Why does Brooklyn Park have such a bad rap? (Minneapolis: low income, appointed)

[kurls]

Hi,

I viewed other cities on this site in the metro area and found that Brooklyn Park does not have significantly any difference in murders but yet receives so much negative press. Did you know that Bloomington and Brooklyn Park have very similar numbers, 1-2 murders per year. Coon Rapids has a similar pattern. Maple Grove had 4 murders in 2005 according to city data; I am surprised that people are not scared there.

I wonder if the negative views of Brooklyn Park are due to our more culturally diverse population. I hope not as that is the main reason my wife and I live here. In fact that is my favorite thing about my adopted hometown.

I love the city's parks and trail system.

I love our convenient location with a fairly easy commute to Minneapolis and St Paul.

I love the affordability of homes compared to neighboring communities, I guess having a bad rep can't be so bad.

The school system seems to do fairly well with the children. It may not be the best in the state, but still compared to the rest of the country I think they are doing better than average.

There are some negative things about my city as well, but then again these are common in any large metro. There is some crime element and gangsters, but growing up in that lifestyle in another state, it is my opinion that things could be far worse and that MN has some good programs in place to catch those kids on the border line of falling into that life. However, like anywhere else parents MUST raise their kids to be thinkers and have a positive outlook. We have a long way to go until we realize the dream of Martin Luther King, so let's create a society of educated young folks.

The Zane corridor is condensed with low income apartments. This is the Brooklyn Park that outsiders think of, which is responsible for most of the crime in the city. However the revitalization efforts over there are changing things for the better by bringing in mixed businesses and residential development in an aesthetic fashion.

To end on a positive note, I don't want to live in Plymouth. I love the fact that BP has racial and cultural diversity, a mixture of city and suburban feel, and most importantly the potential to really highlight the success of the American melting pot.

[kurls]

Brooklyn Park
Type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Murders 2 0 1 2 2 2 1
per 100,000 3.0 0.0 1.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.5
Bloomington
Crime in Bloomington by Year

Type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Murders 1 0 2 1 1 0
per 100,000 1.2 0.0 2.3 1.2 1.2 0.0

Coon Rapids
Crime in Coon Rapids by Year

Type 1999 2000 2002 2004 2005
Murders 1 0 2 0 1
per 100,000 1.6 0.0 3.2 0.0 1.6

Minneapolis
Crime in Minneapolis by Year

Type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Murders 47 50 43 47 46 53 47
per 100,000 12.3 13.1 11.2 12.3 12.0 13.9 12.3

[Slig]

compare those numbers to Hilltop, easily the most crime-infested Minneapolis suburb.

[midwest456]

Where is Hilltop? Thanks.

[getoutofmn]

Originally Posted by midwest456

Where is Hilltop? Thanks.

A little pocket in Columbia Hts, off 47. Mostly trailer parks and industrial...and not very nice to say the least

[rochestercheesehead]

Define affordable. I know folks who live in southern burbs like IGH, and the prices seem astronomical--I grew up in a VERY wealthy suburb of Milwaukee--they don't build anything for less than $750,000 there these days, but my father's very well-appointed more than adequate home would sell for less than half of that, which is still WAY TOO MUCH money for me.

It's interesting to me too because land is considerably more expensive in Milwaukee (for instance, my dad's land is valued at $220,000/acre v. about $90,000/acre in IGH) than in the Twin Cities, but the actual houses in the Twin Cities still seem outrageously priced. Example: I was watching "My House is Worth How Much?" on HGTV a couple of months ago and they showed a home in one of the southern suburbs--I don't remember which one, but it wasn't IGH. This house was much newer than my Dad's in Brookfield, WI, but it had a smaller lot, the house itself was smaller, and it was nowhere near as nice. They valued the home at $550,000!! Who can afford that? I'm sure that the couple's combined incomes were less than what my father was earning in Milwaukee, which also pays higher wages, when he retired six years ago. Even with an estate worth several million dollars, my father would never even consider buying a $550,000 home--he couldn't afford it.

Why is this a big deal to me? I live in lousy Rochester right now, and I am working on my THIRD college degree--I already have a BA and an MA and now I'm working on an AAS that I hope will help me land a significantly higher paying job than either of my current degrees will allow, but I don't have much hope of any opportunity in this one company town...so I'm thinking of moving north to the cities, but I can't afford $250,000 for a house let alone $550,000. My wife doesn't have a paying job, and we have three kids. I've never earned more than $50,000/year, and I don't expect to earn any more than that initially up there, although that amount would be significantly higher than what a similar job here, if there was one, would pay. So again, I ask, define affordable. To me, affordable is $100,000-$180,000, tops! Is St. Paul my only option?

