Relocating to MSP from WNY (Minneapolis, St. Paul: apartments, rentals, home)

[nomad9]

I am looking for some good advice on moving to MSP and where to live. I am going to be working in the Maplewood area but interested in Urban living vs. Suburban and many have suggested Minneapolis and making the commute. I am a young professional (will be 24 this year), single, and know only a few people in the entire state of Minnesota. I will most likely be renting and willing to spend around $1000-1200 a month probably a 1 bed/1bath. I am looking for an area where I can be active, has lots of other young people, bars, restaurants etc. I will be relocating all the way from Western New York so it will be a big change for me. If anyone can offer good neighborhoods, thoughts on commute etc. I would appreciate it!

[1stpontiac]

I would look at St. Paul. I'm not sure where all rentals are, but maybe Lowertown or Macalster-Groveland areas? A couple weeks ago, on an oddly nice november day, I was driving around St. Paul and you couldn't throw a stick without hitting a youngish person out running, biking, or walking their dog/stroller/cat.

Minneapolis has some great neighborhoods as well, but I wouldn't be excited about the commute. 94 can get pretty sluggish between the downtowns at rushour.

[golfgal]

The six 24 year olds that live in Minnesota currently would suggest the Grand Ave. are of St. Paul if you are working in Maplewood. The 23 other people in Minnesota would also suggest that but want to know which side of Maplewood you will be in. .

There are 3 million people in the Twin Cities metro area, just an FYI so you aren't shocked when you start driving to look for apartments.

[1stpontiac]

Originally Posted by golfgal

The six 24 year olds that live in Minnesota currently would suggest the Grand Ave. are of St. Paul if you are working in Maplewood. The 23 other people in Minnesota would also suggest that but want to know which side of Maplewood you will be in. .

There are 3 million people in the Twin Cities metro area, just an FYI so you aren't shocked when you start driving to look for apartments.

FWIW, I think he said that "HE" only knows a few people in the entire state, not that he knows there are only a few people in the entire state.



To the OP, I realize I don't know much about the size of cities or what WNY is like...are you anticipating that MSP is going to feel large, or small to you? Or do you just mean that the culture will be different when you say it will be a big change.

[GBCommenter]

I'd agree with the St. Paul and Lowertown and Macalester areas, though it would not be impossible to consider NE Minneapolis (depending a bit on where in Maplewood). From NE, connecting to northbound I-35W which connects to Hwy. 36 wouldn't be terribly difficult, which is then a relatively straight shot to Maplewood. I would specifically suggest St. Anthony West, St. Anthony East, or possibly Marcy-Holmes or Como. SAW and SAE has a mixture of traditional NE (which leans more blue-collar/"railroad-ish"), "urban renewal", and immigrant neighborhood, but with a youngish vibe in some parts. Marcy-Holmes or Como would be much more University of Minnesota influenced, though far enough off the campus to reach some more regular neighborhoods.

You can look at Minneapolis neighborhoods through this link.

You'll see I-35W north and that will connect a short ways off this particular map to Hwy.36 - again which connects to Maplewood.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by 1stpontiac

FWIW, I think he said that "HE" only knows a few people in the entire state, not that he knows there are only a few people in the entire state.



To the OP, I realize I don't know much about the size of cities or what WNY is like...are you anticipating that MSP is going to feel large, or small to you? Or do you just mean that the culture will be different when you say it will be a big change.

oops.

[mn55110]

It would help quite a bit to know which side of Maplewood you will be working on. For example are you working for the 3M Corporation at their headquarters in Maplewood? If that is the case, 3M offers their employee's a lot of relocation assistance. In fact the norm for 3M employee's is to live very close to their corporate headquarters and take advantage of all their amenities right on their corporate campus during non-work hours.

Much of 3M employee's socializing and entertainning is done at the company owned private golf course, clubhouse, banquet facility, recreation area called Tartan Park in nearby Lake Elmo . 3M emloyee's seem to prefer Woodbury and White Bear Lake along with many of the other neighboring suburbs.

