Biking from Uptown to UMinn East Bank (Minneapolis, St. Paul: apartments, safe neighborhoods)

[JenLee]

Look at Lauderdale in St. Paul. It's right by the St. Paul campus and there is a co-op south of the St. Paul campus (on Randolph). During the winter she can hop the inter-campus bus if necessary; but the commute would be a lot easier for her than from the Whittier or Uptown areas.

[Laggard]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

Safety concerns should be a top priority for anyone, but the Green Way is relatively safe--it is definitely safer then riding a bike down an adjacent street, in my opinion, and most of the 'scum' has been cleaned up since they removed the train tracks and paved the bike path. Right before they tore up the tracks was the last time that I heard of any 'attacks' down in that area. The police occasionally will drive down it as well.

Bad info you got there. Last August a rider was severely beaten by a group of eight thugs. Attacks still happen and a lot of serious riders avoid certain areas of the greenway at night. It's still too dark under bridges and though cops patrol the western part of the trail, they're not seen much around Portland. Heck, I'm 6', 220, have lived here for 14 years including a few years in Phillips and I still get nervous riding parts of the greenway. Not trying to pass myself off as some street tough dude but I can only imagine how nervous a 110 pound female might feel at 10:45 at night and there is not another rider within a mile.

Minneapolis Bike Love ~ View topic - Greenway Assault

[Minnehahapolitan]

Originally Posted by MissJulie

Thank you. Are there many bikers along the Greenway up to say 9 or 10pm? Do many people bike at night in Minneapolis in general? We're looking for one-bedroom rentals in the $650-$750 range. Other neighborhoods closer in you would recommend that have a similiar flavor to Uptown (food co-op, options for vegans important--nightlife not so important)?

Uptown is an undefined area, generally it is thought of as the area immediately around Lake and Hennepin. The business assoc. defines it as between Dupont, 28h and 31t. Many outside even those boundaries fell that they live in Uptown. Again, from Uptown you have the No. 6 bus that is going to be going down Hennepin and straight over the the East Bank every 15 minutes. The Wedge is the triangle loosely formed by Lyndale, Hennepin and 26h. The Wedge Co-op is huge and always well used (2105 Lyndale). Whittier (esp. towards Nicollet) prob. isn't going to be upto a motherly standard of safety. Longfellow and Saint Anthony Park are very residential. To be blunt, the closer she lives to Lake and Hennepin the easier life will be transportation and amenity-wise. The other good option would be along Univ. Ave., and that area is filled with students.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Laggard

Bad info you got there. Last August a rider was severely beaten by a group of eight thugs. Attacks still happen and a lot of serious riders avoid certain areas of the greenway at night. It's still too dark under bridges and though cops patrol the western part of the trail, they're not seen much around Portland. Heck, I'm 6', 220, have lived here for 14 years including a few years in Phillips and I still get nervous riding parts of the greenway. Not trying to pass myself off as some street tough dude but I can only imagine how nervous a 110 pound female might feel at 10:45 at night and there is not another rider within a mile.

Minneapolis Bike Love ~ View topic - Greenway Assault

Well, my info is based on what I know, and what I know is that I have not heard of these assaults. I am not in no way saying that they did not happen, but you have to admit that the Green Way has cleaned up tremendously and at least it is not a haven for the homeless, drunks and drug users to the extent that the area was before the bike path got built. I commuted between Uptown and Highway 280/University for three years down the Green Way and never once had a problem, nor seen anything that would suggest otherwise--even at night. The potential for something to happen is pretty high, I would admit--mainly because it is in an out-of-the-way location (in a matter of speaking). I fit your description and I am more nervous riding down 28th.

[Haver]

I forgot to add that the inter-campus shuttle between the Minneapolis and St. Paul campus is on a dedicated roadway with a five to seven minute commute time. It only has one stop, somewhere along University Avenue in I think the prospect park neighborhood at a park and ride lot.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Minnehahapolitan

Uptown is an undefined area, generally it is thought of as the area immediately around Lake and Hennepin. The business assoc. defines it as between Dupont, 28h and 31t. Many outside even those boundaries fell that they live in Uptown. Again, from Uptown you have the No. 6 bus that is going to be going down Hennepin and straight over the the East Bank every 15 minutes. The Wedge is the triangle loosely formed by Lyndale, Hennepin and 26h. The Wedge Co-op is huge and always well used (2105 Lyndale). Whittier (esp. towards Nicollet) prob. isn't going to be upto a motherly standard of safety. Longfellow and Saint Anthony Park are very residential. To be blunt, the closer she lives to Lake and Hennepin the easier life will be transportation and amenity-wise. The other good option would be along Univ. Ave., and that area is filled with students.

Most people I know would push the eastern boundary from Dupont up to Lyndale and the southern boundary from 31st to 36th while including Hennipen from 36th all the way to Franklin with a few parallel streets thrown in . I know people in St. Paul who refer to the entire area of South Minneapolis as Uptown and I know others who lived around MCAD that claimed that they were in Uptown.

Whittier is not that bad although there are a few blocks that should be avoided at night. It is also the neighborhood where a lot of MCAD, MCTC, and U students live as well as hipsters and everyone else who thinks that they are too cool for Uptown.

[MissJulie]

Does the road connecting the campuses serve as a bike trail too? It looks like it costs more $$$ to live in the area around the St. Paul campus compared to Uptown/Whittier. I like the sound of the Lauderdale neighborhood, though. We're checking Craig's List, Star-Tribune and UM off-campus housing websites. Any local papers we should pick up when we get there for apt listings? There sure are a lot of listings in Uptown. It's helpful to have the description of the boundaries of Uptown from this forum.

[Haver]

Found the link, the icons are clickable: Parking and Transportation Services, University of Minnesota

Google maps shows what I think is a bike path that goes along the shuttle route as far as Energy Park Drive but doesn't go all the way through, but she can also take her bike on the bus on an external rack.

[K-Luv]

Ummm.....you say that you're daughter is going to graduate school, but you are the one looking for/approving neighborhoods for her? And, you say that she doesn't want to live in a student dominated community which reads as , no sex, drugs or rock and roll, which I am wondering if that is her decision or yours? If she really does not want the party atmosphere then Uptown is not the proper location.

Anyways, Craigslist is the best place to look as far as rental information goes-it's free for landlords to post listings, users do not have to 'register' to use it and everyone and their grand mother has heard of it-so you are going to find the most listings. Plus, pictures are often times included as well. I wouldn't bother with the Star Tribune.

[MissJulie]

[Ummm.....you say that you're daughter is going to graduate school, but you are the one looking for/approving neighborhoods for her? And, you say that she doesn't want to live in a student dominated community which reads as , no sex, drugs or rock and roll, which I am wondering if that is her decision or yours? If she really does not want the party atmosphere then Uptown is not the proper location.]

My only interest is her safety, especially with regard to biking. I would be thrilled if she lived close to campus and didn't commute a long distance, but she doesn't like living among noisy, partying students (had enough of that as an undergrad--anyway she's moving with her boyfriend, so I lost that battle). So Uptown really may not be for her/them either. We've agreed, for my peace of mind, that we would identify relatively safe neighborhoods, and hopefully find something in our price range.

Glad to hear Craig's List is the way to go.