Gay gal relocating to Minneapolis and seeking sage advice (Bloomington: apartment, sex offenders)

[torunfree]

Hi! I'm a gay gal in my late 20s who's moving to Minneapolis with my partner this summer to begin a graduate program at UMN. I would LOVE some advice about neighborhoods. We have been looking at Seward/North Longfellow (close-ish to campus), Uptown (lots going on), Powderhorn (cheap and gay), and Northeast (a bit of a wild card). Thoughts on these places? Am I missing awesomeness somewhere else?

A bit about our criteria: 2br, up to $1200 rent, yard for gardening, easy commute to East/West campus of UMN (bus/bike/walk), close to cafes/coops/restaurants. (yes, I do want it all). Oh, we're moving from Cambridge MA, if that provides any insight.

Kittens for all the kind souls who share their insight!

[uptown_urbanist]

Those all sound like decent bets. I'd probably go with Seward for its proximity to campus. Your budget sounds reasonable, your wish list definitely doable, and you should be able to easily find something within your budget in any of the neighborhoods listed.

One note about Uptown: the borders of "Uptown" aren't set in stone, and the part of Uptown that will probably most interest you will be the portions closer to Lyndale. Some of those listings could come under the "Whittier" category, others listed as "Lyn-Lake." Express buses to the U run up both Lyndale and Hennepin, or else you could bike. The Wedge coop is on Lyndale, the Soo Line Community Garden a block off, and cafes like Common Roots (focus on local and organic) are all right there. There are great restaurants and stores on Hennepin, too, they just (overall) have a slightly different vibe than the stuff closer to Lyndale and Lyn-Lake. If you stick with a location, say, in-between Lyndale and Hennepin near Lake and the Greenway (bike "highway" and trail) then you'd be golden.

[theprincefan]

I agree with uptown, good areas. Also, you should know that there is quite the gay-friendly population out here in S.Minneapolis; you'll feel comfortable and accepted. I love the diversity in general out here. :-)

I would personally stay away from the Powderhorn area if that pops up. Check www.crimereports.com for sex offenders.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by theprincefan

I agree with uptown, good areas. Also, you should know that there is quite the gay-friendly population out here in S.Minneapolis; you'll feel comfortable and accepted. I love the diversity in general out here. :-)

I would personally stay away from the Powderhorn area if that pops up. Check www.crimereports.com for sex offenders.

People always hate on Powderhorn (from what I gather, it was a not-so-nice place in the 80's or 90's, and many people haven't been back since. That was long before my time there though), but wow - this is the first time I've heard this one. Even so, unless I'm missing something - that link shows one predator in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood - which I have to guess is sadly not that extraordinary. In the 5 years or so I spent in Minneapolis, my wife was made to feel uncomfortable by guys all over the area. Downtowns, Uptown, Campus, Mall of America - but never once in Powderhorn, even while taking the bus home after dark everyday. It's not the safest neighborhood in Minneapolis - but there's no reason to be overly paranoid there, unless a person doesn't have common sense.

Just for an alternative/reality-based assessment on that. Car break ins would be the only real concern in Powderhorn from what I've seen - and it sounds like you may not be owning a car.

I lived there for a couple of years, and the neighborhood was pretty great. It's not exactly the most happening neighborhood - but there are a fair amount of places around, between the Midtown Global Market (which I'd gather you would really like - its existence 3 blocks away from my apartment was what made life tolerable without a car), ethnic restaurants, some coffeeshops, neighborhood places. Getting to the U is not that bad via Metro Transit, although it could have been better - I used to do it in about 30 minutes if you time things right. The best way to do it is taking either the route 2 from campus down to Franklin Avenue and then Catching the 22, 14, or 5. Or Taking the light rail down to lake street to get the 21 bus. Lots of people bike though - so that might be a better option, I'm not sure.

It also does likely have one of the largest concentrations of gay people - in addition to older hippie types, artists, and activists - of the cities. There are so many lovely gardens in the neighborhood as well, as well as passing pedestrians wanting to talk about the gardens (my landlord kept a great one, and people always tried to talk to me about it, but I know nothing about gardening). Although that's not so much the stereotype of it - It's moreso a secret known only by the people who live in the neighborhood.

That being said, the other places are nice as well - you'd enjoy any of them. It doesn't have the night life of Uptown - after dark there are more Mexican families out getting dinner, coming home from work, going to the park than the bar-hoppers of Uptown. I don't recall any co-ops - but like I said, it had the Midtown Global Market and decent proximity to the Midtown Farmers Market.

Edit: Actually I missed a big one. Mercardo Central is a huge Mexican co-op right on Lake and Bloomington with dozens of businesses in it. It also was great.

[gearedtowardssalad]

I would go with Seward. It's close to the U, and Seward Coop and a few coffee shops, markets and other businesses are right there along Franklin. You can always take the bus to uptown/downtown if you're bored. If you've never been here before, I think you'll enjoy the laid back feel of Minneapolis compared to back east.

[lalife]

All of the areas are great for someone of your demographic, however make life easier on yourself and pick an area close to the U. That area is Seward. If you are biking, Seward is the best bet. School will keep you busy enough, so I think being close is really important. For the maybe once a week chance you get at going out and having fun, you can always deal with a longer commute for that....ie ...taking a bus to Uptown or something.

[theprincefan]

I saw lots of sex offender icons in the Powderhorn area at a website I went to. I've never been to the neighborhood, but the "reality" is info from the internet. I can't say if it's true or not. However, a woman was cross country skiing this winter, in the Powderhorn neighborhood, and she was sexually assaulted in front of her daughters so...

I maintain, I'd stay away from that area.

Also, all latinos aren't Mexican. There is a lot of diversity in Minneapolis, OP, and it's great. There are people from many different countries and many different backgrounds.

GOod luck, Seward is likely a good bet!

[audadvnc]

Originally Posted by theprincefan

I've never been to the neighborhood...

Truer words were never spoken - by somebody who doesn't know what they're talking about. The above post was less than useless.

I've lived in the Powderhorn area and surrounding environs. There are thousands of people in that neighborhood; a few sex offenders are bound to be in the mix. That lady who was sexually assaulted called the cops, who arrested up the offenders within an hour of her assault.

All of the neighborhoods you mentioned are perfectly fine; each has its own character.

Powderhorn Park neighborhood is the old hippie heaven from the 70's, still with lots of good people around. They have a Mayday festival in the park every year which draws up to 30,000 people. Seward is closer to the U than Powderhorn, so commuting to classes is easier. Lyn/Lake and Uptown are big draws for folks in their 20's, with lots to do. NorthEast is the place to be if you are into the art scene.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Yeah, we live in Powderhorn and we like it there. I'm not sure whose advice you should trust more though, ours or those of somebody who has never actually set foot in the area and is basing their opinion off of some data they found on a website...hmm, that's a tough one.

[Laggard]

Better Powderhorn than Uptown any day.