Job in Coon Rapids - Where to Live? (Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park: first time home buyer, neighborhoods)

[kleong01]

Hi,

My wife and I are moving to Minneapolis where our jobs will be in Coon Rapids. Can anyone tell me areas to live in where it won't be too far away from Coon Rapids and still enjoy the city? Schools are important for us as well since we plan to start a family.

Some people I met suggest Mounds View, Spring Lake Park. Any other areas to suggest?

Thanks!

[golfgal]

I would go for the Mounds View schools on that side of the city. They are ranked one of the top districts in the state.

[kleong01]

Thanks Golfgal - Where else would you recommend if I don't find any suitable houses in the area?

Any comments about - Fridley, Vadnais Heights, Blaine ?
(Vadnais Heights is rated among the top 100 best places to live in 2007)

Thanks very much again.

[Hoosier]

Champlin is quite close to Coon Rapids and is in an excellent school district, Anoka-Hennepin 11. Andover is a very nice suburb. I don't know much about the schools but my wife and I have discussed moving to that suburb one day.

Here is a listing of school districts in the Cities. This may help.

North side TWIN CITIES AREA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS:

ANOKA HENNEPIN - 763.506.1000 - www.anoka.k12.mn.us/
BROOKLYN CENTER - 763.561.2120 - www.brookcntr.k12.mn.us
ELK RIVER - 763.241.3400 - www.elkriver.k12.mn.us
FOREST LAKE - 651.982.8100 - www.forestlake.k12.mn.us
FRIDLEY - 763.502.5000 - www.fridley.k12.mn.us
MAHTOMEDI - 651.407.2000 - www.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us
MAPLE GROVE - 763.391.7000 - www.district279.org
MOUND - 952.491.8001 - www.westonka.k12.mn.us
SPRING LAKE PARK - 763.786.5570 - www.splkpark.k12.mn.us
ST. ANTHONY.NEW BRIGHTON - 612.706.1000 - www.stanthony.k12.mn.us

[Slig]

There are nice neighborhoods in Coon Rapids. If you want to live close to where your jobs are I would recommend checking out the areas north of 242 and south of Bunker Lake Blvd between Hanson Blvd and Crooked Lake Blvd.

[hammy5]

We live in the Anoka - Hennepin district and I would suggest to NOT live in this district. We are in the process of moving just to get out of the district. It is huge and has some major problems. There are much better districts nearby. Moundsview is a good one. What is your price range for a house?

Kristine

[Hoosier]

Originally Posted by hammy5

We live in the Anoka - Hennepin district and I would suggest to NOT live in this district. We are in the process of moving just to get out of the district. It is huge and has some major problems. There are much better districts nearby. Moundsview is a good one. What is your price range for a house?

Kristine

I guess it depends on where you are at in the district. We live in Champlin and have fantastic schools. Sure there are some problems but overall the education is fantastic and the schools are well equipped.

[kleong01]

Thank you all very much for the input, I really appreciate it.

My price range is to the max of 400,000. We are moving in from Chicago Lakeview area, its nice to be in the burbs after 3 years in the city. With our new move, we would like easy access to Minneapolis-St Paul where the night life are. We plan to start a family hence we are thinking about schools as well. Since we are in our early 30s we hope to find neighborhoods that are up and coming where people our age will be moving in, not retirement areas if you know what I mean.

Being first time home buyers we are interested in new homes and most new homes are in Maple Grove, Champlin and Blaine. I know that Maple Grove and Champlin is on the other side of the river. My question is - Where would you choose to live among the three? I guess Blaine would be an easier place to live for our commute but I visited Minneapolis and the traffic is not even near Chicago traffic.

There are not many new homes in Mounds View. Other areas that has new houses are Brooklyn Park and Columbia Heights. I have read in this forum that not all agree that these are good places to live in.

Any further inputs would be great!

[minnesota mom]

Moundsview district does have an aging population. Blaine has some younger neighborhoods, especially the newer areas and north of Radisson and 242, but you would still be in the Anoka Hennepin district (or Spring Lake park for some of Blaine). Lino Lakes has a lot of younger neighborhoods also, and that is Centennial school district. Traffic really isn't too bad from any place you suggested.

[kleong01]

Thanks very much, any ideas on Maple Grove? I hear the area around "The Shoppes" are nice.