brooklyn park (St. Paul: apartment, crime rates, houses)

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Camden Northsider

Agreed - and I think this is already happening to an extent. And quite frankly, I don't know why anyone would choose a suburb when you can find many affordable homes in nice areas of Minneapolis right now.

Different stroke for different folks. Here is a starter list for you on why people go other places:
1. Property Taxes in Minneapolis are higher than other places
2. Schools are generally not as good as many suburban schools
3. Lot sizes are generally smaller than suburbs
4. Just because a house is affordable, it is not neccesarily a good value
a) older houses need more upkeep
b) older houses tend to be poorly insulated
c) older houses tend to be difficult to remodel
d) you can't get a triple garage in the alley

I bought a house in Minneapolis and lived in it for over 10 years. When I bought the taxes were very reasonable at just under $800 a hear. When I sold, they had risen to $4500. $400 a month for property tax on a 1200 sq ft home is a screw job. Growth rate on taxes did finally settle down some, but a huge school bond is just a matter of time.

There was a lot to like about living in Minneapolis, and I do miss certian things.
1.) taking bus to work in 25 minutes
2.) being close to every possible shopping need
3.) Parks
4.) The old house had a lot of charm and character
5.) Eclectic mix of unique shops and resturants. I have found some nice replacements for these though.

[Slig]

Originally Posted by Clifford63

Different stroke for different folks. Here is a starter list for you on why people go other places:
1. Property Taxes in Minneapolis are higher than other places
2. Schools are generally not as good as many suburban schools
3. Lot sizes are generally smaller than suburbs
4. Just because a house is affordable, it is not neccesarily a good value
a) older houses need more upkeep
b) older houses tend to be poorly insulated
c) older houses tend to be difficult to remodel
d) you can't get a triple garage in the alley

1. agreed
2. this is debatable, especially since some of the best charter schools in the state are in Minneapolis and St. Paul proper. Beings as I came from the Anoka-Hennepin school district, I was not exposed to any diversity which I found detrimental and also was more sheltered than I could've been. I won't make the same mistake with my kids, inner city schools it is.
3. agreed, although this makes mowing and general yard upkeep easier which I like. If I want a field to run around in I can go one block down the street to Corcoran park, or one of the many other parks the city has to offer.
4a. depends on the house. There are plenty of old houses in Minneapolis with new furnaces new roofs, maintenance-free exteriors, newer appliances, etc. that require less maintenance than many wood exterior houses with a blacktop driveways and mid-low tier quality appliances in the suburbs. Some aspects where older = more maintenance is with things like plumbing and electrics, etc...just make sure the home is well inspected before you buy it.
4b. this is also true, although to some extent this can be improved quite a bit by installing newer windows as well as plastic covering for the winter and by improving the insulation in the attic. Homes in Minneapolis/St. Paul are generally smaller than homes in the suburbs so there is less house to heat or cool which also helps keep the bills down.
4c. this may be the case in certain instances. I haven't done any radical changes to my house but my brother has knocked down walls in his 1920's St. Paul bungalow and did it without any issues. I don't really know enough about interior redesign to comment on this though.
4d. Very true, I have a detached double garage in my south Minneapolis property and I don't think I'd be able to fit anything bigger.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by Clifford63

Different stroke for different folks. Here is a starter list for you on why people go other places:
1. Property Taxes in Minneapolis are higher than other places
2. Schools are generally not as good as many suburban schools
3. Lot sizes are generally smaller than suburbs
4. Just because a house is affordable, it is not neccesarily a good value
a) older houses need more upkeep
b) older houses tend to be poorly insulated
c) older houses tend to be difficult to remodel
d) you can't get a triple garage in the alley

You definitely make some good points and seem to be more open-minded to the whole city vs. suburb debate than most (including myself). Personal opinion/ preference is fine and yes there are usually more options in the categories you listed above. However, newer homes aren't built as well as older homes (and some times have issues due to being over-protected from the elements) and definitely, like you mentioned, don't have much if any character (except in the higher price ranges, where they get to be more over the top than anything). And I actually think it's harder to remodel a 70s, 80s, or 90s built home than it is an older home - yes it might be harder to create an open floor plan and there are likely more structural considerations in older homes, but in order to add any type of character to a newer home or get rid of the trends of whatever decade it was built in, you still have to do a whole house remodel and usually have no 'bones' to start from or guide in the process.

