Moving to Minneapolis: Need Help with Neighborhoods and Bus Lines (St. Paul: 2014, apartment)

[buffalobill14222]

Hi, I am an incoming graduate student at University of Minnesota next year. I am thinking about living in Uptown- are there any areas that I should avoid? I need to be convenient to the U and in a fun, safe area. I've also heard the #2 bus goes through a shady area... is this true? Any suggestions of neighborhood would be greatly appreciated, not necessarily uptown! I'm coming from New York- so I really only have one shot at getting the right place when I come to look in June. Thanks!!!

[ManBearPig1]

The 114 and 113 express buses, respectively, run up Hennepin and Lyndale to the U. These are extremely convenient options. Start at the Lake and Hennepin and the Lake and Lyndale intersections and work your way outward from there. To paint with an extremely broad brush, Hennepin-Lake is more yuppie; Lyndale-Lake is more hipsterish. Best bet for listings s to just look on padmapper or craiglist.

I live in uptown. Part of me really wants to move downtown, but I can't bring myself to do it -- yet. Uptown has more livability amenities (grocery stores, hardware stores, etc.) easily walkable, although downtown is making substantial progress. If you're looking for an urban, walkable neighborhood, Loring Park and the Warehouse District (both downtown) are the two other places I'd look, but it won't be as easy to get to the U from them.

More info in what you need/want (price range, preferred amenities, etc.) will help people make other suggestions.

I lived in New York (and some other east coast cities) before moving to Minneapolis. Feel free to PM me with any more specific questions.

[jdele]

The real core of uptown (in the triangle bounded by, say, 33rd to the south, Lyndale to the east, and Hennepin to the west and north) is pretty expensive. You can find reasonable rents, but they'll be small and not well kept up. If you can get a little west of Hennepin, east of Lyndale, or south of 32nd or 33rd, you can get better units for the price that are still within walking distance of anything you could want and are within range of the 114 and 113 lines.

[1stpontiac]

Originally Posted by buffalobill14222

Hi, I am an incoming graduate student at University of Minnesota next year. I am thinking about living in Uptown- are there any areas that I should avoid? I need to be convenient to the U and in a fun, safe area. I've also heard the #2 bus goes through a shady area... is this true? Any suggestions of neighborhood would be greatly appreciated, not necessarily uptown! I'm coming from New York- so I really only have one shot at getting the right place when I come to look in June. Thanks!!!

I always like to clarify on these questions that you'll be on the Minneapolis campus, not St. Paul right? Usually the case, but I always like to make sure everyone is on the same page

[missashe]

Welcome to the Cities - as a fellow Buffalonian I hope you'll be happy here.

Uptown is a fun place to live, very walkable with a number of restaurants, bars and shops. It's a bit like the Elwood Village. I lived a few blocks east of Lyndale, near the Wedge Co-Op, for years and it was a great fit. Agree that a few blocks outside of uptown proper gives you access to the neighborhood with a more affordable rent.

I wouldn't be concerned about riding the 2 if you're picking it up in uptown. You might have some interesting characters, but that's true of many bus lines. I wouldn't want to wait for that bus in certain areas, but riding it from Hennepin or Lyndale to the U (through those spots) wouldn't worry me. That said, everyone has their own comfort zone. And as other posters mentioned you have the option of the 113 or 114 as well depending on where you end up.

NE is another good option. A lot of grad students are in some of the neighborhoods up there and the rents are a bit cheaper than Uptown. NE is really a bunch of neighborhoods, still a lot to do but more laid back and spread out (I'd say things are bikeable more than walkable) and would have good bus access to the U.

PS. If you're interested come fall (and not overwhelmed by studies) there's a Bills Backers group that meets in Savage.

[buffalobill14222]

Thanks for the responses!

