Moving to Minneapolis from NorCal - Need Advice (St. Paul, St. Louis Park: 2014, apartments)

[ARahman]

So here is another thread about a guy in his late 20s moving to Minneapolis from XYZ (SF Bay Area) haha.

So I need some help guys. I grew up in NYC, went to Med School in the Carribbean (St. Kitts), moved to DC for work, moved to SF last year and now I got an offer from US Bancorp, in Minneapolis.

I've lived in many different style of neighborhoods and apartments and this time, I know what I want so i'll be specific.

My work will be based in Richfield, I think. I want to live in a fairly new building with indoor parking, preferably in Downtown. Don't care much for the amenities like fitness center, movie room, ballroom (blah blah blah).

Just want a nice apartment with stainless steel appliances (preferably), granite and nice views of the city from a high-rise building. I'm budgeting myself at about $1500. Is that too low? I hope not.

So, that's what I am looking for. I don't know much about Minneapolis, so I figured downtown would have the best spots, right? I could be wrong. Another question which all you helpful folks can answer, Is St.Paul far from Minneapolis? Google Maps doesn't think so. If I have a car, I should be fine, right?

Thanks guys for reading this far. Any help is appreciated. Oh yea, if an anytime fitness is walking distance, then PERFECT! But I might be asking for too much haha

[MplsTodd]

For a true high rise with a view, downtown has several possibilities. Some developments include Marquette Place, 110 Grant Street ( both on south side of downtown,near Loring Park); Symphony Place (probably has been renamed in the past few years); and The Churchill. Most of these buildings though are about 25 years old. More recent apartments have tended to be low and mid-rise (4-8 stories). Look into MillDistrictCity Apts and Eitel City Apartmens (both developed by Village Green). Another possibility is the Metro Apartments Building at 9th & Marquette, which has a very plain design, but is very centrally located to downtown retail and restaurants. Several new developments are underway, including one at Hennepin & Washington which will include a new Whole Foods. The two best area to look at in downtown are around Loring Park/South Downtown (easy proximity to Target & Lund's and south Nicollet Mall's restaurants/bars) and North Loop (close to the Riverfront trails and whose district nightlife).

Uptown also offers numerous apartments in an urban, high-amenity area(close to the city lakes, biking, groceries and restaurants/bars. Somelarger new developments include Blue and Flux, both developed by Greco.

Although I 'm an urbanist at heart,I'd also have to mention that there is a new large 8-story apartment development being built on Penn Avenue, south ofAmerican Blvd (approximately 81st Street). This would possibly be within walking distance of US Bank, though not a very nice walk.
Other areas such as Excelsior & Grand in St. Louis Park, Lowertown and Grand Avenue in St. Paul also deserve consideration.

St. Paul and Minneapolis share a border or else are across the Mississippi River from one another. The downtowns are about nine miles apart and will be connected via LRT in 2014.

[ARahman]

Sweet. Thanks for the detailed answer. I will be googling all these locations throughout the night.

I'll be flying in this Sunday, so i'll probably hotel it up for about a week and visit all these developments. Mid-rise properties also sound good. The view would be nice, but not necessary. How much am I really gonna stare out? lol

Thanks Todd!

[ARahman]

Also, the warehouse district seems a bit appealing.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Eitel is a great recommendation! With your values and its high-end look and feel, it should be a must-stop on your list. In a few years there SHOULD be a nice high-end 36 floor high-rise that will go up right next to Eitel that would probably be very much up your alley, should you decide to stay here and try something new.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by ARahman

Also, the warehouse district seems a bit appealing.

The Warehouse District (here called "North Loop") is a VERY exciting place to live with so many great choices I wouldn't know where to start! Also consider the "Mills District", which is on the East end of Downtown. Although not nearly as many amenities as Loring Park or North Loop, the Mills District is probably the most "elite" neighborhood in downtown and has very nice condos and apartments to choose from. It's grown so much in the past 10 years that retail and such hasn't really had a chance to catch up (same with North Loop), so it's not a fully-fledged neighborhood just yet but with the new Vikings stadium and other investments and developments nearby I think it'll finally start to turn that corner between "up-and-coming neighborhood" and just "neighborhood".

Loring Park is the most established and eclectic neighborhood.
North Loop is the fastest-growing and young/fun neighborhood.
Mills District is a combination of the two, and older, but far from established.
Elliot Park is a lot more "blue collar" or frankly, lower-income neighborhood and can be a bit edgy at times.
I'm not sure if St. Anthony counts as a downtown neighborhood but it's very much like Loring Park in look and feel and in a pretty fun section of DT.
Stevens Square is another "borderline downtown" 'hood and is VERY old and rustic, and even edgy at times, but the location is incredible for accessibility.

