fargo suburbs (Bismarck, Grand Forks, West Fargo: renting, crime, new home)

[jkooner]

Hello, I may be relocating to the Fargo area. I've done a little reading and have questions about these 4 areas: West Fargo (58078), North end of Fargo (58102), central Fargo (58103) and the south end of Fargo (58104).

1. Are they major differences in crime between these areas?
2. What about elementary schools ?
3. Which area has more parks?
4. Where can I get more house for my money?
5. Any other significant differences in these areas?

Lastly, with the cold winters in Fargo are the houses insulated better or do people just crank the furnace all winter? Any particular era when houses were built with better insulation?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,
Kooner.

[DaninEGF]

I live up in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area and have been to Fargo numerous times. However, never being lived there some of the specifics of your questions I cant answer with any degree of specificity.

From visiting there quite frequently and we get Fargo news for local TV...

West Fargo and south Fargo are and have been the hot growing regions for the past many years. 13th Ave South in Fargo is the main shopping road...and it does extend west into West Fargo, but may be called by a different name there. Every possible chain store you can imagine is on that road. Growth has also spread south along I-29 in Fargo and west along I-94 which takes you into West Fargo. Nothing separate the two cities they blend together.

For appreciation on homes....south and west is the way to go. Prices in Fargo are a bit cheaper than Grand Forks and Bismarck when comparing comparable homes. For more house for the money probably north end.

Crime is not much of a factor in Fargo regardless of where you live. You have an older stock of homes on the north end and central sections of the town and newest in the south and in West Fargo. Schools are good in both areas....but dont know about specific elementary schools. Parks I dont know enough about.

As for insulation....we had a new home build in 2003. Newer homes do have better insulation...the type needed for the colder climate. Also good windows too. We have gas heat....3500 sq ft home and bills average in coldest months around $150-175 /month.....varies a lot on temps of course and how cold. The last two weeks have seen many below zero days so bill probably over $200 based on thermostat at 69F.




Dan

[jwmn]

Here's a good website for you to check out.

http://www.ci.fargo.nd.us/Residential/YourNeighborhood/

This is from the city of Fargo's website. It divides the city into a number of different neighborhoods. You can click on each neighborhood and the website provides some info about the area (such as age and value of houses, parks, etc).

I've lived in different areas of Fargo, and I've never been in an area where I thought crime was a problem. I don't know about the specific elementary schools, but I don't think there would be a big difference other than the age of the facilities (some are new and some are not). The largest parks would be on the east side along the river (Lindenwood, Island Park, Oak Grove), but there are parks throughout the city. You can go to www.fargoparks.com for more info.

I think the main differences between the different neighborhoods is the age of each neighborhood, the types of housing, and the proximity to commercial areas and other amenities. The growth for both housing and commerce is mostly in the south and west, but there are also some nice neighborhoods in north fargo (1960s-70s era housing) if you don't mind driving farther to get to the mall. For information about what you can get for your money, you could check out this website: http://www.homeshq.net

The only neighborhoods I would really not want to live in are the Madison/Unicorn park area (bordered by industrial areas, not a particularly attractive area) and the Roosevelt/NDSU area (a lot of college students renting here).

[Joestoes]

We moved to Fargo several years ago and live on the north side. Our neighborhood is east of Elm and north of 25th ave. Trollwood Park and Edgewood golf course are close by. It is pedestrian and bike friendly, quiet with a great stable elementary school - Longfellow. It is very residential so there are no big box stores and limited restaurants. Most houses in our area start at 225,000 and go up to 480,000. The other side of Elm offers smaller more modestly priced homes. More mature trees than in the really new areas but there are a few neighborhoods in S. Fargo with trees as well.
South Fargo has more to choose from, lower prices for new homes. I don't know where you're coming from but the newer areas are out on the middle of the prairie with no trees. If that doesn't bother you then the neighborhoods down south are a good choice for young families - you definitely get more house for your money without having to do any renovations. Watch out for "specials" on new homes though - it is some kinds of taxation they do that can really add up. I had some work done on my home last week and the worker said that the older homes in our area are a lot more solid than the new ones going up but I know nothing more about that really. There is crime here but nothing like big metro areas.
Overall, the south side is growing like crazy, the north side is very residential. Fargo is a great place to raise a family for sure.

[snowlandcook]

Originally Posted by DaninEGF

I live up in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area and have been to Fargo numerous times. However, never being lived there some of the specifics of your questions I cant answer with any degree of specificity.

As for insulation....we had a new home build in 2003. Newer homes do have better insulation...the type needed for the colder climate. Also good windows too. We have gas heat....3500 sq ft home and bills average in coldest months around $150-175 /month.....varies a lot on temps of course and how cold. The last two weeks have seen many below zero days so bill probably over $200 based on thermostat at 69F. Dan

Which company provides natural gas to homes in Fargo-Moorhead? Dan's bill sound very reasonable. We live in St Cloud, MN, have an 1800 SF home, built in 1990, and we pay as much--in fact, oftentimes more--during the cold months. We heat with gas (and have gas stove, gas dryer, gas water heater), but we keep the thermostat at 60 in the day and 52 at night!!! (We wear sweaters by day and bury ourselves with quilts by night.) We have lots of windows on the north side of the house--and tile floors in foyer and kitchen, which don't hold heat--but other than that, our house is well insulated and passes every energy test with flying colors. We are serviced by XCel Energy--and we find their prices outrageous.

As we, too, are looking to move to the F-M area, I am curious which gas/electric companies are located in the area. Which is cheaper up there (gas or electric)?

[DaninEGF]

Xcel energy serves Fargo and GF-EGF.....as well as surrounding areas. Dont know of any other gas company in our area. I did get a letter in the mail saying there will be a rate increase coming up.... our bills have been ok I suppose....variable depending on temps....but so far this winters 150-175 mid Dec-mid Jan and mid Jan-mid Feb.

Dan