Anyone live in Cleveland neighborhood in N.Mpls? (Minneapolis, Lowry: middle-class, apartment complexes)

[wil45]

I'm looking to purchase a home in/around this area and the latest data from the city is from 2000. Can anyone update me? Any major changes in the neighbirhood from this data in 2000? Thanks... I'm an urban pioneer....

[Camden Northsider]

Hello again wil45 (hope you're not getting sick of me replying to your posts). If you're truly an "Urban Pioneer", I think the Cleveland neighborhood might disappoint you - a lot of middle-class families living on quiet tree-lined streets adjacent to the parkway, so it might not be as exciting as you'd like . But if you're saying that you would like to live in a neighborhood with both ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, then Cleveland is a good neighborhood to live in- according to that 2000 data it might just be one of the most integrated neighborhoods in the state and/or region (almost equally white and non-white population which I doubt has changed a whole lot). But even with this high level of integration, I would bet to say that the neighborhood itself is probably a little segregrated with a lot more of the white folk on the north and west end of the neighborhood and a lot more non-white persons on the east and south ends.

That 2000 data puts cleveland at having the second highest median household income of the north neighborhoods next to victory (due in part to adjacency to parkway I'm sure), and unless the pricey new townhomes that were built in shingle creek and willard neighborhoods in recent years has made a big impact I would think that cleveland is still one of the higher income earning neighborhoods of the north neighborhoods.

Cleveland neighborhood starts on the block just south of mine so we go for walks through the north part of it a lot. Nice homes and families, like Victory it seems like there are a lot of homes being rehabbed by youngish buyers and a fair number of GLBT homeowners (and sorry for stereotyping, but I've always thought that a large gay homeowner population was a strong indicator of a great neighborhood on the upswing).

Like the rest of the cities, the market has come down quite a bit around here in the past couple of years - a couple of years ago a small bungalow w/ one bath would generally sell for over $200K (in Victory especially and sometimes much more than this)...and still today, depending on the condition of the home and its location in regards to park spaces/ amenities you might still find this same style/ size of house selling for between $180 - $250K; but most likely (unless it's on xerxes, washburn, and maybe Vincent) it will likely sell for $140 - $180K and sometimes higher/ lower depending on condition.

I don't think there's a lot to worry about in Cleveland, when we were looking we were seriously considering some houses just north of Lowry Ave (3200 - 3400 blocks - very southern end of cleveland) as homes were more affordable there, but I am very glad we waited for something in a better location to come up as Lowry Ave west of Penn can be a pretty busy street, and it can be pretty active at night with a restaurant/ bar (great one though - Tootie's on Lowry) and a busy gas station right there. Plus all the ambulance traffic that travels Lowry due to it being a main thoroughfare to North Memorial a couple blocks down.

Although technically I live in the first block north of the Cleveland neighborhood, let me know if you think there might be more questions I could answer for you wil (or if you want me to do a drive- or walk-by of a house for you - haha).

[nick is rulz]

I dunno...a lot of crime seems to be moving towards Cleveland. 36th and Penn is a pretty hot intersection. Dude got shot there mid-day recently and within a few weeks a school bus driver was shot as well. I have this fear/prediction that within 20 years it'll pretty much have engulfed all of Camden and Victory as far as crime goes.

[Minnehahapolitan]

I doubt it, you are seeing much heavier influences of Northside crime in the suburbs. Crime in all parts of The City are down, you are basing premonitions on a couple of instances. Camden and Victory have a high rate of home ownership (generally precludes high rates of violence), the big apartment blocks just outside the city limits, by nature, do not.

[Camden Northsider]

I agree with Minnehahapolitan on this topic. I think city areas will actually continue to improve as can be seen in areas that have drastically revitalized in South Minneapolis that were once considered very dangerous "hood" areas. I think it is a very interesting time in the US right now as you are seeing some of that reverse flight going on by, in general, younger folks who decide they don't have time to drive to the suburbs and I would guess often times find a lot of suburbs to be a little disconcerting/ strange/ or not for them and their taste.

Nick, I hadn't heard about that on Penn Ave, BUT personally I don't think crimes that happen on a very busy street/ thoroughfare that is the far eastern border of a neighborhood (on one side of the street), and have the only concentrations of apartment complexes in that area, to be representative of the neighborhood (but then if you're on Penn north of Dowling, the houses on the west that overlook crystal lake cemetary, are, in general, beautiful well-kept homes).

I think people have probably been theorizing about crime enveloping/ spreading out in huge geographic areas for years now in various Minneapolis neighborhoods. I don't think this would happen in many areas of Camden, the reasoning primarily being the strong community you find in these neighborhoods - people are active, they love their neighborhoods, and they look out for one another - if something is happening in their neighborhood, they are generally addressing it through their various neighborhood association or neighborhood watch. (2) there is a demand to live in many of these neighborhoods, although that's decreased in the current market and you will now find many homes sitting on the market for months (like most everywhere else), there are some houses that will go in days and the people that move here generally have a knowledge that it's a lot of single-family owner-occupied homes, the area's quiet, and you can't beat it's proximity to miles upon miles of green space. Plus there is a thriving little locally-owned business community and in general good schools.

Plus there are a ton of great things going on in North Mpls proper that so many people are so afraid of. It's the irrational fears/ perceptions/ predictions that get in the way of people seeing the vibrancy and vitality of the area. Are there issues? Yes. One issue that doesn't get brought up a whole lot are absentee landlords that don't maintain their rentals, and when you hear about the foreclosures, a news report showed that over half are wanna-be 'flippers'/ investors that bought homes to do a quick/ shabby flip-job and have been unable to sell their investment.