St. Paul info (Minneapolis, Bloomington, Edina: houses, safe area, school district)

[dogkid33]

Hi! We're looking at possibly moving to the twin cities. We'd be be working in Bloomington. We're looking for a house that is from early 20th century (IE:1920's,1930's). Plus we have 2 kids, so I would need a safe area with a good school district. Any ideas? We're open to living in either St. Paul or in Minneapolis. Thanks!

[chilaili]

Off the top of my head I would suggest Nokomis, Highland or Merriam Park for houses in that age group

[MplsTodd]

Although your title is St Paul, because you mentioned Minneapolis in your message and you'll work in Bloomington, you may want to look into: Kingfield, Fulton, Hale, Lynnhurst and Linden Hills areas of Minneapolis (basically the southwest portion of the city ringing Lake Harriet or to the south). There are lots of families in this area, good schools, and nice walkable neighborhoods with nearby commercial districts. Plus St Louis Park also has areas with homes for the 1920s and 1930s. If your budget is huge (around $800,000 and up), you could also consider Edina's Country Club District.

[Slig]

There is alot of good housing stock in Minneapolis and St. Paul from pre-WWII. My house was built in 1900 and most of the homes in my neighborhood were built between 1890-1930. From a convenience perspective you may want to lean toward homes in Minneapolis as it is closer to where you work. For choosing areas alot of it will depend on your price range.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by MplsTodd

If your budget is huge [cut], you could also consider Edina's Country Club District.

Or the majority of the other neighborhoods you mentioned, but then again I'm old-fashioned- I still consider spending half a million dollars on a home to be excessive .

Current average listing price:
Lynnhurst: $571,950
Linden Hills: $494,500
Fulton: $364,900
Hale: $322,400

[golfgal]

Where in Bloomington will you be working? If you are on the east side of Bloomington you will want to look at Hastings, plenty of 1920's and earlier housing stock. If you are on the west side of Bloomington try Chaska, Wayzata and Jordan.

[dogkid33]

Hi! Sorry, I should have mention my price range. We have a budget of $225K. We're not scared off by a fixer upper. I'll be working near the Mall of America. Thanks for all the advice so far!

[dogkid33]

Also, i guess the commute from St. paul would be a long, huh?

[shizzy]

you might want to look in to the Mcalaster / Groveland neighborhood in St Paul. its not too far of a commute. It is a wonderful neighborhood.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by dogkid33

Also, i guess the commute from St. paul would be a long, huh?

No. Surprisingly, I can get from my house near Highland Village to MOA in less than 10 minutes by car. When I take the bus or train, it's not much more than 20 minutes, depending on connections.