Af Am Writer Considering MN

[Native NY MN]

Thank you Camden Northsider. That was a huge help. Very concrete. When I make my visit next month I'll be sure to check the North side.

[Minnehahapolitan]

It is particulary hard to find a school here that is both good and diverse. For high schools, Minneapolis - South would be the best of both worlds. Southwest is a little better, but is in a pretty white part of town. There is enough divsrsity there too, IMO. I don't know the elementary schools or Saint Paul schools very well at all. Burroughs and Kenwood are good, but prob. less diverse. Hope that helped somewhat.
---Minnehahapolitan

[K-Luv]

If you want a 'street on street' sort of thing then Minneapolis is by far the way to go. Sounds like Whitier neighborhood would be good for you. There is also this school, which I always thought was an art school for kids....

Whittier Home Page

For artist lofts, housing....downtown St. Paul is the place for that. Five or six years ago they were dirt cheap (but there was a communal bathroom, though) but now they seem through the roof. If you check, you might find something that is still cheap. Five years ago they were going for around $300, now......?

I know that there is one place in Northeast and then the Spice Factory (not the Soap Factory) were people artist "live" and work, but I will tell you right now, these are no places for kids. They are good if you want to legitimately use as an artist studio, though.

[Camden Northsider]

Hi Native, here's links to the schools I mentioned that serve Victory neighborhood - some (middle/ high/ possibly elementary) serve other neighborhoods in Camden as well.

<LI type=square>Loring Elementary (K-5)
2600 44th Avenue North
612-668-2060
www.loring.mpls.k12.mn.us (broken link) <LI type=square>Olson Middle School (5-8)
1607 51st Avenue North
612– 668-1640
www.olson.mpls.k12.mn.us (broken link) <LI type=square>Patrick Henry High School
4320 Newton Avenue North
612-668-2000
www.henry.mpls.k12.mn.us (broken link)

• <LI type=square>Engineering Small Learning Community <LI type=square>Graphic and Fine Arts Small Learning Community <LI type=square>Open Program
• International Baccalaureate Program

[Minnehahapolitan]

I agree with K-Luv. Whittier almost fits you like a glove. A strong arts area (proximity to Mpls. Coll. of Art and Design, Mpls. Ins't of Arts, Childrens' Theater), really diverse, almost equally among Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. convenient transportation on the Nicollet busline. Schools in that area are pretty good. I hear good of Whittier Elem. (local school I assume, if not Minnesota has open enrollemnt among schools), and the area goes to Southwest High school (a ways away, but one of the best schools in the metro. A wonderful Int'l Bachellaurate program). The housing stock is older, and quientessentially Mpls. (a mixture of small, single-family houses and brownstone brick apartments and four-plexes). There are some new condos along Nicollet that are nice and convenient to Eat Street (a dizen blocks of Nicollet which are filled with various ethnic restaurants and groceries; German, Near Eastern, Maylasian, pseudo-Mexican at Little T's, a great Cafe, et. cetera.) The area is generally safe (not Westchester County, not the South Bronx, look at the city police website for crime maps if concerned), but remains nicely ungentrified. The area is inexpensive relative to its surrounding neighborhoods (Uptown, Lyn-Lake, et. cetera.).
It is honestly one of my favorite areas of the city.

[Native NY MN]

Amazing. Thanks to everyone. I appreciate the specific suggestions and will be making a visit to MN in the coming weeks to check out my top neighborhoods. Be well.

[Slig]

I agree with some of the points above, Whittier and Camden seem like two places in Minneapolis that best fit your criteria. However, all the best lofts in the city are downtown, the warehouse district and uptown. From my knowledge both Camden and Whittier comprise mostly of single family homes and rentals/converted duplexes with maybe a small apartment building strewn here and there. If you think south Minneapolis is the place for you I would check out the lofts that were recently built in the historic Sears building near the intersection of Lake and Chicago. The paint is still fresh on those units and the area defines urban living in my opinion.

the chicago - historic lofts on the greenway
Midtown Exchange Condos

[Native NY MN]

Thank you Slig.