Opinions on this neighborhood? (Minneapolis, Clinton: foreclosures, crime, houses)

[JeffMicklus]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you could offer me any information about these neighborhoods in terms of safety?

One of them is in "3xxx Portland Avenue 55407" and the other one is in the Loring Park neighborhood. I'm not familiar with how safe these neighborhoods are and would appreciate any information.

[GBCommenter]

The 3000 block of Portland Avenue (AKA Lake Street and Portland) has the reputation for being a sketchy neighborhood (fairly or not somewhat subjective).

Loring Park, IMO, depends on exactly where...parts would be fairly safe, but a few troubled buildings.

If I had to live in one or the other, I personally would probably choose Loring Park.

Minneapolis Police Dept. publishes crime maps and statistics on their website: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Official Web Site. For your purposes, if looking at neighborhood names you'd want Phillips West or Central for the 3000 Portland, Loring Park is same name.

[gweilo845]

I lived at 39th and Portland for about a year and a half and during that time there were several attempted break-ins, one of which I stopped at about 9 in the morning when I caught someone cutting the screen of my bedroom window. We eventually got a security system, but didn't deter the local crack heads from trying to come in again.

It was a regular occurence to hear gun shots, some close enough that you would insitinctively flinch. There was a brothel/call girl ring in an abandoned house across the street, a crack house that was regularly raided by SWAT, gang graffiti everywhere (including people's houses, garages, even churches). The local convience stores were little more than fronts or straight up drug hangouts. I was almost mugged a couple of times walking the two blocks from the bus stop to my house. The only reason I stayed there for that long was because I lost my job and couldn't afford to move out.

Unlike some other neighborhoods in the area, there really has been no forward progress in cleaning it up over the past few years. There are still homes that haven't gotten repaired after the tornado that hit about 3 years ago and there are a lot of foreclosures in the area. It's a shame, because literally if you go a few blocks in any direction besides north (ie towards Lake street), the area is actually pretty nice.

I actually moved to a building in Loring Park from there. The neighborhood is much safer. There are quite a few bums in the area but they're harmless for the most part.

[Glenfield]

I lived in the Loring Park area for a number of years and really liked it. I never felt unsafe there. The first x in 3xxx might make a difference, but I think that this is generally a tougher area... more break ins, gang activity, etc. It's a pretty poor area.

[audadvnc]

Lake and Portland has been rough since the 70's. But things do change over the years. I'd say the OP should drive over to the block in question, talk to some neighbors and folks on the street and make up his or her own mind about the current status of the neighborhood.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Given a choice between the two I'd live in Loring Park. I feel perfectly safe in both areas but my wife gets a little edgy about walking around the Central neighborhood (which includes Portland Ave in the 30's). There are alot of blocks over there that are pretty run down looking right now. We currently live in South Minneapolis and love it, but that is one of the few areas where we most likely wouldn't consider moving to. Once you get into the 40's over there things improve very quickly though.

[Lorielicious]

But you'll be a mere two blocks from Chicago-Lake Liquors!

[Laggard]

Loring is very safe. Lake and Portland to 39th and Portland not so much.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Lorielicious

But you'll be a mere two blocks from Chicago-Lake Liquors!

Chicago-Lake Liquors is an alcoholic's paradise I will admit.

[Thegonagle]

If you're moving in from a different area, and don't know your neighborhoods, go with the Loring park area. You are sure it's Loring park though, right? For instance, 19th and Clinton is sometimes advertised as Loring park, even though it's not really, the same way as 22nd and Pillsbury, or 38th and Grand are sometimes advertised as Uptown, even though they're not.

(For whatever it's worth, I'd live around 19th and Clinton, 22nd and Pillsbury, or 38th and Grand, before I'd live in most of the 30's, or 20's, on Portland.)