Moving to Minneapolis (St. Paul, Franklin, Lynd: best neighborhoods, apartments, rental) - Twin Cities - City-Data Forum

mnnewbie23 · 10-25-2010, 11:25 AM

I have read through the majority of posts on this site so I understand this is kind of a repeat question, but I thought I would try any way. I am going to be moving to Minneapolis in a few weeks. Through research I have the area I would like to move narrowed down to two: Uptown and Warehouse district. My goal is too take public transportation to work, I will be working at the VA Hospital. My question is.....are these the best neighborhoods to be looking at for easy commutes? How long of a commute from these areas? I am a 32 year old single female, I want to be in a safe area with lots of stuff to do: any other recommendations? My max for rent is 1000.

Thanks!

SoDak11 · 10-25-2010, 12:26 PM

Working at the VA and planning on taking public transit, I'd absolutely stick to areas directly on the Light Rail (since the VA Hospital is a direct stop along the line), so of your two choices, I'd vote for Warehouse District. Uptown will just add an annoying bus transfer and a lot more time to the commute, especially in bad winter weather. Warehouse District to VA in an easy and consistent 21 minutes by LRT, and you would always get a seat at those stops. With Uptown, from Hennepin/Lake to the VA would be 35 - 50 minutes during rush hour, maybe longer during non rush hours with less frequent service (important if you are working weekends or off hours like an RN).

If you are working off hours, you'll really appreciate not having to transfer off the LRT late at night...not that the bus is more dangerous than the LRT, but as a 32 year old single female (not sure where you are moving from-small town, big city??), your comfort zone might be different than mine when it comes to waiting for a transfer at night.

As far as rental costs in those areas, I have no idea.

I'd definitely check out all areas along the light rail both north and south of the VA. There are apartments and condos at numerous stops along the line. However, if you are looking for lots to do within walking distance of home, your 2 options you already mentioned are probably best.

Cruz Azul Guy · 10-25-2010, 12:33 PM

^ I second this. You could look at housing off the other stops but there is more going on downtown. It'd be a great setup if you could find a decent apartment downtown right off one of the light rail stations. You'd have a quick and stress free train commute to and from work every day.

golfgal · 10-25-2010, 01:35 PM

Another thought would be to look into the apartments right on the river in St. Paul across from Fort Snelling (on Highway 5). I forgot their name but someone here will know. Several of the younger people from my office live there and love the area. It would be a VERY easy commute to work.

Keep in mind that the Warehouse district is pretty quite at night, Uptown would be better for that, but the commute on the Light Rail would be much easier.

Cruz Azul Guy · 10-25-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

Keep in mind that the Warehouse district is pretty quite at night, Uptown would be better for that, but the commute on the Light Rail would be much easier.

Yeah, except that most of the warehouse district is within a couple blocks of 1st Ave and Hennepin Ave which is home to the biggest bar scene in the state of Minnesota. I wouldn't exactly call that area "quiet at night."

uptown_urbanist · 10-25-2010, 03:01 PM

I agree. I love Uptown, but with a commute to the VA I'd make life easy and choose an option accessible via light rail. On the other hand, it's definitely doable from Uptown. The St. Paul options would be easy, too.

Chris0214 · 10-25-2010, 07:00 PM

I recently moved to Minneapolis, more specifically the warehouse district, so hopefully my early experience is helpful.

Overall, I really like the area. It is a 10 minute or less walk from my apartment to the light rail and trains run all the time. I agree with the posts that your commute from the warehouse district would be shorter and probably more convenient.

The neighborhood is unique and has a good vibe. It is "quiet" most nights, busier on the weekends. Slig mentioned 1st Ave being close by and he is right. Nightlife is not right outside your door but its only a few blocks away which I prefer. I can walk 5 min and find nightlife but I don't have worry about loud crazy people keeping me up at night.

One of the things that I don't like so much is the crime. I don't believe the area is unsafe but I have noticed a lot of cars being broken into. I have lived in the area for about a month and on averaged I see a car window broken out once a week. If you have a car, I would recommend getting underground parking.

Rent may be another issue for you in the area. I am not sure how much apartment you'll get for $1000. My rent for a one bedroom is a few hundred dollars more than what you are looking to pay and I think my rent might be a bit cheaper than average for the area. This is, of course, not to say you can't find something in your price range you may just have to search for a bit.

I would recommend the warehouse district and love it here so far, just want you to be aware of some of the issues you might find.

StilltheSame · 10-25-2010, 07:56 PM

I agree with the Warehouse District over Uptown, but if cost is an issue - you may want to expand a few blocks and that may negate some of the crime issues/concerns Chris mentioned. Overall though MN is super super safe. After over a year here - I rarely have any concerns over safety.

mnnewbie23 · 10-26-2010, 09:01 AM

Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate it. I do realize that apartments are going above 1000, I will be able to pay more if I take public transportation and park my car(underground of course!). The commute from uptown seems a bit long, according to google maps...about 45 minutes to the VA, does this sound right?

Chris0214...... Do you have any recommendations for apartments? I looked at some online sites but there doesn't seem to be too much.

One last question..... Is Uptown busy all the time? Seems like the warehouse district is mainly weekends and some nights. Will noise during th week be a problem in Uptown?

uptown_urbanist · 10-26-2010, 10:23 AM

45 minutes to the VA by bus from Uptown is probably right, but I'd check the bus schedules just in case. If you're looking at driving it will be far less than 45 minutes.

Noise can be a problem in Uptown, but it very, very much depends on specific block. The Wedge neighborhood (between Franklin and Lake, Lyndale and Hennepin) has the worst noise problems, although even in there it can still vary by block. Some areas can be very quiet, especially during the week.