north mpls-how far north is far enough ???? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: low crime, affordable houses)

[usabeancounter]

I will start a new job in downtown Mpls this summer....

I have been told and have read here to stay away from north Mpls. My question is, how far north is far enough to stay away?

I was told by people employed with this firm that the best commute and a good area / direction to live would be to the north and northwest. Is this true?

I need an area with good schools, low crime, etc...... and can't afford suburbs such as Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, etc. (I'm thinking around $250,000).

I can't see spending 45 minutes each way commuting. Is there a train system for commuting from the burbs?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

[golfgal]

Roseville is fine, easy commute to MLPS unless you have kids then you might want to find a better school district. South St. Paul would be another option for an easy commute but again, find another district if you have kids. Finding a house for under $250,000 in the twin cities is going to be a challenge.

[warmweather!]

The really bad area, North Minneapolis, is just the north half of the city of Minneapolis. Also, the north suburb Brooklyn Center isn't very nice, but not nearly as bad as Minneapolis. If you have kids, definately don't live in the cities of Minneapolis or St. Paul (high crime and bad schools). 250,000 wouldn't get you a house in Maple Grove(my favorite), Plymouth, or Eden Prairie. You could probably get a townhome in one of them though. Maple Gove has tons of townhomes. Try looking in northern Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Coon Rapids or somewhere in that area. It's not too bad, and it's fairly cheap. Also, there is a train that goes to downtown Minneapolis to the airport, to the Mall of America. But, it hardly gets into the suburbs, it's mostly just in Minneapolis. The north suburbs are the cheapest. The western burbs are the most expensive.

[usabeancounter]

Thanks for the info.........

I have kids - middle school and high school so good school system is a must.

How is the commute from northern Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Coon Rapids or somewhere in that area ?

I have been looking into mass transit and gather that from the burbs there are only busses. Does anyone have experience with commuting using the busses ?

[citygals]

We were also looking into moving to Minneapolis and found some affordable houses in southern minneapolis - for around $250. We are still considering what to do.

[PortieOwner]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Roseville is fine, easy commute to MLPS unless you have kids then you might want to find a better school district. South St. Paul would be another option for an easy commute but again, find another district if you have kids. Finding a house for under $250,000 in the twin cities is going to be a challenge.

Ditto on Roseville, it's an excellent location. I am surprised if the schools are considered bad--25 years ago there were ranked around #2 or #3 best district in the state.

[mudmuffin]

Roseville still has a good school system. The high schools are now combined into one school with two different campuses. A couple of the junior highs and grade schools have closed over the years as the population has gotten a little older. A lot of people I graduated with are moving back there. You may be able to find something for under $300k but under $250k is not as likely. Most of the homes in Roseville were built in the 1950's and 1960's. A few in the 70's. Roseville has the most used county library in the state. http://ramsey.lib.mn.us/ They have about 25 public access computers there and are open 7 days a week. If you're familiar with the city, the library is right next to where it used to be.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

hey usabeancounter, you ever consider Northeast Minneapolis? If you want to be close to downtown Minneapolis, that is about the easiest commute you can have and it isn't a bad area. My parents have been spoiled to suburbian life for the last 25 years and they checked out Northeast Minneapolis yesterday to look at a house and both were impressed with the area, especially north of Lowry.

[politikally]

Originally Posted by usabeancounter

Thanks for the info.........

I have kids - middle school and high school so good school system is a must.

How is the commute from northern Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Coon Rapids or somewhere in that area ?

I have been looking into mass transit and gather that from the burbs there are only busses. Does anyone have experience with commuting using the busses ?

I would avoid the north side of the twin cities period. The north side suburbs have a reputation for being the "redneck" part of town. Brooklyn Park/Center and North Minneapolis are the biggest places to avoid. If you are going to move to the Twin Cities I would stick to the south and the west sides of town. You should be looking in Maple Grove, Plymouth, Eden Prarie, Bloomington, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Shakopee, etc.

As for housing prices you could easily buy a house for 250k in Plymouth, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Lakeville, or Rosemount. Keep in mind it is a buyers market around here so those trying to sell are worried the prices will drop further. I'd offer 5%-7% less the list price and you'll probably find a great deal.

If you are working downtown I'd stay close to the 494 loop. Though if you are on 35W you'll probably have the easiest commute. (commuting on 394 to downtown SUCKS)

If I were to plug a particular area, I would choose Bloomington or Burnsville. Both have a pretty easy commute downtown, and both have great schools. Bloomington is considerably larger than Burnsville, so choose what you need


Good luck!

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by usabeancounter

Thanks for the info.........

I have kids - middle school and high school so good school system is a must.

How is the commute from northern Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Coon Rapids or somewhere in that area ?

I have been looking into mass transit and gather that from the burbs there are only busses. Does anyone have experience with commuting using the busses ?

Also, if you're looking for a good school system and a short commute to downtown Minneapolis you might wanna check out New Brighton. I don't have any factual data to back it up but I've only heard good things about Irondale High School.