Moving to Duluth - Help Please (Crystal, Hermantown: lower-class, best neighborhood, rentals)

[RBonneau]

Hi-

My family and I will be moving to Duluth this summer due to a promotion I got. We have never spent time in Duluth - we know very little about the city and are hoping for some advice. We have 2 small kids (1 and 3) and want to be somewhere family friendly.

1. What type of vehicle will be logistically needed to make it through a winter (my job will require me to drive a bit)

2. What is the best neighborhood to live in : family friendly, somewhat walkable - we would like to be near a park/playground and be able to walk about with the kids, and be able to walk to a few restaurants. Are there any neighborhoods you would suggest we avoid living in?

3. Who is the internet provider there and how is the service?

4. I am also looking for a good day/pre school for my daughter who will be starting in the fall. I am looking for a 2-3 days a week; half day program for her to start with. Any suggestions here would be great.

Thanks!

[newcastle]

Originally Posted by RBonneau

Hi-

My family and I will be moving to Duluth this summer due to a promotion I got. We have never spent time in Duluth - we know very little about the city and are hoping for some advice. We have 2 small kids (1 and 3) and want to be somewhere family friendly.

1. What type of vehicle will be logistically needed to make it through a winter (my job will require me to drive a bit)

You should at least get a vehicle with all wheel drive but 4 wheel drivwe would be best.

2. What is the best neighborhood to live in : family friendly, somewhat walkable - we would like to be near a park/playground and be able to walk about with the kids, and be able to walk to a few restaurants. Are there any neighborhoods you would suggest we avoid living in?

Duluth is a long and narrow running along the shore for 26 miles. The Eastern neighborhoods are "best" in many people's opinion but here are some nice new neighborhoods being built behind the mall (Crystal Village) Townhomes along Rice Lake Road, Hawks Ridge is a new neighborhood, and along the St. Louis River (Riverside Neighborhood) there are some nice properties.

Hermantown, Proctor, and Superior all have good places to see too.

Avoid Lincoln Park/WestEnd as it is nearly all rentals.

The housing stock in duluth is on average over 50 years old. You may like Lakeside Lester Park for walkability and parks.

3. Who is the internet provider there and how is the service? You can get Charter, Comcost, Qwest, MediaComm. There all okay.

4. I am also looking for a good day/pre school for my daughter who will be starting in the fall. I am looking for a 2-3 days a week; half day program for her to start with. Any suggestions here would be great.

University Nursery School is popular and the Benedicitne Health Center has a on-sight pre-school too.

Thanks!

Hope that helps!

[PatRoy1]

Originally Posted by RBonneau

Hi-

My family and I will be moving to Duluth this summer due to a promotion I got. We have never spent time in Duluth - we know very little about the city and are hoping for some advice. We have 2 small kids (1 and 3) and want to be somewhere family friendly.

1. What type of vehicle will be logistically needed to make it through a winter (my job will require me to drive a bit)

A Subaru. No contest. A Subaru gets up the steep streets like nothing else. Heated seats are nice but not necessary.

2. What is the best neighborhood to live in : family friendly, somewhat walkable - we would like to be near a park/playground and be able to walk about with the kids, and be able to walk to a few restaurants. Are there any neighborhoods you would suggest we avoid living in?

Between Chester Park and UMD. Chester Creek Park is what other parks dream of being. Trails, playground, creek, skiing, Music in the Park on summer Tuesday nights. UMD is the summer time is a great place to play with kids. Tennis courts, great places to ride bikes, throw frisbees...

Sara's Table is on the corner of 19th and 8th. Good people. Good food. VIP pizza not too shabby either. Duluth Grill is terrific. Consistently great food. In an iffy neighborhood but worth the drive. London Road Cafe is a sweet place. Best club sandwich I've ever eaten anywhere.

3. Who is the internet provider there and how is the service?

We used Charter. Need to negotiate the bundle every year but service is reliable. Cable and phone worked well for us.


Thanks!

Lots of good preschools in churches, or so I've heard.

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by RBonneau

Hi-

My family and I will be moving to Duluth this summer due to a promotion I got. We have never spent time in Duluth - we know very little about the city and are hoping for some advice. We have 2 small kids (1 and 3) and want to be somewhere family friendly.

1. What type of vehicle will be logistically needed to make it through a winter (my job will require me to drive a bit)

2. What is the best neighborhood to live in : family friendly, somewhat walkable - we would like to be near a park/playground and be able to walk about with the kids, and be able to walk to a few restaurants. Are there any neighborhoods you would suggest we avoid living in?

3. Who is the internet provider there and how is the service?

4. I am also looking for a good day/pre school for my daughter who will be starting in the fall. I am looking for a 2-3 days a week; half day program for her to start with. Any suggestions here would be great.

Thanks!

1. If you're going to be driving quite a bit, I would recommend a 4 x 4 SUV or pick-up truck, or at least a larger 4 x 4 car (e.g. Subaru Outback, Volvo).

Be sure to get a block heater for the winter, unless you store your vehicle in a heated garage. Like another poster said, a heated steering wheel and heated seats are nice to have too, as well as remote start for those cold mornings.

2. The "best" neighborhoods in Duluth are not at all walkable. The closest thing that comes to what you describe is the Spirit Valley part of West Duluth, which is a working-class (NOTE: not lower-class!) neighborhood. There you can walk to the grocery store, restaurants, etc., but at the expense of having (what in many yuppies' minds are) "lesser" people around. It's still probably safe, though. The Lakeside neighborhood also fits your description. The neighborhoods everybody says to avoid are the West End (Lincoln Park) and Central Hillside. Even those, however, are not truly dangerous, but you may find yourself surrounded by trashy people and college students (in the eastern part of Central Hillside).

Also, few people in Duluth actually walk to get from point A to point B.

3. In the city, Qwest provides ADSL; Charter provides cable internet; and Clearwire, wireless service. I live too far out to get either cable or DSL, so I'm stuck with Clearwire, which is generally awful here. I've heard that cable is faster than DSL in Duluth.

4. I don't know.

[PatRoy1]

One more thing, if you plan on being in Duluth for first grade, check out homes in the Congdon Elementary school district. (Lakeside) Consistently higher test scores and satisfied parents. Not that there are not other good elementary schools, Lowell for instance, (is is still a music magnet school?) but Congdon is always at the top of the list.

[MrRational]

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