South Minneapolis vs. Richfield (Nicollet, Lynd: apartment, foreclosure, buying a house)

[ltkenbo]

I would like some opinions on buying a house in either. My wife and I are starting to look for our first home and I really like parts of South Minneapolis (better but not expensive parts: south of 42nd in between 35 and Hiawatha or up towards Howe and Longfellow). One thing I really like about Minneapolis is there are a lot of things to do, a lot of little restaurants, cafes, etc. She is interested in looking in Richfield though. We are looking for a house around $160K.

We are both 25 and don't have kids yet. Based on people's experiences living in either, I would like to hear opinions about both. Thanks!

[uptown_urbanist]

I haven't lived in either, but have spent significant amounts of time over the years in both. I love some of those south Minneapolis neighborhoods; lots of little coffee places and neighborhood businesses, proximity to Lake Nokomis and Hiawatha, and my favorite parts of Minnehaha Creek. I have a bunch of friends who have ended up buying over there for the same reasons you're looking. Airport noise can be an issue in some areas, but you'll figure out fast if the house you're looking at is too noisy for you.

I think one of the things that has kept Richfield's prices affordable is the schools (especially when compared to the adjacent areas). Schools don't have a great reputation, which is worth considering if you think you'll have kids sometime -- although of course things could easily change (for either location) before any hypothetical child would be of school age, which would be, after all, 6+ years down the road. And I don't know if they're really as bad as people say, anyway. I guess I wouldn't make your decision on that factor alone..

The main thing I dislike about Richfield is the lack of sidewalks, but that may not bother you. Richfield is an interesting older suburb with a really strong sense of community, which has always appealed to me. They've pumped a lot of money into encouraging people to maintain and upgrade their homes, and I think the city government is very forward-thinking. There's a couple of farmer's markets, and in some areas there are decent options for restaurants, etc. It seems to be attracting more people like you - young people looking for affordable homes in convenient areas - which I think is a good sign. If you're looking at south Minneapolis, it wouldn't hurt to at least check out Richfield while you're at it.

[revenant211]

My wife and I moved into Richfield 5 years ago when we were 23. We live in the section bordered by 66th to the North, Portland to the East, Nicollet to the West and 77th to the South.

We bought our house (3bdrm, 2 bathroom, finished basement, 1/4 acre lot and 1100 sq feet) for $150k. Keep in mind the housing market was still in the tank. A recent appraiser has said its valued around 180k (It was a foreclosure and needed some work when we bought it).

We really like Richfield a lot. We have experienced great community, with a mix of folks who have lived on our block for 40 years and some who moved in after us. There are several families on our block that are in their late 20s/early 30s, and just starting to have kids. We would likely go the private school route, or possibly home school. Our plan has never been to public school, so Richfield doesn't lose us due to them being down a bit. We also aren't 100% sure Richfield will be where we are at in 10 years.

That being said, the City has put a lot of money and energy into revitalizing key areas in Richfield, primarily along 66th Street (there is a MASSIVE project slated to start in 2017 I believe on 66th, so keep that in mind. All the way from HWY 77 to York is going to be redone to some extent, which will cause some headaches as that is a major artery for Hwy 62 during rush hour. 76th/77th is likely going to be extended under Hwy 77 to the Airport, which I think will lead to a lot of development along that road, and will be a boon to the city for a long time. Hopefully it gets done. The Hub area at 66th and Lyndale - Nicollet has had a lot of work done recently, and most of the city is hoping that the Hub itself gets a major makeover soon. It is quite the eyesore, and very busy, right across from the beautiful Holy Angels building.

In my experience, the Southeast corner of Richfield tends to be the most unkempt. There are several apartment units there that are affordable housing, and unfortunately that sometimes equates to "not worth the property owners time and money" as far as upkeep goes. I'd say particularly from 12th Avenue and west, areas tend to be well-kept, with pride of ownership. But really, even to the east of that area there are pockets of well-kept properties. I don't know if there is a "Bad" part of town. If you want the South Minneapolis feel in Richfield, you would probably be best served checking into neighborhoods just to the west of Veteran's Park, and even more so in the Penn/76th/Hwy 62 corridor. Pennfest is a major attraction each year, as the whole road is closed to cars and there are tons of booths and it's just a fun time.


All that said, we have spent some time looking at the Nokomis area of Minneapolis. One thing that Richfield lacks (at the moment) is an easy connection to the Minneapolis bike trails, which is how I hope to commute. Nokomis offers that. Three Rivers District, however, is supposed to be completing a trail (along 76th is done already) that will connect 76th to Nokomis, and that could change everything for us. Honestly, if we had the money, or got it down the road, we would love to just add on to our house and stay in Richfield for good. It's been that enjoyable.

[kbutler1]

Currently live in the East Harriet neighborhood and love it. Close to Lake Harriet, Uptown, Lake/Lyndale, 50th & France, etc. The proximity to the Greenway system is really nice as well for biking. We were looking at buying a new home but staying in South Minneapolis but got thrown a curve ball and now relocating out of state. My fiance used to own a house over by 46th and Chicago and that was great too - close to some shops and restaurants as well.

I'm not too familiar with Richfield so can't comment on that area.