Fascinated with Minneapolis (St. Paul, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka: hair salon, real estate, co-op)

[MrMoveAround]

Hello everybody

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, my younger years were spent in the cities and my later years were spent in the more upscale suburbs of the east bay (moved around a bit)

I then moved to Boise, ID and haven't looked back.

For some reason I have always had a fascination with Minneapolis (and the whole area) I am an absolute cold weather fan and the Bay Area and Boise just don't cut it for cold weather.

Do you all think this would be a good fit for me?

I am looking to move again and hopefully this time settle down for a bit.
Boise has several wonderful qualities that I hope to find in the next area I move.
1) community feel even though the city is mid-sized (~220,000)
2) safety of the area
3) vibrant downtown that you can enjoy year round
4) cost of living is fantastic
5) proximity to outdoor activities

But then the bay area has qualities that I hope to find in my next place as well that I don't find too often here in Boise:
1) simple homes with elegance. In Boise, homes are either simple through and through or elaborate. I guess I'd like a 2000sq ft home that is nice inside, but just average on the outside
2) clean roads, people that know how to handle high traffic situations, a "presentable" look throughout the city.
3) a freeway system that you can actually use
4) suburbs that had everything you needed so you only had to go to the "city" on rare occasions or that "special night out"
5) friendly people. I know this sounds funny because a lot of people don't think of bay area people as friendly, but they are and were much friendlier than the locals of Boise.

As for us, We are a couple in our late 20s, we are quiet - not likely to share our life story but will definitely give a friendly hello, hold a door open (and expect the same if we are right behind ya), etc. Not snobby, but not overly friendly either.

I am planning a visit to the area very soon and would like to know based on this information where you all think we should focus on. I don't want to think too much of price right now, I just want to get a feel for the area. We will be spending roughly 5 days there when we go (would love more, but its a 2 day drive each way )

Sorry for how long this post is.
I really look forward to learning more about this area!
Thanks everybody!

[Minnesota Spring]

So your preference is a suburban type setting, urban setting? There are some suburbs here that have decent Downtowns and their are neighborhoods in Mpls. /St. Paul that have many good options.
I personally like the west side of St. Paul (not West St. Paul the city). Uptown, south Minneapolis and St. Louis Park are also some of my favorite areas of the city (think trails, lakes, urban neighborhoods with single family home options and close to many of the metro area attractions.

[StanleyVegas]

Originally Posted by MrMoveAround

Hello everybody

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, my younger years were spent in the cities and my later years were spent in the more upscale suburbs of the east bay (moved around a bit)

Just curious about which suburbs as I am originally from the East Bay Area.

We live in St. Paul and love the TC area, though we sometimes miss the ocean & mountains.

[MrMoveAround]

Thanks for the replies

I like a suburban setting as long as it's not lost in suburbia, 50 miles from a city. I love suburbs where the line between city and suburb is blurred, but in the suburb there are very few of the "city problems" that bleed over. I know it's tough to find, but I'm sure its out there somewhere The wife on the other hand would probably like a deeper suburban setting. I'm happy as long as she's happy.

As for the east bay - Dublin, Danville, Lafayette...
Something along the lines of those cities would be very very appealing to me as they were among my favorites.

How would you compare the overall safety of the East Bay (and which part were you from??) to St. Paul and Minneapolis? What about it's suburbs?
Also as far as general friendliness goes, how would you compare the TC area to the Bay Area?

[west336]

Check out the eastern parts of St. Louis Park or even large swaths of areas in far North, South, Southeast and Southwest Minneapolis (especially near lakes and parks). The setting is VERY similar to a pre-war suburb that you'd find further East in cities like D.C., New York or Cleveland. The homes built in the 1910's, 1920's and 1930's are just so well built and maintained and many of them here in the Twin Cities are in perfectly safe areas of the city and suburbs.

I'm sure there are other areas of the metro besides what I mentioned above with older architecture and a semi-urban environment (St. Paul also comes to mind), but St. Louis Park and most of SW Minneapolis really strike me as places that you and your wife may really love.

