Why I don't see kids play outside in Edina (north of 62, near Xerxes) (Hills: houses, neighborhood)

[keeney]

Is there any place in Edina like Linden Hills park which has a lot of kids playing outside? We like one house in Edina, but didn't see kids playing outside.

[Tipsy McStagger]

I live on Chowen, just off 60th and can assure you there are tons of kids out playing regularly in this neighborhood. Unlike Linden Hills, there are no sidewalks but the streets are much wider and there are three parks within a few blocks of each other (Strachauer, York and Chowen) which are full of kids on a daily basis. Great sledding at York Park, and excellent soccer fields and a dog park at Strachauer. Creek runs through York and features some decent wooded area for exploring most years (this year it's underwater). In the eight plus years we have been here (late 30s now, no kids), there has been tremendous turnover as older residents have moved on with young families taking their place, presumably for the schools and because of the proximity of the neighborhood to SW Mpls. You can easily walk to Pizza Lola or the creek, and we run lake harriet from our front door, etc. Most of the lots from Beard westward are .2-.25 acres which allows for substantial backyards. Abbott eastward consists of mostly smaller houses on smaller lots. 50th and France is a reasonable walk and it's a quick jaunt to the Southdale/Galleria area for shopping. Quick shot downtown and to the airport.

It's a lot different than it was eight years ago when many of these houses were occupied by elderly people and there weren't a ton of children about. Now I can throw a rock and hit houses which have in total probably two dozen young kids (<10). There aren't as many preteens or teenagers in the area. Lots of strollers and children in grade school. Again, big change from 2006 or so. There are ten kids in the houses immediately adjacent to ours.

The negative with regard to children playing in the streets here is that many of the blocks here are double blocks and so cars tend to build up some speed between stop signs. That doesn't keep the neighbor kids from cruising the hood on bikes and scooters, but it's something to be aware of.

The only real negatives of the neighborhood for a young family would be jet noise, tear downs, and noise from 62, depending on where you live. That can be a real issue with some properties south of 60th depending on their specific situation.

On the plus side, tons of very young families, very safe, great parks and it's a fantastic compromise between suburban life and location.

As much as I love (and generally prefer) Linden Hills, I am not so sure I'd move there based on the idea that my kids would have more opportunity to play outside with other kids.

[keeney]

Thank you very much, Tipsy McStagger, for your very detailed answer. It explains everything and now I feel I have better understanding of The neighborhood. Unfortuneately the street we are on doesnt have similar age kid, what a pity. But I hope there are more young families will move in to the neighborhood.

Originally Posted by Tipsy McStagger

I live on Chowen, just off 60th and can assure you there are tons of kids out playing regularly in this neighborhood. Unlike Linden Hills, there are no sidewalks but the streets are much wider and there are three parks within a few blocks of each other (Strachauer, York and Chowen) which are full of kids on a daily basis. Great sledding at York Park, and excellent soccer fields and a dog park at Strachauer. Creek runs through York and features some decent wooded area for exploring most years (this year it's underwater). In the eight plus years we have been here (late 30s now, no kids), there has been tremendous turnover as older residents have moved on with young families taking their place, presumably for the schools and because of the proximity of the neighborhood to SW Mpls. You can easily walk to Pizza Lola or the creek, and we run lake harriet from our front door, etc. Most of the lots from Beard westward are .2-.25 acres which allows for substantial backyards. Abbott eastward consists of mostly smaller houses on smaller lots. 50th and France is a reasonable walk and it's a quick jaunt to the Southdale/Galleria area for shopping. Quick shot downtown and to the airport.

It's a lot different than it was eight years ago when many of these houses were occupied by elderly people and there weren't a ton of children about. Now I can throw a rock and hit houses which have in total probably two dozen young kids (<10). There aren't as many preteens or teenagers in the area. Lots of strollers and children in grade school. Again, big change from 2006 or so. There are ten kids in the houses immediately adjacent to ours.

The negative with regard to children playing in the streets here is that many of the blocks here are double blocks and so cars tend to build up some speed between stop signs. That doesn't keep the neighbor kids from cruising the hood on bikes and scooters, but it's something to be aware of.

The only real negatives of the neighborhood for a young family would be jet noise, tear downs, and noise from 62, depending on where you live. That can be a real issue with some properties south of 60th depending on their specific situation.

On the plus side, tons of very young families, very safe, great parks and it's a fantastic compromise between suburban life and location.

As much as I love (and generally prefer) Linden Hills, I am not so sure I'd move there based on the idea that my kids would have more opportunity to play outside with other kids.

[pete6032]

Edina kids are indoor kids.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by pete6032

Edina kids are indoor kids.

What an interesting conclusion you made up there!

I'm an Edina kid (and Mpls, but that's not relevant here) and the area described by the OP was our playground. If you were in the neighborhood looking for kids playing outside 15-20 years ago, we were out there most of the day in the summer, and almost every single day of the year after school. We weren't alone either.

Now perhaps a lot has changed and Edina kids became indoor kids, or kids in general stopped having an interest in playing outside (a more widely-known phenomenon), but something tells me that it didn't change overnight.

[rzzz]

Kids became indoor kids everywhere.

I grew up in a town northern MN and when I was a kid we had full reign of the place. We probably rode bikes around 12 hours a day in the summer. The downtown and parks were filled with kids. I remember you didn't ride your bike down one road cuz that's where all the bad kids had their BMX gang.

Now the town has more kids than when I grew up, but the place is like a ghost town. You never see kids outside anywhere.

The joint forces of helicopter parents who don't allow their kids to do anything without supervision, and the internet/TV/video games keep kids inside.

[uptown_urbanist]

I think kids in general are just more indoors-oriented, not just Edina. I know the area the OP is talking about and it's quite nice with increasing numbers of kids, although personally the lack of sidewalks would be a deal-breaker for me.

[keeney]

We don't watch TV, and limit the time to play computer, and single child, so we have to play outside, but if there is only my kid playing in the playground, that will be no fun also....

[daboywonder2002]

keeney i feel your pain. i am in edina on york and trust me, i see no kids around at all. the only time the kids get to have fun is when its structured play(chuck e cheese, edinborough park, etc). i miss the days of just going outside and making your own fun. freeze tag, hide and seek. ridiing bikes. all that good stuff.

[keeney]

Originally Posted by daboywonder2002

keeney i feel your pain. i am in edina on york and trust me, i see no kids around at all. the only time the kids get to have fun is when its structured play(chuck e cheese, edinborough park, etc). i miss the days of just going outside and making your own fun. freeze tag, hide and seek. ridiing bikes. all that good stuff.

Exactly, that is what I do when I was young, I have alot of beautiful memory of it. I dont like chuck e cheese this kind of thing, Edinborough is really good in winter, but not for daily play.