I'm in the city and we have 1 1/2 lots as do our next door neighbors, so my yard is bigger than most of my suburban tract development friends'. On my block, 2 of our neighbors have 3 car garages built to match the style of their homes on the alley with yard space to spare. The neighborhoods' schools have won numerous awards and are great, as is the surprisingly affordable neighborhood itself - and it's served by the #5 (and 19) bus line! (although I can't attest to how many residents actually use it unfortunately).

[pirate_lafitte]

I have a friend from Brooklyn Park,MN. He told me that Brooklyn Park(and the Mpls-St.Paul area in general) isn't as scary as Atlanta. I guess from that perspective, Brooklyn Park isn't that scary.

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I have a friend from Brooklyn Park,MN. He told me that Brooklyn Park(and the Mpls-St.Paul area in general) isn't as scary as Atlanta. I guess from that perspective, Brooklyn Park isn't that scary.

I was a block away from a shooting at a convenience store in 2000/2001. It was where all the new townhouses are southwest of the Zane/Brooklyn Boulevard intersection is. It was called speedy. There have been 10 murders in BP since 2000.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by Slig

has there been enough snow in the last 5 winters to even merit the purchase of a snowmobile?

Plenty. I can't remember going a winter without snowmobiling.

Snowfall Measured at the NWS in Chanhassen, MN

2006-2007
48.6 inches

2005-2006
49.2 inches

2004-2005
31.7 inches

2003-2004
66.3 inches

2002-2003
35.0 inches

2001-2002
66.0 inches

2000-2001
75.8 inches

1999-2000
40.7 inches

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by moving123456

Plenty. I can't remember going a winter without snowmobiling.

Snowfall Measured at the NWS in Chanhassen, MN

Yearly snowfall amounts don't really indicate how much show cover existed during the winter season.

During some of those years the snow could have fallen early or late in the season and melted right away, resulting in a rather poor season for snowmobiling. The numbers don't tell you when it fell, how evenly it fell, or how long it stayed.

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Yearly snowfall amounts don't really indicate how much show cover existed during the winter season.

During some of those years the snow could have fallen early or late in the season and melted right away, resulting in a rather poor season for snowmobiling. The numbers don't tell you when it fell, how evenly it fell, or how long it stayed.

Good point.

Total snowfall amounts dont really mean anything, they just give you a good look at how much it snowed in a season. Thats it. What about all those 8 inch snowfalls that happen in march and melt a few days later?

The first few snow falls never accumulate and stay anyways because the ground isnt cold enough.

Plus, most snowmobiler's go out as soon as there is any snow, and a day later all the ditches are brown. Personally, I like to snowmobile on some trails in the wilderness with fluffy snow. Not beat to crap ditches, thats not snowmobiling.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by knke0402

I was a block away from a shooting at a convenience store in 2000/2001. It was where all the new townhouses are southwest of the Zane/Brooklyn Boulevard intersection is. It was called speedy. There have been 10 murders in BP since 2000.

10 murders since 2008. Okay, that would be about 1.25 murders per year. What else do you know about BP?

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

10 murders since 2008. Okay, that would be about 1.25 murders per year. What else do you know about BP?

I'm sure you meant since 2000, because that is 1.25/yr.

What else do I know?

My grandma's old neighborhood which is 1960s ramblers and have been home to families unitl the 1990s, and then older couples, and now have been taken over by newer-more troublesome residents. Its obvious as since 2000, the home's and their properties have deterriorated greatly. More stories of break-ins, robberies, thefts, vandalism. That neighborhood is about 2 miles NW of Zane/Brookyln Boulevard.