Moving from NY to Minneapolis -- I need your help! (St. Paul: appointed, fit in)

[uptown_urbanist]

Edina is a wealthier suburb bordering SW Minneapolis. It has a mix of homes; some ugly modern McMansions, some nice historic homes, some bland 60s stuff. The area around 50th and France is near some of the nicer historic neighborhoods, and does have things like walkable sidewalks, businesses, upscale shops, etc. The schools are good. Too suburban for my tastes, but 50th and France is nice.

Parts of St. Louis Park also border SW Minneapolis and Edina; the areas around Excelsior are very walkable and are fairly convenient to Uptown and downtown. Schools are good. It's generally cheaper than Uptown or Linden Hills, but still pretty convenient. There are also a lot of smaller post-war houses, but there are some neighborhoods with pre-war homes. Schools are also good. It has a less "snobby" reputation than Edina, but I think the Edina reputation is kind of outdated, anyway (Edina is one of the wealthier older suburbs).

[MplsTodd]

UU described the suburbs very well. I'd add that I included them because they are centrally located and offer some quasi-urban amenities. The Country Club neighborhood of Edina (basically between Sunnyside and 50th Street, west of France Avenue) has very expensive housing (maybe not to a New Yorker though) with interesting home designs--classic 1920s vintage 2-story colonials etc... All the yards are immaculately maintained though, giving it a bit of the perfect world atmosphere... But if I made a ton of money, I'd consider living there.

St. Louis Park is a little more down-to-earth, and is more of a hodge-podge--a wide mix of tiny post war cape cods, '50s and '60s ramblers (typically in western St. Louis Park), upscale architect designed homes and newer McMansions (typically in eastern St Louis Park). Schools are good.

It just depends what you want.

[NYC Mama]

Uptown_Urbanist, thanks as always. You've been very helpful. It seems that there are quite a few areas/neighborhoods within Uptown to consider. They all sound nice to me, but how would you rate them in terms of "niceness?" Also, with regards to schools: do all the neighborhoods within Uptown have the same access to the schools or does each neighborhood have its owns schools? If so, going back to my original question, which ones are better?

You mentioned 50th and France, and if I'm looking at the map correctly would that be part of Linden Hills or is it sort of right at the border where Uptown ends and Linden Hills begins?

[NYC Mama]

U_U and Todd, sorry I wrote before seeing your posts about the suburbs. I think I get the picture. We're really not into MacMansions nor do we like colonials (too dark and depressing). I'd prefer something more modern or something with more character.

So it looks like Uptown and Linden Hills (and maybe eastern St. Louis Park) might be better fit for us.

[Thegonagle]

If modern-style architecture is of interest, I believe the Kenwood and the Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhoods have the highest concentration of modern/post-modern/Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired designs in Minneapolis, and there's even a genuine FLW house next to Cedar lake (there's another FLW in Prospect Park, another interesting neighborhood).Kenwood and Cedar-Isles-Dean aren't really good walking neighborhoods though. The neighborhoods with the lushest properties also tend to be a little more car dependent. That's going to be pretty typical in this metro area, and probably the USA in general.

A few great exceptions have been pointed out by uptown_urbanist. Another one is the Summit Hill neighborhood of St. Paul, close to Grand Ave. Grand has enough of everything that you could walk for most of your daily family needs, although that means a commute to Minneapolis, which is less convenient for your husband.

Another St. Paul neighborhood that's worth a look is the St. Anthony neighborhood (not to be confused with the St. Anthony East and West neighborhoods in Minneapolis, nor the city east of NE Minneapolis) near Como and Carter. It doesn't have quite as much of everything as Grand Ave, and the housing isn't as spendy, but there's a small grocery store/deli that has always seemed to do good business, plus there's a cleaner, a dental office, a clinic, a library, and a couple-few restaurants and gift/trinket shops in business at any given time. It's more low-key but it's certainly a nice neighborhood. On the plus side, it's closer to downtown Minneapolis than downtown St. Paul, and the drive to Minneapolis is a breeze on E. Hennepin, with plenty of alternates, not that you'd need them often. (Late nights, I might take 280 and 94, but there's lots of traffic on 94 most of the time.)

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/abou...ghborhoods.pdf
http://www.stpaul.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=5055

[mmhl]

I'll let the others fill you in on more urban areas (we are in the far suburbs) but I just wanted to give you some input on schools. Yes, Minnesota does have open enrollment for schools, however it is sometimes closed in desirable schools because they are out of space. We are in a highly desirable school district, and most grades are closed to open enrollment because we are maxed out for space. There aren't a lot of referendums being passed to build new schools in this economy, so space remains fairly tight in the excellent school districts. The surest way to ensure you will be in a good school district is to buy in that area. If you do choose to open enroll then I would call ahead to the school you are hoping to enroll in to see what their availability is.

