Apartments in downtown St Paul?! (Minneapolis, St. Paul: rental car, extended stay, rentals) - Minneapolis - St. Paul - Minnesota (MN) -Twin Cities - City-Data Forum

katt32 · 07-16-2011, 05:03 PM

My husband has just accepted a job in downtown st. paul and we will be moving around the 1st of August. We have a medium size (35-40lb) dog and a 7 year old. We would really like to live right downtown but I'm am having a lot of trouble finding what we need. Either they don't accept dogs, the apartments have an income restrictions (my husband makes too much to qualify) or any 2 bedrooms that take dogs are full. Am I missing something?! I really want to live downtown but I am really getting frustrated trying to find something that fits. Help!!!

I did see one place near lowertown called Schurmeier Loft Condos but they were really inexpensive so I'm wondering if they are in a not so good area:
loc: 9th St East at Pine St Paul MN US - Google Maps

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you

golfgal · 07-17-2011, 05:21 AM

Not a good area, well unless you like living with a lot of traffic, airplane and truck noise. It's not really a residential area at all. Downtown St. Paul, while it does have some apartments/condos isn't really a place a lot of people live.

FamousBlueRaincoat · 07-17-2011, 06:56 AM

Golfgal is right to an extent. Downtown St. Paul (and to a somewhat lesser extend, Downtown Minneapolis) isn't really that interesting a place to live. It's not a very active downtown - not much shopping, no grocery store, not much street life after business hours (and even during business hours, it's pretty light).

That being said, it has been turning around in recent years. There are definitely people who live there - moreso in the Lowertown Area, I believe. There are some restaurants and whatnot geared towards people who live there. Aesthetically, I think downtown St. Paul is superior to downtown Minneapolis, although there's less going on. They have two very classical parks - Mears Park, which I really like, and Rice Park.

As for your specific apartment - you need to check out google street view and see where it actually is. It's on the other side of the interstate from Downtown proper - right near where I-94 and I-35 come together. You're within walking distance of downtown, but still in a pretty barren area. I doubt there's any crime problems over there - just nothing going on.

You probably want to be on the other side of the interstate - in the Lowertown area near Mears Park. Or, if you're just interested in having a little bit of street life, the part of Selby Avenue just west of downtown is fairly active. As well as Grand Avenue. Or even west 7th. And even if you're not within walking distance to your husbands work, it's a fairly quick bus ride into downtown.

katt32 · 07-17-2011, 06:57 AM

I don't mind the traffic, airplane, and truck noise. I am actually looking for a really urban type feel. By good area I guess I meant more of is it safe?

katt32 · 07-17-2011, 07:00 AM

Thanks for the info famousblueraincoat

golfgal · 07-17-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katt32

I don't mind the traffic, airplane, and truck noise. I am actually looking for a really urban type feel. By good area I guess I meant more of is it safe?

THis is not a safe area-that end of St. Paul is one of the higher crime areas in the city. Also, this is literally across the street (freeway) from the St. Paul airport. There is urban noise and then there is just NOISE. Drive over there and see what it is like. It isn't an "urban" area at all, it is a commercial area that happens to have an apartment building near there. It's not within walking distance to anything really. I don't think this is really what you have in mind.

katt32 · 07-17-2011, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

THis is not a safe area-that end of St. Paul is one of the higher crime areas in the city. Also, this is literally across the street (freeway) from the St. Paul airport. There is urban noise and then there is just NOISE. Drive over there and see what it is like. It isn't an "urban" area at all, it is a commercial area that happens to have an apartment building near there. It's not within walking distance to anything really. I don't think this is really what you have in mind.

Got it. Thanks!

