Best commute to U of M Medical Center East Bank. (Minneapolis: lease, amusement park)

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

Sure but for some it's better for the family to live in the metro.

Oh, for sure.

[Tyryztoll]

Bumping my thread because I won't be working at East Bank OR Mankato....but rather Edina as it turns out. Accepted the gig yesterday.

Edina and vicinity are out of our price range for living purposes, but we've already been scoping the swath from Chaska down through Lakeville and like what we see. My question remains, is a commute from the north side to Edina still doable? Maybe not as far as Forest Lake, but White Bear Lake intrigues us also......sure doesn't seem to be much for rent up that way, though. We want to rent for a year and then buy. Woodbury to Edina? Don't forget my commute will be into work around 2 pm and home around 10 pm.

Just a funny side note - I was asking the HR guy that made me the offer about places to live around town, and it turns out he commutes 5 days a week to Edina from St. Cloud! I guess his wife is in school at SCSU and gets free tuition or something. Still......that's a haul!

[Rhody2Mn]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

Bumping my thread because I won't be working at East Bank OR Mankato....but rather Edina as it turns out. Accepted the gig yesterday.

Edina and vicinity are out of our price range for living purposes, but we've already been scoping the swath from Chaska down through Lakeville and like what we see. My question remains, is a commute from the north side to Edina still doable? Maybe not as far as Forest Lake, but White Bear Lake intrigues us also......sure doesn't seem to be much for rent up that way, though. We want to rent for a year and then buy. Woodbury to Edina? Don't forget my commute will be into work around 2 pm and home around 10 pm.

Just a funny side note - I was asking the HR guy that made me the offer about places to live around town, and it turns out he commutes 5 days a week to Edina from St. Cloud! I guess his wife is in school at SCSU and gets free tuition or something. Still......that's a haul!

Congratulations on landing the job! It is a huge plus that you won't be commuting during traditional rush hours because outside of these times and barring road construction/inclement weather, getting around the Twin Cities is a breeze.

A commute from the south metro (Apple Valley, Lakeville, Eagan, Burnsville) to Edina will on average take you 25 minutes. From White Bear Lake to Edina it'd be about 30-35 minutes, so not that different.

You might also consider West Bloomington or Eden Prairie. Both are close to Edina (10-15 minutes) and have plenty of parks, good schools, and easy access to other parts of the metro.

Welcome to the Twin Cities!

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

Bumping my thread because I won't be working at East Bank OR Mankato....but rather Edina as it turns out. Accepted the gig yesterday.

Edina and vicinity are out of our price range for living purposes, but we've already been scoping the swath from Chaska down through Lakeville and like what we see. My question remains, is a commute from the north side to Edina still doable? Maybe not as far as Forest Lake, but White Bear Lake intrigues us also......sure doesn't seem to be much for rent up that way, though. We want to rent for a year and then buy. Woodbury to Edina? Don't forget my commute will be into work around 2 pm and home around 10 pm.

Just a funny side note - I was asking the HR guy that made me the offer about places to live around town, and it turns out he commutes 5 days a week to Edina from St. Cloud! I guess his wife is in school at SCSU and gets free tuition or something. Still......that's a haul!

I would avoid a commute to Edina from the St Paul suburbs. Plenty of folks will say it's doable, but in my book there is a big difference between doable and desirable.

There are plenty of reasonably priced homes in the Minnetonka School District. I would look there if I were you.

[1stpontiac]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

I would avoid a commute to Edina from the St Paul suburbs. Plenty of folks will say it's doable, but in my book there is a big difference between doable and desirable.

There are plenty of reasonably priced homes in the Minnetonka School District. I would look there if I were you.

This was my reaction as well. White Bear Lake seems nice enough from the times I've traversed through, but not enough that I'd drive across the city just to live there. I like the landscape of the southern metro...especially over by Apple Valley and the MN Zoo. There are some small-town options down off the south-west corner as well. Or, since you mentioned access to the north, Maple Grove is nice (bias: I live here!).

Do you have family/kids?

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by 1stpontiac

This was my reaction as well. White Bear Lake seems nice enough from the times I've traversed through, but not enough that I'd drive across the city just to live there. I like the landscape of the southern metro...especially over by Apple Valley and the MN Zoo. There are some small-town options down off the south-west corner as well. Or, since you mentioned access to the north, Maple Grove is nice (bias: I live here!).

Do you have family/kids?

Yes, wife and 4 kids. 13 year old with high functioning autism, 12 year old, 5 year old, and 3 year old who was born with developmental delays and orthopedic abnormalities. Needless to say, we need schools that are good with special needs kids. We don't want to get pie eyed with a particular town and get in over our heads for when we're ready to buy a year from now, so we're trying to pair our upcoming rental with an area we'll eventually be able to afford a home in. Budget will likely be 225 to 275K. From what I've seen thus far, the Apple Valley to Lakeville/Farmington area looks like it may be a good fit for us. I'd love to be in or near Eden Prairie or Minnetonka, but I don't think we could afford it. After looking at the map and thinking it over I have to agree that a commute from the White Bear Lake vicinity probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Anyway, we couldn't be any more excited to get there. When I was little in Michigan my first favorite sports team were the Fran Tarkenton/Purple People Eaters Vikings. I lived and died with them. Seeing how I always support the local teams first, I'm ready to don the purple once again! Should be an easy transition because I've always hated the Packers.

[mr roboto]

Don't commute through Minneapolis or St Paul if at all possible. South burbs are doable. Chaska as well.

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

Don't commute through Minneapolis or St Paul if at all possible. South burbs are doable. Chaska as well.

That is pretty solid advice in one simple sentence. Works for many/most situations.

[Justabitoff]

The traffic might not be bad during the off hours, but it's still about twice the mileage than driving from Chaska or Apple Valley (31 miles vs. 17 miles). That's a lot of gas, which might negate any cost savings. White Bear Lake is nice, but it's not, like, spectacular or worth you going out of your way to live there.

[Tyryztoll]

All points taken and appreciated. The north side is out.