School Districts & Subdivisions in the TC (Minneapolis, St. Paul: to rent, homes)

[ceeb4]

Help! After thinking that the decision had been made for us to move to Milwaukee, we had a change of plans today by my husband's wonderful employer and we are moving to the Minneapolis area this summer. (We are very happy).

Briefly, I am a southern girl who has lived in GA, SC, Sacramento,CA & DFW, Texas. My husband originally hails from Boston. We have been living on Long Island for going on 3 years (don't like it at all, we are like fish out of water). We have an 11 year old son who lives & breathes baseball and excels academically.

I have read numerous posts on here re: suburbs, schools, city vs. suburbs, etc. Colleagues of my husbands who travel quite a bit to MN, keep pushing him to the Eden Prairie, Edina, Chaska areas, but I believe from what I have read that these may be too "cookie cutter" for us. We don't really care to live where the only restaurants available are chain restaurants. I have read that phrase over & over on here re: these cities. If I have been misinformed, please let me know nicely.

We are going to rent for the first year at least to get to know the area, but I really don't want to change schools on my son twice if at all possible. The move is hard enough as it as without uprooting him twice for different schools.

Hubby will be working out of our home office & traveling to the airport. He has a couple of accounts in the TC, but will be only visiting them 1-2/month so commuting is not an issue.

Ideally, we want to live in a kid friendly neighborhood and somewhere that we can make true, good friends. We hope and pray that this is where we are settling and will stay for a very long time.

So based on this criteria, can anyone help suggest a good area for us? Oh, one other thing, when we get ready to purchase our limit would be around $350k.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[uptown_urbanist]

Check out Southwest Minneapolis. Great schools, tons of independent restaurants, VERY kid-friendly (and TONS of kids), very nice neighbors. Neighborhoods like Kenny or Armatage are packed with families, and you can find a nice place at your price point. Linden Hills or closer to Minnehaha Creek are generally more expensive, but there are still some more affordable options available. Fulton neighborhood (which is home, among other things, to Southwest High School, and within walking distance to both the commercial core of Linden Hills as well as to 50th and France, as well as the bustling business node at 44th and France) is another name to look for, and I think they might have some options in your price range.

Eden Prairie and Chaska are definitely cookie-cutter and chain-filled, although Chaska does have some older parts, too. It doesn't sound like what you want, though. Edina is sort of a transition zone; parts of it are pretty cookie-cutter and chain dominated, other parts are not. Trouble is that the parts that aren't tend to be expensive. Still, it's worth considering, the part near 50th and France and near the Minneapolis border.

Over in this part of town there are also some decent options in neighboring St. Louis Park. Check out the part of SLP bordering Minneapolis. Some neighborhood names include Browndale and Minikahda Vista. SLP schools have a very good reputation.

Those are all options in my part of the city, but since you don't have to be near the airport there are plenty of other decent options out there, too. I think you are right that Eden Prairie or Chaska would not be a good fit.

ETA: I should note, though, that these areas aren't subdivisions. I read your post thinking that you didn't want a subdivision (which are generally classic cookie cutter, and are usually in the areas that are more chain-dominated). Are you looking for a subdivision or new construction? If so, then these won't be good fits. (you can find new construction in these areas, although not in subdivision form and not at or under $350k; the new stuff is generally infill or tear-downs)

[ceeb4]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

ETA: I should note, though, that these areas aren't subdivisions. I read your post thinking that you didn't want a subdivision (which are generally classic cookie cutter, and are usually in the areas that are more chain-dominated). Are you looking for a subdivision or new construction? If so, then these won't be good fits. (you can find new construction in these areas, although not in subdivision form and not at or under $350k; the new stuff is generally infill or tear-downs)

I love the style of the homes in SW Minneapolis, they have so much character, the only draw back is that the homes are so close together and the yards don't seem to give you very much privacy. Looking for maybe a little bit more land. Other ideas?

[Kebinminn]

Edina has some nice homes and not all are chains. I don't think of Edina as cookie cutter at all. It's not urban but it's not like an outer suburb either. Victoria and Excelsior don't have a lot in your range but both are nice areas and they do have some housing for less than 350. Both are not cookier cutter and are in good schools.

[xandrex]

One nice thing about Minnesota is that even if you move out of a school district, your son wouldn't have to leave the school if he/you like it. Minnesota has open enrollment across the entire state, so if you move to another town, your son could stay in the previous district (I believe you'd just need to provide transportation).

[Kebinminn]

Originally Posted by xandrex

One nice thing about Minnesota is that even if you move out of a school district, your son wouldn't have to leave the school if he/you like it. Minnesota has open enrollment across the entire state, so if you move to another town, your son could stay in the previous district (I believe you'd just need to provide transportation).

If the school is accepting open enrollees. Many do but some are closed to it because they're at capactity.

Open enrollment does give you more options though.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by Kebinminn

If the school is accepting open enrollees. Many do but some are closed to it because they're at capactity.

Open enrollment does give you more options though.

That's true. But it's definitely an option that the OP can check out. I checked a few of the inner-ring suburbs that are typically deemed to have good schools (Edina, SLP, etc.) and they seemed to indicate they took applications for it every year. Obviously, it's not guarantee and you'd be best asking the school.

[golfgal]

I would look out to Stillwater. It is an historic town, great schools, friendly town. Edina is nice but your $350K budget is going to be an issue there.

[uptown_urbanist]

Along the lines of a Stillwater-type place, you could check out somewhere like Northfield; it's not a suburb (but is near the edges of the Twin Cities) but is a very nice small college town. Carlton and St. Olaf are both located there, so you'd also get all the benefits that come with having those institutions in town; they get some VERY big name speakers coming through there, for example. It's not at all cookie cutter, and it wouldn't be too far from the airport.

[west336]

Other "non-urban" options that offer a bit more space and the urban amenities that you seek (like "ma and pop" restaurants) along with better than average schools, include:

St. Louis Park
Richfield (schools a question mark)
Edina
St. Paul (Highland Park)
Hopkins
Bloomington (Westside specifically)

Hope this helps...