Crime in Midway, St Paul (St. Paul, Marshall: apartment, how much, house)

[menoninblack]

Hi,
I'm a young professional considering moving to Midway to a house close to lexington and university after living on the west bank by seven corners for a year now. The house is full of students, but I was concerned about the crime and safety in the area. Would someone advise highly against living in this area? Is it mainly students living in the area? I've been assured that the area is safe but I just wanted a second/third/fourth opinion.

I am someone who likes to sit late at cafes and work, and I usually find places to walk to. Would there be a good chance I may be mugged if I was carrying a laptop?

[Mr. In-Between]

Exactly where is it in relation to Lexington and University? A few blocks can really make a big difference. As far as that stretch of University is concerned, I have to say I'd feel a little vulnerable carrying a laptop there after dark. You may find some useful information on the City of St. Paul crime map, found here -

City of St. Paul, MN - Official Website - Crime Maps

There's also a police station on Hamline, just off of University. You might want to stop in there and chat with a couple of officers and see what they can tell you about the community. One thing I can tell you is that when the light rail starts running, there'll be a heavier presence of transit police in that immediate area. I'm not sure how much of a difference that will make, though, because the light rail stations themselves can sometimes become magnets for teens to hang out. So I'm not sure what the net effect of the Central Corridor will be on the crime in the Midway area.

[menoninblack]

Thanks for your quick reply, Albert. Great points, will definitely stop by the police station and inquire..

The address is on Edmund avenue just of lexington, so I guess 3 blocks off university ave. I did see people loitering around and not to stereotype, it kind of made me a bit unnerved.

Would you happen to know when the central corridor would be opened?

[Mr. In-Between]

Central Corridor is on track to start running in early 14 (no pun intended). They'll be doing test runs in a few weeks, I believe. Edmund is a quiet little street, if I recall, and I don't think you'll have too many concerns there.

The entire University Avenue corridor has been hit pretty hard by the light rail construction, and a lot of businesses have gone under. It's given the whole avenue a kind of ghost town vibe, although that's starting to bounce back a bit this year. Once the train starts rolling, I expect that a lot of new business development will fill the vacuum that was created by the construction, and I anticipate that it will have a beneficial effect as far as public safety is concerned. I wouldn't hesitate to live in that neighborhood, but as I alluded to earlier, I do think I'd be cautious late at night right on University - at least until I had a better idea of what the environment will look like on that strip after the train gets up to speed and the new normal settles in.

[wamer27]

I have to cut a lawn on 940 Edmond and you wouldn't ever see me in that neighborhood unless I had to be there (work) Trash all over the street, lawns, low life's loitering around. I work everywhere in the Twin Cities, and that area sucks. Anything within two blocks of Univ north or south and two blocks north or south of 94 is terrible.

[menoninblack]

Oh no Thanks for all your inputs!

[aus1ander]

+2 on the crime maps. I think you would be in grid 86.

I personally would not live on the University Avenue cooridor east of Snelling. The neighborhoods quickly go downhill. We have several favorite restaurants east of Lexington on University Ave, but I always get nervous walking around there.

Do you need to rely on public transit to get around? Do you have a car? Is your budget an issue? There are much better options in that area of St Paul once you are south of I-94.

[menoninblack]

Thanks aus1ander and wamer27.

Since Hamline and a few other universities are close by, I assumed that the area would have a lot of students living there. The home I'm considering moving to has 5 other students, and the owner kept reassuring me that it was safe, and that they would take their dog out for a walk and be perfectly fine, though I am a little skeptical since I didn't like the vibe.

I do have a car, and I do drive. I only was considering it since it seemed like an interesting living situation.
The home is very close to 940 Edmund like you mentioned. My experience living in dinkytown was that it was very safe thanks to the police patrols and such. Is this not the case in St Paul?

[aus1ander]

The police do patrol, especially in higher crime grids, but that won't help you if your mugged or robbed. If you have the ability to live in a safer neighboorhood, I would not risk it. Stay west of Snelling or south of 94.

[wamer27]

The owner is only trying to sell his apartment, of course he's gonna say its wonderful and no crime and super safe. The area directly east of Hamline univ is nice, I take care of a few lawns there and have a friend who owns a house there. The farther south you go from Hamline University it gets worse until you hit the Marshall Selby area then it gets a thousand times nicer. Also and the farther east you go from Hamline University gets worse too. Crime maps are great, but drive the neighborhoods yourself. A St. Paul cop told me all about an area I was looking at buying in, I quit looking after speaking to him. He said to stop in and talk to cops in an area I had interest in to get all the info I'd want.