Need serious help finding the right TC Suburb (Minnetonka, Golden Valley: low crime, homes)

[Mon2Min]

Hello,


My family and I are wanting to make the move next summer to one of the suburbs of the Twin Cities. We have spent the last 10 years in Montana and are wondering if the winters are as harsh in Minnesota? It's definitely not a deal breaker though. We actually love the snow! I'm originally from the Lake Tahoe area, so cold and snowy winters are all I've ever known.
Basically we have a price range of about 250 and 350 thousand to spend on a home. We would prefer a newer community if possible, preferably no more than 15 years old. We are looking for a safe community with low crime rates, and preferably a town with a population with no more than 50,000 people. We are in a small town now here in Montana, and don't want the big city. 50,000 is about all we can handle
Any suggestions are appreciated. There are so many suburbs, we don't even know where to start


Also, work and school will not be an issue. I work from home, and our kids are homeschooled.

[mr roboto]

Where you are going to work/commute makes a big difference. Twin Cities are kind of in quadrants. North, South, West and East. If you work in the West (Minnetonka or Golden Valley) you can rule out the East and probably the North and South etc.

Where will work/school/commute be?

[old fed]

it's unclear if you're looking for a suburb of the metro or a smaller city. some of the burbs in the metro will meet the population parameter you mention but they're all connected/border each other so you're essentially going to be in the big city.

the other big question is where is the employment located?

winters can get cold streaks with days well below zero.

[Mon2Min]

Work and school are non-issues. My wife and I work from home, and our kids will be homeschooled after we move

Originally Posted by mr roboto

Where you are going to work/commute makes a big difference. Twin Cities are kind of in quadrants. North, South, West and East. If you work in the West (Minnetonka or Golden Valley) you can rule out the East and probably the North and South etc.

Where will work/school/commute be?

[old fed]

Originally Posted by Mon2Min

Work and school are non-issues. My wife and I work from home, and our kids will be homeschooled after we move

so do you want a suburb in the city or a smaller city away from the metro?

[Mon2Min]

Preferably a smaller city/town away from the metro.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by Mon2Min

Preferably a smaller city/town away from the metro.

Ok. Then it's not really a suburb.

With your criteria there's hundreds of options. Can you narrow it down?

[Mon2Min]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

Ok. Then it's not really a suburb.

With your criteria there's hundreds of options. Can you narrow it down?

Oh I see, ok. Yeah we're really quite clueless about the area.


Basically, just low crime and population no more than around 50 thousand or so. And some nice restaurants and decent shopping either close by or within 15-20 mins driving distance. Other that that, we are really quite easy to please. As I mentioned, we live in Montana, and are used to the simple life out here. We just wanted a little bit more of a family friendly environment to raise our kids, and my wife took a trip to Minnesota when she was younger, and loved it, and has ALWAYS wanted to move there, so I'm trying to fulfill her wish once and for all

[Minntoaz]

Lake Elmo might fit the bill. We recently has a friend from out of state look around the TC and he fell in love with Lake Elmo. To be honest I hadn't thought of the place for years as it's not mentioned really. It's pretty, small and woodsy. Chaska has newer homes and is further out too. My grandparents just bought a new place over there and I was impressed with the area. Pretty far out but it sounds like that's what you want.

[BryaninMSP]

My dad's side of the family is from Montana, so I've spent a lot of time out there. One note I would have is that my grandmother always felt claustrophobic in Minnesota — she was used to being to see mountains in at least one direction her whole life, and seeing nothing but trees in the distance always disoriented her.

You have many options for small towns with low crime and good quality of life. Stillwater might be worth looking into — it can be hectic on summer weekends, but the scenery is great and it's close enough to the Cities when you want to be close, but also feels like it's own city. Same goes with places like Forest Lake, Hastings, and even neat little towns like Lanesboro (though probably too small) in the southern part of the state.

What things are important to you — do you want wide open spaces or lakes? Do you want elevation changes or flat country?