Where are the safe/decent apartments/neighborhoods in/near Minneapolis? (Minnetonka: appointed, transplants)

[awsun1980]

I just moved back to MN in March & have been staying with family. I am hoping to move back out on my own by 12/1. However, I've been very disappointed in my apt search here! Cost of living in MN is ridiculous if you ask me. $800+ for a 1-bedroom apt? Really?

To make a long story short, I am 29, single, female, hoping to find an apt that is convenient to both my jobs--full-time is in Minnetonka off 62 & part-time is downtown off 35-W. I have never lived in the city, but really don't fit the suburb prototype (married, kids, big house, etc.) But I also don't want to live in a bad part of Minneapolis where I don't feel safe at night--and we all know there are too many of those. Or so it seems. I guess I fall somewhere in-between.

I have not lived here in 8 years. So where ARE the safe/decent/not scummy parts of Minneapolis where I could find a decent apt to call home? I have heard south Minneapolis is nice, is that true? Where are all the neighborhoods & does anyone know how I can find out more about them? I am clueless when it comes to this city.

Can anyone offer me thoughts, suggestions, help, anything? I'd appreciate it greatly

[nicholemarie]

Well I live in Golden Valley, right off the border of Minneapolis. In an "Apartment style townhouse" called Valley Village. It runs about $720 for a one bedroom and they are pretty nice. I love living near the city without being IN IT. I use to live about a mile down the road in north minneapolis and it was way to "scummy"/rough. Surprisingly right down the road is Golden Valley and it is a completely different atmosphere. I work in Richfield off of hwy 62 and Lyndale and the commute takes about 25min in traffic. not too bad. I would recommend Golden Valley or St.Louis Park... nice, affordable neighborhoods that are all within minutes of Downtown and the main highway system. GOOD LUCK!

[DaPerpKazoo]

I would take a look in Whittier and Steven's Square. Lots of 1 BRs in fine condition there in the $600-800 range. Lots of beautiful old buildings and unbeatable location. Drive/bike/walk around the neighborhood and take down the phone numbers on buildings that look nice to you.

[mplsguy]

Sorry to say but people from out of town are driving up the hip places to live and driving you (a native minnesotan) out of your own state. So that means no Uptown, Grand ave, Downtown, etc. I pay $1400 a month to live in 400 square feet in Uptown. Over half of the people in my building are from out of town.

I would try for a person of your age SW minneapolis by 62 and 100, Edina, St Louis park and Golden Valley.

Good luck!

[uptown_urbanist]

Mplsguy, are you originally born in Uptown? If you're not born and raised in the neighborhood, wouldn't that make you equally part of the gentification "problem?" (and, sounds like you're overpaying, or else have a place overlooking the lake). As someone with longtime roots in Uptown I could look at all the "newcomers" as running up my costs and making it tough to buy a place in my own childhood neighborhood, but instead I think one of the nicest things about Uptown IS that there's a mix of old-timers and new arrivals (from MN and from other states and countries).

To the OP, it's all about perspective. After living a lot of years in other cities I look at Minneapolis as a major bargain compared to other similarly sized cities. If you can afford $800+ you can probably find a place in Uptown (my brother pays a little less than that for a 1 BR in a great building in a very safe and quiet block that's still just a very short walk from the lake and from Hennepin/Lake), otherwise there are lots of other neighborhoods to consider. St. Louis Park out along Excelsior might be a place to consider; there are a bunch of apartments out that direction, and I think rents are fairly reasonable.

What is your budget? Are you wiling to pay $800, or are you hoping for less? What kind of neighborhood do you want? What kind of housing do you like? Both Whittier and Uptown tend to have older housing (as in 1890s-1920s), mixed in with some high-end new stuff and some cheaper but ugly 70s construction. The older buildings range in quality, with really great options to stuff that has seen better days.

I like Whittier a lot and would be happy living there (and the rents are cheaper) but if you're uncomfortable with a little urban grit (it's not bad, but that depends on your comfort level) you might not like it.

[mplsguy]

Um actually I was born in Uptown. My parents originally raised me in Calhoun square when there were apartments on the 2nd floor. When I was 2 we moved a block south.

