What is Fern Hill Like? Saint Louis Park (Minneapolis, Minnetonka: new house, neighborhoods)

[considering]

We are considering that area for a new house. We like the convenience to retail, downtown, Hopkins, and 100 all of which we use often. Does anyone know what kind of community feel there is, activities, etc.? Thanks.

[Citykid3785]

I can't speak to how the community is per se. I will say that it's a diamond in the rough, it's essentially a lake Calhoun neighborhood with the price tag of St. Louis Park. You've got rustica, punch pizza, whole foods, etc, not to mention lake of the isles and lake Calhoun. I do know that neighborhood has a very large Jewish population as well just so you are aware. If you can find a house that fits your style, I'd move there in a heartbeat

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

It’s not cheap though, but definitely a well-kept secret. Agreed that the area is heavily Jewish, and both my wife and her Jewish cousins want to live (or already live) there, as well as Minnekahda Vista. Just as interesting, I find that the Cedar-Isles neighborhood just on the other side of France Ave is just as overlooked, and it’s one of the places I’m interested in adding to the n’hood housing watch list to the other two mentioned (as well as Morningside).

[veetzvino]

I've been looking at these areas as well, thinking that it seems so under appreciated. I'm really having a hard time understanding St Louis Park in general. Schools don't get great ratings, but does anyone have any insight in to that? I love the idea of finding something east of hwy 100 and getting the benefit of basically being in South Minneapolis, but at a discount. It seems like St Louis Park would be such a great candidate to be the "new hot spot." They have their own school district, close to downtown, great shopping/restaurants nearby, and walkable.

[TxTnVtMn]

Originally Posted by veetzvino

I've been looking at these areas as well, thinking that it seems so under appreciated. I'm really having a hard time understanding St Louis Park in general. Schools don't get great ratings, but does anyone have any insight in to that? I love the idea of finding something east of hwy 100 and getting the benefit of basically being in South Minneapolis, but at a discount. It seems like St Louis Park would be such a great candidate to be the "new hot spot." They have their own school district, close to downtown, great shopping/restaurants nearby, and walkable.

I have also found SLP to be a bit confounding. On a much older C-D thread, I posed the question, "Why is SLP not the Evanston of Minneapolis?" We rented in SLP for two years and would have liked to buy in the city. We landed in Minnetonka instead. We're in a 1957 home that met our layout preferences and is in a walkable area, so it is not like we jumped to McMansion-land or were seeking anything like that.

The housing stock in SLP is erratic. Many of the homes have been updated, but there is only so much you can do with awkward, older layouts. We found that our modest preference for three bedrooms on one floor and a 2-stall garage were very difficult to come by in SLP, and those that we did find were out of starter home price range (or sold in about a day).

My theory is that a high price per square foot and a housing stock that cannot really satisfy the families who would prefer to stay in a leafy, close-in community but ultimately decide they cannot. I also believe that, at the margins, failing to hold on to a greater share of these families also diminishes the school ratings. SLP is not very successful in athletics (again, for reasons that might be baked in to these other dynamics), meaning the community and schools do not get the exposure and notoreity that comes with that (which might in turn attract yet more families seeking those opportunities).

[Glenfield]

These warnings about Jews in SLP are more than a little weird. Are there other ethnic or religious concentrations in the Twin Cities that you would feel comfortable warning people about like this?

[veetzvino]

Originally Posted by TxTnVtMn

I have also found SLP to be a bit confounding. On a much older C-D thread, I posed the question, "Why is SLP not the Evanston of Minneapolis?" We rented in SLP for two years and would have liked to buy in the city. We landed in Minnetonka instead. We're in a 1957 home that met our layout preferences and is in a walkable area, so it is not like we jumped to McMansion-land or were seeking anything like that.

The housing stock in SLP is erratic. Many of the homes have been updated, but there is only so much you can do with awkward, older layouts. We found that our modest preference for three bedrooms on one floor and a 2-stall garage were very difficult to come by in SLP, and those that we did find were out of starter home price range (or sold in about a day).

My theory is that a high price per square foot and a housing stock that cannot really satisfy the families who would prefer to stay in a leafy, close-in community but ultimately decide they cannot. I also believe that, at the margins, failing to hold on to a greater share of these families also diminishes the school ratings. SLP is not very successful in athletics (again, for reasons that might be baked in to these other dynamics), meaning the community and schools do not get the exposure and notoreity that comes with that (which might in turn attract yet more families seeking those opportunities).

Thanks for all the great insight! Really a big help. It seems like there should be tear downs on every block. If people really are wanting to live there, and have 3 bedrooms + upstairs, mind as well be building new. Have they limited that type of building there more than MPS?

I lived in an area that was a first ring suburb in Cincinnati, that had a very similar vibe to SLP. Blue collar, small homes that were close together and they had their own school district. The big difference I see is that school district has become one of the best in the area and nationally recognized. I think it was always good, but now is great. There are now tear downs going on every block. If SLP could attract more families and get them to stay in the district, it would be huge. Everything else seems to be there for it to attract young families. Schools are the only thing holding it back, if I had to guess.

Funny you bring up the sports thing. I do think sports bring a lot of awareness to a district. I did see their baseball team had a very successful season this year. It made me think that maybe things are starting to change for the better.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by veetzvino

I've been looking at these areas as well, thinking that it seems so under appreciated. I'm really having a hard time understanding St Louis Park in general. Schools don't get great ratings, but does anyone have any insight in to that? I love the idea of finding something east of hwy 100 and getting the benefit of basically being in South Minneapolis, but at a discount. It seems like St Louis Park would be such a great candidate to be the "new hot spot." They have their own school district, close to downtown, great shopping/restaurants nearby, and walkable.

The schools switched to the IB program fairly recently and we proudly enroll our children there because of this. So far we have had no issues whatsoever with the education the schools are providing our children and the city continues to pass levies to further fund the public schools. I think its education stock (if you will) is on the rise, and as more younger Millennial families move back to inner-ring suburbs and core cities I think this trend will take hold almost universally within this demographic and as people reinvest their money and themselves in these long-overlooked areas. I strongly believe this, but mostly because I WANT it to be true so we can stay in/near the core or in the city itself and not have to worry that we're screwing our kids over in terms of education. If we get ANY indication that this is happening I'm certain my wife or myself will start looking at alternatives immediately.

[BlackHillsBaby]

Shame on you for giving Jewish people a bad name by "warning" others! You don't have to live there.

Here is an FYI: Historically, people WANT to live in Jewish neighborhoods, because they're safe.

[TwinsFan1975]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

I do know that neighborhood has a very large Jewish population as well just so you are aware.

As a Catholic who also finds his religion oftentimes subject to religious bigotry, I'm not sure how else to find this quote other than "problematic".