Safe Affordable Neigborhoods Close to Town (Minneapolis, Eden Prairie: apartments, for rent, violent crime)

[CrispyCritter]

Hello! I'm currently living in Pennsylvania but I plan on moving to Minneapolis or Seattle by the end of this summer. I haven't decided yet as it will depend on where I can find a job as a Registered Nurse. I just wanted to know what are some safe neighborhoods for a young single woman with no children? If anyone knows anything about the nursing scene, I'd like to know about that too. Thanks!

[xandrex]

Health care jobs are all over the Twin Cities. Do you know where you'll be working (have you applied to any places you're waiting to hear from at least)? You wouldn't want to live in a Minneapolis neighborhood and then have to commute to the east metro, for instance. It will be hard to give specific suggestions before knowing job locations.

A few other clarification questions:
City or suburbs?
Drive or public transportation?
What is your budget?
What sort of vibe and amenities are you looking for?

If you can answer those, we can at least begin to offer general suggestions.

[1stpontiac]

xandrex is right...we could name the places that AREN'T safe to live faster than the ones that are. Of course, then we'd have to argue about the meaning of "not safe" for at least 6 pages

[Kayekaye]

The nurses union would be the place to look for info on the nursing scene, they have had several protests and walkouts recently because of longer work hours and too few staff. Swing shifts, holidays and weekend hours nurses get paid higher usually.
About MNA | Minnesota Nurses Association

Here is a rundown of the Minneapolis crime stats by neighborhood
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/gro...s1p-097336.pdf
You can google "crime statistics" of other areas if you like.

If you had a car for transportation then I would suggest a south metro suburb like Edina or Eden Prairie.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by Kayekaye

The nurses union would be the place to look for info on the nursing scene, they have had several protests and walkouts recently because of longer work hours and too few staff. Swing shifts, holidays and weekend hours nurses get paid higher usually.
About MNA | Minnesota Nurses Association

Here is a rundown of the Minneapolis crime stats by neighborhood
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/gro...s1p-097336.pdf
You can google "crime statistics" of other areas if you like.

If you had a car for transportation then I would suggest a south metro suburb like Edina or Eden Prairie.

You picked violent crime stats from the entire city of Minneapolis in January 2012 as your frame of reference for general safety? Seems a bit silly.

We have no clue what the OP on what the OP wants or what her budget is, so why choose two of the most expensive suburbs in the metro? Add on top of that if the OP gets a job in the north metro, she'd have quite the commute from Eden Prairie!

[CrispyCritter]

Originally Posted by xandrex

Health care jobs are all over the Twin Cities. Do you know where you'll be working (have you applied to any places you're waiting to hear from at least)? You wouldn't want to live in a Minneapolis neighborhood and then have to commute to the east metro, for instance. It will be hard to give specific suggestions before knowing job locations.

A few other clarification questions:
City or suburbs?
Drive or public transportation?
What is your budget?
What sort of vibe and amenities are you looking for?

If you can answer those, we can at least begin to offer general suggestions.

I haven't applied to any places yet because I'm still in the process of obtaining my Minnesota nursing license. I go on indeed.com and I see plenty of jobs for RNs. I have a car, but I still like to use public transportation once in a while. I'm willing to pay up to $550 for rent. It would be nice to live somewhere that's close to a grocery store and fitness center.

[golfgal]

I agree with others that it really depends on where you end up working. $550/month for rent is going to be a little difficult in a safe neighborhood but RN salaries (if you have a 4 year degree) are pretty generous and you should be able to find an affordable place quite easily. There is a huge medical community here so finding a job probably won't be much of an issue.

[uptown_urbanist]

I'd find the job first, then go from there. You should have lots of options, especially if you're willing to either go up on rent or split a 2-BR with a roommate. You could potentially (depending on where you get a job) walk to work. Say you get a job at Southdale Hospital or in one of the medical offices in that area, for example; there are apartments literally right there. Or if you got a job at U of MN Fairview hospital or somewhere in that huge complex; tons of options near there, too. Same could be said of any number of other places. You'll be most limited by budget, but $550 is easy if go the roommate route, otherwise you may be able to find a studio in that price range.

[QuietBlue]

Agreed that you should wait until you know where you'll be working, if you can, since there are many different possibilities. And if you're willing to have a roomate, $550/month will give you a lot of options (my SO is looking for a place in the 400-450 range and is finding plenty of options in nice areas).

[xandrex]

$550 is a tight budget. You're unlikely to find a one-bedroom anywhere at that price. Maybe a few studios, but throw in some utilities and you're above that. I'm paying about $550 total with rent and utilities every month to split a two-bedroom place. That's probably a little higher than some areas of town as I'm close to the university and downtown, but it's not way out there (and Seattle rent is even higher from what I've heard).

RNs seem to make pretty good money, so you can probably expect to afford more than $550. Once you know locations you're aiming for job-wise, we can give you some good suggestions!