want an urban neighborhood in closer proximity from your neighbors...?"
Also, what is "cramped" to one may be not so to another...though most reasonable people could agree Minneapolis housing will likely be smaller lots and closer proximity to your neighbors than the suburban locations.
However, be careful, Slig...one might be saying you're equally as biased in your descriptions - though at least you're not a moderator.
Based on what you are saying here, it seems you may want to look to Minneapolis, Bloomington, or Richfield schools. These will have the diversity you've said you like, Minneapolis most of all. Minneapolis will also likely have the most magnet programs, though the others will have them too. However, you might have more luck on extra cirriculars on Bloomington or Richfield (at least directly through the schools...of course Girl Scouts can be found independent of the schools.) I would guess you will also find the most reasonable housing in these neighborhoods pricewise.
Eagan and Apple Valley would be more expensive the Mpls, Richfield, or Bloomington (at least generally). Edina likely most expensive, unless you happen to select the 50th and France area (to a limited extent)
The other districts mentioned by others are all likely to offer quality education, but Edina, Eagan, and Apple Valley are not known for a diverse student body. Neither is Rosemount and, while I have no doubt it is a fine school, will be the furthest from MOA of all these - and you said you want to be near MOA.
Last but not least, what does everyone know about Open Enrollment? Perhaps the way to take this is help the OP select a neighborhood and then they could choose any school through open enrollment once they get here. Of course, that does mean a daily drive to school versus the possibility of a school bus.
It's a good option but not a for sure thing. Many schools are "full" or might be full for one grade and not another.
The suburban schools have as much diversity as any of the Minneapolis schools if you define the word properly. The Minneapolis schools have MORE black students then the suburban schools, not more diversity....on our block alone here there are 5 "white" families, the rest are all different nationalities, Asian, Asian Indian, black, etc. The 5 white families are the 'minority" compared to the "diverse" neighbors . You will find that in the south metro that the Asian Indian population is fairly large and common.
Rosemount to the MOA is 15 minutes on a bad day....that is more than close especially coming from the DC area.
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. You will find that in the south metro that the Asian Indian population is fairly large and common.
