urgent help needed to find where to live in Minneapolis (Center City: cheap apartment, for rent)

[jribe]

Hello Everyone,
My job is being transferred to minneapolis (location 625 Marquette) and i need to find a good place to live in Minneapolis
Can spend $1000-1500

Most important things:
-safe area
- not noisy
- dogs allowed (2 bostons under 15lbs)
- close to work (walkable hopefully)

I would like to find a condo if there are any for rent, but an open to apartments and houses.

I've heard the north area is horrible, and that the lakes area is loud .. Any help would be appreciated!

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

You should be able to find pretty much anything anywhere in your price range as far as apartments go.

North Minneapolis isn't that bad unless you live in one of the very small bad areas, and around the Lakes (I'm guessing you mean Uptown) isn't that noisy, unless you live on one of the main streets.

If you want to walk to work, your best bet would be either the Warehouse District, the portion of downtown near the river (what that part is actually called doesn't come to mind right now...it's been a couple months since I've lived in Minneapolis, or around Loring Park, I'm thinking. Those neighborhoods are in downtown, so they're not the quietest. But Downtown Minneapolis isn't really all that hopping anyway, so it might not be an issue depending on where you're moving from.

[jribe]

I've been to MN a few times for work and i had walked around that part of town -but it was during the day. I'm just worried about safety, pretty much.

It just seems like the price ranges are so varying- i've looked at the Eitel Building, Mill District apartments, Symphony Place, etc and all can range up to the high 2,000's; and then there's buildings that are under $1,000- just seems odd to me. I'm in California currently and it's pretty easy to figure out where the bad areas are here. I just don't want to make a mistake and move to a bad area.

I appreciate the help!

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

You should be able to find pretty much anything anywhere in your price range as far as apartments go.

North Minneapolis isn't that bad unless you live in one of the very small bad areas, and around the Lakes (I'm guessing you mean Uptown) isn't that noisy, unless you live on one of the main streets.

If you want to walk to work, your best bet would be either the Warehouse District, the portion of downtown near the river (what that part is actually called doesn't come to mind right now...it's been a couple months since I've lived in Minneapolis, or around Loring Park, I'm thinking. Those neighborhoods are in downtown, so they're not the quietest. But Downtown Minneapolis isn't really all that hopping anyway, so it might not be an issue depending on where you're moving from.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by jribe

I've been to MN a few times for work and i had walked around that part of town -but it was during the day. I'm just worried about safety, pretty much.

It just seems like the price ranges are so varying- i've looked at the Eitel Building, Mill District apartments, Symphony Place, etc and all can range up to the high 2,000's; and then there's buildings that are under $1,000- just seems odd to me. I'm in California currently and it's pretty easy to figure out where the bad areas are here. I just don't want to make a mistake and move to a bad area.

I appreciate the help!

There are newer luxury apartments and condo types of things all over the place, surrounded by cheaper normal buildings. This is most apparent to me around Loring Park, an area I looked into living: it has some of the most outrageously expensive new buildings, and it has some of the best deals in the city too - I'm talking like 600-700 for a one bedroom. In the central part of Downtown itself you will mostly find the high end buildings, I suppose - the same might be true for the Mills district. But you can essentially live anywhere you want in the Twin Cities for 1000-1500 dollars, you might just not be living in "luxury". Sometimes people just like paying a lot more money for weird and unnecessary things (which is most obvious where I live now, in Center City Philadelphia - with college students and millionaires living right next door to each other, with the college students in a cheap apartment and the others in a 500,000 dollar condo smaller than the cheap apartment).

Nothing in Minneapolis is probably going to be as dangerous as bad neighborhoods in California. But there is basically a small chunk of North Minneapolis that's legitimately rough, and most of the other bad areas you hear about really aren't that bad.

But the City provides all crime statistics and maps in a pretty convenient format: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/poli...me-statistics/

Are you interested in being able to walk to work, or a walkable neighborhood in general? Living in or adjacent to downtown would be your best bet to walk to work - but if you want to do without a car completely (or as much as possible) Uptown is easily the most walkable area of the city, and a short bus ride to Downtown on one of several well running buses. Downtown Minneapolis is lacking in pretty much everything besides bars, but it's getting better.

[LawoftheLand]

Try looking at the Centre Village condo building. You can walk from there to your workplace and stay entirely within the skyway system. That's invaluable when the weather is bad.

The River West condo building might also work for you but it's a longer and colder walk. It's right next to the Mississippi River with a mini-park across the street. Good dog walking territory.

Both buildings are older which makes the rent more affordable. A number of owners who either can't or don't want to sell are renting out their units. Good luck!