Finally, Uptown and the surrounding areas (like CARAG, LynLake, etc.) are very ideal for singles in their 20-somethings and is where the majority of that demographic transplant to when they move to Minneapolis. With $1,500/month you could really score something nice in that area, which is flooded with bars, restaurants and eclectic/boutique shopping. It's also very old and rustic and mostly safe (burglaries a potential issue however). The key amenity that Uptown has over everywhere else is very close access to the Lakes (Lake Calhoun), and if you're in Minneapolis and not visiting the lakes, you may as well be in Any City USA, IMO!

Good luck with your move, and welcome!

[uptown_urbanist]

Uptown or maybe West Calhoun could be your best bet outside of downtown; fairly easy commute to Richfield, lots of activities for young professionals, and access to Lake Calhoun (the most "happening" of the chain of lakes). Some of the best views I've encountered in the Twin Cities are from Uptown; unlike the buildings actually downtown, from Uptown you can actually sit back and enjoy the skyline! Also, the views of the lakes and up the Midtown Greenway and across the city can be amazing. There are fewer high-rises, but you you can still get a decent view from some of the mid-rise buildings. Not sure what's available in your price range, but would assume you'd have options. For what it's worth, a few years ago we looked at a place at Calhoun Terrace (in Uptown); I think only the 2-BRs have the fabulous views across Lake Calhoun (which are slightly above your $1500 max, not including parking), but some of the higher 1-BRs might have a nice view. And there's a nice party room and outside deck and seventh-floor pool with FABULOUS views. Something like that might be worth investigating. (not a new building, but they've updated the units) There are other similar buildings out there, too; not sure what 1-BRs run somewhere like the Calhoun Beach Club, but they have a gym in the building and probably have some nice views, too. Uptown/Lyn-Lake have a bunch of other new buildings, too; they tend to run pretty expensive, but there may be units in your price range. Flux, for example, is brand-new and has a great location, and has some 1-BRs under $1500.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Uptown or maybe West Calhoun could be your best bet outside of downtown; fairly easy commute to Richfield, lots of activities for young professionals, and access to Lake Calhoun (the most "happening" of the chain of lakes). Some of the best views I've encountered in the Twin Cities are from Uptown; unlike the buildings actually downtown, from Uptown you can actually sit back and enjoy the skyline! Also, the views of the lakes and up the Midtown Greenway and across the city can be amazing. There are fewer high-rises, but you you can still get a decent view from some of the mid-rise buildings. Not sure what's available in your price range, but would assume you'd have options. For what it's worth, a few years ago we looked at a place at Calhoun Terrace (in Uptown); I think only the 2-BRs have the fabulous views across Lake Calhoun (which are slightly above your $1500 max, not including parking), but some of the higher 1-BRs might have a nice view. And there's a nice party room and outside deck and seventh-floor pool with FABULOUS views. Something like that might be worth investigating. (not a new building, but they've updated the units) There are other similar buildings out there, too; not sure what 1-BRs run somewhere like the Calhoun Beach Club, but they have a gym in the building and probably have some nice views, too. Uptown/Lyn-Lake have a bunch of other new buildings, too; they tend to run pretty expensive, but there may be units in your price range. Flux, for example, is brand-new and has a great location, and has some 1-BRs under $1500.

Calhoun Towers is older but cheaper, and is a 20-something story high-rise. There's 2 other condo high-rises on the North end of the lake, and there's Calhoun Beach Club which is high-end (for MN), with 1-br's starting around $1,500, but the views.......

[ARahman]

Thanks for all the input guys. I ended up in a townhouse in South St. Paul overlooking the missing and views of downtown.

Not what I was looking for, but I found what I needed.

Time to conquer the twin cities now haha

[mmjcarr]

Originally Posted by ARahman

So here is another thread about a guy in his late 20s moving to Minneapolis from XYZ (SF Bay Area) haha.

So I need some help guys. I grew up in NYC, went to Med School in the Carribbean (St. Kitts), moved to DC for work, moved to SF last year and now I got an offer from US Bancorp, in Minneapolis.

I've lived in many different style of neighborhoods and apartments and this time, I know what I want so i'll be specific.

My work will be based in Richfield, I think. I want to live in a fairly new building with indoor parking, preferably in Downtown. Don't care much for the amenities like fitness center, movie room, ballroom (blah blah blah).

Just want a nice apartment with stainless steel appliances (preferably), granite and nice views of the city from a high-rise building. I'm budgeting myself at about $1500. Is that too low? I hope not.

So, that's what I am looking for. I don't know much about Minneapolis, so I figured downtown would have the best spots, right? I could be wrong. Another question which all you helpful folks can answer, Is St.Paul far from Minneapolis? Google Maps doesn't think so. If I have a car, I should be fine, right?

Thanks guys for reading this far. Any help is appreciated. Oh yea, if an anytime fitness is walking distance, then PERFECT! But I might be asking for too much haha

Welcome! I moved from Stockton, Cali to MN to work for USB. Initially, I thought it would be a 2/3 year deal but we LOVE Minnesota and have decided to make it home.


Mike
You'll love MN and USB. Welcome!