Moving to Minneapolis and need advice about where to live NW side

[BryaninMSP]

Originally Posted by srsmn

I don't really take issue with anything else you said (although I don't necessarily agree with it, as I prefer Maple Grove and Plymouth) but I don't really see how this is true. Maple Grove is right by Arbor Lakes, which is better shopping and dining than anything in Blaine. It is a skip, hop and jump from downtown Wayzata, a little bit further to the West End, 55/Winnetka in Golden Valley, or even downtown Robbinsdale or Hopkins. Generally, the West Metro has better shopping and dining amenities (in my opinion) than the North Metro, and it's not really all that close.

I do love Bunker Hills, and have favorable impressions of the Sports Center from my youth soccer playing days. Although Elm Creek Park and French Park certainly level that playing field, or beat Blaine. Plus Medicine Lake.

I understand that Blaine's newer neighborhoods have smaller, less mature trees (actually, I pointed out as much in a previous post). I'm not saying Blaine should be "mystical" in its tree development, but that does not negate the fact that the neighborhoods aren't as leafy and green (as a whole) as in Maple Grove or Plymouth.

I will say Blaine might be better if you are an avid golfer....like, you *need* to live on a golf course, avid. I am not, but Brookview would be a poor option for somebody who really loves to gold. GV Country Club might be better....Interlachen, Minnikahda aren't too far. My map says there are a few courses in Plymouth proper and Maple Grove proper. Again, not a golfer so I can't vouch for them...

I live in Blaine in a fully custom 20-year-old house on a 1/2-acre lot with more than 30 mature (20-inch-diameter) oak trees. So it's not all housing farms (as one of my clients calls cookie-cutter developments). We're 3 minutes from Target, 2 minutes from Lowe's and my wife's commute downtown each morning takes her 25-30 minutes. I grew up in North Oaks and Shoreview, and we wanted to be close to family, but didn't want to pay the Mounds View premium (no kids yet). We also wanted a newer and larger house for our money than we'd get in Shoreview, but a LOT of the inventory is bland, paint-by-numbers design.

Maple Grove is an outstanding community as well, and I agree that the shopping is far better. Yes, it's more centralized, but I find myself driving to Whole Foods in MG every week and I think the Costco is nicer than the one in Coon Rapids.

My suggestion to the OP is to take your time on your search and look at ALL of the communities that meet your criteria. Limiting yourself to finding a home in just Blaine or just Maple Grove or just Plymouth will drive you batty.

[wushuliu]

Maple Grove has Arbor Lakes shopping area which has just about every store one could possibly want. This comes in REAL handy when it hits -40 with wind chill...

[northsub]

Originally Posted by wushuliu

Maple Grove has Arbor Lakes shopping area which has just about every store one could possibly want. This comes in REAL handy when it hits -40 with wind chill...

I'm confused. There's no indoor mall in Maple Grove, is there? Why would I want to go to Arbor Lakes when it is bitterly cold out? Wouldn't an indoor mall make more sense?

Or was the bit about -40 sarcastic?

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by northsub

I'm talking about day-to-day things. Getting a gallon of milk in many parts of Maple Grove looks to be a pain. The commercial in Maple Grove is almost all in one location. Blaine has 4 or 5 commercial districts depending on what you count (and surrounds another in Lexington/Circle Pines). It's a different model for development. The end result is that Maple Grove has a larger shopping center, but you are much more likely to be close to a shopping center or a gas station or a restaurant or an ATM or a Redbox location in Blaine.

Most of the things you list as being near Maple Grove (downtown Wayzata, West End, downtown Robbinsdale, downtown Hopkins) I would view as trendy locations. If that's the kind of stuff you are into, then Blaine probably isn't right for you. You can find a few of those places in Blaine, and they seem to be growing in number, but the overall vibe isn't geared toward that kind of stuff. It's more of a small-town diner/mom-and-pop/dive bar type of place. Or if you can't imagine buying clothes at a place like Kohl's, then Blaine is likely not the place for you.

There is an Aldi, a Walmart, and a Sam's Club all clustered around one highway ramp in Maple Grove. There is also a Walmart and a Cub along Broadway in Brooklyn Center. There is a Lunds/Byerlys, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Cub Foods Pharmacy all right by Arbor Lakes. There is also a Farmers' Market.

There is also a Cub, Rainbow, and Lunds along Highway 55 in Plymouth, as well as a Von Hanson's Meats. I'm not even going to get into convenience stores, Targets, and department stores.

You can be anywhere in Maple Grove or Plymouth and realistically be within a ten minute drive of these places. Sorry, but you're not going to convince me that Blaine has better shopping options than Maple Grove.

