Good Neighborhood for Boston Transplant

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by GoodGolly

Thank you for the info., everyone.
WJ, good luck with your move.
We are thinking that a neighborhood around one of the colleges will serve our needs/preferences best. I know that we're really going to miss the T (subway system). I have read that a light rail project is in the works along one thoroughfare in St. Paul. I'm assuming that we will need to make use of the bus system because I can't see that it's going to branch throughout the city. Am I right? We have just one car -- rarely used in the city -- because we can get everywhere we need to go via the T here.
One other question -- does St. Paul have a good community education program? We're looking for ways to get to know people with common interests.

St Catherine, St Thomas, Macalester, Hamline, Concordia & William Mitchell Law School all being in roughly the same area gives you a lot of options for being around colleges.

The lower end neighborhoods of the areas like Hamline-Midway, Merriam/Union Park & Summit-University/Summit-U all border University Ave where the new light rail line is currently being installed. In a few years, those areas will have immediate light rail access and be more in-demand.

St Paul has the same MTC bus system as Mpls, that is to say excellent. It also has an excellent bike path system (Not as good as Mpls's, but who's is?) & that would be an easy bike commute to work 3/4 of the year.

Community education? Not sure exactly, but....St Paul schools/neighborhoods/parks/churches are always looking for volunteers & new members so that's a great way for new residents to get to know people in the community.

[jaxontwinz]

Highland Park or Macalester-Groveland will feel the most close to home feel and will be maybe a 15 minute drive to downtown St. Paul.

[west336]

I'm worried that no place in the Twin Cities will meet your expectations.....the TC are NOT Boston, in the urban context anyways.

[GoodGolly]

Originally Posted by west336

I'm worried that no place in the Twin Cities will meet your expectations.....the TC are NOT Boston, in the urban context anyways.

I think we will do okay with the move. I'm sure that some of those things that we have to leave behind will be made up for by other things that are unique to this area. It can't be too difficult to figure out the bus system in St. Paul, can it?

[Libby01]

You can find all the transit information at www.metrotransit.org.
If you're heading towards downtown St Paul, look for lines along Grand Ave, St. Claire or Randolph.

It sounds like you will have plenty of time to explore neighborhoods, while housesitting, which is great. There are some wonderful neighborhoods around Grand Avenue/ Summit area- with shopping on Grand. MacGroveland has a lot of good solid housing stock is also a great option. I live in Highland Park and there is a lot of shopping/services/library/park etc here.The paths for biking and running are fantastic as well. You can get on the path by the river and go to the U of Mn without getting off the path, or having to cross an intersection. It's also easy to get to downtown on a bikepath along the river going the other direction. Heading across the river, you're in Minneapolis and have access to Fort Snelling and all their paths. Minneapolis & St Paul (in fact the whole metro) has made great advances in becoming more bike friendly in the last decade, so many people are now able to commute by bike. If that's an option for you, make sure you check out bike routes,as well as transit routes.