where to live in rochester, mn (Faribault, Northfield: renting, house, transfer)

[hsd01]

We moved to Rochester 3 years ago and absolutely love it here. We lived in a big city for many years, then moved to a very rural community and now Rochester...and we really feel that Rochester has a lot to offer. I hope you are reading some of these posts with a grain of salt..and getting a lot of good laughs!

Here are some resources for you:

Rochester's Neighborhood Resource Center: [url=http://www.rneighbors.org/]RNeighbors[/url]
Rochester Chamber of Commerce: [url=http://www.rochestermnchamber.com/]Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce | Businesses in Rochester Minnesota and the Surrounding area[/url]

We rent a 4 bedroom new house in NW in a great neighborhood and it is across the street from a huge park...we have 2 children ages 3 and 5. There are tons of things to do...and not hard to find at all. We actually have a hard time deciding.

Rochester Families is a great resource: [url]http://www.rochesterfamilies.com[/url]

Also -- I am not sure what company your husband is going to work for...if it is Mayo. They have internal-classifieds that are great and full of houses to rent.

Best of luck to you!

[fromupthere]

Thought of a couple others - waterski shows in Oronoco on Lake Zumbro and they are working on getting a children's museum. Also movies on the barn at the History Center in the summer, and a couple of the movie theaters offer free Saturday morning kids/family movies.

[efex101]

Rochester is okay but not a lot to do IMHO. I have now lived here for about 7 years and will be leaving next year....Mayo brought us here btw. It is a relatively safe town and there is "some" shopping but unless you are Mayo/IBM that is about it. Good luck. The best places to live is NW 55901 zip code and some SW areas.

[sholomar]

I love snow personally and Rochester is warmer then where I am now though not by too much. The twin cities are only 75 miles to the NW, and La Crosse is only 75 miles to the east. There are state parks all over to the east and in western WI, and lakes all over to the north in the twin cities area. If you can handle a 75 mile drive you can get all the entertainment you need.

I'd like it because I'd hate living right in the twin cities.. I don't like high density traffic all the time and solid development around constantly with no end in sight, so I'd never like living right in the middle of a huge metro area where there's sprawling neighborhoods 20 miles out in every direction. With Rochester, I could just drive there. 75 miles is somewhat long, but if I'm already there for a job anyways, no big deal. Everyone should have a job lined up before they 'start over' these days.. just trying to find one off the streets can be hard, and they don't pay much in a lot of areas like FL for example. Unemployment too high, everyone's disposable.

[georgianellies]

My husband may have a job opportunity in this area and we are weighing our pros and cons. We are originally from SD so we understand winter . We are currently living in a suburb of Atlanta and are hoping to find less crime and better schools. My daughter is entering 3rd grade and is an above average student. I am a little confused about the "choice" school option. I noticed there was a Lincoln Choice school that looked to me more of a Montessouri type curriculum, but don't see any other info and other Choice Schools. Does a Choice school just designate on of our choosing regardless of our district zone of residence? Thanks for any info you can offer. We are looking for a safe, quiet neighborhood that we would find other family oriented couples and friends for our kids.

[fromupthere]

http://www.rochester.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi#E

For the choice schools, you need to apply to get into them. They have a lottery for each school and that's how they select who gets in, although once you are in, you are in. As long as you live in Rochester and are accepted into the choice school, busing is available. People will tell you to avoid Riverside for elementary schools. There are also the options of Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist and private schools as well.

There are lots of good neighborhoods in Rochester for raising a family. I would suggest looking at Rochester911.com | Crime & Fire Incident Maps and Reports for Rochester, MN and Surrounding Communities when looking at houses. I don't know all the names of neighborhoods, but I know Country Club Manor is popular, there's a nice area north of 55th St. NW on the west side of 52 that is full of families, there are nice areas in SE down Hwy 14 on either past RCTC (East Circle Drive). There's some nice areas by Century High School and the Northern Heights neighborhood is nice too. Don't let people fool into thinking that SE Roch isn't safe. There are parts of Roch in SE that aren't the best, but there are also parts of NW, NE and SW Roch that aren't the best. Your best bet is to just go around the town farthest from downtown and you'll find the newer areas with lots of families. You certainly can find nice areas closer to the center of town too, but in ends it's probably your best bet.

[Vagus]

The Northern Heights area (up the hill off Broadway, about 2 miles north of downtown) is an often overlooked gem. Nice area, nice mix of houses, big park where they set up an ice rink in winter. Park adjoins Churchill Elementary, a great K-2 school with a nice playground for kids. Neighborhood is also near both middle school and Century High. Bus service to downtown during "rush hour". Only drawback was walking/biking up that darn hill (but it is well plowed and salted/sanded in winter).

Lived in Rochester for a couple years and really loved it. Great place to raise kids, although quite honestly I expect by the time they hit late high school they'd be getting a little bored.

[geomom]

If I was looking to move here now (been here for 3 years and enjoying it!) I'd probably try to find a home zoned for Folwell or Bamber Valley elementary (both SW), though I have friends with kids in Harriot Bishop and Elton Hills that love those schools as well. Applications for the choice schools are due in the fall before your child would start, and the lottery is held in January, I think. If you're thinking of private schools, then you can live anywhere- and there really are lots of nice neighborhoods all over town. I'd avoid some of the area between 37th st nw and 48th st nw, and some of the near se. A lot will depend on what sort of houses and neighborhoods you prefer, and what your budget is. I love the Elton Hills neighborhood, and the neighborhood just south of elton hills dr that backs up to Indian Heights. Northern Heights is lovely as well. For a slightly higher $, I like the Baihily Hills area. I know a LOT of young families in Country Club manor, but it's not quite my style-- safe and quiet, though.

We've found Rochester to be a very comfortable place to live, especially with a child.

[rashid 2000]

I need some one who can help me to find a short time apt in Rochester for treating my ankle at mayo in jun 2013 please
Thank you

[fromupthere]

Depending on how short-term you need, you could always look at one of the hotels in town. There are several that have kitchenettes and are catered to long-term hotel stays. Some of these included Extended Stay, Towne Place, Value Place, America's Best I believe has some. I'm sure there are more that are downtown that offer this as well. However, you could stay at pretty much any hotel/motel in Rochester and be able to take the shuttle to the clinic or hospital.

I just found this too: Rochester MN Short Term Housing - Rentals, Apartments, & Houses