Relocation to attend UMN (Minneapolis, St. Paul: rental, lofts, condos)

[UofIgirl2000]

My husband and I are thinking about moving to Minneapolis-St. Paul so I can attend grad school at the University of Minnesota. He's also a grad student, so cost is a major factor.

We're looking for a neighborhood that would be within a 30 minute commute of the Twin-Cities campus, open to either Minneapolis or St. Paul. We're bringing one car, two bikes, and a Norwegian Forest Cat. Ideal neighborhood would be highly walkable, quiet, diverse and vibrant, and near mass transit and bike paths. A progressive-leaning Lutheran Church (either LCMS or ELCA) nearby would be nice, but not a deal-breaker. Cheap rent would be best. After living in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis, we realize this is a trade-off for higher rates of property crime (theft & vandalism), but willing to deal with this for better affordability. Also: would like to avoid Michele Bachmann's district entirely. I'm partial to St. Paul because my aunt & uncle lived there when I was little, but really - any place with reasonable rents and near a farmers market would work.

[GBCommenter]

As far as commute time, pretty much any neighborhood in Minneapolis or St. Paul proper will be within 30 minutes under normal circumstances, though some of the furthest away might stretch that timeframe - especially in winter.

Be sure to look at the city's website for some useful maps:
Official Website of the City of Minneapolis (click on "most requested" for city neighborhood map and transit map)

Thinking about your other qualities you are seeking, along with proximity to campus, you might consider: Marcy-Holmes, Seward/Cedar-Riverside, or Longfellow. Northeast Minneapolis is also nice, but might not be quite as convenient for access to campus or public transit (they aren't bad, just not as convenient as the other neighborhoods). Northeast neighborhoods will probably have relatively lower crime rates than the other neighborhoods mentioned, however. Again, that is relative to other cities such as mentioned Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis. All these neighborhoods will likely be considered walking-friendly and generally vibrant in terms of open storefronts.

You might look to some St. Paul neighborhoods also, though others might have more experience speaking to those neighborhoods.

Bachmann's district encompasses northern suburbs and none of the city proper. In Minneapolis, it will be Ellison and St. Paul will be McCollum.

Lutheran Churches are abundant in Minneapolis-St.Paul area, though if your requirement is liberal I would look to ELCA. I actually don't think there are that many LCMS churches in the cities proper, but my experience is LCMS churches in the area will be more conservative (FWIW, I attend LCMS).

[xandrex]

What do you consider cheap rent? Without knowing exactly your budget, it will be harder to help you out. Also, finding out what you two will be studying might help as well - you or your husband might very well end up on different parts of campus. If he is on West Bank and you're on the St. Paul campus, that would probably mean a central location is better, while if you're both on the same campus (or have an East Bank/West Bank split), you'll want to concentrate nearby. With so many great neighborhoods near campus that could fit you, there's no reason to go any further out!

A lot of the neighborhoods near campus will likely be a good fit and they are generally pretty safe. I live in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood and love the area. Close to campus, downtown, and the St. Anthony area. It's quiet in the western area (the eastern part that encompasses Dinkytown will likely have more noise, but many parts are still fairly quiet), but you have access to several bus lines, bike lanes/boulevards, etc.

I do know that Marcy-Holmes has a Lutheran church, though I don't know what synod. A lot of the churches in the actual city are ELCA (I believe I read the Twin Cities area has the largest concentration of churches affiliated with the ELCA in the country) and I'm guessing most will be pretty progressive as the city as a whole is very much left-leaning. Any LCMS church you find will likely be at least moderately conservative. My family attends a LCMS church (albeit in a different area of Minnesota), and the general impression is that pretty much all of them are more conservative than ELCA.

[UofIgirl2000]

Thanks. It's hard to get a sense of what I mean by cheap rent, as my household income is about to go from $45K per year to nothing (negative, actually...), and we live in a small college town where rents are cheap to begin with, we really don't have a sense of what a realistic budget would be.

[uptown_urbanist]

A couple of things:

I'm about as liberal as you can get, yet I wouldn't write off Bachmann's district solely because she (and her supporters) are there. It covers a vast area, has a diverse range of residents, and she certainly does not represent the universal values of those who live there. That said, I'd probably avoid it just because your life will be easier if you just live right near campus.

On the church front, no need to worry about progressive Lutheran churches. I'm not a church-goer, but I think you can't walk more than a mile or so in this city (or less, in some neighborhoods) without running into a progressive Lutheran church. You'll almost certainly be able to find a good fit within very close proximity to your home.

