Minneapolis cost of living VS (salary) (St. Paul, Brooklyn Park: hardwood floors, apartments, rental) - Twin Cities - City-Data Forum

hhawkes · 07-28-2010, 11:20 PM

Hi all! My husband and I are waiting to hear back from a job in St. louis park (minneapolis), MN if he gets the job we will be moving there within 3-4 weeks. I wanted to ask around and see if people can help us about by letting us know if we will be able to survive off one 1 salary of 65000.00 a year. It's just my husband and I and our dog. We don't have any kids yet but are planning on having a kid probably after a year of living there. We would need a 2 bedroom apartment. His job would be in St. Louis park, Minneapolis. I know from what i've heard there are cheaper parts to livve in however i know how bad the winters can be with ice and snow and i'm not sure we want to live so far off that i would be worried about my husband getting to work. Do most people live far off from that area and commute? Or is the public transportation available from suggested areas to live in? We currently live in Atlanta, GA. Also, will it be difficult to find a place to live since we have a large dog? Also can anyone tell me what there energy bill monthly from winter would be? Thanks in advance to all the replies, and help!

Radical_Car · 07-29-2010, 03:04 AM

Well 65k well be easy to live off of for 2 people and a dog. My cousin used to have a giant dog in an apartment in Richfield, a pretty big dog too, one that would be much better off on a farm or in a home with lots of space and a big yard to run around in.

You don't wanna know what salary my family of 7(1 is moved out so 6 actually) lives off of. Plus we live in a 3 bedroom apartment, around 900-1000 square feet I believe. We live perfectly fine and happy, and we don't have any problems with space or anything.

Though I am in St. Cloud and apartments tend to go for a little less here then the twin cities, but its really not that big of a difference.

golfgal · 07-29-2010, 05:27 AM

Depending on your lifestyle, $65K is ok, not high on the hog by any means but you can find a descent place to live with that income. St. Louis Park is a nice town for young couples, a little on the more expensive side but not so much that you can't afford to live there. Winter travel here isn't really that much of an issue unless it is heavy snow falling at rush hour. We don't get a lot of ice storms either, so that is nice.

uptown_urbanist · 07-29-2010, 06:55 AM

You shouldn't have any problems on that salary, unless you have high debt or have expensive habits. What kind of neighborhood and building to you prefer to live in? You could certainly afford to live in St. Louis Park, but there are other convenient options (by bus and car) to live in, too, if you prefer a different kind of place.

hhawkes · 07-29-2010, 10:57 AM

Thanks for the encouragement and info! we are nervous about such a big move but.. a much needed one. I checked St. cloud and it is way to far 1hr 15 mins. We need to be closer to st. louis park for his job.

hhawkes · 07-29-2010, 11:08 AM

can you recommend any place that near st. louis park area that I would be able to find rent for around 900.00 for a 2 bedroom. Actually we would love to get place that was hardwood floors (we both have bad allergies) maybe a town house or something like that?

uptown_urbanist · 07-29-2010, 11:32 AM

I'm sure you can find something with hardwood floors in SLP for that price. My question was more along types of neighborhoods: do you want something walkable? More urban? Somewhere in the middle? Older building, newer building, near restaurants, etc? SLP has a mixture of different types of areas, otherwise, Uptown is a more trendy area very near SLP that has great access to Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles (perfect for dog walking!), easy bus access to SLP, and is very walkable and has lots of restaurants, as well as lots of older buildings with hardwood floors. You'll probably have better luck in your price range either out towards SLP or on the edges of Uptown, but it's an option. A suburb also by SLP that has a nice older downtown and a lot of housing options (including some more affordable ones) is Hopkins.

hhawkes · 07-29-2010, 07:49 PM

As far as neighborhoods.. are only major concern is safety and can we afford it. I would love a place where I can excersise perhaps by a park? Thanks for all the info! Can you tell me about the people? We have lived in Atlanta for the past 5 years and have really hated it. Not our cup of tea. People are really rude, very unhelpful just mean, and very status oriented. We wanted to make a move so we can start a family and make good wholesome friends. We will not miss this place at all!

west336 · 07-30-2010, 06:57 PM

I think you'll find cost of living comparable to Atlanta, but perhaps slightly higher in terms of housing dollar per square foot. Currently we rent in an apartment that is about $1.25 per square foot, which is on the higher end for an income that is comparable to yours, but we love the amenities that come with it and those amenities can really impact what you pay for rent. For example, you don't need to pay upwards of $1.00 per square foot per month if the apartment has a gym, sauna, valet service, and free newspapers -- if those are things you don't need from your apartment building. For optimal locations that are low in crime, have lots of amenities, near public transit, near lots of retail, etc. you can expect to pay over $1.00 per square foot, but you can find LOTS of places cheaper than that if you don't need a view, don't care about fitness facilities, and are a little more off the beaten path.

As far as people go, people here are tough to break but once you do you'll probably have those friends for life. I don't know many people at all who care that much about their status, and I know the culture here is not to be too flashy or extroverted about their money (it was part of a CNBC documentary about the Ponzi schemes). I think most people will tell you that if you're friendly, persistent, honest, and somewhat conservative in what you say, you will do great. A lot of people will also say there is some "coldness" among the people and I think that really comes from more conservative "natives", but just because they are slow to warm up doesn't mean they don't like you.

Good luck and congratulations on your move!

northstar22 · 07-30-2010, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hhawkes

As far as neighborhoods.. are only major concern is safety and can we afford it. I would love a place where I can excersise perhaps by a park? Thanks for all the info! Can you tell me about the people? We have lived in Atlanta for the past 5 years and have really hated it. Not our cup of tea. People are really rude, very unhelpful just mean, and very status oriented. We wanted to make a move so we can start a family and make good wholesome friends. We will not miss this place at all!

You're making a wise decision. I lived in Atlanta as a kid and HATED IT! I can't stand that city, or the South in general. You'll love it up here. Minnesotans are great people: very nice, friendly, and down-to-earth. Flashy doesn't fly up here.

I wouldn't recommend living in Minneapolis (the city itself) for a few reasons. One is safety. Although I know there are safe spots in the city, crime, especially murder, is on the rise. Murders have tripled from last year. Some people can deal with living in a higher-crime area, but I wouldn't feel safe living in many areas of Mpls.

Cost is another issue. Since you're looking to rent, any decent, safe rental near the cities will cost more. I came here from a small Michigan town and I was SHOCKED at the rental prices. I'm paying through the nose for a crappy, noisy one-bedroom apartment in Plymouth, a close-in suburb of Mpls. I'm planning to leave the Twin Cities ASAP (for Greater Minnesota, St. Peter specifically) because I'm going to grad school; but also because of the high cost of living in the Metro and because I'm a small town person at heart. The Cities are great for some people, though, it just depends on your lifestyle.

As for area suggestions: my favorite parts of the metro are all about 30 minutes to one hour outside of St. Louis Park, and I know you don't want a long commute. SLP itself is fine, but spendy. Based on your criteria, I would suggest Anoka, Shakopee, New Hope, Champlin, the NORTH side of Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove. These are all decent, safe suburbs within 20 minutes of SLP, and they are all (with the possible exception of Maple Grove) cheaper than SLP. They all have great parks. If you want more urban, St. Paul has a lot of great areas, as well.