Attachment Parenting-Friendly Communities? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: public school, gardens, to eat)

[Rhody2Mn]

Are you willing to consider different suburban locations? You can find neighborhoods within your budget that also offer fantastic schools in District 196 (which serves Apple Valley, Rosemount, and parts of Eagan). The Mahtomedi district also has a great reputation. These communities are within 25 minutes of the urban core and where, although not necessarily concentrated in a single area or neighborhood, I'm sure you'll find like-minded parents.

[Old Prospector]

My parents tried this back in the day. I ended up rebelling in junior high and high school.

[PeachSalsa]

Originally Posted by rzzz

People love there kids everywhere but the highest density of uptight organic parents will be around Lake Harriet on the Linden Hills side, followed by scattered pockets of them mostly in the neighborhoods I listed. I have a lot of friends from Richfield. When I was younger they were my friends who sold me pot.

As long as the pot was organic.....

[tlarnla]

I like the idea of being able to live in a place where I don't need a car, and I love bicycling, but I wouldn't rule out the suburbs. My mom would certainly like it better (she hates driving in the cities!)

DH likes Eagan, so I was thinking of looking into that area anyway. I could look into the other areas too.

[tlarnla]

Do any of these areas have restrictions about growing your own food?

I like growing herbs and vegetables. It's educational, and provides cheap organic food. I'd love to have a couple fruit or nut trees too. Do any of the areas mentioned ban people from growing their own food? I've heard some urban and suburban neighborhoods in the US have strange rules about what people can do with their own yards.

My mom bought a house in Plymouth, and they even had rules governing the height of grass!

[PeachSalsa]

Originally Posted by tlarnla

Do any of these areas have restrictions about growing your own food?

I like growing herbs and vegetables. It's educational, and provides cheap organic food. I'd love to have a couple fruit or nut trees too. Do any of the areas mentioned ban people from growing their own food? I've heard some urban and suburban neighborhoods in the US have strange rules about what people can do with their own yards.

My mom bought a house in Plymouth, and they even had rules governing the height of grass!

Yep, darn city of Plymouth doesn't like grass over 8 inches, nor do they tolerate noxious weeds taking over your yard. I don't either. I tend to lose my dog in there...and he's a golden, so...

Now, with that said, some HOAs may have more restrictive rules, but that is the HOA, NOT the city of Plymouth.

Don't kid yourself that growing your own food is "cheap". You will pay for it either in labor, purchasing materials, etc. Then hope the bugs, rabbits, squirrels, and neighborhood kids don't eat it all before you get to it. Hope you don't get too much rain. Or not enough. Or too many storms with strong wind and hail.

[uptown_urbanist]

I'd avoid anywhere with an HOA. Do you only plan on some vegetables and fruit trees, or are you thinking along the lines of bees, chickens, etc.? There's a wider range around in terms of what is allowed in those areas

I'd also check out city neighborhoods like Powderhorn or Lyndale in Minneapolis. Yes, neighborhoods like the area around Lake Harriet is going to get you tons of the "uptight organic" education-oriented parents, but those are some of the more expensive neighborhoods in the Twin Cities.

[cully]

Have you checked this out:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Twin-...32030226836898

[rzzz]

In Minnepolis you can grow whatever in your backyard but in the front yard I think everything has to be under 3 feet.

[tlarnla]

Thanks again to everybody that replied. The information is helpful.

Thanks for the link too!

P.S. I know that growing your own veggies doesn't always save money, but it's exciting and educational for my daughter to see a stalk of corn in the yard, or to pick beans out of the garden with a little basket.

Did you know that most Japanese kindergartens and elementary schools have vegetable plots for the kids to watch food grow ?