Will you be working near Maplewood Mall for companies like St. Jude Medical or H.B.Fuller which are actually in Little Canada and Vadnais Heights respectively, both adjacent to Maplewood. Another thing which would help those responding to your post, is what your preferences are. Would you rather live in the city, do you prefer suburban area's? What type of activites do you like to partake in outside of work.

Keep in mind that the city of St. Paul proper without including of its suburbs, is larger than Buffalo, N.Y. with Rochester, N.Y. and Syracuse being comparable to St. Paul. What type of a commute would you like, or prefer.

Wherever you move it is best to rent for 6-months to 1-year first explore the greater Twin Cities and you decide which places are best for you. i would second some of the other hip, city neighborhoods such as; Lowertown near downtown St. Paul. Como Park on St. Paul's north end. Macalester- Groveland along Grand Avenue, Summit Avenue etc., Saint Anthony Park near the University of Minnesota-St.Paul Campus. Mariam Park neighborhood near the University of St. Thomas is nice too. Highland park near Ford Parkway is nice as well.

[Mplsite]

By western NY I'm guessing more buffalo than West New York as I first read your post. Based on the "lots of other young people, bars, restaurants etc." remark, Mpls is where you'd want your home base. St Paul is nice, but noticeably slower and quieter: I prefer living in Mpls and commuting to work out in Roseville rather than live in St Paul despite a shorter commute from there. St Paul tends to have the amenities you're looking for spread out: businesses are clustered around intersections here and there along mainly residential streets, while Mpls has much denser areas full of more easily accessible bars, restaurants, etc. Grand and Snelling are quality streets, but if you want to bar hop on either you'll have long walks in between bars. Also, Mpls has the lakes and lake culture: lots of joggers, sunbathers, etc in the warm to hot months.

If you decide on St Paul, Downtown probably has the best density for amenities. After that, Cathedral Hill has a collection of quality destinations. Those are probably the top two places unless you find a small area where you really like the only walkable bar or two from your apartment come winter. I live in Downtown Mpls where even on the chilliest days I have a short walk to numerous restaurants, bars, and a few coffeeshops, or more likely as long as weather permits just bike a bit further to expand my options. Which reminds me, you must buy a bike or do the bike share during spring-fall: living here and not biking is kinda like moving to Vegas and never gambling.

I've fallen behind on my blog since I broke my camera, but I photographed several parts of Mpls that'll give you a good idea of the vibe in different areas.
minneapolisite | Just another WordPress.com site

For St Paul I covered the west side

1st Trip Next Door to Saint Paul - SkyscraperPage Forum

and Downtown.

Downtown St. Paul - SkyscraperPage Forum

[nomad9]

Thanks so much for all the info. I guess I could be more specific, I am from Rochester (half-way between Buffalo and Syracuse). Rochester is actually the 3rd largest city in NYS plus I have also spent some time in Chicago so I don't think MSP will shock me too much, if at all. Currently living in the suburbs and I have about a half hour commute (doesn't have hardly any traffic though) and I do not mind it. However, I am looking to make the switch to "city living" and wouldn't mind a reasonable commute, if the location would be worth it. How bad is the traffic actually, are we talking DC Area/Boston traffic or is it a bit lighter than that (hope it's the latter).

mn55110- you guessed it, I will be working for 3M.

[GBCommenter]

I'll confess I have not driven in DC/Boston, but from what I have heard our traffic will seem relatively light in comparison.

With the mention of 3M (BTW, congratulations...), while I still like NE Minneapolis, I would probably now lean more to St. Paul areas mentioned instead of NE. I'm not sure there is something in NE you cannot get in the mentioned St. Paul neighborhoods.

On the map I linked above, the I-35W northbound to Hwy. 36 route would put you on the very north end of Maplewood. You would then need to drive city streets back to 3M and basically I-94. That said, distance and convenience-wise being in St. Paul near I-94 makes more sense, unless you went to NE and it was really your vibe.