Moving from Chicago (Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Anthony: to rent, condo, house)

[Chicago84]

Hello! We are a young couple (28 years old) possibly moving to Minneapolis from Chicago. I was born and raised in Chicago's Lincoln Park and then we moved downtown when we got married, and we love the walkability of Chicago, as well as the different kinds of neighborhoods. We are big foodies, and love to go out to eat and for drinks. We also love Chicago's markets and parks and attractions (the zoo, museums, etc.). We are thinking of maybe having a child in the next few years, but seeing as I was raised in the city, we would like to do the same for our potential future kids.

So, in a nut shell: What neighborhoods in Minneapolis do you suggest we look into? My husband will be at the University of MN Children's hospital for residency, by the way, so somewhere within a 20 minute commute would be best. Looking for a fun area! Thanks!

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

You should probably also post info about potential housing range (including preference to rent vs. buy).

My family lived in that Lincoln Park neighborhood near the intersection of Clark and Fullerton for about 10 years after moving from Minneapolis, and later they moved on to San Francisco. So I know the area fairly well and can try to help you as best as possible!

Firstly, there are essentially NO neighborhoods in the Twin Cities that will be like Lincoln Park. In fact, there are maybe only 5 or 6 cities in the whole country that could mimic that kind of environment (NYC, Boston, DC, SF, and Philly), so please keep that in mind while you adjust to the new environment. That being said, SOME people think that Minneapolis has a lot of the characteristics that Chicago has, so maybe you'll find that to be true as well! The only neighborhoods that even approach that density of people and/or retail would be the following (bolded are my personal choices):

-Loring Park (downtown)
-North Loop (downtown)
-Mills District (downtown)
-Elliot Park (downtown)
-St. Anthony Main (NE downtown)
-Whittier (S. Mpls)
-Stevens Square (S. Mpls)
-Uptown Area (incl. Uptown, CARAG, LynLake, etc. in SW. Mpls)
-Cedar-Riverside (SE Mpls)
-Phillips (S. Mpls)
-Prospect Park/Marcy Holmes (U of M in NE Mpls)

That's all I can think of, but I'm sure I'm missing a few in St. Paul for example. Those are all a.) younger, b.) lower crime, c.) walkable, d.) near major amenities, e.) have retail, and f.) are w/in 20 minutes of U of M Children's Hospital.

There are a couple neighborhoods not listed that are popular but don't meet all of the criteria you specified. For example, Linden Hills is a neighborhood sandwiched between the two most popular lakes in the city, but is prohibitively expensive for most and isn't quite as densely populated as the others. Others might suggest a neighborhood like Victory in the Northside of town, but it's a bit far from Children's Hospital and is also a bit less urban that what you are used to.

From that list, I'd recommend Uptown, Northeast (like St. Anthony Main), or somewhere Downtown (I like Loring Park personally, but many others in your demographic prefer North Loop). Uptown has it all, and it's right next to Lake Calhoun, which I SERIOUSLY recommend you spend lots of time at (or any of the Chain of Lakes). A huge piece of the local culture in the Twin Cities revolves around the lakes, and the city lakes like Harriet or Calhoun are quentessential Minneapolis (differentiates the city from others and gives it its personality). More specifically, if you could park yourself between Hennipen Ave and Lake Calhoun a block or two off of Lake/Lagoon, you'd be in a prime location IMO (but also a very popular place for college and graduate students to live, FYI).

Good luck with your search, and please feel free to ask additional questions.

Welcome!

[Chicago84]

Wow! Thanks so much for all of the info! We are looking to rent, not buy, and are not exactly sure what our price range will be. Ideally I'll get a teaching job (I've been teaching for 6 years and don't sit around for too long very well...), and then my husband will get whatever they pay their pediatric residents. We'd love to find a two bed/two bath place. No preference really between a house and a condo. We'd like to have parking either included with the place or easy to find on the street.

I forgot to mention in my original post that what we don't like about living downtown is how crowded it is with people (especially during vacation and holiday seasons!)... Lincoln Park, Bucktown/ Wicker Park, Lincoln Square, and Andersonville neighborhoods of Chicago are our favorites if that helps at all. ALl have restaurants, bars, and shops a plenty. : )

When we visit Minneapolis, we will be there on a Saturday and Sunday. We hope to drive around and get a feel for neighborhoods while there. Any recommendations regarding where to go, what to do, where to eat, etc. would be greatly helpful!

Thanks so much again! Keep the recommendations and information coming! : )