Nokomis, Powderhorn or Longfellow (Minneapolis: best city, apartments, crime)

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I'm on the prowl for houses/apartments in south Minneapolis once again and have decided on this area. Anybody know about these communities of Minneapolis and can tell me about places to check out, good bars, parks, things to do in the area, etc. Also, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what parts of Nokomis would airport noise become a serious nuisance?

[Minnehahapolitan]

Nokomis is pretty bad for airport noise. The houses have all been retrofitted on the MAC dime, but don't try to have a conservation on the patio. Longfellow and Powderhorn are good in that area. Powderhorn is a little rougher area than Longfellow or Nokomis. Cheaper too. Most apartments will be in foru-plexes or duplexes. There aren't as many large apartment blocks. The Chicago/Lake area is neat, Matt's on Cedar is home to the Juicy Lucy. 48th and Chicago is a nice area to spend an afternoon.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I did happen to check out Pepitos near the intersection of 48th/49th and Chicago. It was a good bar and absolutely hopping for a Monday night.

[nick is rulz]

Longfellow is great.

Powderhorn is like Camden in the sense that its rougher around the edges but if you look close enough you can find a good deal in a quiet spot.

[punkerdunker]

I like Longfellow too. I lived there for a short time - I guess it was about 10 years ago. It's a pretty convenient area to live in, kind of quirky. The Riverview Theatre is my favorite theater in the Twin Cities. I also like the Chatterbox Pub, which is either in Longfellow or very close. The Birchwood Cafe in the nearby Seward neighborhood is always a great place for dinner, desert or coffee.

Nokomis IS really noisy if you're outside. The parks there are great --- too bad airplanes constantly fly over them.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions about Nokomis. That is my least desirable community of the three at this point. Right now I'm leaning towards finding a place in the vicinity of Cedar Ave and 42nd. This seems like a good central spot and it's almost directly in between school and work. However, if it comes down to buying a house I am not going to exclude Longfellow if I find one there.

[michael31681]

check out sunnys on lake street and chicago avenue. or champions on lake street and nicollet.i woud say move to the phillips neighborhood very affordable housing.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I personally don't have a problem with living in Phillips and my search actually extends up into that community but I really doubt I'd buy a house there.

[Emily Folstad]

I own a home in the Longfellow neighborhood and I simply love it here. We considered Nokomis when we were looking for houses, but ruled it out due to airplane noise. Powderhorn is nice, but not as nice as Longfellow. You are going to see more crime and general unruly behavior there. The further south you get from Lake Street, the better. Another area for you to consider is Seward. Bigger houses than Longfellow, and a little closer to the city. A little more diverse as well.

More about Longfellow: This is an older neighborhood with most houses built in the 1920s. I would say the average house size is 1000 sq feet or under -- a lot of small homes. My house sis 860 sq feet. The streets are lined with old trees and the neighborhood is very family friends. Kids play in the street here - a novely now a days. We are close to the city yet tucked a way and hidden. There is not a lot of drive through traffic. People live here for a long time, and a lot of people are adding on to houses so they can stay longer.

One of the things that attracted me to Longfellow was all the Peace signs that neighbors display outside. The people are a mix of artists, professionals, working class, bohemians, young couples, and older folks who have lived here their whole life. There are a number of coffee shops, a wine bar, a classic old theatre that shows older movies for $3, and minnehaha falls. The Mississipi river is blocks away, and there is a great community garden (Dowling Community garden) which we walk through often. The lightrail runs right through the neighborhood and goes downtown, to the mall of america and the airport.

We love living in the city but feeling like we are a part of an old time neighborhood. Longfellow home prices have increased in value and this neighborhood is a little pricey for some first time home buyers. ANother area that many of our friends are moving to is Northeast Minneapolis, which has similiar perks and vibe as Longfellow.

There is a lot of petty theft like people breaking into garages and stealing cars. This kind of crime happens in even the best city neighborhoods, and is usually the result of owners leaving valuables out, not buying deadbolts, not locking doors, etc.

[nick is rulz]

Originally Posted by Slig

I personally don't have a problem with living in Phillips and my search actually extends up into that community but I really doubt I'd buy a house there.

I wouldnt write it off. Phillips has turned around pretty dramatically.