Any suggestions on suburbs on the south/east side of St. Paul? (Bloomington: to rent, homes)

[Nikki51480]

Hi everyone! My husband and I are moving to the twin cities area. I will be working in Coon Rapids just off of highway 10 at the Allina Health clinic there. My husband will most likely be working in St. Paul. Do you have any suggestions on suburbs? I would like my commute to Coon Rapids to be 30-40 minutes. We were looking at Woodbury or Lake Elmo, as those areas have good school systems and are close to St Paul. Also, do you think that Woodbury would be a 35ish minute commute. Would it be a true reverse commute, or would there be a lot of traffic?

Any input you have would be helpful and appreciated. Thank you!

[Rhody2Mn]

Originally Posted by Nikki51480

Hi everyone! My husband and I are moving to the twin cities area. I will be working in Coon Rapids just off of highway 10 at the Allina Health clinic there. My husband will most likely be working in St. Paul. Do you have any suggestions on suburbs? I would like my commute to Coon Rapids to be 30-40 minutes. We were looking at Woodbury or Lake Elmo, as those areas have good school systems and are close to St Paul. Also, do you think that Woodbury would be a 35ish minute commute. Would it be a true reverse commute, or would there be a lot of traffic?

Any input you have would be helpful and appreciated. Thank you!

Woodbury and Lake Elmo are very nice communities. Woodbury is a modern suburb and its abundance of stores make it very convenient to live for day-to-day needs. Lake Elmo had a more rural character and many if not all of its homes are on large lots (an acre or more).

Either town is nice but it largely depends on your personal preferences. Do you want a typical suburb or a more rural atmosphere? Shoreview or Arden Hills are other nice areas to consider. If you're willing to live a bit closer to St. Paul, you could also consider Roseville. Any of these towns will work commute wise for both you and your husband.

Speaking of commutes, you are correct in that it will take about 35 minutes to get from Woodbury to Coon Rapids. It's a straight shot up Interstate 694. I wouldn't say its a true "reverse" commute as you will encounter higher traffic volumes during the morning and evening rush hours, but it's not too bad. The hardest part to deal with will be upcoming construction on the freeway as it is scheduled to be widened in parts of that area, but at least it will only result in a temporary headache.

[Nikki51480]

Thank you so much for the info! We are hoping to come down to the cities and look around the suburbs soon to get a better idea of what place would be a good fit for us. You have given me some piece of mind with the commute times, and I really appreciate it. Thanks again!

[Yosh01]

If you are not familiar with the Twin Cities, you might not realize that the central cities are very residential, livable, and the schools are good. An option for you would be to live in St. Paul itself. The commute would be shorter to Coon Rapids than an eastern suburb, particularly the Crocus Hill and Merriam Park neighborhoods. All the homes between Grand Avenue and St. Clair Avenue from the western border on the Mississippi River to the far eastern end near downtown would be good for commuting and span a cost range from $250,000 to $1,000,000.

[Libby01]

I guess it depends on where in Woodbury and where in Coon Rapids--- but I would very much disagree with those commute times. It takes about 40 minutes for that drive during non-rush hours, as it is well over 30 miles. I drove a portion of that route last Thursday at about 3:30 and it was terrible. I have no idea how people can deal with that type of commute on a daily basis. Perhaps that was a particularly bad day, but Fridays would be that bad as well (lake traffic heading up north). Count on 1 hour- 1.25 hrs, based on what I experienced.

[Atalanta]

Shoreview, Roseville, an Arden Hills are about in the middle of Coon Rapids and St Paul.
All nice areas with good freeway access.

About 4-5 years ago, parts of Woodbury and Lake Elmo was found to have contaminated water.
I think from an old 3M site.
You may want to check that out.
When it first came out there was a map online of the effected areas.

[Atalanta]

I forgot to ad Lino Lakes

That is close to that Allina clinic, I believe.
And one can hop on 35 w to get into St Paul

[Nikki51480]

Thanks for the info! We may look into shoreview and I will definitely look into that contaminated water issue.

[Rhody2Mn]

Originally Posted by Libby01

I guess it depends on where in Woodbury and where in Coon Rapids--- but I would very much disagree with those commute times. It takes about 40 minutes for that drive during non-rush hours, as it is well over 30 miles. I drove a portion of that route last Thursday at about 3:30 and it was terrible. I have no idea how people can deal with that type of commute on a daily basis. Perhaps that was a particularly bad day, but Fridays would be that bad as well (lake traffic heading up north). Count on 1 hour- 1.25 hrs, based on what I experienced.

You must have driven on a bad day, because the average distance between the towns is about 35 miles (but obviously as you say that will depend on the precise location one is traveling from and to). In my experience, it certainly does not take an hour to an hour and a half to commute between these areas. I've driven through that vicinity many times, and most days I can make it in about a half hour to 35 minutes.

[ellysbelly]

Is it possible to wait to see where your husband secures employment-- though you think he'll likely work in St Paul, if he happens to get a job in, say, Eden Prairie or Bloomington the recommendations for where you might want to consider for housing will differ greatly. Are you looking to rent or buy? Budget? Ages of your kids? The more specifics, the more specific and helpful advice you'll receive here

As other have mentioned there might be some excellent options in the cities that you might want to consider that will minimize your commute(s) while still providing the amenities that you're looking for.