Moving To Minneapolis From Nyc (Bloomington, Plymouth: high school, live in, vs)

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by Jaxx99

I've had to do far fewer major repairs on my current 1930's house than I did on my 1985-built home that I lived in before.

I've had the same experience with my 1930s house. Pre-WWII houses were built with better materials and the craftsmen who built them were more careful. I think this is especially true if you buy in an area that was originally constructed for middle & upper income home buyers, such as SW Mpls., old Edina, NE Mpls, Prospect Park, Highland Pk, Mac-Groveland, St Anthony Pk and Merriam Pk to name a few.

[Minnehahapolitan]

A word about construction. The older homes in Linden Hills were built with lathe plaster, old growth wood, oak floors that look better now than they did in 1916 and wood work that can never be replicated. Except for the eventual systems that need replacing, they are good for centuries. (The new houses in New Orleans had to be gutted and the studs soaped, the old houses down there had mold-resistant lime plaster and wood floors that simply had to be dried out) They are also the best maintained homes in the City. Most have been redone already. Houses in Eden Prairie are simply built like Shi t. Pine 2x4's, cheaply done drywall (there is a difference between old drywall and new), cheap baseboards and particle board. Go look at a duplex that was built in the 1980's in Eden Prairie, they look like hel l. They do not maintain themselves, no matter the intentions of their unfortunate owner. They were built to look good a closing. Even the larger homes that were built between the War and the 1960's look good. If you have any worries about construction, the fear should be reversed.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by Jim Stokes

If your husband is making a pile of money, by all means move to Kenwood, which is near downtown. Kenwood has some great old houses. But be careful. Many of them are fixer-uppers. In most cases, the owners are older and don't want to fiddle with the upkeep.

Case in point is the "Mary Tyler Moore" house in Kenwood. That's the house exterior you see in the series. That's the only connection, of course, the rest of the show was done on sets, including Mary's house interiors. So now, that house is a hulking three-story structure. It has been bought and sold several times. Each time, the owners let it run down. At one time, it looked like an abandoned old house. It had graffiti on it.

So the point is, to make SURE to get the title and find out what all is WRONG with the house.

As far as other houses, a "nice" house will be at least $300K to $500K in a nice neighborhood. Don't buy a house north of Highway 55.

Although I really appreciated that running commentary on the Mary Tyler Moore House, Jim, and the advice to 'find out what all is WRONG with the house'....you're not giving very good nor informed advice with your comment to not buy a house north of highway 55. By doing this you overlook many great neighborhoods along the theo wirth, victory memorial, and webber-camden parkway systems.

[becky609]

Hey!think.reciprocity - the suspense is finally over!!! Although we loved Linden Hills - had to pass up on the condo - 1 garage spot that too uncovered - couldn't get a second spot for rent/buy.

We have finally settled on a 1926 stucco in SW MLPS - Hopefully we made the right choice. The place was fully upgraded - brand new kitchen, bath and basement!Inspection revealed fixing a pipe connection but nothing major.
Now if only I could rent my condo in the NYC/NJ area soon enough - I would be all set!

[michael1969]

Funny my fam and I are thinking of relocating as well. I have 2 kids (7&3), so schools were upmost important to us. I can tell you that from all the research I have done Eden Prarie, and Edina are 2 great school districts, have nice home (Eden Prarie have nicer more affordable ones). Good luck

[becky609]

Thanks Michael1969.

[think.reciprocity]

I'd say that the two school districts that are considered the very best Minnesota has to offer would be "Edina" & "Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan" School districts. My personal criteria for choosing my son's school were different than most - thinking of a more holistic approach to "the best education" - but, based upon the average person's criteria for choosing a school for their children, these two named above would likely be the best of the best.

[LeeShort]

Originally Posted by becky609

Hi everyone!!
We are moving from Nyc to Minneapolis leaving behind all friends and family and I am nervous. I would be really grateful for some honest opinions. These are our criteria for living there and if you could suggest some areas we could look into.

1. My husband will be working downtown and the commute should probably be not more than 20-30 min

2. I have a 18 month old son so a park, tot-lot, daycare and other places of interest would be very important as I am a stay at home mom.

3. A gym is very very essential

4.Entertainment and shopping close by would be nice.

My first predicament is whether to rent or buy?We spent one weekend in minneapolis and I thought that living downtown would be great. I am wondering if it makes any sense to move to the suburbs to save money....activities and things of interest for our son is our first concern. Thanks everybody in advance.

I would look into the Highland and Macalaster/Groveland areas of St Paul...rather less spendy than Kenwood or downtown, entertainment and shopping will be close by and very accessible...the only downside is variety...we have a number of very good restaurants and shops, but you'll have to venture out of the neighborhood for ehtnic sources. Both areas have nice parkways. I can't comment on the schools, though.

Macalaster/Groveland is near a couple of small colleges and has a younger vibe to it than Highland. These areas are less dense-packed urban than downtown, and both of them touch on the river parkway (depending on where specifically you end up, you could be 1 block to about a mile away).

[becky609]

Thank you Leeshort - we just bought in SW Minneapolis. Lets hope we did the right thing and we'll actually enjoy life there!

[helena67]

My husband is starting new job in Plymouth, MN on Monday. We live in Dallas, TX. Any suggestions of how to train your body for the winter? I will have more questions later, since I am NOT moving just yet. Would it be wise to move kids (age 14 & 16) now, or wait until end of school year. How much snow do you get in Plymouth - and when does it start snowing? Thank you very much.