[northsub]

Originally Posted by srsmn

There is an Aldi, a Walmart, and a Sam's Club all clustered around one highway ramp in Maple Grove. There is also a Walmart and a Cub along Broadway in Brooklyn Center. There is a Lunds/Byerlys, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Cub Foods Pharmacy all right by Arbor Lakes. There is also a Farmers' Market.

There is also a Cub, Rainbow, and Lunds along Highway 55 in Plymouth, as well as a Von Hanson's Meats. I'm not even going to get into convenience stores, Targets, and department stores.

You can be anywhere in Maple Grove or Plymouth and realistically be within a ten minute drive of these places. Sorry, but you're not going to convince me that Blaine has better shopping options than Maple Grove.

I'm not trying to argue about shopping options being better, I'm arguing that shopping options are different. The OP might prefer one or the other, but it's worth knowing there is a difference. The section of Maple Grove that is west of 494 and south of 94 seems to have literally no commercial that is more than a block or so of the freeways. That section is over half of Maple Grove's population.

Imagine you live at 15555 71st Place North (essentially intersection of Bass Lake and Fish Lake). The nearest place to buy anything at all seems to be a Walgreens that is 1.7 miles away (south on Fish Lake). You're likely not going to be walking to the corner market to get milk from that location. This is from a major intersection surrounded by developed areas in all directions. That looks to be typical of the part of Maple Grove that is west of 494. Even the major intersections don't have commercial. That's just different from the layout of Blaine. Whether that is "better" depends on what you are looking for.

[srsmn]

I guess I agree to an extent. I don't have "walkscores" in front of me....Blaine may well be ahead of Maple Grove in that department. They are both far behind many parts of Minneapolis or St. Paul proper, of course.

I don't know that that makes a practical difference to most people living in the suburbs. Most people that live in suburbia by choice are comfortable with the fact that they will need to drive to shop. In that sense, Maple Grove's options really aren't more difficult (or much more difficult) to get to than Blaine's. I live in Hopkins, because I prioritized walk-able shopping and dining pretty highly. I don't think that most people in Blaine or MG do...

I was a bit tongue-in-cheek about Blaine making me want to barf, although I will say that it is far down my list of preferable suburbs to live in. Andover is probably even a little further down. Suffice it to say that most of the housing stock, and the transit options in Blaine really don't appeal to me (mixed with the shopping, which, as you've mentioned is all preference). But the best advice on here is maybe to explore both areas. I am not sure why a real estate agent would recommend Blaine if the OP specified Northwest Metro....but they are the experts after all....there are considerations like price (per square foot) and commute that either of us could be overlooking...

[northsub]

Originally Posted by srsmn

I guess I agree to an extent. I don't have "walkscores" in front of me....Blaine may well be ahead of Maple Grove in that department. They are both far behind many parts of Minneapolis or St. Paul proper, of course.

I don't know that that makes a practical difference to most people living in the suburbs. Most people that live in suburbia by choice are comfortable with the fact that they will need to drive to shop. In that sense, Maple Grove's options really aren't more difficult (or much more difficult) to get to than Blaine's. I live in Hopkins, because I prioritized walk-able shopping and dining pretty highly. I don't think that most people in Blaine or MG do...

I was a bit tongue-in-cheek about Blaine making me want to barf, although I will say that it is far down my list of preferable suburbs to live in. Andover is probably even a little further down. Suffice it to say that most of the housing stock, and the transit options in Blaine really don't appeal to me (mixed with the shopping, which, as you've mentioned is all preference). But the best advice on here is maybe to explore both areas. I am not sure why a real estate agent would recommend Blaine if the OP specified Northwest Metro....but they are the experts after all....there are considerations like price (per square foot) and commute that either of us could be overlooking...

I am assuming that "northwest" included Fridley (place or work) in this scenario. The "west" part being Minneapolis side over St. Paul side. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

[ebd914]

I think our realtor suggested either Blaine or Andover for commute purposes as my husband will be working in Fridley. We'll definitely be driving around both areas and Maple Grove/Plymouth to see which suits us better!

[polo_golf_guy]

Blaine and Andover are farther out. I know some colleagues who live in those communities and work downtown so there are transit options but not great. If your husband is working in Fridley and you are working downtown I wouldn't discount northern Brooklyn Park, Champlin, or Maple Grove.

Brooklyn Park seems to offer the most affordable housing of the cities mentioned and has park and rides with frequent buses during peak commute times. Light Rail is also being extended to Brooklyn Park.

It is also the second most diverse city in the state so you may or may not value that aspect. It does have higher crime than most other suburbs but I wouldnt consider it to be dangerous by any means. The schools may be perceived as lower quality but it seems to me this ties into the achievment gap found across Minnesota as a whole and is amplified by the diverse make up of the district. Brooklyn Park schools are part of either Osseo 279 which includes most of Maple Grove and Anoka Hennepin which includes Andover. Geographically speaking it offers convenient travel to both destinations.