[warmweather!]

Here's what I think of Brooklyn Park. The south end is old, mostly apartments, and when I go there, I often hear police sirens. In contrary, the north end is very new, and very nice. The school, Park Center, is kind of ghetto. Yes, BP is more diverse, not a bad thing at all. I see diversity as people of different ancestories walking side by side, the way they should.Am I correct about BP ? Kurls, please tell me more about it, I want to know the truth and the good things about the place. The north seems great. Do you live in north or south BP?

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by rochestercheesehead

Define affordable. I know folks who live in southern burbs like IGH, and the prices seem astronomical--I grew up in a VERY wealthy suburb of Milwaukee--they don't build anything for less than $750,000 there these days, but my father's very well-appointed more than adequate home would sell for less than half of that, which is still WAY TOO MUCH money for me.

It's interesting to me too because land is considerably more expensive in Milwaukee (for instance, my dad's land is valued at $220,000/acre v. about $90,000/acre in IGH) than in the Twin Cities, but the actual houses in the Twin Cities still seem outrageously priced. Example: I was watching "My House is Worth How Much?" on HGTV a couple of months ago and they showed a home in one of the southern suburbs--I don't remember which one, but it wasn't IGH. This house was much newer than my Dad's in Brookfield, WI, but it had a smaller lot, the house itself was smaller, and it was nowhere near as nice. They valued the home at $550,000!! Who can afford that? I'm sure that the couple's combined incomes were less than what my father was earning in Milwaukee, which also pays higher wages, when he retired six years ago. Even with an estate worth several million dollars, my father would never even consider buying a $550,000 home--he couldn't afford it.

Why is this a big deal to me? I live in lousy Rochester right now, and I am working on my THIRD college degree--I already have a BA and an MA and now I'm working on an AAS that I hope will help me land a significantly higher paying job than either of my current degrees will allow, but I don't have much hope of any opportunity in this one company town...so I'm thinking of moving north to the cities, but I can't afford $250,000 for a house let alone $550,000. My wife doesn't have a paying job, and we have three kids. I've never earned more than $50,000/year, and I don't expect to earn any more than that initially up there, although that amount would be significantly higher than what a similar job here, if there was one, would pay. So again, I ask, define affordable. To me, affordable is $100,000-$180,000, tops! Is St. Paul my only option?

You make a lot of assumptions about what people make and what they spend on their homes. There are PLENTY of people that can afford $500,000+ homes around here either because they DO make enough money to pay for them or they have earned enough equity in previous houses to pay down on the mortgage to make it affordable. How do you know this couple you talk about make less money then your dad, to you do their taxes? I think you need to take a step back and realize that there are many, many people in the world that make a lot more then $50,000 and can afford the nicer things in life.

I have just recently gone back to work after staying home with the kids for almost 15 years. My husband made enough for that to happen AND we also had enough money to afford a nice home and nice things, take regular vacations, etc. It can be done, you just need to adjust your attitude and find a better paying job.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by rochestercheesehead

To me, affordable is $100,000-$180,000, tops! Is St. Paul my only option?

Your only option? roch, you will have to look very very hard to find a habitable house in St. Paul for $180k or less that is in a neighborhood where you'd want to raise your kids. I would forget St. Paul and look to some of the more affordable burbs, such as Richfiled, Oakdale, West St. Paul, east Bloomington, the Brooklyns, Mounds View, etc.

[kurls]

Originally Posted by warmweather!

Here's what I think of Brooklyn Park. The south end is old, mostly apartments, and when I go there, I often hear police sirens. In contrary, the north end is very new, and very nice. The school, Park Center, is kind of ghetto. Yes, BP is more diverse, not a bad thing at all. I see diversity as people of different ancestories walking side by side, the way they should.Am I correct about BP ? Kurls, please tell me more about it, I want to know the truth and the good things about the place. The north seems great. Do you live in north or south BP?

Hi Warm Weather.

I live in South East BP, near Brooklyn Center. I know what you mean about Park Center, but my sister goes there and it is not horrible, the teachers really seem to care about the kids based on my meetings with them at conferences. My post mentions the things I like about BP. To answer your questions about the south end it sounds like you are thinking about Zane, Brooklyn Blvd, and Brookdale Dr areas which have the most crime in the city. There are actually some great neighborhoods on the southeast area bordering Brooklyn Center.

My question is more about why do people(in general) on these boards seem to compare BP and BC to Minneapolis? The crime stats are not much different than Bloomington or a few other suburbs. True BP is not Minnetonka or Wayzata but it is in my opinion a fine place to live.