Young Professional Relocating to St Paul (Minneapolis, St. Paul: apartments, rental, neighborhoods)

[basquesheep]

I've been lurking around these forums for a while, researching the Twin Cities. Thank you for all the valuable information!

I am a young professional moving from the West Coast to St Paul for a job downtown in June. Any advice? (housing hunt, move, adjustment, making friends, etc)

* Neighborhoods: Are there any neighborhoods you'd recommend or not recommend? I'm looking for somewhere SAFE (young woman living alone unless I find a roommate) with easy access to amenities (grocery, restaurants, stores, gym, culturally interesting things, etc) and not have to drive to work. I've done some internet hunting and Downtown/Lowertown, Summit/Cathedral/Crocus Hill, Highland, and Mac-Groveland look promising. Places to avoid? (I've come across West 7th, Dayton's Bluff, University, St Paul St) Would you feel safe in downtown St Paul at night? How bothersome is the lightrail construction?

* Apartments: Any apartments or management companies you'd recommend or not recommend? Questions to ask, amenities to look for? (bedbug history/protocol, covered parking)

* Public transit: I'm not planning to drive to work, but haven't decided if I want to have a car there. Is public transit reliable / convenient? Any experience with car sharing programs like Hour Car?


Thanks for the help!

[MN_Bug]

St. Paul has many nice areas. It is sometimes described as a city of Neighborhoods. You mentioned some good areas. My favorites are MacGroveland, Highland, and The Summit/Cathedral hill area. Check out the area around Grand Ave. It is a major destination for people with lots of shops and places to eat. The light rail construction hasn't started yet but I'm sure it will cause some issues but it will be great when it is finished. There are also some nice areas in Minneapolis. Just across the river from St. there is the Longfellow area that is nice. We have pretty well established bus lines but you'll have to learn them. I find them confusing sometimes. I've looked into Hour Car and it looked like an O.K. deal but I never went any further than looking. We have an hourly bike rental program with stations all over the cities you may want to look into.