Robinsdale/Brooklyn Center Area? (Minneapolis, Bloomington: apartment complexes, crime, how much)

[lilpixxie]

I'm considering an apartment that is 4 blocks off the Victory Memorial Parkway system {Robinsdale} 1 block from Weber Parkway {Brooklyn Center}. Can anyone tell me anything about this area? Would you consider it safe? I'm a single female who will be living alone, so I'm very concerned about living in a good area. Thanks for your input!

[What!]

That area might be safe. I've never had problems in that area. Some people will come in and tell you it isn't safe. Could you give more info on what you're looking for, how much you're willing to spend, will you be working there, and what are favorite types of activities? That might help me answer your question better.

[lilpixxie]

I was trying to be discrete and/or politically correct, but I guess that's not working. To be blunt, is it a ghetto/slummy sort of area? What suburbs should I avoid?

[What!]

Minnesota ghettos are actually picturesque compared to ghettos in other parts of the country. Once again, I've never had problems in that area. But there is some crime in Brooklyn Park. It's getting a bad rep. I'd love to give you more info but the best I can do is bump this thread and hope some other Minnesotan who is more familiar with that area can help.

Still, consider other options. If you need to be near Minneapolis then Bloomington, Edina, Golden Valley, and St. Louis Park are much better places.

[knke0402]

Here is my post from another thread. Someone above was right on saying the "crappy" burbs are not even that bad in MSP. To tell you the truth, BC and Robbinsdale both have their downsides. They both have nice ramblers on tree lined streets, and is very urban, but again they do have their parts of crime and bad news. I have lived in BP and always had the notion that BC was grandmas homes or bad neighborhoods. I got mugged in Robbinsdale once, but it wsnt a big deal. Just 4 guys that told me to give them money or else they would kick my ask. you could get mugged just as easily in the first suburbs i list...

Minneapolis/St Paul suburbs are pretty easy to understand. There is the older, first ring suburbs, then the next wave of super suburbs, and then the outter suburbs that are semi-rural.

Older:
Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Brooklyn Center, Bloomington, Richfield, Maplewood, Edina, New Hope, Crystal, Roseville, Falcon Heights, St. Anthony, West St Paul, South St Paul, West St Paul, Hopkins, Brooklyn Park, Little Canada, Osseo, Hilltop, Landfall, St Louis Park.

Super Suburbs:
Maple Grove, Plymouth, Coon Rapids, Blaine, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, Oakdale, Woodbury, Anoka, Mendota Heights, Eagan, Apple Valley, Savage, Shoreview, Mounds View, North Oaks, Spring Lake Park, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Rosemount, Lakeville, Inver Grove Heights,Lexington, Cirlce Pines, Cottage Grove, Champlin

Outer Suburbs:
Otsego, Ham Lake, Elk River, Ramsey, Chanhassen, Chaska, Mahtomedi, Corcoran, Hugo, Lake Elmo, Farmington, Forest Lake, Lino Lakes, St. Michael, Rogers, Prior Lake, Albertville, Monticello, Stillwater, Oak Park Heights...

My best judgements, they all have their reasons, but nothing in particular.. Factors like school size, proximity to center city, traffic cooridors, Population, land area, etc.. were what made my choices.

[Thegonagle]

The coordinates you describe make no sense. Webber Parkway is a short section of parkway in located N. Minneapolis, and is probably about a mile from either Robbinsdale or Brooklyn Center.

The areas of Brooklyn Center, and particularly Robbinsdale, that abut Minneapolis are nice, quiet areas. The small area around Webber Parkway isn't bad, but you might not be 100% comfortable there either. It's closer to the "bad part" of north Minneapolis than you might like.

But if you're street-wise, and don't associate with pimps and druggies, you'll probably be fine.

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

The coordinates you describe make no sense. Webber Parkway is a short section of parkway in located N. Minneapolis, and is probably about a mile from either Robbinsdale or Brooklyn Center.

The areas of Brooklyn Center, and particularly Robbinsdale, that abut Minneapolis are nice, quiet areas. The small area around Webber Parkway isn't bad, but you might not be 100% comfortable there either. It's closer to the "bad part" of north Minneapolis than you might like.

But if you're street-wise, and don't associate with pimps and druggies, you'll probably be fine.

Thank you. I was reading the original post and wondering how the heck those areas matched up.

