Neighborhood help....what's best for us? (Minneapolis, Eden Prairie: sales, home, private schools)

[jzeig104]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Sorry, but I'll beg to differ....the point wasn't to cut down G/T, the point was to recognize that not getting into a G/T program isn't the end of the world in the schools being considered. G/T is covered under special education and the sizes of the programs are determined by the number of students in the school and the contact hours the special ed department has for these kids. If the program is full for their age groups, they are not getting in unless numbers shift for enrollment and what not. It's not a reflection on their kids--and that is the point, but since you have made it your mission in life to follow me around these boards and create problems, by all means continue on....

No, I dont follow you "around these boards" and create problems, that is LAUGHABLE!! I am entitled to my opinion just as you are--and I happen to be interested in topics that also apparently interest you.

I didnt say at all that you were "cutting down GT programs," didnt THINK that, either. As far as your comment about GT programs in MN, however: 1) the funding for GT programs has nothing to do with funding for Special Education 2) the sizes of the programs has nothing to do with the "number of students in the school," and the "contact hours the special ed dept has for these kids." You are dead wrong about that.

It is true that GT funding is limited and that often only so many kids can get in each year, but it has nothing to do with whether the child has been in the district for 10 years or 5 minutes.

The GOOD news is that I think the OP will be pleasantly surprised with the quality of education in public schools in this area...whether their kids are formally in GT programs or not...

so you see, Golfgal, I dont disagree with you on EVERYTHING....LOL!!

[Stillnew]

Originally Posted by golfgal

The 196 program is very nice--especially at the middle school level where they are not pulled out of class but given different assignments to challenge them-at an age where being like everyone else is very important.

As for the comment about the multi-racial family--not sure what you are saying there but it wasn't addressed because there really is no need to address that...it's a non-issue if you are worried about racism. If you are looking for diversity--well, it's still MN but I think you will find quite a bit of diversity in the suburbs..but no, they are not going to be 70% African American like some people here like to define diversity . You will find that your kids will hang out with kids "like" them--and like them meaning how they act, not the color of their skin. Smart kids tend to gravitate toward other smart kids. Nice kids tend to gravitate toward other nice kids...that kind of thing....

I'll assume you meant to say 70% white/Caucasian instead of meaning to sound flippant...there was not a box for me to check on census material until this past decade..today we generally all understand and teach our kids that alienation and ostracization is a form of bullying which can lead to some pretty severe issues later in life (aka Adam Lanza or Columbine) whether or not the alienation was intentional. Though many before me as well as with me succeeded irrespective our success also came at a much harder costs than those who get to check the box with the most marks. As you acknowledged ..being like everyone else is important


Race / Ethnicity Number Percentage of
U.S. population
Americans 308,745,538 100.0 %
White 223,553,265 72.4 %
African American 38,929,319 12.6 %
Asian American 14,674,252 4.8 %
Native Americans or Alaska Native 2,932,248 0.9 %
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 540,013 0.2 %
Some other race 19,107,368 6.2 %
Two or more races 9,009,073 2.9 %
Not Hispanic nor Latino 258,267,944 83.6 %
Non-Hispanic White or European American 196,817,552 63.7 %
Non-Hispanic Black or African American 37,685,848 12.2 %
Non-Hispanic Asian 14,465,124 4.7 %
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native 2,247,098 0.7 %
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 481,576 0.2 %
Non-Hispanic some other race 604,265 0.2 %
Non-Hispanic two or more races 5,966,481 1.9 %
Hispanic or Latino 50,477,594 16.4 %
White or European American Hispanic 26,735,713 8.7 %
Black or African American Hispanic 1,243,471 0.4 %
American Indian or Alaska Native Hispanic 685,150 0.2 %
Asian Hispanic 209,128 0.1 %
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander Hispanic 58,437 0.0 %
Some other race Hispanic 18,503,103 6.0 %
Two or more races Hispanic

