Recent College Grads moving to Minneapolis (St. Paul: best neighborhood, affordable apartment, rentals)

[macilex]

Hello there,
My boyfriend and I are moving to Minneapolis in January. We both work full time at temp jobs right now and can only visit once or twice to find an apartment before moving. I was hoping you could help me find the best neighborhood to apartment hunt in come November.

Small profile of what we're looking for:
1. Close to or on bus-line to U of M
2. Near local grocery store
3. Low crime rate
4. Affordable rent ($500 to $700 a month for a one bedroom or studio)
5. Near a local park
6. Near some sort of entertainment (movie theater, performing arts, shopping)

We'd also like to be in a neighborhood that will have people in a similar situation as us. Right now we're in a very small town that is home to college students, senior citizens and professors. Most people that graduate here do not stay in town because of the lack of job availability.

[west336]

My first reaction was Northeast Minneapolis and that newer condo building with a Lunds at the bottom, but it's a condo not an apartment and the rates are very expensive. I'm not sure how easy it'll be to get a $500 a month rent in a low crime area, but I may be wrong...

[emcee squared]

My rent is below $500 in Seven Corners. It is a nice apartment complex, too. The only problem is there isn't a grocery store within walking distance.

It does have all of the other criteria to some degree.

[audadvnc]

I pay $640/mo for an apartment near 38th and Grand, less than a mile from Lakes Harriet and Calhoun. Check with UPI Property Mgmt in Minneapolis - they have "a history" in town, not entirely unjustified, so keep in mind they're apartment landlords, not Girl Scouts, and you should be OK.

[uptown_urbanist]

Check out Como or Marcy-Holmes. The area around the Lund's mentioned above (part of that includes M-H) is a good suggestion; there's a huge range of rentals, and while some are going to be way out of your price range, some are much more affordable.

There are areas in St. Paul, too, that might have what you're looking for; I'm not sure what rentals go for or specific neighborhoods, but there might be some options either near the St. Paul campus (in which case you could hop on a direct shuttle bus to the main U campus, or take the city bus) or on University (Prospect Park, for one; houses are expensive there, but there might be some affordable apartment options mixed in.)

[Radical_Car]

I know this is cliche, but craigslist is a great place to look.

[jeffpv]

Seven Corners/Augsburg area