Looking to rent in a nice, quiet, safe neighbourhood not too far from the U of M (look for a job, school)

[Isabel_009]

Originally Posted by mnmel

For my first 3 years of grad school (also on the east bank), I lived in the St Anthony Apartments near the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. It's been a few years, but it was $610/month for a spacious studio apartment. The buildings are pretty quiet overall. Otherwise, if you have a car, Hopkins and St Louis Park are only a 20 minute drive from campus (longer during rush hour) - there are lots of quiet rental options there. Good luck with your search!

I definitely won't have a car!! So you recommend that apartment complex? I will look into it. I'm going to give serious consideration to living in this neighbourhood (Marcy-Holmes) before looking elsewhere. Where the apartments decent looking? One thing I'm afraid of is hearing peoples footsteps overhead. I have that prob now... I'll just have to make sure I get an apt on the top floor!!

[mnmel]

Originally Posted by Sabine_and_Will

I definitely won't have a car!! So you recommend that apartment complex? I will look into it. I'm going to give serious consideration to living in this neighbourhood (Marcy-Holmes) before looking elsewhere. Where the apartments decent looking? One thing I'm afraid of is hearing peoples footsteps overhead. I have that prob now... I'll just have to make sure I get an apt on the top floor!!

I thought they were decent looking - they've updated the appliances in some, so I'd try to get one of those. The apartment I rented had dark brown appliances that were pretty ugly, but I think I was one of the last ones with those. I lived on the top (3rd floor), because I also can't stand hearing footsteps. The grounds of St Anthony Village Apts were pretty clean - and they cleaned the hallways pretty regularly too.

[Isabel_009]

Originally Posted by mnmel

I thought they were decent looking - they've updated the appliances in some, so I'd try to get one of those. The apartment I rented had dark brown appliances that were pretty ugly, but I think I was one of the last ones with those. I lived on the top (3rd floor), because I also can't stand hearing footsteps. The grounds of St Anthony Village Apts were pretty clean - and they cleaned the hallways pretty regularly too.

I will check them out then, thanks! I imagine there are other apartment complexes in the neighborhood that I can look at as well.

[Bop]

If you won't have a car, I would highly recommend St. Anthony Park (north). It would be a bit pricier than M.H., but it is super convenient -- grocery store, coffee shop, restaurants, library all within a couple blocks. The city bus #3 runs from downtown Mpls to downtown St. Paul and St. Anthony Park is right in the middle. Better yet, there is also a free campus shuttle to the east bank campus that goes right through the 'hood because the St. Paul campus is in North SAP. There are lots of people connected with the U. who live in SAP -- instructors, researchers, but it's not the undergrad party neighborhood. It's a great community.

[southwest minneapolitan]

The U of M alone is an okay neighborhood. One of the best in Minneapolis, because all the other ones totally suck. Prospect Park has low crime but not many people in that area. Marcy Holmes is nice, but it can be a bit crimey. DON'T LOOK AT NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, POWDERHORN, OR PHILLIPS!!!!!!!

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by southwest minneapolitan

DON'T LOOK AT NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, POWDERHORN, OR PHILLIPS!!!!!!!

Please heed southwest minneapolitan's advice. I assure you that If you look at any of these communities you will instantly turn to stone.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by southwest minneapolitan

The U of M alone is an okay neighborhood. One of the best in Minneapolis, because all the other ones totally suck. Prospect Park has low crime but not many people in that area. Marcy Holmes is nice, but it can be a bit crimey. DON'T LOOK AT NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, POWDERHORN, OR PHILLIPS!!!!!!!

Great, just what this board needed - another narrow-minded fear-mongering snob. Is anyone else in favor of creating a sub-category of MSP Forum titled "snobs seeking snobs" where the entire forum consists of people cutting down and spreading fear about the majority of neighborhoods/ areas/ cities in MSP so as to perpetuate the elitist position held by their specific niche neighborhood? -It of course would also be great for snobs that are relocating to MSP and looking to surround themselves with other like-minded snobs. Getting a little off-topic here, but I'm getting bored out of my mind with the constant regurgitation of how great Linden Hills/ SW Mpls, Mac/Grovleland, Highland, District 196, etc. areas are on here - unless you're a young person, in which case the only area to move to is Uptown... all of these areas scream boring, homogeneous, snooty, and overpriced to me, and they represent such a small fraction of both the cities of Minneapolis/ St. Paul and the MSA as a whole and what's available here yet someone reading this board might think that these are the only areas we have here (or the only areas worth purchasing or renting a home). Let's get a little more original people...

