Job offer in Crystal, need advice on where to live (Minneapolis: foreclosed, home)

[jroman]

My husband and I have known for some time that he would be relocating to Minnesota, but we thought that he would be relocating to Farmington. We just found out that he was offered a position at the Crystal Airport. Please help! I have spent the last six months researching the southern suburbs (Rosemount, Apple Valley, LAkeville) and know nothing about this area.
We are a young family and want to live in an area with good schools, community sports, decent grocery stores/farmer markets, and parks. We are moving from south Florida where the cost of living is extremely high and want to live somewhere more affordable. I am an RN and want to be in close proximity to a hospital. We are willing to commute, but don't know what areas would be best. Would it be too much to commute from Rosemount/Lakeville to Crystal? Also, any info on the Crystal Airport would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for the help.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Lkvl to Crystal is a joke. Don't even try. If I were working in Crystal, I would try Saint Louis Park or Minnetonka. Both have great schools, and are relatively affordable. SLP is a post-war suburb which nicely combines urban conveniences and suburban comforts. Close to both Mpls. and Crystal
Mtka. is older, a stock of ramblers on larger wooded lots. Great schools, more suburban.
Other good options, Hopkins (great, established town w. great schools), Maple Grove (if you really, really like new suburbs) Wayzata (if you have the money)

[dmg1mn]

Maple Grove will be getting a new hospital in the near future; Maple Grove hospital.
St. Louis park has Methodist hospital. http://www.parknicollet.com/methodist/

Maple Grove is younger. Has alot of new retail coming up. I believe it will be one of the largest retail areas of the Twin Cities.
If you want to drive a little further - from the Northwest Metro, Rogers, Otsego, St Michael-Albertville are nice areas.

St Louis Park, Minnetonka - You would be closer to Downtown Minneapolis, Lake Calhoun, Lake Minnetonka, Ridgedale Mall.

All good areas.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend the drive from Lakeville/Rosemount.
I'm sure the traffic doesn't compare to South Florida, but there is still alot.

Also, I literally live next door to the Crystal Airport. What would you like to know?

[kuan]

Parts of Golden Valley are still affordable and in the Hopkins school district. There's a foreclosed home right down the street from me. New roof.

[jroman]

Thanks for all the help. dmg1mn I was wondering if you found the airport was seasonal or not. I noticed it has the least amount of takeoff/landings of all the reliever airports, yet has the most runways. Do you find that the air traffic tapers down at night or does it stay fairly busy? Also what is the majority of their business? I'm assuming a lot of small, single engine, but I know they have helicopters in and out of there also. Thanks a lot. (P.S. My husband will be an air traffic controller hence all the questions. We just don't have small airports like this around us and are curious as to what it's really like.)

[Hoosier]

I'd recommend looking at the north suburbs like Champlin, Maple Grove, Coon Rapids. Anoka Hennepin district 11 is one of the top school districts in Minnesota. Northern 'burbs are also less expensive than the southern suburbs. The commute from these suburbs is not too bad...depending on time of day probably a half hour. As others have said, commuting from the southern suburbs to Crystal would make you go out of your mind. I live up north and commute down to the the airport and it's easily an hour each way. Minnesota is a fantastic place to live! We used to live in Orlando and absolutely love it here.

[dmg1mn]

Air traffic seems pretty steady during the day, It does seem to be much less active at night. Most of the air traffic is small airplanes, some helicopters, an occasional blimp.
There has been some talk about closing that airport, but don't know if much came of it.

[Camden Northsider]

Jroman, I'm not too knowledgeable about Crystal or Robbinsdale but I know that they have some nice areas, have you checked either of these burbs out? Actually, you might want to check out my neighborhood - I live in the Victory neighborhood which is in the northwest corner of Minneapolis - we're literally within walking distance to North Memorial Hospital and it would be a very quick and easy drive to Crystal (and downtown, and shopping, etc.). There are huge parkway areas that pretty much bisect or border our neighborhood - this is Victory Memorial Parkway (which also connects to Theo Wirth Parkway south of North Memorial Hospital). Home prices can be affordable (much moreso than many other Mpls areas) and it's an excellent neighborhood with very friendly folks around here and good schools. I would suggest Victory Memorial Drive, Xerxes Ave, Washburn Ave, Vincent Ave, or Upton Ave (all North); in Victory this would be 3800 block and above. Here's the neighborhood website: Welcome to Victory Neighborhood [Minneapolis]. Good luck with your search, welcome to MN!

[BillyB]

I would try to stay within 1 city of Crystal, otherwise your commute will suck

[Wellstone]

maple grove