Realistically - at rush hour (Minneapolis, St. Paul: rentals, house, safe area)

[StilltheSame]

After looking at other posts Im still confused as to a realistic time frame for rush hour commute. To explain - I will be working downtown Minneapolis and dont want to be more than 10 minutes from downtown - but need to be in a good public school district and in a relatively safe/quiet area. After searching and mapping rentals on Craigslist with Yahoo maps I am starting to think their travel times are not accurate. So realistically - and I understand these are approximations (also pardon any misidentification of areas) what are your commute times during rush hour to downtown Minneapolis and via what route from:

U Minn area:
Golden Valley:
Edina:
Wayzata:
Hopkins:
Minnetonka:
Brooklyn Park:
Crystal:
Roseville:

If you think of any areas that fulfill my requirements - please feel free to add! Thanks!

[golfgal]

Realistically you are going to need to be in a commute longer then 10 minutes to get into a good public school district in a safe area. If you can go 15 to 20 minutes you have a lot more options, including pretty much every town on your list. From your list I would start with Edina and Wayzata then look into Hopkins and Minnetonka. I wouldn't bother with the rest of them. You could also expand out to Mendota Heights and Eagan if you are willing to go to 15 to 20 minutes. You also have to keep in mind time getting out of your neighborhood so if 10 minutes once you hit the highway works for you, all of these spots are fine.

[StilltheSame]

Thanks Golfgal. So any of these areas will give me a clear 15-20 minutes from door to downtown during rush hour?
Edina
Wayzata
Hopkins
Minnetonka

good to know.

Also what about St. Louis Park?

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Realistically you are going to need to be in a commute longer then 10 minutes to get into a good public school district in a safe area. If you can go 15 to 20 minutes you have a lot more options, including pretty much every town on your list. From your list I would start with Edina and Wayzata then look into Hopkins and Minnetonka. I wouldn't bother with the rest of them. You could also expand out to Mendota Heights and Eagan if you are willing to go to 15 to 20 minutes. You also have to keep in mind time getting out of your neighborhood so if 10 minutes once you hit the highway works for you, all of these spots are fine.

I disagree with pretty much this entire post. Wayzata/Minnetonka to downtown in 15 minutes during rush hour...not unless you're driving a flying Deloreon from Back to the Future Part II, sister.

The "good" school district argument makes for a fun debate but it isn't as cut and dry as you make it out to be. I'm sure schools in Roseville and Golden Valley are comparable to Hopkins schools, etc. This is the same poster who doesn't want to pay more than $2000 a month for a minimal 3 bedroom 2 bath home so why would you steer him/her to Wayzata and Minntonka? I don't think the OP will have much luck there in that price range unless they are planning on putting down a massive down payment.

[uptown_urbanist]

I second everything Slig just said. I don't agree with Golfgal's post AT ALL.

St. Louis Park would be a very good option. I don't know as much about Golden Valley, but I certainly would keep it on the list. SLP has great schools, is safe, is much closer than Wayzata or Minnetonka (some areas closer than others), and would have more options in your budget.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by Slig

...not unless you're driving a flying Deloreon from Back to the Future Part II, sister.

Best sentence I've read on here in a long time (LOL).

I agree with everything Slig and Uptown Urbanist stated. Here is how I would rank the commute times of the areas you listed, note that a number of these are educated guesses:

Best (has potential for 10 minute trips depending on the day)
U of MN area - not sure which particular area you are specifying, but all would likely be very convenient.
Golden Valley
Roseville

Still Pretty Good (15-20+ minutes rush hour? 10-15 otherwise?)
Edina
St. Louis Park
Crystal
Brooklyn Park (depending on where in B.P. you live)

Not the greatest but OK (in order of best to worst, am guessing most would likely be 20-25 minutes rush hour, 15-20 minutes non-rush hour)
Hopkins
Minnetonka
Wayzata

And good schools can be found in all areas of the metro, whether in the cities proper or any of the suburbs. Stay away from anywhere served by District 196, however, not just for the horrible commute times - I hear they are having budget issues there.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Yes, the beloved district 196 is facing public school budget issues along with every other school district.

ThisweekLive-Thisweek Newspapers/Dakota Co. Tribune - Funding uncertainty prompts District 196 board to consider budget adjustments

[Ben Around]

I "fourth" what slig, uptown and Camden said. The "best" school district for you is the one that has the school, teachers and programs that best address your childen's needs.

[skylarkmn]

Just to add on the commute, I used to work in Northeast Minneapolis while living in Uptown (Southwest Minneapolis.) In terms of miles, I was just about 8 miles away from my workplace. In the morning, I could make it there in around 10 to 15 minutes simply by getting on 94 East and then shooting up 35W North. I had no issues in the morning. However, in the evening (ranging from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.,) it could take me as little as 25 minutes (rare) and as much as 45 minutes. In inclement weather, it could take up to an hour. The average time it took in the evening was usually around 30 minutes, thus doubling my true commute.

Now I work downtown Minneapolis and still live in Uptown. My commute is usually a pretty solid 7-10 minutes for about 4.5 miles. I also have a friend who lives in St. Paul, the Como area, and she has experienced evening commutes of over an hour for only about 8 miles. It usually takes me 35-45 minutes to get to her house in the evenings (a trip I make often.)

This has been my experience with rush hour. Plus, most of it has to do with traveling on I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Normally, if I avoid that area of the interstate, it knocks off some time.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Slig

Yes, the beloved district 196 is facing public school budget issues along with every other school district.

ThisweekLive-Thisweek Newspapers/Dakota Co. Tribune - Funding uncertainty prompts District 196 board to consider budget adjustments

Grow up--our district is being proactive in the event that the state budgets don't pan out and they can't send the money to the local districts like they normally do. Conversely the Minneapolis schools are always having budget issues and have to close schools on a regular basis.

Stillthesame--you will find that there is a very definite hatred toward the suburbs here, yet many of those that bash the suburbs admit they have never been to these suburbs. They can say what they want about various schools in Minneapolis but the reality is that they don't stack up in terms of overall education and safety of students that you will find in the suburbs.

Most of your commute issues really come from where you end up living in a suburb-deep in the suburb you add a good 10 minutes to some commutes, near interchanges and highways, it won't add much time at all. I have driven from my "horrible" commute from Rosemount to Minneapolis many times and it is a 35-40 minute commute at rush hour. If you go from Eagan to Minneapolis at the same time it is about 20 minutes if you are close to 35E, but Eagan borders Rosemount so if you are near the Rosemount border that commute becomes 30-40 minutes.

Also, unless you are driving on selected small stretches of highway, 494 between Bloomington and Eden Prairie, 696 in the northern suburbs and 35W coming out of Burnsville, you don't end up in stalled traffic. Your commute is generally always moving with the exception of the days were the weather is bad or there is an accident. It isn't like some major cities where a 20 minute commute gets you 5 miles.

I do think that a 10 minute commute door to door into downtown Minneapolis from pretty much anywhere is not going to happen because of stoplights, parking, etc. I think you need to adjust your thinking to 20 minutes.