[Isabel_009]

Originally Posted by nick is rulz

Seward!

Uptown has a ton of rentals always available and as long as you are near Franklin, Lyndale or Hennepin...getting to and from the U is pretty easy.

I would definitely look for something in this area if I could just take one bus to the university (no connections). I'm pretty sure the Hennepin bus would drop me off within walking distance of my department. Also, it seems that I might be able to find an apartment for a better rate because it's not within walking distance (versus Marcy Holmes). Does that sound right?

[Thegonagle]

If I was in your position, I'd really look hard in the Marcy-Holmes area within a few blocks of University Avenue SE first. That's because it would save you a lot of time on a daily basis compared to living in uptown.

If you don't find a charming enough apartment in that area, then uptown in the Wedge area, or anywhere within a few blocks of Hennepin Ave South would work well, or near Lyndale and Franklin, in which case, you can take the #2 bus instead of the 6. (If you live further south on Lyndale, then you would need to catch the 4 and transfer to a 2, 3, or 6 somewhere along the line.) If you find somewhere by Franklin and Hennepin, then you have the choice between the 2 and the 6--handy depending on where you want to go because each route hits the campus from a different direction.

Between the Marcy-Holmes and the Wedge/Uptown areas, I believe that for equivalent style/size/condition, you can find rents that are very similar, but you can actually spend more in uptown than Marcy-Holmes, because there are more high end apartments, and the neighborhood is nicer, especially west of Hennepin.

BTW, don't rent from UPI. They're slumlords who own a couple dozen buildings in South Minneapolis. They don't take care of their buildings or tenants at all. UPI has been in the local news for years, but the owner has managed to somehow to keep most of his rental licenses.

This is what happened last winter at a UPI building that my friend lived in:


YouTube - UPI Heat Story 3

Several days before that story aired, the heating system failed completely in the building. It was very cold outside, and it almost went below freezing in the entire building. That story was from a few days after they kind-of "fixed" it the first time, but most tenants, including my friend, still had very little heat in their apartments. They did finally fix it within the final 72 hour notice, but it should not have happened like that. A good landlord or manager in Minnesota would have done what it took to get it done right, and in January, fast!

P.S. There's a UPI building right at Henepin and Franklin (905/907/909 W. Franklin). Great location. Too bad about the landlord.

[Isabel_009]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

If I was in your position, I'd really look hard in the Marcy-Holmes area within a few blocks of University Avenue SE first. That's because it would save you a lot of time on a daily basis compared to living in uptown.

If you don't find a charming enough apartment in that area, then uptown in the Wedge area, or anywhere within a few blocks of Hennepin Ave South would work well, or near Lyndale and Franklin, in which case, you can take the #2 bus instead of the 6. (If you live further south on Lyndale, then you would need to catch the 4 and transfer to a 2, 3, or 6 somewhere along the line.) If you find somewhere by Franklin and Hennepin, then you have the choice between the 2 and the 6--handy depending on where you want to go because each route hits the campus from a different direction.

Between the Marcy-Holmes and the Wedge/Uptown areas, I believe that for equivalent style/size/condition, you can find rents that are very similar, but you can actually spend more in uptown than Marcy-Holmes, because there are more high end apartments, and the neighborhood is nicer, especially west of Hennepin.

BTW, don't rent from UPI. They're slumlords who own a couple dozen buildings in South Minneapolis. They don't take care of their buildings or tenants at all. UPI has been in the local news for years, but the owner has managed to somehow to keep most of his rental licenses.

This is what happened last winter at a UPI building that my friend lived in:


YouTube - UPI Heat Story 3

Several days before that story aired, the heating system failed completely in the building. It was very cold outside, and it almost went below freezing in the entire building. That story was from a few days after they kind-of "fixed" it the first time, but most tenants, including my friend, still had very little heat in their apartments. They did finally fix it within the final 72 hour notice, but it should not have happened like that. A good landlord or manager in Minnesota would have done what it took to get it done right, and in January, fast!

P.S. There's a UPI building right at Henepin and Franklin (905/907/909 W. Franklin). Great location. Too bad about the landlord.

Thank you so much for your post! I will check out both neighbourhoods, and I'll be sure to stay away from UPI. When do you think is the best time to try to look for an apartment? I've heard some people say that you should try to arrange something as early as possible, and others say two months ahead. I want to make a trip down there but I'm not sure when would be the best time.