Thoughts on moving to north minneapolis (Bloomington, Coon Rapids: for sale, real estate, crime) - Minneapolis - St. Paul - Minnesota (MN) -Twin Cities - City-Data Forum

karisma · 03-25-2008, 12:00 AM

My bf and I found a house we REALLY liked in the Lind-Bohanan neighborhood. It's just what we were looking for and the price is right.

I am having some reservations about moving into this region though. We are both white (if that matters

) and in our 20s and neither of us have ever lived "in the city." I'm from the outskirts of the 'burbs and he previously lived in Coon Rapids. I feel with a little common sense (locking doors/windows, not walking at night, etc) we'll probably be fine. My main concern is re-sale value. We noticed there are a LOT of houses for sale in this general area. I'd estimate we'd probably plan on living there between 5-8 years and I wonder how difficult the resale value might be, given the number of houses on the market and the (relatively) close proximity to the really bad parts of north Minneapolis.

If anyone has any thoughts on the neighborhood, security, or anything else please post here or message me!

Thanks!

Cruz Azul Guy · 03-25-2008, 12:32 AM

I don't think you should have any concerns with potential resale value if you purchased a house in Lind-Bohanon and planned on keeping it for 5-10 years. That isn't an area I would even consider "in-transition." If it's a house you love in an area you want to live in and the price is right I say go for it!

bowlingballhead · 03-25-2008, 02:23 AM

The question I have is why would anyone want to live in a neighborhood that they can't go outside in after dark? Call me crazy, but this makes absolutely no sense to me.

nick is rulz · 03-25-2008, 08:19 AM

Lind-Bohanon isnt a "cant go outside after dark" neighborhood at all.

karisma · 03-25-2008, 08:59 AM

Oops, I meant to say walking alone at night.

Thanks, all, for the responses.

What all is the nightlife like around there? Are there any good bars/restaurants in that area?

MNNative · 03-25-2008, 09:08 AM

We found some absolutely charming homes in the North Mpls area, but after thinking about it and talking it over with our realtor, we figured living in that area wasn't going to work out for us. Our reasons, which may not weigh heavily for you, were:
Even though we found some homes in good and ok neighborhoods that were probably safe enough to walk around in and have our kids play outside in, our personal (mis)perceptions of that area would take a long time to get over.
We have children so in North Mpls our decision would have been to private school and that just adds an unnecessary cost to our lives (not that education is unnecessary by any means, but versus living in a neighborhood elsewhere where public school is adequate).
Our realtor expressed some worry in resale. He has been in the real estate business for tons of years and on top of that, he and his wife actually went the North Mpls route before and even after they updated here and there, they only broke even. They believe had the home been in Crystal, Golden Valley, etc at the time, they would have made more money. Granted, that was however many years ago, I can't say how much that area has changed since. With the market in the position it is in though, and with what is to come you just can't be positive how you will come out when resale time comes...the best thing you can do is judge from history (many honest professionals in the real estate industry will tell you that with the baby boomers moving out of their residences and with only 1/2 as many people in the next generation moving into those homes we will see an abundance of homes and probably even cheaper prices...supply and demand...).

Now I'm not saying that you SHOULDN'T purchase a home you love for a fantastic price. That would be dumb. I'm sure my realtor wouldn't either. But, if you can find something that's great in a neighborhood that might generate a greater resale (if that is what is really important to you) then maybe you should think it over. Who's to say that the neighborhood you found isn't going to fare well?...Have you spoken with a real estate agent? Honestly, I think anyone can agree, you choose a home by weighing what is most important to you. Be it resale, area, price, updates, features, etc. One thing is certain, buying a home is NOT something that should be taken lightly. <~Not that I think you are doing that.

kasperkosmo · 03-25-2008, 10:48 AM

karisma
Thanks for this thread and for the honest people who are responding to it without just harping on the crime in the area compared to the suburbs. My wife and will be moving to the twin cities in the summer and are looking to move into a city neighborhood, not a suburban one. Almost every thread about the Minneapolis is about the crime compared to the suburbs, but I want to know what areas are in the city and affordable. I've seen that the North and Powderhorn have the most available options for cheap (under175K) homes. We have only visited the area once (our 2nd visit will be soon) so any information you get will be helpful to me, and probably others, as well.

Simple Living · 03-25-2008, 01:48 PM

Yes, the North and Powderhorn neighborhoods are certainly affordable. No denying that. The crime reports you've been hearing from people are also for good reason. They're true. I'm not saying that you should judge whether or not you buy in one of those areas based on them, but, none-the-less, they're still true.

Be thankful you had the warnings from people BEFORE you buy there. It's better than buying in those areas, oblivious to the facts, and then regretting it and not being able to sell your house to get out.

nick is rulz · 03-25-2008, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karisma

Oops, I meant to say walking alone at night.

Thanks, all, for the responses.

What all is the nightlife like around there? Are there any good bars/restaurants in that area?

Its kind of a dimly lit area, to be honest. Thats the only reason I wouldnt walk alone at night. Id be more concerned about getting hit by a car than getting mugged.

There isnt much going on for a nightlife in Lind-Bohanon. Theres a bar called Rachels on Lyndale but other than that its pretty quiet. Theres a lot of cool bars just across 42nd Ave into NE though. Those are in reasonable proximity to bike/drive to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kasperkosmo

I've seen that the North and Powderhorn have the most available options for cheap (under175K) homes. We have only visited the area once (our 2nd visit will be soon) so any information you get will be helpful to me, and probably others, as well.

Powderhorn tends to be best bordering the park on the south end. Bloomington used to be a pretty bad block, but not so much anymore.

North Minneapolis is very block to block. Most of anything north of Dowling is liveable though without having to be afraid all the time.

K-Luv · 03-25-2008, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kasperkosmo

karisma
Thanks for this thread and for the honest people who are responding to it without just harping on the crime in the area compared to the suburbs. My wife and will be moving to the twin cities in the summer and are looking to move into a city neighborhood, not a suburban one. Almost every thread about the Minneapolis is about the crime compared to the suburbs, but I want to know what areas are in the city and affordable. I've seen that the North and Powderhorn have the most available options for cheap (under175K) homes. We have only visited the area once (our 2nd visit will be soon) so any information you get will be helpful to me, and probably others, as well.

When you visit again, be sure to check out Powderhorn at various times throughout the day and night. That way you will understand where posters are getting their ideas. It is definitely not the worst area of Minneapolis, but it is far from the best for sure. It is for the most part working class with a good number of home owners. There are also a a good number of scummy residents that contain gang members and drug dealers.

The thing about Minneapolis is that the city does not have a ghetto per se, but as it has been pointed out numerous times, neighborhoods tend to very from block to block. In Powderhorns case, it can very from house to house as the numbers of home owners, blue-collar workers, drug dealers and everyone else are just sort of mixed in with each other.

It is totally possible to move into the area and not experience anything negative (but I highly doubt it), or maybe have your lawn-mower stolen from your back yard at worst. Not to mention the prostitutes doing business away from Lake St.