St. Jewish Park? (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina: home, buy, housing)

[Big G]

The other historically "Jewish" suburbs would be Hopkins and Golden Valley, but not to the extent that SLP was/is. Edina is the suburb most well-known for redlining Jews (hell, it was an actual city ordinance until the 1960s).

Between the end of redlining and the rise of Reform congregations (no longer tethered to walking distance from the synagogue), the Jewish population has dispersed throughout the metro. You'll still find more than your share of Jews in SLP, but they probably aren't even close to a majority anymore. The delis and synagogues are still there, but many of their customers have moved to nicer digs in other suburbs.

The main knock on SLP is the age and size of the housing stock and the high price for what you get. That's a function of its high quality of schools and its central location.

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by Downtown

St. Louis Park is real and authentic when compared to the bland and ugly outer ring suburbs.

This is what is appealing about it to me. It feels like a small town rather than some recently incorporated swamp full of McMansions.


SLP is probably one of the only burbs you could live in if you didnt own a car.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by nick is rulz

SLP is probably one of the only burbs you could live in if you didnt own a car.

The cost of shopping at Byerly's would stymie your ability to own a car. But yes, I agree.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by nick is rulz

It is very much a Jewish suburb since it was one of the few suburbs that allowed Jews to buy homes...good ol' redlining Its one of the only areas in the metro I know of where you see a lot of kosher delis.

Plymouth Ave in Minneapolis used to be a very Jewish area, but that took a turn during rioting in 1967-1968, and most inhabitants who left relocated to SLP.


Of course its difficult to say the exact demographics for sure anyway...the Census doesnt tally religious info.


SLP is great though. I lived there briefly several years ago. Lots of character to it.

I think it's fair to say that SLP may not be predominately Jewish, but it probably has the largest population of Jews in the metro area.

BTW, St. Paul's equivalent of SLP is Highland Park, actually a city neighborhood, not a suburb. I live there and we think it's great. Only one Jewsih deli, though, Cecil's. But many consider it the best deli in the Metro.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by kuan

The cost of shopping at Byerly's would stymie your ability to own a car. But yes, I agree.

Yeah, but you could more than offset that by buying all your beer, wine and liquor at Trader Joe's.

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by kuan

The cost of shopping at Byerly's would stymie your ability to own a car. But yes, I agree.

good thing theres a super target there then I do all my shopping there.

[Carolina_Belle92]

Oh, EXCELLENT!! About the kosher deli thing, I mean. I have tried sooooo hard to keep kosher, but that's not exactly easy when you live in Montana... so I've pretty much been eating vegetarian. Thank G*d for Hebrew National, right? :-D

Well, that's awesome that it's such a great suburb... I would much rather not have to deal with the hassle of having a car, and just bike around. Also, no car = no auto theft, and bikes are much cheaper to replace.

I've looked at Edina, but it seemed to me to be a tad on the McMansion side...? Correct me if I'm wrong. Just seemed a little more pretentious than SLP.

Ben Around: Thanks for the suggestion about Highland Park, but I would definitely be in Minneapolis as opposed to St. Paul... just because I'd be playing in the orchestra there (provided I can ace an audition)... something like 3-5 miles from SLP, and way farther from St. Paul.

This stuff is great. Thanks so much!!

One more question: commuting to Minneapolis, how dangerous is it? I realize that as a neighborhood, SLP is quite safe (at least that's what I'm getting), but Minneapolis itself? How bad?

And how are Twin Cities drivers? I just recently visited Boston and New York in the same trip... OMG. It made me so happy to come home to MT where everyone smiles and waves out the window of their pickup, whether they know you or not... are the Minneapolis drivers as pushy and rude as the East Coasters?

[punkerdunker]

Originally Posted by Carolina_Belle92

And how are Twin Cities drivers? I just recently visited Boston and New York in the same trip... OMG. It made me so happy to come home to MT where everyone smiles and waves out the window of their pickup, whether they know you or not... are the Minneapolis drivers as pushy and rude as the East Coasters?

OMG - that isn't going to happen here much if you don't know eachother, with one notable exception - the nicer drivers around here will stop if you are waiting to cross the street at a crosswalk with no signal. This is actually a law, but not all drivers respect it. Anyway, when this happens I always wave at these nice drivers who invariably return the wave. I do the same when I'm driving instead of walking.

While nowhere near as bad as Boston or NY, alot of drivers just want you to get out of their way. I'm sure these people exist everywhere, and I don't think they're the majority, but some days it feels that way. They can be very disrespectful to bicyclists, not wanting to share the road, even if you are all the way over to the right and they can easily pass you.

At the same time, many drivers are safe and courteous, and often let other drivers in when they need to change lanes in front of them- I think these are the same ones who respect bikes and pedestrians, but thats just a hunch.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Edina has a mix of housing, so it wouldn't say McMansion literally. It is one of the most prestigious suburbs, and it acts the part. Some parts, especially high density areas, are better about that. If you are commuting, or even biking, between Saint Louis Park, Uptown, Downtown, Northeast, South of about 38th. or Southwest you are fine. If you have a car, there aren't many places I would be scared to drive. I would no go off main roads on the Near North side or cruise through Phillips with my windows down. Violent crime
generally isn't carried out on random people. Use your "city sense". Mpls. drivers are some of the kindest I have seen, no fear there. Luck with the audition
----Minnehahapolitan

[kuan]

Edina, well, just don't forget and leave your garbage can out the day after pickup day, and don't park a car worth less than $31,000 on the street overnight or someone might call the cops.