Twin Cities Neighborhood Questions (Minneapolis, St. Paul: crime rate, houses, neighborhoods)

[chrisroane]

We are very excited about being able to come visit Minneapolis for a week in about a month. Thanks to this forum, after much research we think we have an idea in the areas we are considering. But there are a few questions we have.

1. Hopkins has made it on our list to check out, since it is very walkable, has sidewalks and there seem to be 3 bedroom options that are less than $200,000. But, is this area very family friendly? Are there many young families in this area?

2. At the top of our list are the neighborhoods near Lake Harriet. But we also like Kenny, Hale and Keewaydin. Other than walkability in the immediate area, are there other reasons why we would prefer Kingfield vs Kenny or Tangletown vs Keewaydin? Would it be worth stretching our dollar a little bit in trying to get into Kingfield/Tangletown compared to these other neighborhoods?

3. Looking at the neighborhoods in St Paul within our price range ($200-$250K), it looks like Como may be a great option. Is this area safe and family friendly? It seems like there are other good neighborhoods in St Paul that are walkable, but they seem to be more expensive.

For some background: I am married and have two young kids (4 and 16 months).

[uptown_urbanist]

I don't know much about Como, but my impression is that it's pretty family-friendly, or a least it has a lot of family amenities. We've been to a planetarium in Como Elementary School; we were just there for the show, but there were a ton of other families coming to the school for the pool (open to the public through community ed in the evenings). And, of course, Como Park would be a major plus for anyone with a kid!

I was also briefly a member of a St. Paul parent meetup group, and at the time there seemed to be a lot of playgroups and meetups happening in Como. I never made it to those, as it was inconvenient for me, but my impression was that there were a lot of families with young kids either living or spending a lot of time in Como.

[chrisroane]

That's really good to know. Thanks for the info uptown.

[golfgal]

We had friends that lived in the Como area when their kids were kindergarten aged and younger. They hated the area. They liked the houses and the closeness to the zoo, etc. but it was busy, kids couldn't just play outside in the yard without mom or dad out there all the time, and there were a lot of issues with petty crime. They couldn't wait to move. It just comes down to what you are comfortable with so look carefully if you do pick that area.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by chrisroane

At the top of our list are the neighborhoods near Lake Harriet. But we also like Kenny, Hale and Keewaydin. Other than walkability in the immediate area, are there other reasons why we would prefer Kingfield vs Kenny or Tangletown vs Keewaydin? Would it be worth stretching our dollar a little bit in trying to get into Kingfield/Tangletown compared to these other neighborhoods?

The advantages of being west of 35W vs. east are the proximity to Lake Harriet, more shops and restaurants, and somewhat lower levels of airplane noise, though that varies from place to place. That said, south Minneapolis is really blossoming, Nokomis and Hiawatha are great lakes, and Keewaydin has the proximity to the river. We are currently in Kingfield, but there are some very attractive things about the Longfellow community. Kenny and Hale I've never being too fond of, but others may differ.

[chrisroane]

golfgal: Wow, that info pretty much takes the como area off our list....or at least towards the bottom. Thanks for sharing this!

glenfielda: Thanks for the info. I did some more research on the areas east of 35W and it seems like the crime rate appears to go up. Especially with having two girls, I've become especially sensitive to this. This re-affirms that Kingfield/Tangletown/East Harriet will probably stay at the top of our list.

Does anyone have any info on the Hopkins area, as far as family friendliness is concerned?

[StanleyVegas]

Originally Posted by chrisroane

golfgal: Wow, that info pretty much takes the como area off our list....or at least towards the bottom. Thanks for sharing this!

You might want to take a look at Como for yourself before writing it off. It's not a high-crime neighborhood. The petty crime there is has a lot to do with Como Park, the zoo and the lake as well as the state fairgrounds in the summer, as these attractions draw a lot of people from out of the area.

There are plenty of quite areas in the north central part of Como off the arterial streets (Hamline, Lexington, Victoria etc).

[Beenhere4ever]

I have the city's crime data up through July 31. Out of 88 neighborhoods, Como was 35th for violent crime. Total crime to that point was 148, which was 32nd out of 88. So it is neither high nor low compared to other neighborhoods by current data. I'm not sure what housing cost is considering the proximity to the U of M. Students who live around there have the advantage of walking to school. For a family, that wouldn't justify much.

[StanleyVegas]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

I have the city's crime data up through July 31. Out of 88 neighborhoods, Como was 35th for violent crime. Total crime to that point was 148, which was 32nd out of 88. So it is neither high nor low compared to other neighborhoods by current data. I'm not sure what housing cost is considering the proximity to the U of M. Students who live around there have the advantage of walking to school. For a family, that wouldn't justify much.

Are you referring to Como in Minneapolis? O.P. was asking about Como in St. Paul.

[Beenhere4ever]

Yeh, I don't think they publish St Paul neighborhood crime as data. To me, Como in St Paul is a really nice neighborhood. The park is a real asset.