Car needed for Minneapolis living? (St. Paul, Dayton: apartment, to rent, buying a home)

[nr272]

Minneapolis has always interested me as a place to live me and I'm just trying to find out a little information. How hard is it get around the city without a car? I'm from Providence, RI (think like Boston) and am used to either biking, walking, or taking the bus everywhere. Living without a car is very easy here. I've also heard St. Paul is denser than Mpls and is more similar to Providence? Like I said, I don't know much. Any information is appreciated!

[Minnehahapolitan]

Well first, Saint Paul will be more like Providence. It is a much more Eastern city. it is less dense than Minneapolis. I feel the transportation in Minneapolis is easier. More buses are more frequent.
Minneapolis is walkable, bikeable and busable. Within any urban area of the city, your immediate area will have a few basic necessities. It isn't Boston or San Francsico where you live on top of your favorite restaurant and there is a continuous block of storefronts. Residential and Commercial is mostly seperate, but not annoyingly so. Buses are convenient on the major streets coming from downtown. Live along Hennepin, Nicollet, Chicago, Central for the best service (min. of 15 minutes). Other areas have pretty good bus service, but it is less predictable. Saint Paul has good buslines along University and Snelling (I believe), and many others throughout the city.
Minneapolis bikes alot, even in winter. I believe we are only behind Portland for bike use. Many streets have buslanes, and some old railroad tracks have been paved over to make bike and pedestrian only paths. Many places to lock up.
There is a light rail line that connects downtown to the airport and Mall of America through a few city neighborhoods. There are immediate plans for a second line between downtown Mpls. and downtown Saint Paul, through the Univ. of Minn. There are less tangible plans for streetcars on the aforementioned streets and further development of the light rail lines. It will be a few years off.
To summarize, It can be done if you live in the right area of the city. Not all of Mpls. is urban. You will have to make a few concessions, but it is certainly doable. ' There are always taxis and friends. Most people have cars, but it is quickly becoming easier to forego them, and there are a good number of people who have gone without a car for many years. It isn't Boston...yet. Feel free if there is anything I missed, or if you have anymore questions.
---Minnehahapolitan

[nr272]

Thanks for the response... thats the kind of information I'm looking for! I didn't realize Minneapolis was so bike friendly; that's great since bike is my primary mode of travel. Could you tell which Minneapolis (or St. Paul) neighborhoods are easily accessible to the respective downtowns and are affordable to rent a small apartment? It's alright if the area is dodgy, as long as it's not too bad. Thank you.

[Minnehahapolitan]

The more affordable areas are around the University (lots of students), Whittier (around Nicollet/Mpls Ins't of Arts) and around Northeast (Central Avenue) None of those areas are too dangerous. I perfer Whittier over Northeast, but all are great areas.
I don't know Saint Paul as well.
The West Side (south of the river from downtown) is an affordable, quiet and diverse area.

[punkerdunker]

If you were going to rent a small apartment in St. Paul with no car near downtown, I'd look at the far east end of Grand ave. It's the most walkable street in the city going all the way west to the river (also a fairly frequent busline), and going east on your bike will bring you right downtown, downhill all the way. The next street north is Summit avenue, a historic tree-lined parkway with dedicated bike lanes in both directions. While buying a home in this area is expensive, I think renting there is reasonable in the multi-unit buildings.

The most dodgy areas near downtown are frogtown, the north side (around Rice st. north of University), and the East side around Dayton's Bluff / Arcade St. I think every neighborhood that borders the downtown tends to be sketchy in places - usually it's the areas closest to downtown or bordering a freeway.

[nr272]

Thanks for the ideas punkerdrunker (and Minnehahapolitan). I know Google maps isn't the best thing to use to get a sense of a city, but I looked at the Grand avenue area and it definitely reminds me a bit of Providence (a good thing) and it looks like it will be very do-able without a car. Thanks!

[irat]

Hey,

I grew up in Boston, went to school in Saint Paul, moved back to Boston and just returned to the Twin Cities. I lived the first three years here without a car (albeit on a college campus) and some with. I'd echo the comments left by others but I can probably add a bit:

1. Biking here is easier and better than in Boston in all respects but one. It is better in that there are bike lanes, lane markings, nicer (though not necessarily better) drivers, bike paths, fewer grades, wider roads (especially downtown), straighter roads, better pavement and more. The one issue is that in the winter it can get very, very cold. Obscenely cold. It is no fun to bike when it is -10 out no matter what. But otherwise, biking here is fantastic.

2. Transit here kind of stinks. The upside is that all transit vehicles have bike racks (earth to Boston!). The downside is that there are a lot of infrequent and somewhat unreliable and slow bus routes. The Twin Cities had a great streetcar system which they ripped out in the early '50s. There is one light rail line, proposals for more, and ideas banging around about streetcars. That could help.

3. The Twin Cities have carsharing (yes!). Zipcar, the national now-juggernaut, has half a dozen cars at the U, and Hourcar (full disclosure -- I work for them, HOURCAR - Welcome!) has 16 cars throughout the Cities. Not the density of car sharing in Boston or San Francisco, but a start. And they are all Priuses, so you can feel environmentally happy driving them, and you can also fold down the back seat and slide your bike in.

So -- living here without a car is good, and getting better!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by nr272

I didn't realize Minneapolis was so bike friendly; that's great since bike is my primary mode of travel.

I've used a bike as my main mode of transport for almost ten years and I would not call Minneapolis 'bike friendly'. There is an overwhelmingly large bike population in this city, though.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

I've used a bike as my main mode of transport for almost ten years and I would not call Minneapolis 'bike friendly'. There is an overwhelmingly large bike population in this city, though.

I'm sure it could be a lot better. When compared to most major metros in the country, though, the Twin Cities is bicycle heaven.

Try riding a bike in the Atlanta suburbs sometime. No dedicated bike trails, lots of winding hilly roads, and many roads have no paved shoulders at all (many of them have grass shoulders).

[Lillietta]

Don't judge the rents on Grand Avenue in comparison to other nice areas of the city. Grand Avenue tends to be pricey.