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Stillnew

I'll assume you meant to say 70% white/Caucasian instead of meaning to sound flippant...there was not a box for me to check on census material until this past decade..today we generally all understand and teach our kids that alienation and ostracization is a form of bullying which can lead to some pretty severe issues later in life (aka Adam Lanza or Columbine) whether or not the alienation was intentional. Though many before me as well as with me succeeded irrespective our success also came at a much harder costs than those who get to check the box with the most marks. As you acknowledged ..being like everyone else is important


Race / Ethnicity Number Percentage of
U.S. population
Americans 308,745,538 100.0 %
White 223,553,265 72.4 %
African American 38,929,319 12.6 %
Asian American 14,674,252 4.8 %
Native Americans or Alaska Native 2,932,248 0.9 %
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 540,013 0.2 %
Some other race 19,107,368 6.2 %
Two or more races 9,009,073 2.9 %
Not Hispanic nor Latino 258,267,944 83.6 %
Non-Hispanic White or European American 196,817,552 63.7 %
Non-Hispanic Black or African American 37,685,848 12.2 %
Non-Hispanic Asian 14,465,124 4.7 %
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native 2,247,098 0.7 %
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 481,576 0.2 %
Non-Hispanic some other race 604,265 0.2 %
Non-Hispanic two or more races 5,966,481 1.9 %
Hispanic or Latino 50,477,594 16.4 %
White or European American Hispanic 26,735,713 8.7 %
Black or African American Hispanic 1,243,471 0.4 %
American Indian or Alaska Native Hispanic 685,150 0.2 %
Asian Hispanic 209,128 0.1 %
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander Hispanic 58,437 0.0 %
Some other race Hispanic 18,503,103 6.0 %
Two or more races Hispanic

No, I meant what I said--some people here do not think an area is diverse unless it is 70 African American....

I guess if you want to make a big deal out of the color of your skin, that is up to you, but like I said, it's a non-factor for most people here. If living in a town were everyone looks just like you is important, MN isn't the place to move. If you would prefer to live in an area where you are accepted for who you are and not how dark your tan is, MN would be a great place for you to be.

On my block alone we have families representing 7 different ethnicities--that is true diversity. Living on block where everyone is Black is not.

[uptown_urbanist]

That's ridiculous. No one here thinks a neighborhood has to be 70% African American to be diverse. For one thing, are there ANY neighborhoods in the Twin Cities that fit that guideline? I've never seen anyone on this board suggest such a thing. I have, however, seen people suggest that an area that is 90%+ all of one race (which in this area, is going to be white) is not "diverse."

Back to the OP, if you want to be in a more diverse location, you're going to need to expand your search. That said, if you want large lots and large house and more stereotypical modern suburbia, you may be able to find somewhere that at least has some diversity. The Twin Cities suburbs are getting steadily more diverse -- using the definition of a broader mix of people of different races and ethnicities, although again, realistically this is still a majority white area.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

That's ridiculous. No one here thinks a neighborhood has to be 70% African American to be diverse. For one thing, are there ANY neighborhoods in the Twin Cities that fit that guideline? I've never seen anyone on this board suggest such a thing. I have, however, seen people suggest that an area that is 90%+ all of one race (which in this area, is going to be white) is not "diverse."

Back to the OP, if you want to be in a more diverse location, you're going to need to expand your search. That said, if you want large lots and large house and more stereotypical modern suburbia, you may be able to find somewhere that at least has some diversity. The Twin Cities suburbs are getting steadily more diverse -- using the definition of a broader mix of people of different races and ethnicities, although again, realistically this is still a majority white area.

yes...

