Best Neighborhoods for young families? (St. Paul, Wells: daycare, home, elementary schools)

[specificnorthwest]

Hi,

My wife has recently been presented with a promising job offer in St Paul, and part of our decision will obviously depend on where we would be living. The job would be located in downtown St Paul..We have a 3 year old..We'd prefer to not live in suburbia (we're currently city dwellers on the east coast) and would preferably limit our use of a car as much as possible...If we do this i'll be the stay at home dad, at least initially before we consider daycare/preschool, etc..And of course we'd be thinking ahead and would prefer an area with good elementary schools..What areas would make sense?

Thanks

[Ben Around]

Highland Park or Mac Groveland. Horace Mann and Groveland Park are both considered "good" elementary schools. Both are kid-friendly, with lots to do. It is easy to live with only one car in these neighborhoods if you work in either downtown.

[specificnorthwest]

thanksi was also wondering if it is common/feasible to live downtown (apt/loft, etc)..is that something young families tend to do?

[MplsTodd]

I wouldn't doubt that there are some families living in downtown St. Paul, but probably not very many. Lowertown is a nice area to look into--it has a quiet neighborhood feel, with lots of older brick buildings and several city squares, a few restaurants and the St. Paul Farmers Market, and a good sized artist community. DT St. Paul has a much smaller population base than DT Mpls, as well as having a much smaller emplyment base, so as long as you realize its not a super-active downtown, you may really like the charms of an area like lowertown. I have no idea about what schools are like in the DT area. I've heard good things about schools in the Mac-Groveland/Highland Park area (which is close to both downtowns).

[Double]

Based on your job offer in downtown St. Paul and your interest in limiting the use of your car, the Lowertown neighborhood would be worth looking into.

Welcome to Lowertown, St. Paul
Lowertown Entertainment District

There is a public elementary school downtown:
Welcome to Wellstone Elementary School

And a charter school:
eChalk