Can a Minneapolitan be happy living in Hopkins? (Minneapolis, White Bear Lake: home, movie theater)

[MrsW061210]

I don't have advice but just wanted to say I can totally commiserate.

We live in SW and absolutely love it....except for the planes. We've been in Minneapolis for 10+ years, five years in Uptown and five in our current house. We have so many great friends and neighbors (many young families, just like ours), we love the lakes, the charming houses, parks, restaurants, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. all within walking distance...but we are under a departure path and have jets roaring over our house night and day. It seems with the possible implementation of RNAV and the airport announcing that they will add more flights that it is only going to get worse.

We also often wonder if we are crazy because so many of our neighbors just seem to accept it and it seemingly doesn't bother them. They can't believe it would cause us to move. We have put a lot of $$$$ into renovating our house and yard, it is really an agonizing decision. We have a 4 bed, 2 bath house, plenty of room and I thought we'd live here for the long haul.

That said, we both recently had job changes are now working in the western suburbs instead of downtown. So, that combined with airport noise is driving us to look west. We really, really love Excelsior / Deephaven and surrounding areas and are hoping we can find a home with the same charm and character that also allows us to bike or walk to parks, library, beaches, etc. I can't wait to have the windows open -- it's too loud to do that where we live now!

Best of luck with your search!

[CoboBob]

I'm new to Hopkins and I have to say its very walk-able and I love the easy access to the 4 major west metro bike trails.

The City has been quick and courteous when I've had issues with garbage/brush pickup. And it was very easy to setup all the utilities and do the homestead application.

So far everyone I've met in my neighborhood seems to be nice. I Live north of main street and the demographics are very mixed (young, old, different incomes, etc). I don't have kids, but my neighbors do and they love the town more than I've ever seen someone love a city, so assume that Hopkins is kid friendly.

The downtown is easy to get to and should have at least something that you love (brewery, dive bar, good bar, Mexican, american, Brazilian, Japanese, vinyl records store, antiques, etc). Not everything downtown is top notch, but it has a decent variety.


So yeah, it seems like a good place, I'm glad a bought a home here. Good luck with your search.

[erin2882]

Originally Posted by MrsW061210

I don't have advice but just wanted to say I can totally commiserate.

We live in SW and absolutely love it....except for the planes. We've been in Minneapolis for 10+ years, five years in Uptown and five in our current house. We have so many great friends and neighbors (many young families, just like ours), we love the lakes, the charming houses, parks, restaurants, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. all within walking distance...but we are under a departure path and have jets roaring over our house night and day. It seems with the possible implementation of RNAV and the airport announcing that they will add more flights that it is only going to get worse.


Best of luck with your search!

It's amazing that a city would put up with it, isn't it? It is such a drag on life, enjoying the outdoors and parks, outdoor restaurant spaces (brunch at first course on the patio - nice, if you don't want to talk during it) real estate prices, etc. that it really ruins the vibrant urban environment that Minneapolis is so proud of and fosters. A lot of people around me aren't too bothered either, but I like to have my windows open, take walks with my kids, have coffee or a beer on my porch, and the plane noise makes those things nearly impossible to enjoy. It's such a huge bummer. I wish there was a petition to move the airport or something else I could support because Minneapolis would be the most perfect place otherwise (10 mos out of the year). We thought we were in our "forever" home too. Good luck on your search, and thanks everyone for your thoughts.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by erin2882

It's amazing that a city would put up with it, isn't it? It is such a drag on life, enjoying the outdoors and parks, outdoor restaurant spaces (brunch at first course on the patio - nice, if you don't want to talk during it) real estate prices, etc. that it really ruins the vibrant urban environment that Minneapolis is so proud of and fosters. A lot of people around me aren't too bothered either, but I like to have my windows open, take walks with my kids, have coffee or a beer on my porch, and the plane noise makes those things nearly impossible to enjoy. It's such a huge bummer. I wish there was a petition to move the airport or something else I could support because Minneapolis would be the most perfect place otherwise (10 mos out of the year). We thought we were in our "forever" home too. Good luck on your search, and thanks everyone for your thoughts.

I agree that it is a pain and a quality of life issue, but you can't be serious about wanting to move the airport. MSP handles tens of millions of flights a year. They are more likely to expand the airport than they are to move it (in fact, plans are drawn up). Besides, if it moved, it would just be a quality of life deterrent to other people somewhere else....why is it ok to push that burden on others?

Also, there are lots of major cities that contend with airport noise. We are by no means unique. San Diego has height restrictions in their downtown, I believe partly because of the proximity of the airport (I could be wrong...). There are plenty of otherwise attractive, stable neighborhoods in Chicago and its western suburbs that deal with airport noise from Midway....

[pete6032]

Originally Posted by srsmn

I agree that it is a pain and a quality of life issue, but you can't be serious about wanting to move the airport. MSP handles tens of millions of flights a year. They are more likely to expand the airport than they are to move it (in fact, plans are drawn up). Besides, if it moved, it would just be a quality of life deterrent to other people somewhere else....why is it ok to push that burden on others?

Also, there are lots of major cities that contend with airport noise. We are by no means unique. San Diego has height restrictions in their downtown, I believe partly because of the proximity of the airport (I could be wrong...). There are plenty of otherwise attractive, stable neighborhoods in Chicago and its western suburbs that deal with airport noise from Midway....

You mean it's not just like Sim City where you can click it with the bulldozer and build another one further out?

[MN2]

Some new higher end apartments in downtown Hopkins, but it's still downmarket compared with neighboring suburbs such as Edina, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie.

The northside of Hopkins, i.e. north of Excelsior Blvd., is nicer than the area south of Excelsior Blvd, where section 8 housing predominates.

[InnovativeAmerican]

Absolutely! I like Hopkins because of its diversity.

[TurquoiseSky]

I know this thread is 4 years old, but SLP was mentioned a number of times and I lived there for 2 years and can tell you the airplane noise was horrific and one of the main reasons I left. Planes waking me up at midnight, 5 am, sometimes even 3 AM. Awful.

[slamont61]

Originally Posted by TurquoiseSky

I know this thread is 4 years old, but SLP was mentioned a number of times and I lived there for 2 years and can tell you the airplane noise was horrific and one of the main reasons I left. Planes waking me up at midnight, 5 am, sometimes even 3 AM. Awful.

Holy crap, I live right under the flight paths (2), runway 12R & 12L in SLP and I barely notice them when inside and never when sleeping. This is entirely when landing so the engine noise is pale in comparison to when taking off.

When winds are out of the south they will land on these two but when coming out of the north, they are absent from the sky. We can go for days without having the planes land in this configuration.

I do know of one neighbor that can't stand it but that's it. No one else mentions it or complains about it. I find it comforting to watch come in them overhead.

[earslikeacat]

Take a look at crime stats and property values.