Possible move (Minneapolis, Bloomington, St. Louis Park: sales, apartment, rentals) - Minneapolis - St. Paul - Minnesota (MN) -Twin Cities - City-Data Forum

westsider27 · 09-26-2009, 04:14 PM

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are possibly making a move and Minneapolis is one of our choices. I'm in food sales and can basically relocate within the company, so finding a job for me is not an issue. She is in her third year teaching special education and was wondering how the market is for teachers in and around the Minneapolis area. I know it's not great anywhere, but it can't be worse than the Cleveland market. Any suggestions on possible suburbs to live in. We are in our late 20s and have no children. We would get an apartment first and would like a safe area and really not want rent too much above $900 for a two bedroom. We like to go out to sports bars, no clubs, and want to be close to a lot of shops and restaurants. As far as location, I'd be driving all day in my job, so it doesn't matter what part of minneapolis the suburb is in. Thank you.

StilltheSame · 09-26-2009, 05:20 PM

Westsider - take a look at the other posts prior to yours about communities and you will be able to narrow down your questions to get more effective answers. The one thing I will tell you is that if you like to be in a walkable area - check out the downtown areas and the first ring suburbs.

uptown_urbanist · 09-26-2009, 05:37 PM

Does it have to be a suburb? Not that you can't find what you want in a suburb, but you might artificially limit your search by not including some of the neighborhoods within city limits. (or, for that matter, there may be some suburbs that don't fit what you want, either.) What specifically about the suburbs do you want? If you can be a bit more specific we can point you in the right direction.

westsider27 · 09-26-2009, 06:08 PM

As far as suburbs go, in Cleveland, we live in one that is one of the safest in the area, has a lot of restaurants and stores. You really don't have to leave the area. We are close to downtown Cleveland. I guess we would be looking for one that is close to the same. We also have a dog, so an area that is walkable. Downtown Cleveland is not walkable, not sure if Minneapolis is, if it is, would consider living downtown. Wouldn't want to be in a high rise however. I've read that Bloomington has a lot to offer in regards to shops and restaurants. A plus would be a city that has a nice recreation center or one close by.

uptown_urbanist · 09-26-2009, 07:15 PM

Much of Minneapolis is fairly "suburban," or at least not high-rise, so you'll have options both in and out of the city. One possibilty (not in Minneapolis) would be St. Louis Park; it's a first-ring suburb near some of Minneapolis' lakes (Lake Calhoun, Isles, Cedar), has a huge recreation center, is walkable, safe, near good bike trails, has a lot of restaurants and stores, and has rentals in your price range. In particular I'm thinking of the stretch of St. Louis Park stretching along Excelsior. You can get pretty much everything you need right there, and it's a fairly central in location. I like it a lot more than Bloomington, but of course that's a personal preference.

StilltheSame · 09-26-2009, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Much of Minneapolis is fairly "suburban," or at least not high-rise, so you'll have options both in and out of the city. One possibilty (not in Minneapolis) would be St. Louis Park; it's a first-ring suburb near some of Minneapolis' lakes (Lake Calhoun, Isles, Cedar), has a huge recreation center, is walkable, safe, near good bike trails, has a lot of restaurants and stores, and has rentals in your price range. In particular I'm thinking of the stretch of St. Louis Park stretching along Excelsior. You can get pretty much everything you need right there, and it's a fairly central in location. I like it a lot more than Bloomington, but of course that's a personal preference.

OP - we are new here and live in St. Louis Park near Excelsior. Its perfect and we love it. It is an amazing area and so close to everything - if you decide you are interested in more information from a relo perspective -DM me.

westsider27 · 09-27-2009, 09:01 AM

Thank you. St. Louis Park seems really nice. Will definately have to look into that area.

jeid · 09-27-2009, 11:01 AM

St. Louis Park is a nice area but can be expensive for what you get. NE Minneapolis is also nice and cheaper, but you're not around the lakes as much. North Minneapolis is very poor and deceptive because rent and property is cheap... avoid there.

Also, make sure you research the climate here... the winter weather is unbearable for some because of the chill and the snow. Depending on when you're looking to relocate, you may want to check it out for yourself in the winter