I'd take a look at Como in Minneapolis. Diverse, right by the U, mostly quiet (although there are some party houses, as it is near campus), walkable and bikeable. If you want a more urban feel then head more towards Seward or Cedar-Riverside.

I would also investigate the student co-op housing. University of Minnesota Housing & Residential Life - Graduate Student You'd qualify for these, and I believe the rent is very affordable. I know for a fact that Commonwealth Terrace allows pets, not sure about the others. I would make investigating these one of your first priorities, as it could be a very good fit.

[katmu]

You don't mention which campus the majority of your classes will be on - Minneapolis or St. Paul?

I would 2nd the recommendation for Como (it reminds me somewhat or Urbana in feeling), and it would work for classes on either campus. NE Mpls could certainly work as well. There is an express bus to the East and West Bank campuses.

[Slevin Kelevra]

As a young couple, you may want to look into the downtown area. There are some fantastic condos buildings that you can rent for relatively decent prices and you'd be right in the heart of Minneapolis nightlife , restaraunts, with access to all the bike trails which go through the city. I'd suggest the Carlisle, Grant Park, Skyscape, and the riverfront area and warehouse district have some nice lofts if you're into that.

If you are looking for more of a house, I would look into SouthWest Minneapolis and Uptown. These are nice neighborhoods near the city, although they aren't as walkable.

North Minneapolis, including NE, tends to be a bit more dangerous but it is closer to the campus.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Slevin Kelevra

As a young couple, you may want to look into the downtown area. There are some fantastic condos buildings that you can rent for relatively decent prices and you'd be right in the heart of Minneapolis nightlife , restaraunts, with access to all the bike trails which go through the city. I'd suggest the Carlisle, Grant Park, Skyscape, and the riverfront area and warehouse district have some nice lofts if you're into that.

If you are looking for more of a house, I would look into SouthWest Minneapolis and Uptown. These are nice neighborhoods near the city, although they aren't as walkable.

North Minneapolis, including NE, tends to be a bit more dangerous but it is closer to the campus.

I would strongly disagree. Uptown, in particular, is arguably THE most walkable area in the Twin Cities. We've debated living in places like downtown before, but ultimately decided that, as of now, they're lacking in amenities (accessible via foot) that you find in Uptown, or even in SW neighborhoods like Linden Hills or Fulton. They are not only ""near" the city, but are IN city limits.

That said, I'd still stick with the areas right by the U, although somewhere like Uptown or Lyn-Lake or Whittier could be a convenient option (even though not adjacent to the U) as there are so many express buses. Uptown is FILLED with other grad students) for that very reason. And you can't beat it as a bike-friendly neighborhood; you could even bike to school. It would a fairly easy ride. Not as cheap as some areas, but there's a big range of housing at different price points. Whittier could be the best option in that area for affordability, diversity, walkability, bikeability, mass transit. Crime goes up a bit, but price comes down. And there are some VERY progressive Lutheran churches over in that area; check out Salem English Lutheran Church, for example.

[ManBearPig1]

I've long maintained that uptown is actually more walkable and livable than downtown. Mainly because of the lack of grocery stores downtown. When the Lunds and Whole Foods open up later this year, it's a much more interesting comparison.

Uptown by the lakes sounds like it would be a good fit. Someplace by the river downtown or in NE might be too. Uptown will probably have more options that you'll find more affordable than downtown and closer to what you want. The express buses make it very easy to get the U from uptown.

There are farmers markets both downtown and in uptown in the summer.

[bbr1973]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Willard-Hay on the western edge of Minneapolis. I've considered grad school at the U, and this area is incredibly well positioned. The #7 bus line heads straight from the neighborhood to the West Bank, avoiding the U's terrible parking situation, and the #19 high-frequency bus line heads straight downtown.

This is a quiet area, the rental costs are reasonable, and the neighborhood is not a crime haven. Willard-Hay is immediately adjacent to Wirth Park (Minneapolis' largest park) and the Grand Rounds, which will provide both on- and off-road biking opportunities. In addition, Plymouth Avenue and 7th St. provide marked bike lanes straight to the Mississippi River (more paved trails) and to downtown.

There are three farmers markets in the area - the main one on Lyndale (accessible by bike, car or #19 bus), one on West Broadway, and one up in Camden (Victory neighborhood, northwest corner of Mpls).

The only thing that Willard-Hay is missing is convenient retail and restaurants. Essentially, it's a walkable neighborhood with very little to walk to. (We go downtown, or to Robbinsdale, or Bryn Mawr, etc.) The housing is the big draw, with fantastic 1910s-1930s Period Revival architecture dominating the area. Well-built, attractive homes.

I've been a homeowner here for four years. You'd do well to check out your options in Willard-Hay.