Missashe, I currently live in Elmwood Village here in Buffalo, off of Chapin Pkwy. When I moved here I was told to stay in between Richmond and Main St... are there any distinct "borders" around Uptown that I need to worry about? I was thinking stay walking distance to Hennepin and Lyndale, where the bus lines are. Unfortunately I am a much bigger Packer fan then bills fan (wisconsin native) while I been in Buffalo... been a bills fan, when in Rome! In my experience Bills fans are fun to hang out with, so I will check out the group! And thanks for the information on the 2, does not sound as bad as I have heard!!

1stpontiac, I am on the Minneapolis campus!

Jdele, thanks for the information. I am looking at units just outside the "core" of uptown, because I am looking to keep it at or under 1000.... as I get farther away from the core does the neighborhood get sketchy?

Manbearpig, Do you mean by working my way "outward" from lake and hennipin, do you mean towards 94 or towards 36th St? I am also going to look downtown (though that may get too expensive on a student stipend..) I heard the light rail will start serving downtown to the U in 2014. I'm looking for a not super expensive 1 bedroom apartment (about 1000 per month with everything), with parking, that's clean and in a safe neighborhood with stuff to do, lots of amenites. That said, I'll make it work if I can't find an inexpensive place to meet my demands... not sure if I am being unreasonable at that price point.

Thank you!!

[ManBearPig1]

Originally Posted by buffalobill14222

Thanks for the responses!

Missashe, I currently live in Elmwood Village here in Buffalo, off of Chapin Pkwy. When I moved here I was told to stay in between Richmond and Main St... are there any distinct "borders" around Uptown that I need to worry about? I was thinking stay walking distance to Hennepin and Lyndale, where the bus lines are. Unfortunately I am a much bigger Packer fan then bills fan (wisconsin native) while I been in Buffalo... been a bills fan, when in Rome! In my experience Bills fans are fun to hang out with, so I will check out the group! And thanks for the information on the 2, does not sound as bad as I have heard!!

1stpontiac, I am on the Minneapolis campus!

Jdele, thanks for the information. I am looking at units just outside the "core" of uptown, because I am looking to keep it at or under 1000.... as I get farther away from the core does the neighborhood get sketchy?

Manbearpig, Do you mean by working my way "outward" from lake and hennipin, do you mean towards 94 or towards 36th St? I am also going to look downtown (though that may get too expensive on a student stipend..) I heard the light rail will start serving downtown to the U in 2014. I'm looking for a not super expensive 1 bedroom apartment (about 1000 per month with everything), with parking, that's clean and in a safe neighborhood with stuff to do, lots of amenites. That said, I'll make it work if I can't find an inexpensive place to meet my demands... not sure if I am being unreasonable at that price point.

Thank you!!

When I say outward, I mean in all directions. New construction in the area generally goes for $1300-$1400 for a one bedroom with everything, but the numerous older buildings go for significantly less and are often much better than the stick built new stuff. A large 1 bedroom right in the core of uptown can be had easily for under $1000 in an old brownstone building (about $850-$900 would be the average). I'd recommend looking in the area north of 36th, east of the lakes, west of Lyndale, and south of Franklin. A somewhat broad area, but you can focus it more as you like. I don't think one could seriously call anything in that boundary sketchy. East of Lyndale, the most uptight might start to, but you'd have to get east of Nicollet before I'd really give any credence to it.

[Beenhere4ever]

I'd live in Prospect Park or Como. I'm not at all a fan of Uptown. Seems to me that Uptown living and the intensity of grad student education are incompatible. Why be surrounded by partiers?

[ManBearPig1]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

I'd live in Prospect Park or Como. I'm not at all a fan of Uptown. Seems to me that Uptown living and the intensity of grad student education are incompatible. Why be surrounded by partiers?

There are tons of grad students in/around uptown.

[buffalobill14222]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

I'd live in Prospect Park or Como. I'm not at all a fan of Uptown. Seems to me that Uptown living and the intensity of grad student education are incompatible. Why be surrounded by partiers?

Work hard, play hard.