Moving to the Twin Cities Area (Working in Eagan) Have lots of questions. (Minneapolis: low income, apartment complexes)

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by golfgal

If he wants to "try" wrestling in high school, I would cross Apple Valley (for the area that goes to Apple Valley High School) off your list. He won't be able to try wrestling there-they are the number one team in the nation. Rosemount or Eagan will be good fits for his sports liking.

As for living in Minneapolis, you are going to get all kinds of responses to this but you are working in the city with one of the best school districts in the nation, why not just live there? Eagan is a quick, easy hop into downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The schools in Minneapolis are really not very good. Southwest High School is marginal-either you are in the IB class with a few other kids and have a good experience or you don't. Even so, the Minneapolis schools are still better then what you will find in any other inner city in the nation.

SW is marginal? That's an ignorant statement & I'm guessing you have no knowledge of the school what-so-ever. The Washington Post just named it the #1 public High School in the Twin Cities, ahead of all the suburban schools. Last year Mpls SW was named in the Top-100 public schools in the nation. The school is in one of the ritziest neighborhoods in the state, with a reputation as being the preppy suburban school inside the city limits. By and large the non-AP/IB students come from nice areas, get a great education & go to college, definately not a case of haves vs have nots.

Mpls South or St Paul Central are in more "urban" areas and have to attract students from outside their districts by offering amazing academics. The regular school part GolfGal is talking about is just "ok" at these schools, with the advanced programs being far beyond what most suburban or private schools offer. Mpls South was ranked in that same "Washington Post Challenge" as the #5 public high school in the metro area & many kids in the SW district elect to go to South because their advanced program is so much more aggressive. I've personally known kids from South who went to Dartmouth, Brown & University of Chicago.

That said, Eagan is a nice suburb. Newer builds (Not my cup of tea, btw) abound, kind of an off-ramp community nestled into a convenient area with easy access to St Paul, Mpls, airport & Mall of America + has good schools. If you like suburban living & organized sports are important to your sons then Eagan is a great place to be. If you want a more sophisticated, city environment then S Mpls should work nicely for you.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by Slig

Why wouldn't it make sense to look in South Minneapolis? I work in Eagan and we live in South Minneapolis...so it can be done. I was actually living in Eagan previously and really didn't like living there at all. Now that we live in the city I'm convinced we'll never go back to the suburbs. There is just alot more going on where we are now. Regarding schools, there are options here in the city. We don't have kids yet but based on all of the information I've obtained, schools near us that seem pretty good include Minnehaha Academy, Seward Elementary, Emerson Spanish Immersion, South High School, etc. Washburn and Southwest High Schools have alot of good things going for them too. If you're really worried about schools you'll probably want to do some more research. However, if you like city life I think it'd make alot of sense to at least look into a couple city neighborhoods to see how you like them compared to those other suburban locations.

I'll match Seward Montessori & Hale Elementary from S Mpls up against any suburban elementary schools. Dowling & Wenonah grade schools in S Mpls are both very good as well.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by amplified

What part of south minneapolis?

We live really close to South High School in the Corcoran neighborhood (Powderhorn Community). There are a few areas on that side of town that are a little nicer, but we ended up there because we were on a tight budget and placed a high emphasis on access to public transportation and walkability. Try looking in the Nokomis and Longfellow neighborhoods as they seem a little quieter and family friendly. I'm not sure what your price range is but that will make a difference in what areas you look in too. If you're looking upper end pretty much anywhere along Minnehaha Parkway or along the river is excellent. The neighborhoods right around Lake Nokomis, Lake Hiawatha and Minnehaha Park are really nice too and can be found at an affordable price. Once again, it all comes down to what kind of location you're looking for. One of my good college buddies who is just starting a family recently found a nice property in Lakeville. I personally place more importance on proximity to urban amenities and things like diversity so the city is where I want to be.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by amplified

What part of south minneapolis?

I this might need some clarification. In Minneapolis, typically South Minneapolis refers to everything in the southern part of the city that is east of I-35W. Everything to the west of the interstate is Southwest Minneapolis. Both have excellent areas that you could live. But your budget, preference for schools (South, Washburn, Southwest high schools, for instance), and other amenities. South or Southwest could be excellent options for proximity to both your work and the urban environment.

[Laggard]

Originally Posted by xandrex

I this might need some clarification. In Minneapolis, typically South Minneapolis refers to everything in the southern part of the city that is east of I-35W. Everything to the west of the interstate is Southwest Minneapolis

I would argue that this is wrong. "The core is considered the official community of Southwest is bounded on the north by the line of 36th St W, extending west from where it ends at Lake Calhoun, and on the east by I-35W."

In any case, the designation southwest is not one that I've ever heard being used often. Generally everything south of the river is South Minneapolis.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Laggard

I would argue that this is wrong. "The core is considered the official community of Southwest is bounded on the north by the line of 36th St W, extending west from where it ends at Lake Calhoun, and on the east by I-35W."

In any case, the designation southwest is not one that I've ever heard being used often. Generally everything south of the river is South Minneapolis.

I live in Southwest Minneapolis. Yes, you hear the term VERY frequently. People here do not say they live in "south Minneapolis," as that would indicate a different portion of the city, i.e. the part of the city east of 35W. We even have a newspaper -- the Southwest Journal. (just like there's a difference between North and Northeast Minneapolis, although both are technically north)

I do agree that generally there is a northern border. You don't generally hear the people living north of 36th Street saying they live in SW.

[Laggard]

Wow. Of all the people I have known who lived in that area I'm not sure if I ever heard anyone say Southwest Mpls. To be clear, Uptown is South Minneapolis.

So now I know that the following neighborhoods are considered SW Mpls. Linden Hills, East Harriet, Kingfield, Fulton, Lynnhurst, Tangletown, Armatage, Kenny, and Windom. Anything else south of the river is South Minneapolis.

I'll be sure to tell friends there that they don't quite know what area of Mpls they live in.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Laggard

Wow. Of all the people I have known who lived in that area I'm not sure if I ever heard anyone say Southwest Mpls. To be clear, Uptown is South Minneapolis.

So now I know that the following neighborhoods are considered SW Mpls. Linden Hills, East Harriet, Kingfield, Fulton, Lynnhurst, Tangletown, Armatage, Kenny, and Windom. Anything else south of the river is South Minneapolis.

I'll be sure to tell friends there that they don't quite know what area of Mpls they live in.

You're mixing up geographic location with informal designation. I've spent much of my life in Uptown, too, and I would agree that first I would say "Uptown," then as a geographic indicator I'd say "South", not "Southwest." (and if you read my message I was clear that I agreed 36th street was a border) But if you tell most people you live in "South Minneapolis" they're NOT going to think of Uptown. Uptown is its own area. South Minneapolis is its own area. Maybe think of it kind of like "south Minneapolis" versus "South Minneapolis." Uptown is south, but it's not South. I don't think when the others are suggesting the OP consider south Minneapolis they are suggesting Uptown. They're almost certainly envisioning the parts of South Minneapolis closer to Eagan.

And in any case, you're completely wrong if you think people in Minneapolis don't use the term Southwest Minneapolis in everyday conversation.

[Laggard]

Can we agree that SW Mpls is what the city of Mpls defines it to be? Those neighborhoods I listed?

[Mason3000]

To the original poster....I'd look at a map of Mpls, find the Hiawatha Light Rail and look at the neighborhoods on both sides of it, from Franklin Ave in the North to 54th St station to the South + I'd look at the Hale & Diamond Lake neighborhoods on the W side of Lake Nokomis.