[jzeig104]

If you want more diversity and want to live in the district your kids go to school in, and also want a shorter commute to Edina, then I would suggest Linden Hills area of SW Mpls. Good school ratings there and more diverse than Minnetonka, Excelsior, Eden Prairie, Eagan, Apple Valley, etc. You are going to be giving up some things though, like a larger lot. Cant say about their GT programs in SW Mpls. Dont know the schools there that well. St. Louis Park schools were also mentioned and have an excellent reputation and are diverse. Many programs in conjunction with University of MN. Commute wouldnt be too bad, either.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by golfgal

yes...

well, if there are, there aren't any neighborhoods that fit that description within Minneapolis city limits, and I doubt anywhere else within the reasonable parameters of Eden Prairie -- assuming you are correct, I'm assuming they are out the northern suburbs, so completely irrelevant to this particular discussion. That's not to say that there aren't neighborhoods that are majority "minority" -- but they are still fairly diverse places.

Of the suburbs convenient to EP, Richfield is perhaps the most truly diverse -- but mostly has small lots and small houses, and the schools are not as good as other nearby districts.

Although of course things will vary dramatically by specific location or neighborhood; GG, your own street in Rosemount is a good example of this, as so many of your closest neighbors are of other races -- given that Rosemount's percentage of non-white residents is only 14.5%, your block is much higher than the city's average, and is a good reminder that overall statistics can lump together big areas, and -- especially when looking at city-wide statistics -- don't tell the whole story.

[Stillnew]

Originally Posted by jzeig104

If you want more diversity and want to live in the district your kids go to school in, and also want a shorter commute to Edina, then I would suggest Linden Hills area of SW Mpls. Good school ratings there and more diverse than Minnetonka, Excelsior, Eden Prairie, Eagan, Apple Valley, etc. You are going to be giving up some things though, like a larger lot. Cant say about their GT programs in SW Mpls. Dont know the schools there that well. St. Louis Park schools were also mentioned and have an excellent reputation and are diverse. Many programs in conjunction with University of MN. Commute wouldnt be too bad, either.

Thank you...the demographic tools on this city-data site have been awesome though not always in agreement with the zip-code finder site...human experience will probably end up being my best guide Thank you again for the suggestions. Pockets of SLP, Bryn Mawr, linden Hills, Fulton, tanglewood, Golden Valley, Ramsey and Edina (ironically) have areas where education and diversity are more representative of our great nation which appear suitable and are within a possible 20 min commute. Yet various websites differ on the actual percentages....human error? Lol

Edina is fascinating to me now since it's the most disparaged on these board yet it is the area that has combined more post-graduates, high earners and diversity than most other areas. I think I also read somewhere that most registered accounts on some website devoted to extra-marital affairs come from Edina and Bloomington....not sure if I even want to go there!!! (Sheesh, the suggestive correlations are downright satirical).

I'm thinking that my dogs and I could possibly benefit more from having to go out on a walk to parks instead of a big backyard ...and at least then we can avoid the pickup of giant sized poop. It's tempting to forget about diversity as some of those finished basement bars in the suburbs are amazing..and the wine racks and refrigerators attached to the kitchens...spectacular. Alas, we'd never/rarely use them...

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

well, if there are, there aren't any neighborhoods that fit that description within Minneapolis city limits, and I doubt anywhere else within the reasonable parameters of Eden Prairie -- assuming you are correct, I'm assuming they are out the northern suburbs, so completely irrelevant to this particular discussion. That's not to say that there aren't neighborhoods that are majority "minority" -- but they are still fairly diverse places.

Of the suburbs convenient to EP, Richfield is perhaps the most truly diverse -- but mostly has small lots and small houses, and the schools are not as good as other nearby districts.

Although of course things will vary dramatically by specific location or neighborhood; GG, your own street in Rosemount is a good example of this, as so many of your closest neighbors are of other races -- given that Rosemount's percentage of non-white residents is only 14.5%, your block is much higher than the city's average, and is a good reminder that overall statistics can lump together big areas, and -- especially when looking at city-wide statistics -- don't tell the whole story.

Brooklyn Center is over 50% minority as a whole....

And I think you will find several neighborhoods in Minneapolis that are 70+% minority but the OP wouldn't want to live in those areas....

[StanleyVegas]

"Individuality is fine--as long as we all do it together." Major Frank Burns