Late 20's Couple Moving from NC to MN. Need help choosing a neighborhood! (Minneapolis: apartments)

[MaraJade13]

Hi everyone! I've been reading threads for a good while now, but decided to post for the first time. My husband and I are moving to the Twin Cities in July or August from the Carolinas once I finish my Master's. I'm a lifelong resident of the South, he's originally from Connecticut and has spent the last number of years in the army. We're both non-religious progressives with a few stamps in our passports who like basically any sort of ethnic cuisine, hole in the wall bars, craft beer, wine, NPR and other stereotypical things for our demographic.

We've narrowed down our search considerably to Loring Park and Steven's Square in Minneapolis and Merriam Park in St.Paul near the new Green Line. I've seen some nice looking properties in the Warehouse District online, but can't really get a good feel for the area. We need to be able to commute to the U in under roughly 30 minutes by public transit, but we're open to other suggestions for neighborhoods! Basically, we're just trying not to live in close proximity to large clumps of undergrads and would like somewhere with green space and trees that's pedestrian friendly. Things like cheap take-out, a farmer's market or breweries nearby are also big pluses.

For an apartment or duplex we're trying to find something cat friendly with at least 800 sq ft between $800-$1200, decent fixtures (I'd love a claw foot tub!) and a parking space (preferably included, but separate fee is acceptable). If you have experience with the area or have buildings or leasing companies/landlords to recommend, I'm all ears! Thanks.

[uptown_urbanist]

I would actually skip Loring Park, for the reason that there aren't express buses to the U from there, and it is a bit of a trek to the LRT line. (still can get there in under 30 minutes, but there are easier locations).

We live in the northern part of Uptown and I'd highly recommend that you take a look into this area; if you catch an express bus to the U from Hennepin or Lyndale near Franklin you'll be on campus in something like 15 minutes. It's really easy. And when the express isn't running the 2 bus goes there on Franklin. You'd be in easy walking distance to Lake of the Isles for a nature fix.

On the Green Line, I'd look into Prospect Park in Minneapolis; despite its close proximity to campus it's more of a faculty/grad student neighborhood. The LRT line opens in June and will put you literally just minutes away from the heart of campus. And Surly Brewing is opening in the neighborhood perhaps as early as next fall. University Ave is not at all green, but walk up into the residential neighborhood surrounding the Witches Hat Tower and it feels like a different world.

I would also investigate Seward neighborhood in Minneapolis.

[xandrex]

The neighborhood's you've listed are all decent. Of them, parts of the Warehouse District are going to be the most convenient (if you're near the 16, 50, or 3 bus...though the 16 will be limited in June and the 50 will be going away in lieu of the Green Line). I suppose if you were near Hennepin Avenue in Loring Park, you could catch the 6U bus to campus. But both of the those neighborhoods are really out of your price range. You simply aren't going to find neighborhoods with that much space for the price you want (especially in the Warehouse District/North Loop).

I think a neighborhood that might fit well is Seward. It definitely has a vibe that seems to match your personalities. It's close to the U, filled with dive-type places, and it's leafy.

Another great place to look is the western part of Marcy-Holmes (okay, I'm biased - I live in the 'hood, but it's actually really great!). It's got great access to the U (the 2 and 6U bus), a green/residential feel, and pretty great access to just about any part of the city (I'm within a few blocks of the 2, 4, 6, 10, 17, and 61 buses).

[Mason3000]

If you're looking for laid back, hip neighborhoods with green line access to the U, easy access to either downtown, funky ethnic restaurants/bars & a reasonable pricetag, I highly recommend you take a look at the South St Anthony Park & Hamline-Midway areas in St Paul.

South St Anthony Park in St Paul (This is a very specific thing here in the TC. Not to be confused with St Anthony Park in St Paul, St Anthony East or West in Mpls, or the 1st ring suburb called the Village of St Anthony ) from highway 280 East down to Snelling is all right on the light rail. Has cool hole in the wall amenities like Foxy Falafel, the Dubliner Pub, Key's Cafe and others. It's sort of has a warehouse district feel to it along the green line & could be a very good option.
St. Anthony Park

Hamline-Midway would also be a great option. It's walking distance to Como Park, right on the Green Line, has the Turf Club (the top progressive/alt/country/whatever bar in St Paul) which was recently purchased by the same people who own 1st Ave in Mpls, Thai, Korean, Ethiopian restaurants all within a few blocks, as well as supermarket, pharmacy, et al. It's a little more urban, kind of like NYC, very diverse, but not particularly dangerous still. I know several artistic, progressive, rockers who live in the neighborhood and they love it!
Hamline Midway

[MaraJade13]

Thanks for the advice, urbanist! I'd briefly looked at Uptown before, but didn't realize how direct the buses were from there. Being near the lakes would be a plus. I'm still not sold on anything near campus like Prospect Park or Marcy-Holmes. I currently live in a city that's entirely about the university at its center and I'd like to get away from being completely immersed in that. That being said, having Surly nearby would be a big plus.

xandrex, I've seen a good number of listings in all the neighborhoods I mentioned in our price range. I'm aware we can't afford any of the newer, trendy buildings, which is fine. An older brownstone is more up our alley, anyway. I had been looking at listings on Oak Grove St and KMS Loring Park Apartments as well as Riverwalk Townhomes in the Warehouse area.