[uptown_urbanist]

You're an old-timer then, we probably have crossed paths, as I was born in CARAG a few blocks from where you were born (pre-CS), and later moved to a house a couple blocks away. That's not really the point, though; I just think dividing people into "natives" and "transplants" isn't helpful.

The irony is that most of the rage from Uptowners seems to be directed at rich kids from Minnetonka and the like who have parents paying for their apartments or helping with downpayments on condos, and not a "Minnesota" versus "non-MN" issue. Not that that's fair, either, although I can understand the frustration that comes with seeing the neighborhood change so drastically over the years. That's life, though, and Uptown has always had people moving in and out.

[mplsguy]

Dont get me wrong, I like diversity thats why I live here then the burbs. I just dont like prices getting artificially pushed up to the point where natives cant afford the place. Isnt it sad that people cant afford to live where they grew up?

I also dont like out of town residents attitude that Minnesota and its residents were created for the sole purpose to make up for your states short-commings and cater to your whims. The general feeling that I get from the out of town residents in the building that I live in (and they are the majority in this building) is that they are here to take all they can (including jobs) and when they get homesick and tired of the winters they leave. There is no giving back to the community with them, there is no integration with the community with them. This could explain why every so often people post threads b***hing about how nice Minnesota does not exist. Perhaps the posters of such threads were not interacting with native Minnesotans. Perhaps such posters had the attitude that I just outlined. Minnesotans dont like to be taken advantage of either.

Your mannerisms dont instantly change when you move to another state. Being that my manager is from Brooklyn I can attest to that. The building I live in is filled with such young rich hipsters and out of town residents.

I could care less where someone is from, just as long as they make a effort to be apart of a community and dont bring a "me" attitude that I outlined above. As far as driving prices up, its the truth. Simple supply and demand economics.

Back to the subject. Uptown is much more expensive then it was and the OP is coming from a small town so I think Uptown may be a culture shock which is why I made the recommendations that I did. Less then $800 wont get you anything decent if at all in the hip areas where I would think a 29 year wold would want to be.

[DaPerpKazoo]

Originally Posted by mplsguy

Back to the subject. Uptown is much more expensive then it was and the OP is coming from a small town so I think Uptown may be a culture shock which is why I made the recommendations that I did. Less then $800 wont get you anything decent if at all in the hip areas where I would think a 29 year wold would want to be.

So you think a 29 year old would want to be in Uptown, but since she's from a small town you recommend Golden Valley and SLP?

And you do realize that a lot of people these days feel like Uptown has lost it's coolness and would consider Lynlake, NE, and Whittier to be more "hip", right? $800 can certainly get you a more than halfway decent 1 BR in any of those places.

[awsun1980]

LOL, who said I was from a small town?? I'm from Crystal, so I guess kinda small, but not really. Oh, maybe because of the "Hanover" in my location---that's just temporary--but yeah, talk about a small town there!

Thanks for the suggestions about Golden Valley & St. Louis Park--I've been thinking about going that direction as well. However, the apts I've found look pretty run-down

What is Whittier & Steven's Square? Remember, I don't know neighborhoods at all. Where are they?

Looks like there's some debate about Uptown. The only nice apartments I've seen there are right across Lake Calhoun probably for $1500/month. Which, by the way, who would pay over a grand for an apt??? I find that to be crazy! That's part of the reason I'm so frustrated is because the rents here are so high--you'd think this was NY or something!

So to get back on track--here is what I'm looking for. Maybe it is out of reach, but if so, I'm gonna be in a world of trouble.
---Rents in the $700s--$800s would be stretching it, but I would consider it if it was worth it
---Someplace newer--unfortunately, no, I do not like the old-style type buildings, they are not my cup of tea. Or at least renovated----all of the apts that I've seen are so old!!! I do not want 30-year-old appliances in an apt--that is just odd to me. I know sometimes looks are deceiving & some older buildings on the outside may have nicer apts on the inside, but I think my chances are slim on that.

Call me a snob, but I don't think I'm asking for too much. I had a nice apt in Denver before this for $725/mo---I didn't think I'd have this much trouble back home in Minnesota. I thought it would be comparable, but I'm finding out the hard truth about the cost of living up here.