What's the personality of some of the suburbs??

[Minnehahapolitan]

Originally Posted by robind

I love this forum and appreciate all the help and discussions we get going. Here's my latest question/discussion idea.

We want a suburb with a good commute (30 to 45 minutes in rush hour) to Eden Prairie, Bloominton or downtown.

Family centered with restuarants, movie theaters, shopping close by. Bike trails and parks too.

Not a hip trendy area but not frumpy either. Professional folks would the neighbors not a blue collar area.

2500 sq ft (or more), not over $400,000, an updated house, not a fixer-upper.

I'm finding a lot of great choices but don't really know the personalities of the areas.

Tell me about your town or a town that fits this and why.

Just quoted so I could look while typing. OK then. Also, in the next few years there should be a light rail line linking Mpls., Saint Louis Pk., Hopkins, and EP. Google the Southwest Corridor.

Minnetonka - Great schools, older (1950's), large wooded lots, Ridgedale Mall, close to Lake Mtka. White coller. No older downtown, relatively expensive, but worth it. There is a difference between Mtka. inside 494 and outside 494, but I can't remember the rule.
Hopkins - Old blue-collar town, but not as much anymore. Older homes, most are pre-war or GI houses. A bona fide Main Street, good amenities, great schools. Great access to Airport, Bloomington, Downtown. One of my personal favorites. There is a discount theater dwtn, a performing arts center, neat restaurants and shops that are all walkable
Eden Prairie - Wealthier area, ALOT of retail around EP Center (Mall), the rest is basically sparwlsville built between the late 1970's and the 2000's. Nice natural scenery on Minn. River. Eat at Lion's Tap on 212 by the EP Airport (IMO, The place is going kinda downhill for a suburb. Houses were built cheaply and are showing their age in alot of areas. 60,000 people use 1 over crowded High School)
Edina - Wealthiest Mpls. suburb (bar Wayzata). Parts are an old street car suburb with million dollar mansions from the 1930's. Country Club is on the Nat'l Historic Register. Other parts are older developments from the 50's and 60's that were built large and nice. Some parts were built later. This was (and is) the Cat's Pajamas. Best school system in state. Country Clubish people. Southdale was the first mall in America. Alot of upscale retail and restaurants along France where it int. with 50th Street and where it is near Southdale. These people aren't white collar, they wear whatever color collar was in the Neiman Marcus catalogue for the season. You could break into it and have a good place for 400,000. Don't confuse the upscaleness with hipness. The average age is dead. There are alot of kids and families though.
Wayzata - Old Mpls. money. On Lake Minnetonka, older, has a quaint downtown with shops, restaurants, et. cetera. Great schools (par with Edina). Don't confuse the upscaleness with hipness. They ban blue-collar people at the exit off Hwy. 12.
West Bloomington - Edina for people who wanted to save a slight amount of money and spare themselves (a little of) the pretentiousness. Very secluded and woodsy. Built in the 1970-80's. Stable area, convenient. Closest major retail is EP or Southdale.
Golden Valley - Older suburb. I'm sick of typing, maybe I'll pick up here tomorrow.