Neighborhood advice (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington: apartments, rent, neighborhoods)

[CitizenSnips]

Hi, I'm hoping for some help because I don't know the Cities that well. I currently live in St. Cloud and am considering moving to the metro area for school and professional reasons.
I don't know the area very well. I'm thinking I'd probably prefer to live in the outer metro area, somewhere relatively quiet. I'm not dirt poor but I am hardly rich either and I doubt I could afford anything nice closer to downtown.
I know this isn't much to go on, but I'm afraid I don't know too much about the area yet. Any suggestions on good areas to live?

Thanks.

[golfgal]

Do you have details on where you will be going to school and working? That will make a difference in the suggestions you will get and want.

[meltedsno]

I recently relocated from St. Cloud to the Twin Cities as well. Not knowing the area, I was able to call on a relative for guidance and have decided to settle in Plymouth. I travel to downtown Mpls every Monday afternoon during rush hour and it takes me a mere 15 minutes to reach my destination. Being a single female, it was important to me to find a place that I felt secure in...and have not regretted my choice. For what it's worth, I do rent an apartment.

[MiSS WlCKED]

Uptown is a relatively good place to start. It is in Minneapolis, but not extremely far from downtown. I would suggest somewhere in Uptown. You got your bars,shopping and food places. It's a unique spot!

[uptown_urbanist]

Much as I love Uptown, I don't think it's right for the OP - it's not particularly quiet, and it's not cheap, and he/she did say "prefer outer metro." On the other hand, if we can get some more details about what the poster wants out of a neighborhood, there are some decent quiet, more affordable neighborhoods not too far from downtown I wasn't clear if the "outer metro" thing was because of a preference for suburban life, or because the outskirts might be cheaper.

[CitizenSnips]

Thanks! I am thinking "outer metro" because I assumed it would be easier to find a reasonably priced quiet apartment there. But that's just my gut instinct. I go to Minnesota School of Business and they have campuses (campi?) scattered all over the Cities, so that's not a huge factor.
I have been hearing that safe, reasonably priced apartments can be found in St. Paul. And by reasonably priced, I mean 750 or less a month for a 1BR.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

You shouldn't have any problem finding a 1 br in that range in St. Paul, Minneapolis or many of the suburbs. Craigslist is a decent search tool along with the Star Tribune paper/website.

I see there is a Minnesota School of Business in Brooklyn Center. I'm not sure where the other metro locations are, but it would probably make sense to find an apartment nearby to save you on commute time/gas bill.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Originally Posted by CitizenSnips

Thanks! I am thinking "outer metro" because I assumed it would be easier to find a reasonably priced quiet apartment there. But that's just my gut instinct. I go to Minnesota School of Business and they have campuses (campi?) scattered all over the Cities, so that's not a huge factor.
I have been hearing that safe, reasonably priced apartments can be found in St. Paul. And by reasonably priced, I mean 750 or less a month for a 1BR.

You could get a good one bedroom for that in most any area of the metro that I can think of. There is also a Minnesota School of Business in Richfield (around 77th and 35W). If you lived in Richfield, Bloomington or south Mpls. you would be in an area with transit lines that would take you to that area and that would also be affordable.