[StanleyVegas]

Originally Posted by MrMoveAround

Thanks for the replies

I like a suburban setting as long as it's not lost in suburbia, 50 miles from a city. I love suburbs where the line between city and suburb is blurred, but in the suburb there are very few of the "city problems" that bleed over. I know it's tough to find, but I'm sure its out there somewhere The wife on the other hand would probably like a deeper suburban setting. I'm happy as long as she's happy.

As for the east bay - Dublin, Danville, Lafayette...
Something along the lines of those cities would be very very appealing to me as they were among my favorites.

How would you compare the overall safety of the East Bay (and which part were you from??) to St. Paul and Minneapolis? What about it's suburbs?

I'm from Livermore, but I'm pretty familiar with those areas (At least I was -it's been 25 years). I worked in Dublin & Pleasanton right out of high school and had a friend from Danville/Alamo (he lived in Ridgewood Canyon, I think).

Based on that I'd say southwest suburbs - Edina or parts of St. Louis Park (closer to Minneapolis) Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, or Wayzata (bit further out). All pretty upscale suburbs, from what I've heard - I don't know much about the suburbs individually, though I've been to Edina & Minnetonka. I'm sure others could tell you more.

As far as safety overall, I would say Twin Cities are safer. There are some rough areas in Minneapolis & St. Paul. I live in North Central St. Paul, which is considered "bad" but nothing that compares to East Oakland or Richmond (at least from what I remember).

[Minnesota Spring]

Originally Posted by MrMoveAround

Thanks for the replies

I like a suburban setting as long as it's not lost in suburbia, 50 miles from a city. I love suburbs where the line between city and suburb is blurred, but in the suburb there are very few of the "city problems" that bleed over. happy.

St. Louis Park, Edina, Richfield (smaller post ww2 but on the mpls grid), Hopkins (has its own Downtown, right next to St. Louis Park), Wayzata (more expensive but charming). Golden Valley, Roseville?

[wherespankakehouse?]

Originally Posted by MrMoveAround

As for us, We are a couple in our late 20s, we are quiet - not likely to share our life story but will definitely give a friendly hello, hold a door open (and expect the same if we are right behind ya), etc. Not snobby, but not overly friendly either.

I would say this is a Minnesota trademark. At least coming from someone who has grown up and lives in Mpls suburbia.

From what you've described, I would agree with the suggestions of Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and the more modest parts of Edina should be right up your ally for places to live. Not the cheapest, but you won't get sticker shock if you're familiar with Bay area real estate. If you want to gawk at spectacular homes during your visit, Lake of the Isles/ west Mpls lakes and Wayzata/ Lake Minnetonka are good options.

My wife is from Denver and HATES the Minnesota provincialism. But if you spent some of your childhood here and celebrate the outdoors and cold, you should gain the status of "one of us" in no time.

Pulling this out of thin air, but maybe think of Seattle in scale if you've spent much time there with a mentality shaded a little bit more towards Boise.

[gearedtowardssalad]

You should seriously look into the Audobon Park neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis. I live here and it's perfect. I would define it as "sub-urban." Not suburban, but not gritty like the more central parts of the city. You can walk to businesses and take public transit to downtown/uptown/lake calhoun and it's one of the safest neighborhoods in the city. It's also really cheap..I pay less than 350 dollars a month for a room in a nice 4 br house and I'm 2 blocks from a few great restaurants, a cafe, 2 hair salons, a convenience store, and the co-op is less than a mile west on Central Ave. Easy to walk to in warmer temps. Minneapolis is far safer than anywhere in the bay area, although it's not immune to the common problems that cities all share. I've spent a good amount of time in SF so I can assure you of this.

[MrMoveAround]

Thanks again to everybody who has replied.

I am looking at each and every area suggested and researching, etc.

On another note, when would be a good time to visit?
Now? A few months? Summer time?

I don't need to "feel" the cold to understand it - between the Bay Area and Boise, I have lived in some very cold places short-term.

I guess I'm just wondering the best time of year to see the natural beauty of the area.

If I were to come out in about a month, how should I expect road conditions to be in North Dakota and western Minnesota before entering the TC area?