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

There are newer luxury apartments and condo types of things all over the place, surrounded by cheaper normal buildings. This is most apparent to me around Loring Park, an area I looked into living: it has some of the most outrageously expensive new buildings, and it has some of the best deals in the city too - I'm talking like 600-700 for a one bedroom. In the central part of Downtown itself you will mostly find the high end buildings, I suppose - the same might be true for the Mills district. But you can essentially live anywhere you want in the Twin Cities for 1000-1500 dollars, you might just not be living in "luxury". Sometimes people just like paying a lot more money for weird and unnecessary things (which is most obvious where I live now, in Center City Philadelphia - with college students and millionaires living right next door to each other, with the college students in a cheap apartment and the others in a 500,000 dollar condo smaller than the cheap apartment).

Nothing in Minneapolis is probably going to be as dangerous as bad neighborhoods in California. But there is basically a small chunk of North Minneapolis that's legitimately rough, and most of the other bad areas you hear about really aren't that bad.

But the City provides all crime statistics and maps in a pretty convenient format: Crime Statistics and Reports

Are you interested in being able to walk to work, or a walkable neighborhood in general? Living in or adjacent to downtown would be your best bet to walk to work - but if you want to do without a car completely (or as much as possible) Uptown is easily the most walkable area of the city, and a short bus ride to Downtown on one of several well running buses. Downtown Minneapolis is lacking in pretty much everything besides bars, but it's getting better.

What is downtown lacking that you are referring to, except grocery stores, which I think downtown needs a few of? I work downtown and I'm surprised how amazingly convenient everything is and how much there is to do. Maybe it's not Philly but few places are.

Generally I like your posts but sometimes you have a negative thing or two to add about Minneapolis and that's okay but it's not helping the OP in this case.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

What is downtown lacking that you are referring to, except grocery stores, which I think downtown needs a few of? I work downtown and I'm surprised how amazingly convenient everything is and how much there is to do. Maybe it's not Philly but few places are.

Generally I like your posts but sometimes you have a negative thing or two to add about Minneapolis and that's okay but it's not helping the OP in this case.

Sorry - Downtown might not be as desolate as I made it sound. And as far as Minneapolis itself goes is good. But it doesn't quite compete with the variety of Uptown. The lack of a grocery store is a big thing for me, as someone who usually eats at home. Of course, Target has a big enough grocery section now that you might be able to live off of. But I have a hard time considering an area truly walkable without a grocery store - and Uptown has 3 that come to mind, as opposed to downtown's 0 (or 1/2, if you count Target). I never really "hung out" in Downtown, but came through on the buses or on a walk at night often enough, and thought it was pretty quiet. Just taking two random things I like - groceries and books! -, Target Downtown closes at 10 (or 8 on sundays) compared to Rainbow being open 24 hours in Uptown. Barnes and Noble Downtown closes at 9 (8 on sat, 7 on sun), Magers and Quinn in Uptown closes at 10, or 11 on friday and saturday.

Lots of businesses are also in the skyway and cater towards workers, not residents, which could skewer your perception if you judge it on that. Lots of the smaller stuff was already closed when I would come home from work at 5, 5:30. And you might have everything you need in general, but it's not very compact - multiple errands might have you going to completely different areas of Downtown. When I lived in Marcy-Holmes, I used to go for walks in the evening to downtown all the time, and found the Financial Areas downright desolate. Up on 1st Ave and Hennepin was a different story, of course.

Downtown Minneapolis is also a product of urban revitalization, and it shows. However, it has been getting better, and it's only going to get better. I know the city is well aware of how to make it better, and there are only going to be more people living there, more transit options, and more amenities in the future.

In my defense, I asked whether he was more concerned about walking to work, or trying to survive without a car in general. I don't think there is much of a debate that Uptown is the most obvious place to live without a car (I speak as someone who did not live in Uptown, as you probably know, and lived without a car. In fact, what you might not know is that I didn't live in Uptown because I really didn't like it, personally. I found it annoying, and I chose to live somewhere less walkable that was less annoying. But annoying is more of a matter of personal perception - and I understand that most people like Uptown quite a bit). If OP indeed is most concerned with walking to work, and not walking in general, Downtown becomes the better choice. I gave the OP advice based on a possible answer to that question, based on the plea for "urgent help" - that might otherwise not be given until a later time.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Fair enough.

Hmmmm, I never thought about it but I suppose Uptown WOULD be the place to be without a car......that or Northeast maybe.

[uptown_urbanist]

I agree with FamousBlueRaincoat on this one. Uptown has a lot more walkable convenient amenities. Downtown has a lot more than it used to have, and it still would be easy to live there without a car, but Uptown is more of a round-the-clock walkable urban neighborhood. Downtown is getting more options, but it's not there yet. Given the density of people in places like Loring Park I still find that kind of surprising.

[audadvnc]

Uptown has easy bus connections to downtown, and is the most "happening" spot. As for dogs, you'll have to check with the landlords to find out who will accept them - that's the same everywhere.

Safety is not a serious concern in this area - I've lived here for 35 years and the number of incidents I've got personal knowledge of can be counted on one hand - none of them recent. One minor assault incident (a friend of mine got punched by a complete stranger) was near St. Thomas Univ. on Summit Avenue (in 1985), which is normally as safe as anywhere in the country.