Hi Mason3000, neighborhood plugs are perfectly fine! I still promote my old hood in Charlotte. Do you have any familiarity with Sherburne Ave? There's a building there right around the corner from an Ethiopian place that seems very well situated. I checked out all the crime data maps and it didn't seem like a terribly sketchy area. I looked at St.Anthony Park a little, but it didn't seem especially walkable compared to other areas nearby.

The real question is, if we're looking to move in late July/early August, when should we really be pinning down an apartment? My husband is going up to the cities once a month right now and could feasibly go to showings, but we're not sure of how far ahead landlords/buildings like to get things locked down since it varies by metro.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by MaraJade13

Thanks for the advice, urbanist! I'd briefly looked at Uptown before, but didn't realize how direct the buses were from there. Being near the lakes would be a plus. I'm still not sold on anything near campus like Prospect Park or Marcy-Holmes. I currently live in a city that's entirely about the university at its center and I'd like to get away from being completely immersed in that. That being said, having Surly nearby would be a big plus.

xandrex, I've seen a good number of listings in all the neighborhoods I mentioned in our price range. I'm aware we can't afford any of the newer, trendy buildings, which is fine. An older brownstone is more up our alley, anyway. I had been looking at listings on Oak Grove St and KMS Loring Park Apartments as well as Riverwalk Townhomes in the Warehouse area.

Hi Mason3000, neighborhood plugs are perfectly fine! I still promote my old hood in Charlotte. Do you have any familiarity with Sherburne Ave? There's a building there right around the corner from an Ethiopian place that seems very well situated. I checked out all the crime data maps and it didn't seem like a terribly sketchy area. I looked at St.Anthony Park a little, but it didn't seem especially walkable compared to other areas nearby.

The real question is, if we're looking to move in late July/early August, when should we really be pinning down an apartment? My husband is going up to the cities once a month right now and could feasibly go to showings, but we're not sure of how far ahead landlords/buildings like to get things locked down since it varies by metro.

Keep in mind when looking at crime maps of the area that there are two major supermarkets, a Target SuperStore & a Walmart within about 6 blocks of that area so you may see parts of University Ave lit up like a Christmas tree with "Robbery" or "Theft" reports, but those are security catching shoplifters, not actual street crimes.

Sherburne/Snelling can be hit or miss to live on because of the "Trend Bar" on the corner of University/Asbury is pretty shady & would likely see some late night riff-raff walking home after bar. That area is very busy & active. If you like hustle & bustle, tons of shops, restaurants, bars, public transportation it's a great spot, but if you want quiet it's a no-go that close to the intersection of Snelling/University. You'd really have to walk around & see how you feel. I personally wouldn't be afraid to live there, especially if I didn't have my 3 kids, but check it out for yourself. If you can get on the West side of Snelling Ave in the area they call Newell Park it's MUCH nicer, fyi.

The upside is Fasika the Ethiopian restaurant on the corner is considered the top restaurant of it's kind in the TC, Sole Cafe is a few blocks away & is considered the top Korean restaurant in the TC & On's Thai Kitchen (my favorite Thai place) is 2 blocks away as are the Turf Club & Christensen's for music or a safe, hole-in-the-wall beer.

Because of the proximity to Hamline University there should be plenty of rentals available in July and landlords might be more open to negotiations, but if you wait until August you'll be fighting the back-to-school renters.

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by MaraJade13

xandrex, I've seen a good number of listings in all the neighborhoods I mentioned in our price range. I'm aware we can't afford any of the newer, trendy buildings, which is fine. An older brownstone is more up our alley, anyway. I had been looking at listings on Oak Grove St and KMS Loring Park Apartments as well as Riverwalk Townhomes in the Warehouse area.

My concern with price range was slightly unfounded (I realized I read your original post wrong, so my apologies!).

The North Loop/Warehouse District is still going to be pretty expensive (it's all fairly recent conversions or new buildings), but there are a few places like Riverwalk (I totally forgot about this option as it's so hidden from much of the 'hood!) Loring Park is also expensive, but I know there is stuff in your price range. My original concern was your need for parking. For some reason, I thought you needed two parking spaces. The thing about Loring Park is that on-street space is tight. One of my friends was looking for apartments last summer so we were trolling through the area late at night to see what the evening parking situation was like. It turns out that we couldn't find a single spot within a comfortable walking distance of the apartments she had toured.

So with that in mind--and with the misguided thought that you were bringing along two cars--I mistakenly thought you'd need two parking spaces in Loring Park...which are not cheap. Places seem to be charging anywhere from $100-200/month per spot, so that would definitely change your options.

So now that I've ranted about my misinterpretation, I suppose what I'm really getting at is that if you can find a place in Loring or the North Loop, definitely check to see about parking, since often it's not included (appears to be with Riverwalk, though), and it usually isn't cheap.