Moving from Phoenix to Minneapolis (Mankato, Marshall: ski resorts, school districts, place to live)

[betsi100]

Well I can certainly understand why you need a change, Kandj, and a slower pace. I hope you'll be very happy in Minnesota. Different strokes for different folks. I'm glad you're checking out the winter - I'm sure you'll do fine.

[JenLee]

Kandj, if you really like 1950's houses and low criime areas, look at the Arden Hills, Roseville, Shoreview area between Larpentuer Ave and 694 and Fairview and Dale Aves. It's an area full of 1950's housing (interspersed with older farmhouse syles and now starting to have some townhouses and condos mixed in) but definitely NOT cookie cutter styles. There is very little crime in the area between Hiway 36 and 694.

Betsi100; I don't understand why you stay in a place you hate so much! Wishing you luck and God speed at getting out of here.

[Minnehahapolitan]

/\Could you add Falcon Heights (or not, I'm not great with the area)

[BrianDB]

WBL is a darling small town, clean, safe, and within 40 min of Mpls/St. Paul airport - so has all amenities of big city without the traffic, congestion, other problems of a big city. Disagree with St Paulie girl - at Lakehouse.com Home Page lake real estate, lake property, lake home, for sale, properties, homes, lakefront, waterfront we found affordable place at White Bear Lake, and everyone seems to keep up their places there. We love it there - activities all year round, clean air, great people. We have lived in Phx for many years and agree have seen the changes you talk about. Winters in MN are supposed to be a lot milder than in years past. Good luck with your retirement.

[Erika Europe2US]

There have been some very useful insights on this thread! My husband and I want to get out of Vegas - great weather (in my opinion) BUT awful traffic, no good schools, no community feel - similar reasons to kandj's for leaving Phx. We want to have children in a couple of years and we have all of his family in MN. Every time we visit I fall in love with the culture and the people. I suppose it depends on your neighborhood but my sister-in-law's area (around 35th and 25th Ave) is wonderful. The last time I was there, the neighbors all got together to throw a welcome bbq (thankfully it was June) for a couple who'd just moved to the street from CA.

The weather is my only problem, and for me it's a BIG problem as I fall into the category of being a sun bunny, having grown up in dull, damp England, I love the heat. However, there are more things in life than sunlight and warm, balmy evenings (I think), so we're working out what's right for us.

And hey, if after a couple of winters, I feel like a wilting flower, we can always try somewhere else. I'm hoping that everything else will outweigh the looooong, dark winters () and we'll be able to take equally loooong vacations to a nice warm dry heat.

[Minnehahapolitan]

/\Thats whats great about Minneapolis winters. The hours of daylight decrease, but the coldest days are the sunniest

[betsi100]

Originally Posted by JenLee

Betsi100; I don't understand why you stay in a place you hate so much! Wishing you luck and God speed at getting out of here.

Thanks for the best wishes you're so sweet - now if I could only find someone who wants to move here and buy my house

[lukeache]

I lived in Phoenix for three years and Phoenix is a dump. Rude, ignorant people everywhere, the city has no soul, everything is fake and plastic, those "men-made" lakes are a joke, I remember some of these homes that were built around a manmade lake or should I say a man-made pond. That is the Phoenix idea of "lakeshore living". Phoenix attracts some of the trashiest elements you will ever find, it is a magnet for ex cons, drug dealers, prostitutes, meth heads, bikers, strippers, white supremacists, etc. Moving from Phoenix back to Minneapolis, was kind of moving from Mexico back to Sweden. They are 100 years behind in everything. Phoenix sucks

[Lillietta]

[QUOTE=Minnehahapolitan;1372071]/\Could you add Falcon Heights (or not, I'm not great with the area)[/quote]

I heard the taxes kill in Falcon Heights.

[Lillietta]

[It will be tough to get a house in either Minnetonka or Mendota Heights for $325K but there might be some. Mendota Heights but you will be able to find something in your price range easily.[/quote]

During this housing slump, you won't have any trouble finding a house for that amount in Minnetonka or Mendota. Believe me. I have been online for the past four days house-hunting. Now is the time! You will get unbelievably great deals!