Best Place To Rent An Apartment

[Go Twins]

Blakeb99 - It all depends on the building. I was a delivery driver throughout college, and there are nice buildings and run-down ones in the same suburb, or even a block away from each other. The same could be said for price.

Unfortunately, if you're new to the area, the only way to make up your mind might be to find a place you initially like for the most part, and during the period of your lease you'll definitely form an opinion. My advice though would be to definitely avoid buildings without security doors (which there seem to be fewer and fewer of anyway).

You mentioned Brooklyn Park- I'd avoid the massive Section 8 (welfare) complexes there, but it's a large suburb- there are newer, nicer places there as well. It's not so much crime and safety that's the issue, more like the annoyance factor. The cheaper the rent, the more inconsiderate, irresponsible people you're likely to encounter, especially huge complexes with enormously high turnover rates. I've lived in buildings where it seemed 90% of the tenants were depressing to be around, who couldn't hold a mundane job, and spent all their money and time drinking and smoking dope, complaining that life was unfair.

Everyone's standards are different I guess. I don't like buildings where I walk down the hallway and see an eviction notice on someone's door every other day, but then again someone might not like me living in their building because my car is 12 years old.

[oakdale]

Cities like White Bear Lake and Stillwater are always beautiful and only 20 minutes from downtown.

[nick is rulz]

I found a great 2 bedroom place for a very reasonable price on the border of Bryn Mawr and Harrison. A/C, Dishwasher, gated parking, the whole nine...plus the view of the skyline is absolutely stunning.

I did research on the neighborhood, and quite frankly, I think its turning around nicely. I looked over the crime maps, and even talked to a fourth precinct officer who handles that sort of thing. From an asthetic standpoint, anything north of Bryn Mawr isnt necessarily the prettiest location, and once you get closer to Olson Memorial it does get a bit shady. Overall though, its nothing to be concerned about.


Unless you're paranoid and insistant on residing in some suburb a million miles away from anything...look within the city, find out about the neighborhood, study it a bit.

Oh and for the record, Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center have a few apartment complexes that are pretty crappy but by no means does it make either of these suburbs "ghetto".