Thegonagle is right though...at least my interpretation of the areas is similar to theirs. We thoroughly checked out the Victory neighborhood which borders Robbinsdale (tons of threads on here detailing that area, just use the search tool) and found it to be a very great area. We decided on a place in the Shingle Creek neighborhood which borders Brooklyn Center and so far so good in our 'hood. (Sorry I couldn't resist. ) Though I'm seeing more diversity than I have seen in the suburbs, I don't necessarily feel less safe and just as Thegonagle suggested, be street-wise, have common sense and associate responsibly.

[lilpixxie]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

The coordinates you describe make no sense. Webber Parkway is a short section of parkway in located N. Minneapolis, and is probably about a mile from either Robbinsdale or Brooklyn Center.

The areas of Brooklyn Center, and particularly Robbinsdale, that abut Minneapolis are nice, quiet areas. The small area around Webber Parkway isn't bad, but you might not be 100% comfortable there either. It's closer to the "bad part" of north Minneapolis than you might like.

But if you're street-wise, and don't associate with pimps and druggies, you'll probably be fine.

I took those coordinates from the ad for the apartment I'm considering. Sorry if they're nonsensical! I'm not familiar enough with the area yet to know the difference. Thanks for the input even so.

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by lilpixxie

I took those coordinates from the ad for the apartment I'm considering. Sorry if they're nonsensical! I'm not familiar enough with the area yet to know the difference. Thanks for the input even so.

I should apologize to you, I reread my post and it sounds pretty insulting considering you are new to the area. Sorry.

I tried to link to a map that outlines the area (where Victory/Webber Parkways are) as well as their proximity to Brooklyn Center and Robbinsdale but it didn't work. Maybe you have more specific directions to the particular apt and then can cross reference where it actually lies on the map. Sorry.

Really though, as far as safety goes, you shouldn't have a problem in the area.

Hope this helps.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by lilpixxie

I was trying to be discrete and/or politically correct, but I guess that's not working. To be blunt, is it a ghetto/slummy sort of area? What suburbs should I avoid?

No, no, no! First off, welcome to the area, and my apologies if you sense any frustration in my post - it's not meant to be directed at you but rather that my blood pressure has gone up from others on here making pretenses that they are the least bit familiar with the specific area (thanks to mnnative for adding a local perspective) you are mentioning.

Gonagle was also correct, your coordinates are a little perplexing - I am wondering if this means that you are 4 blocks east of where victory memorial parkway ends and webber parkway begins, and then a block off of webber parkway?

First off, any place one block from webber parkway would be in the city of minneapolis proper and could be in webber-camden neighborhood or, if you're on humboldt, possibly the lind-bohanon or shingle creek neighborhoods (i always get confused by that stretch which neighborhood I'm actually in). The northernmost border of Minneapolis is 53rd Street North, and the webber parkway and a chunk of the victory memorial parkway in which i believe you are referring run east-west on the 44th/ 45th Street North area. Robbinsdale is west of Minneapolis (so west of Xerxes Ave N) and I believe the area you are referring to is more around Humboldt Ave N (and although I'm on it every day, I'm not exactly sure where Victory Memorial ends and Webber begins - i believe somewhere around oliver ave n, but maybe farther east around humboldt? anyways..

I think I have an idea where you are talking about as for the area the apartment's in (although there are smatterings of little apartment buildings throughout Camden, there are only a few larger apartment buildings here, one or two of which would be around the area i think you are mentioning). This would be an area that I either walk and/or drive every day at various times throughout the day. Regardless of where you are at, anywhere within that proximity to either parkways would be a very nice, safe, established, and in my experience a very friendly area. You will have access to not only a lot of park space every day (and Bike Paths on the Grand Rounds system), but Webber Park and library would be right out your doorstep I believe- we often walk to this great park in the summer and winter (there is ice skating on the pond in the winter and the ice skates can be used for free).

It is a diverse area, besides having a lot of economic diversity, many of the Camden neighborhoods are some of the most integrated neighborhoods (e.g. possessing equal amounts of ethnicities- white, black, and in some neighborhoods Hmong) in the midwest if not on a national scale. The area you are mentioning, besides not being Brooklyn Center or Robbinsdale (which, by the way, I think some of the nicest areas of both of these suburbs are those that abut the border of Minneapolis), is a great area to be in, and is in the Camden area of Minneapolis. You would likely be within easy walking distance to one of the 4 restaurants/ eateries here in the Victory Neighborhood as well as eateries/ businesses around webber parkway and lyndale ave n. I do not know anyone in those apartment complexes so can't give any information on them, but walking/ driving by they always seem very quiet and well-maintained. Good luck-