Leaving Austin, TX for MN- a few questions

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by Badger457

My girlfriend and I have decided to move back to Minnesota. I'm from there originally and she is from WI, but has family there. I grew up in New Brighton and left when I was 18 and lived in Madison for 5 years and Austin for 3.

New Brighton was a great place to grow up, but now I don't think I could stand living in the suburban sprawl. Where in the TC-Metro area can I live that's not like this? I want to live somewhere that feels like there is a sense of community and that supports local businesses. I'd like to be as centrally located as possible, but am willing to concede some of that as I have two large dogs, so finding a place with a backyard or lots of parks near by would be good. So for anyone familiar with Austin, basically I'm trying to find the area most like that near the Twin Cities.

I've got friends that live in St. Louis Park, so being close to them would be a plus, but not a requirement. Also, how bike friendly is it up there? I've picked up cycling since moving to Texas, although it's hardly bike friendly here.

So any recommendations for specific neighborhoods or inner suburbs? Anything else I should consider?

Hi Badger, the area you mentioned (east of 169, south of 394, etc.) is nice and you will be closer to St. Louis Park but keep in mind that you will also be in a high-traffic area with not the best interstate/ highway access. Although it is a good area for biking, you often (but not always) have to wade through a lot of busy streets and intersections before making it to some good trails/ lake areas.

Biking/ running (and dog) enthusiasts tend to really like my neighborhood (Victory neighborhood, Minneapolis). It's somewhat of a slower pace of life up here in the NW corner of Minneapolis, and the Grand Rounds system circles around our neighborhood. You can hop on Victory Memorial Parkway which connects to Theo Wirth Parkway and down to the Lake of the Isles area to the South, and Webber-Camden, Shingle Creek, and St. Anthony Parkways to the east. We are close to Crystal Lake which has nice pathways around it, and there is work being done on a path around our little neighborhood lake (Ryan Lake) - the parkways and parks themselves offer miles of green space for dog-walking.

This neighborhood and the Camden area in general is, like Austin, very liberal, and there are a lot of younger individuals, couples, and families that live here - homes are generally bungalows or mini tudor-style homes built between the 20s- 40s (but there are new homes and older homes around also) - more info: Welcome to Victory Neighborhood [Minneapolis].

Lot sizes in Minneapolis and the inner western suburbs are all the same so your dog will probably be getting the same yard wherever you choose, although we were lucky enough to find a lot and 1/2 up here (but I think this is somewhat rare in the City).

Although I am doing what Sharolu said everyone does (talk about their local area), I do also agree that you should not rush to jump into a decision on where you're going to live before getting a feel for an area yourself. Good luck with your decision!

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by Badger457

So I've decided on the area South of 394, North of 62, West of the River and East of 169. Any less than desireable neighborhoods I should steer clear of? I'm trying to stay near Lake street.

Lake Street tends to bisect some kinda not great spots from Lyndale to near the river. The Whittier and Central neighborhoods are kinda iffy right off Lake but nothing awful. Powderhorn has turned around a bit in the past several years. While most of uptown is safe, its fairly congested and kind of obnoxious to drive to/from.

[peter peters]

...is where we live. And having just returned from Austin last week (thinking about relocating there - tired of the cold...), I'd say this neighborhood is probably what you're seeking - plenty of local interesting local biz, huge dog park close by, bike trails really close (Twin Cities metro has 2nd most in the country!), etc. St. Louis is a little "suburban" for my tastes. Being this is smack dab in the middle Mpls and St. Paul, it's also the most centrally located. Oh, and unlike Austin, there's actually sidewalks throughout the entire city here!!!! Wow, "pedestrian-friendly" - what a concept... Austin is very progressive in many ways, but lack of sidewalks isn't.

What neighborhoods would you recommend in Austin. Hearing good things about East Austin, but don't know anyone living there? Thanks!

[rodhaenke]

You might want to think about St. Anthony.