Looking for a Neighborhood in MPLS/St Paul (Minneapolis, Franklin: renting, house)

[bobestes]

Ok, we are considering a great job in Minneapolis and literally know nothing about the place. But we've done pretty well in life by keeping an open mind.

We're moving from Cincinnati, where we live in (one of the few) open-minded pockets in the city. It's semi-urban, and we send our two boys (4&7) to a public Montessori school. It has its share of challenges, but it's a great, diverse community, and we love it. We think test scores are overrated, so long as there is a strong community.

We can't afford private schools and kind of don't agree with the idea of them anyway.

We could sell our house for about $210k, so we'd be trying to stay in the $250k range. Or rent.

So, any areas or schools we should check out? We love our situation and agonize over leaving it.

[MnMomma]

I'd start by looking at Armatage Montessori--armatage.mpls.k12.mn.us

Homes in the immediate area would be in your price range but will probably be smaller and less lot than you are used to (but I'm guessing at that).

[xandrex]

While the SW Minneapolis area is great, it sounds like you have a lower budget. I imagine you could get a bit more home for your money if you look east of 35W in south Minneapolis. You could send your kids to South High, which is usually ranked pretty high. It's a very diverse school in a semi-urban setting.

[Beenhere4ever]

I don't know who "ranks" schools. I'm pretty certain about SW High. And I did see years ago that South had National Merit finalists. But believe me, it also has some social chaos. Walkouts. Fights between American born African-Americans and African immigrants. So it is a mixed picture to me. Funny how Central High in St Paul seems to be so much better. Maybe just the difference between administrations. Seems to me the ethnic problem could have been anticipated and prevented by a thoughtful administration at South High.

[Camden Northsider]

Check out Loring Community School located in the Victory Neighborhood of North Minneapolis and the surrounding areas as potential places for homes. Sounds ideal for what you are looking to recreate in a community feel/neighborhood, and price range.

[MplsTeacher]

I would look in Seward/Longfellow neighborhoods or South Minneapolis South of 38th or so, down around the lakes. I live in Longfellow and love it! I feel very safe. There are several good schools in the area also. Dowling is an environmentally focused school in Longfellow. Seward Montessori is a K-8 with a good program (in the Seward neighborhood). South high has a good reputation, and that's where most Seward kids go. I don't have any personal experience with South, but a teacher I work with sent his daughter there and she's had a great experience.

In case you're not familiar with neighborhoods, Seward and Longfellow are the areas east of Hiawatha, south of Franklin, west of the river, and north of Minnehaha falls park.

I don't know much at all about St Paul schools, but the area just across the river from Seward/Longfellow seems really nice. That would be very southwest St Paul. I think the neighborhoods are Highland and Macalester/Groveland.

[MarcyHolmesMaven]

My daughter graduated from South High this past month and my son will be starting his junior year there in the fall. Both are very high achievers (daughter was one of 5 valedictorians) and both have been extremely happy there. They love the racial/social/economic diversity, the academic/artistic opportunities and the cool, creative vibe. But be careful -- South is hard to get into these days if you don't have an address in the school's attendance area. So double-check the exact attendance area for each school with the district, and if you're buying or renting a property, make sure the address is in the South attendance area. If it is, you're in automatically; if it's not, you will probably be out of luck.

[Beenhere4ever]

Northeast is pretty affordable, and I think Edison is a higher rated school.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

Northeast is pretty affordable, and I think Edison is a higher rated school.

Whoa....I have NOT heard anything good about Edison High!! Where did you hear that? Can anyone back this up with any kind of anecdotes or statistics? I feel like I've heard that Edison is THE worst Mpls high school, so I found your statement shocking!

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by xandrex

While the SW Minneapolis area is great, it sounds like you have a lower budget. I imagine you could get a bit more home for your money if you look east of 35W in south Minneapolis. You could send your kids to South High, which is usually ranked pretty high. It's a very diverse school in a semi-urban setting.

250k would work in Armatage. That's the neighborhood to target if Montesorri is your thing.