Libby01 · 07-17-2011, 08:04 AM

I would recommend searching for Mears Park area or Farmer's Market in Downtown. There are quite a few converted warehouse lofts, although many of them are artist co-ops or condominums. A craigs list search of this shows just 2 buildings (Cosmopolitan and one other)- but it appears both of them accept dogs. Also check out the Kellogg Square high rise. I've known one family with kids who live there and are very happy.
Safety in the downtown area is fairly good- especially near Mears or Rice Park- but the streets aren't exactly filled with people every night. The lack of people is the reason I wouldn't recommend the 9th st east/Pine st address you indicated in your original post. If you look at the crime maps, that area doesn't have much crime at all- but that is because there are very few people here. This is a warehouse area with functioning warehouses. I've left my car in this area at the Enterprise Rental Car many times and never had any issues. But I wouldn't necessarily want to live there. If you move closer to the East side, the crime stats go up because there is a much higher density of people.
If you want proximity to downtown St Paul, but can't find anything that fits in the actual downtown, I would move up the hill towards the Cathedral. This becomes more residential up there, which might not be the exact vibe you are looking for, but access to downtown is a breeze and this area is filled with old historic mansions, apartments and townhomes. Selby avenue has a number of businesses, so it's a pretty lively area. A little further is the Grand Avenue area, which is as lively as it gets in St Paul- but also has great residential areas on either side of Grand.

Cleverbeetle98 · 07-17-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katt32

My husband has just accepted a job in downtown st. paul and we will be moving around the 1st of August. We have a medium size (35-40lb) dog and a 7 year old. We would really like to live right downtown but I'm am having a lot of trouble finding what we need. Either they don't accept dogs, the apartments have an income restrictions (my husband makes too much to qualify) or any 2 bedrooms that take dogs are full. Am I missing something?! I really want to live downtown but I am really getting frustrated trying to find something that fits. Help!!!

I did see one place near lowertown called Schurmeier Loft Condos but they were really inexpensive so I'm wondering if they are in a not so good area:
loc: 9th St East at Pine St Paul MN US - Google Maps

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you

You are going to have a really tough time finding something with only 2 weeks notice. I just finished looking DT St. Paul and back in the beginning of July I couldn't find much available for an Aug 1 move in.

Your best bet is to go to rent.com or something similar and put in your requirements (location, pets, 2br, ect) and see what comes up. That said - I'm pretty sure both Lowertown Commons and the Cosmopolitan allow dogs, have 2brs, and possibly have some (or had some) available for an early Aug move in. Galtier towers was nice but if I remember correctly they only allow service dogs. Another option may be Kellog Apts. There are quite a few income restrictions (or artist co-op) places DT, so if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.

My other suggestion, as this is how I found the place I will be moving to, is to use either (or both) hotpads.com or padmapper.com. You'll get some of the corporate places that you would find on rent.com but also things listed by private owners and/or craigslist postings. Mine was listed by a management company that I never would have found otherwise. I was looking for apartments in a complex also, but found a condo to rent that was actually a much better deal than the apts I was looking at. It also usually gives you a better idea of what's available now vs a few months from now

As someone else suggested, you may want to try Grand/Summit area. There are a lot of rentals, but they are older buildings, often don't have parking, and you won't find as many ammenities as you would in some of the apts downtown. Depends on what you prefer or are willing to spend.

You may have to find temporary housing (or extended stay hotel or something) until you can find an apt available DT. 2 weeks just isn't much time and most complexes try to rent out vacancies ASAP - so if they knew 2 months ago that a tenant was moving out July 31, they've almost definitely rented it out for Aug 1 long ago.

Good Luck!

spectre000 · 07-17-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

Not a good area, well unless you like living with a lot of traffic, airplane and truck noise. It's not really a residential area at all. Downtown St. Paul, while it does have some apartments/condos isn't really a place a lot of people live.

6,500+ people live in the core of downtown.

The vacancy rate is in the low single digits. Hence the reason folks like katt32 can't find an apartment. I'd recommend looking on Craigslist for a condo to rent. Many are available. Might be pricier, but you'll expand the number of available places to live in. You could also try the Upper Landing area as well.

I've lived in downtown for several years now. It's quite safe. The area around Schumeier Lofts isn't the greatest. It's kind of an industrial/commercial area. You really will only have to deal with business class jets landing. But there is little violent crime. I think the last murder in downtown St. Paul was about 4 years ago. I can't even remember the last shooting.