Pros and cons of Coon Rapids, New Brighton, St. Louis Park & Elk River? (Minneapolis: apartment complex, condos) - City-Data Forum

mgrjenny · 02-09-2011, 02:32 PM

Hello everyone,
I know their are a lot of post about what towns are best to live in, but not all these in one? I have been interviewing for Property Mgmt jobs in these areas and have more scheduled next week. I will try to explain best I can what I am looking for. I am a small town girl, always have been, most being population 2000-11,000 that I lived in. I like a town to at least have walmart, target and jcpenney or maurices. I want to be within 10-20 miles of minneapolis, in case I choose one of these suburb towns and hate new job I have option to find work in Minneapolis, but not live there. I want to be in suburbs of MPLS, not ready to be THAT big of a city girl. I am looking for 20,000- 60,000 population towns, with a good high school for my 15 yr old daughter. We don't need good night clubs or anything like that. We will be happy just being within 30 mins of things to do.

I threw Elk River in there just to get a personal WHAT DO U THINK of the town from people, my man lives there and if we ever got serious, I would possibly move there someday? He owns land and nice house, so I know he wouldn't move to me. But its new relationship, so no desire to move there yet. We live 90 miles apart now, so just to live in one of these other three towns and be a 30 mile drive to see him, would be good. I gotta go where work is. I like clean, scenic towns, rivers or lakes in them, low crime of course...I interview in New Brighton on Monday Feb. 14th and may swing over to Coon Rapids and check it out. I have been to SLP a lot, and its was named one of the top places to live in MN and great high school, very close to things to do. It has been top on my list for awhile. But the town seems very busy, a lot of traffic, I guess I am use to small slower towns and not much for traffic. But what about Coon Rapids and New Brighton, if I got job in New Brighton I would live where I work as a Property Mgr and I know nothing about that area and never been there. Help Please, thoughts and Ideas? I have looked online and done research but nothing real exciting on these towns.

golfgal · 02-09-2011, 02:39 PM

New Brighton is in the Mounds View school district and is one of the best in the state. Irondale High School is where she would attend most likely. Great school, smaller class sizes, great band program. While Coon Rapids and Elk River are ok, New Brighton would be better.

What activities is your DD involved in?

mgrjenny · 02-09-2011, 02:43 PM

She likes choir and wants to get into volleyball, other then that not much for activities. Likes to shop and hang out with friends, does on the cell phone texting and laptop count as things to do, haha....We live in small towns where all there is are movie theatres and bowling alleys and no other forms of entertainment, or a lot of watching movies at home..

mgrjenny · 02-09-2011, 03:11 PM

I was just looking at apartment complex in New Brighton, it says on site its in Mounds view school district. Golfgal is irondale the name of the high school in New Brighton or Mounds View? Isnt New Brighton like 22, 000 population, why dont they have a highschool, budget cuts?

golfgal · 02-09-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgrjenny

I was just looking at apartment complex in New Brighton, it says on site its in Mounds view school district. Golfgal is irondale the name of the high school in New Brighton or Mounds View? Isnt New Brighton like 22, 000 population, why dont they have a highschool, budget cuts?

Irondale and Mounds View High Schools are both in the Mounds View District. Irondale High School is the high school that most kids in New Brighton attend.

Cruz Azul Guy · 02-09-2011, 05:46 PM

Being from the northern suburbs originally my experiences would suggest that there really isn't much difference in the school choices up there. I know people who went to high school at Anoka, Blaine, St. Francis, Champlin, Elk River, Irondale, Coon Rapids, Totino Grace, etc. and from the feedback I've gotten it would seem to me that you're going to find many more similarities than differences in these schools. I went to Anoka and the largest problem with it (overcrowding) was solved when they built Andover high school. I'm not currently planning on sending our future kids to any of those schools, but only because I'm not particularly fond of suburban life and would prefer to raise them in the city.

Bottom line is I wouldn't get too hung up on school districts and go find a place you like in an area that is convenient in regards to the location of your job and social contacts.

knke0204 · 02-13-2011, 07:30 PM

-Many suburbs don't have high schools. Most lines just create schools... There is no 'Shoreview' High School. There is no New Hope High School or Crystal High School or Brooklyn Park High School. There is no Vadnais Heights High School. There is no Arden Hills High School.

Anyway... All four of these are quite different...

ER is the furthest away from the city.. Good schools though, plenty of places to shop around ER.

SLP is pretty urban. It's an up-and-coming city with a lot to do. Probably one of the most expensive places to live.

NB is pretty urban too. I think it borders MPLS.

Coon Rapids is your typical suburb.

vcvc · 02-13-2011, 08:27 PM

Elk River doesn't even really seem like a suburb to me. It's so far from MPLS and kind of has it's own identity. Coon Rapids seems very cookie cutter to me. Your typical suburb with lots of chain restaurants and stores....lots of housing developments and condos.

SLP and NB are more urban a little more old school. NB doesn't border MPLS because St. Anthony is between the two. Still only about a 10 or 15 minute drive into NE MPLS.

lolsmileyface · 02-16-2011, 03:30 AM

Coon rapids is a great place so is Blaine.
Coon rapids has all the shopping and depending on what part of CR you live in your daughter will either go to Coon rapids HS or Blaine.
Elk river is also a nice city but it is farther out, it has more of a small town feel. New Brighton is too close to the city for my taste, but thats just me. I do not know a lot about SLP so no comment.
Also if you are looking to live in an apartment then Coon rapids is your place. They have a lot of them. Most of them are nice some with pools and other amenities. If the price is too good then it is probably one of the bad ones out there. Stay out of southern Coon Rapids. There are a lot of apartments and townhouses are the high school area too.
Good luck!

audadvnc · 02-16-2011, 09:09 AM

Armstrong High School in Plymouth is the place for kids that are into choral music. It has a long established reputation for excellence.