military family moving into the area (Minneapolis, Eagan: for rent, crime, house)

[jmbridge]

Need moving advice please. My husband will be working at the Air Reserve Station near the airport. We have 4 kids so school is very important. We like the suburbs, but with so many to choose from its hard to decide. We are looking to rent at least a 4 bedroom with a rent of no more than $2500. We are moving from Texas so it's going to be a huge adjustment for all of us. Thanks for your help!

[golfgal]

How old are the kids and what activities are they involved in? With a job at the airport I'd suggest looking in the Eagan, Apple Valley, Rosemount area/schools. One of the best districts in the nation, lots of "extras" in the district, great family area and easy commute to the airport.

I know of a house that might be coming for rent in that area if you are interested.

[jmbridge]

Yes, I am interested. I have a 6, 9, and 14 year old. Their interests include gymnastics, band, and sports.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by jmbridge

Yes, I am interested. I have a 6, 9, and 14 year old. Their interests include gymnastics, band, and sports.

Rosemount for sure!!

[davephan]

You could look in the Eagan/Apple Valley area. Watch out for parts of Eagan that get a lot of noise from the MSP airport. Rosemount is quite a drive to the airport.

The winters will be a huge adjustment for you! You will need to learn how to drive in snow and icy conditions. We usually don't get the ice that is common in Texas though. We get the snow, but not as much as the mid-section of the county and the east got this year, but we got the very cold temperatures. It's been well below normal temperatures for over a month now, this year. Fortunately, the snow plowing and salting is very good in the Twin Cities. If you drive outside of the metro area, the quality of the plowing drops off drastically. Some cities are better than others. Minneapolis, St Paul, and some suburbs do a lousy job plowing the roads. Some suburbs, including Woodbury, do a very good job.

It doesn't take very long to get to the airport from Woodbury on I-494, even though Woodbury is on the east side. Even the rush hour drives between Woodbury and the airport aren't bad. It used to be bad many years ago before they rebuilt and expanded the Wakota bridge in the southeast corner of the freeway loop. Years ago, I used to work for a company located near the airport. Before the bridge was replaced, the backup on I-494 was 4 miles in the morning going toward the airport and 4 to 7 miles going back to Woodbury. The bridge replacement almost completely eliminated at bottleneck. We don't get much air traffic from MSP. When we do, it is pretty high. We do get some private jet traffic, but those tend to be much quieter. I've been told the public schools are good here. Crime is low. Police and Fire response is very quick and there are many shopping areas in Woodbury. Woodbury also has an extensive trail system with 132 miles of trails and 40 neighborhood parks.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by davephan

You could look in the Eagan/Apple Valley area. Watch out for parts of Eagan that get a lot of noise from the MSP airport. Rosemount is quite a drive to the airport.

The winters will be a huge adjustment for you! You will need to learn how to drive in snow and icy conditions. We usually don't get the ice that is common in Texas though. We get the snow, but not as much as the mid-section of the county and the east got this year, but we got the very cold temperatures. It's been well below normal temperatures for over a month now, this year. Fortunately, the snow plowing and salting is very good in the Twin Cities. If you drive outside of the metro area, the quality of the plowing drops off drastically. Some cities are better than others. Minneapolis, St Paul, and some suburbs do a lousy job plowing the roads. Some suburbs, including Woodbury, do a very good job.

It doesn't take very long to get to the airport from Woodbury on I-494, even though Woodbury is on the east side. Even the rush hour drives between Woodbury and the airport aren't bad. It used to be bad many years ago before they rebuilt and expanded the Wakota bridge in the southeast corner of the freeway loop. Years ago, I used to work for a company located near the airport. Before the bridge was replaced, the backup on I-494 was 4 miles in the morning going toward the airport and 4 to 7 miles going back to Woodbury. The bridge replacement almost completely eliminated at bottleneck. We don't get much air traffic from MSP. When we do, it is pretty high. We do get some private jet traffic, but those tend to be much quieter. I've been told the public schools are good here. Crime is low. Police and Fire response is very quick and there are many shopping areas in Woodbury. Woodbury also has an extensive trail system with 132 miles of trails and 40 neighborhood parks.

Huh?? It's 15 minutes....