Areas around Minnetonka, Eden Prairie (Minneapolis, St. Paul: house prices, good schools, living)

[tkao]

Any areas a ways out from this area that are a little more affordable. Smaller community with good schools. Thanks

[golfgal]

How far out do you want to get? Waconia is a nice area.

[tkao]

That would be about right. Probably no more than aprox 30 miles. Didn't know what to expect I guess about house prices but they are pretty high there. Just looking for an area that puts us out a ways, but not too far. Probably just what everyone else is looking for... therefore the higher prices. Thanks for the reply

[Isaysos]

I agree with golfgal. You may want to check Waconia. Its a nice town and the commute may be a struggle, but they are supposed to open the new 212 within a year, so hopefully that will cut down on traffic. Eden Prairie has some nice parts, but is turning into an "inner ring" suburb, where just a decade ago it was the place to be. It is now "built out" just like Minnetonka, Bloomington, and elsewhere. I never thought I would be hearing this, but I hear people moving out of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka to places like Chaska, Victoria, and Waconia so they can experience the country living and cheaper lots. (My parents are leaving Eden Prairie to move to Victoria) But witin a few decades, these towns will be "inner suburbs" and the place people will be building their dream homes will be Hutchinson, Glencoe, St. Peter. So those are nice towns to check out to. Sorry if my post is confusing to those forign to the planning practices of Minnesota.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Isaysos

I agree with golfgal. You may want to check Waconia. Its a nice town and the commute may be a struggle, but they are supposed to open the new 212 within a year, so hopefully that will cut down on traffic. Eden Prairie has some nice parts, but is turning into an "inner ring" suburb, where just a decade ago it was the place to be. It is now "built out" just like Minnetonka, Bloomington, and elsewhere. I never thought I would be hearing this, but I hear people moving out of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka to places like Chaska, Victoria, and Waconia so they can experience the country living and cheaper lots. (My parents are leaving Eden Prairie to move to Victoria) But witin a few decades, these towns will be "inner suburbs" and the place people will be building their dream homes will be Hutchinson, Glencoe, St. Peter. So those are nice towns to check out to. Sorry if my post is confusing to those forign to the planning practices of Minnesota.

Wow, it sounds like the suburban sprawl problem in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is getting as bad as the Atlanta metro area.

[Isaysos]

Originally Posted by Plains10

Wow, it sounds like the suburban sprawl problem in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is getting as bad as the Atlanta metro area.

Yeah, Its not quite as bad as Atlanta, but its up there, along with a majority of mid-western cities. Even Chicago's suburbs seem to go on forever, but many of those people take the metra-rail rather than the freeway.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Plains10

Wow, it sounds like the suburban sprawl problem in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is getting as bad as the Atlanta metro area.

Not quite so bad, but it's roughly the same pattern.

The Atlanta metro is doubly cursed: it has a lot of sprawl, but it also has a road system that appears to have been designed by blindfolded drunk people. The interstate layout is fine, more or less, but the secondary roads are slapped on the map haphazardly with no apparent rhyme or reason, and the names of the roads seem to change every few miles.

[kuan]

Mound. Check out Mound MN. Surprisingly affordable homes.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by kuan

Mound. Check out Mound MN. Surprisingly affordable homes.

I second this. Nice smaller sized town of around 10,000 people on Lake Minnetonka.

[LakeMinnetonkaGuy]

Maybe try Chaska. It's closer to town than Waconia, but far enough out that prices are a bit more reasonable. If you'd like a little less expensive yet, maybe try Carver (the city of).