Public schools and nice neighborhoods in St Paul Minnesota (Minneapolis: real estate, apartments)

[Alessia]

Hello
I am an American woman who has lived in Toulouse France for the last 18 years. I am originally from New York city. My husband who is French has just gotten a job offer in Northfield Minnesota. We are planning to move to the Twin cities and I really would like to live in the St Paul or Minneopolis area. I need to live in a neighborhood where I can walk to cafes, a bookstore, restaurants etc. Public transportation is also very important to me as I don't drive (I was too afraid to learn in France and in NYC you dont need it!). We also have two young children (five and eight) and a new baby. Could anyone advise me on nice neighborhoods to look at (we want to rent and were hoping to pay around 1500 a month, more or less for a nice house). Macalaster Groveland looks nice to me but I don't know if the public schools are good and if it is safe. I would greatly appreciate any advice as it is very hard to find out things from here. If anyone needs advice on France in exchange, don't hesitate to ask!
Thanks!

[golfgal]

Mac/Groveland is a nice area but it is a HAUL to get to Northfield-the commute would be about an hour each way in good conditions. Northfield itself is a great town, very walkable, has pretty much everything you need there on a day to day basis more so then the Mac/Groveland area or most neighborhoods in St. Paul even. It has a cute downtown with nice shops. The schools are very good. I would just look right there to live.

[chilaili]

I was going to suggest Highland for all the things you want if you're dead set on living in St Paul, but that commute is a b****, especially in the Winter!

[uptown_urbanist]

I agree with the others (and I don't drive, either). I'd really consider living in Northfield first; that's a really long commute. I haven't spent much time there in recent years, but there are cafes, bookstores, and a really nice walkable downtown, plus all the activities that come as a perk of having the colleges right there. It would be tough not to drive, but not impossible.

If you do settle in St. Paul then the schools are fine and Mac/Groveland is perfectly safe.

[Slig]

If you live right downtown Northfield it's walkable, although you would have to put up with the limitations of living in a small town as opposed to a mid sized city like Minneapolis or St. Paul.

Walk Score - Helping homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods.

[MplsTodd]

I also recommend you consider Northfield, which offers the best of small town living plus two colleges and a nice quaint downtown. But certainly, once you're here, check out Mac-Groveland/Highland park in St. Paul. You could also check out SW and south Mpls, which also offers several very walkable neighborhoods. I know someone who works at St Olaf, but lives in SW Mpls (she commutes about three days per week), so the commute can be done

[10,000Lakes]

As far as schools here so a webiste www.greatschools.com

[Alessia]

Thank you all for so many answers and so quickly. I am new to using a forum like this. We will check out Northfield but I am a bit afraid of living in a small town after living for so many years in a fairly big city in France and also coming from NY. However my husband would be much happier not to drive so long. Is there anyone out there from Northfield who might be able to describe what it is like living there?
On the other hand, could anyone recommend any other interesting places to live where you can walk to some sort of nice downtown area with independent stores, cafes, etc that might be closer to Northfield than Macalaster Groveland in St Paul? I have to say that I am not too enthusiastic about the suburbs.

[chilaili]

Maybe Farmington? Or Lakeville? Further north and you're already into the St Paul suburbs of Apple Valley and Burnsville.

[golfgal]

Northfield is pretty much out on it's own and not really all that close to anything. It sounds isolated but it isn't. You are still not far from Minneapolis or Rochester but Northfield is pretty much it within a reasonable commute. The towns that are close are either similar or even smaller.

My husband grew up in Northfield and we spend quite a bit of time there. It is a very liberal town with a lot of shops and things to do right in town. No it won't have the vibe of New York but neither will the Mac/Groveland area or any area in Minneapolis or St. Paul for that matter.

Northfield will have what you are used to, on a much smaller scale though and have the bonus of being able to let your kids ride their bikes to the park, run over to a friend's house, play ball in the yard, etc.

Northfield really isn't a suburb. It is a self-contained town with a vibrant downtown, 2 very well respected colleges and a highly educated population. Other then not being in the city itself you won't see a whole lot of difference on a daily basis then what you are currently used to-except most people will have a house and a yard vs apartment living.

Here is a link to the chamber website with some pictures of the town: http://www.northfieldchamber.com/