There isn't going to be any place in Minnesota that is going to give you the same feel as NYC no matter how urban. NYC has that special vibe. But I think you can find a good place and grow to appreciate it for itself Best of luck to you!

[stranger46]

Or actually from Iowa..
Post losing my job in CA, I ended in Dubuque, Iowa just to realize it was boring job and a professional mistake, not to mention that the place sucks.
Got hired in Golden Valley last week, however my job is servicing, so I will actually be driving all around town. The wife is an Aerobic instructor, and will need access to gyms in the area, with quick access back home, as there are usually long breaks between classes.
That being said, and with a 1500.00~, where would you rent? Plymouth seems to be nice, however we never lived in a snow area and do not know how far 15-20 miles are in heavy snow..
We are in our 50's, one soon to be college girl, and one dog. We do care about the schools around us, since it usually points to the quality of the neighborhood.
So any advice / input are welcome.

[stranger46]

Moving from CA, or actually from Iowa..
Post losing my job in CA, I ended in Dubuque, Iowa just to realize it was boring job and a professional mistake, not to mention that the place sucks.
Got hired in Golden Valley last week, however my job is servicing, so I will actually be driving all around town. The wife is an Aerobic instructor, and will need access to gyms in the area, with quick access back home, as there are usually long breaks between classes.
That being said, and with a 1500.00~, where would you rent? Plymouth seems to be nice, however we never lived in a snow area and do not know how far 15-20 miles are in heavy snow..
We are in our 50's, one soon to be college girl, and one dog. We do care about the schools around us, since it usually points to the quality of the neighborhood.
So any advice / input are welcome.

[tpk-nyc]

I did the opposite, i.e., moved from Uptown (East Isles) to the East Village, Manhattan. I lived in Uptown for 5 years without a car. It's not easy, but it's one of the few neighborhoods where it's doable. The neighborhood has a quasi-Brooklyn feel, ala Fort Greene or Williamsburg, although not as trendy.

If you want a condo, I'd look at the new development in the Warehouse District/Downtown. It's one of the few neighborhoods that has light rail access. The other advantage is the some buildings have heated parking (no small amenity in MPLS).

[MinnMom]

My husband and I moved to Minneapolis from San Francisco, and we had the same "wish list" as you do. I agree with most of the suggestions so far - 1st pick would be Lake of the Isles/Kenwood for the gorgeous older homes and proximity to downtown/walker art museum/parks/shops and restaurants, but would also check out areas east of Lake Calhoun/Uptown and around Lake Harriet. All have access to shops, parks, trails around the lakes and a quick commute into downtown, which I think is the best combo Minneapolis has to offer. In eastern St Louis Park, you can find shops within walking distance of some n'hoods, but they're mostly national chains (think Starbucks and mediocre restaurants).

Before deciding on a location, though, consider the schools in the area. We opted for a more urban Minneapolis n'hood, thinking we could use the "open choice" option to pick any school we wanted for our two elementary-aged children. Unfortunately, the "open choice" option is not reliable. It is next to impossible to get into the best elementary schools this way. Even if you do get in, I believe you have to reapply each year, so there is no guarantee that your child will be able to attend the same school year after year. Also, while Minneapolis has some good elementary school options (Lake Harriet considered the best, Burroughs and Barton also good), the district's funding is poor and the middle/high school options are mediocre compared to some of the districts a little further west. As an example, the best high school in the MPLS district does not have enough funds to install lights on their football field. For full disclosure, we opted out of the Minneapolis school district altogether and are currently sending our kids to private schools (I'm sure I'll get beaten up for that decision in this forum!). However, we are seriously considering a move to Edina, because it seems a bit irrational to spend $40k+ per year for two kids in elementary school when one of the top public school districts in the country (per Forbes, US News & World Report, Newsweek, etc.) is 3 miles away. We also looked at property in the Minnetonka, Wayzata and Orono school districts, which also have good reputations, but there must be too much San Francisco left in us, because those areas were just too suburban for our preferences.

So, if you're sure you'll use private schools, any of the recommended n'hoods within Minneapolis city limits are great options. However, if you think you'll want access to top notch public schools, I'd recommend a look at Edina just east of HWY 100, near 50th & France. (one caveat - I'm a typical Minneapolis transplant that doesn't know a thing about that other city east of the river (St Paul), so there are probably good options over there as well.)

Good luck!