Living in city vs suburbs in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis: rentals, houses)

[rzzzz]

The answer is Rosemount but for some reason people are afraid to say it.

[Thedosius]

Originally Posted by gambit2

We're not really into bars, but we love cooking at home and do go out to unique restaurants quite a bit. Our biggest drawback for living in Lexington has been having a 45 minute commute to work outside of the city, and not being able to really walk anywhere readily. We always have to drive to get to a park, a Starbucks, etc.

Here's the list we've come up with:

Red 20 Apartments - near Marcy Holmes / St. Anthony East
808 Berry Place - in St. Paul at edge with Minneapolis, on the green line
Stone Arch Apartments - right near Stone Arch Bridge
Excelsior & Grand - in the area of Lake Calhoun
Oaks Hiawatha -- off Hiawatha Ave
Just off Main in Maple Grove
Landings at Silver Lake in Northeast Minneapolis

I can only give you advice/information on a few of these:

1) I think Marcy Holmes/St. Anthony East and the Stone Arch area wouldn't be a bad location for what you've described you're looking for. Hennepin and the river front both have a decent sampling of unique restaurants, and for being someone who likes to cook at home you have a nice grocery nexus of Lund's (middle-to-up-scale grocery store), Surdyk's (mostly liquor but a very nice selection of cheeses and small gourmet grocery boutique), and Kramarczuk's (eastern European grocery, deli and restaurant; ingredients, fresh baked goods and sausages from the Ukraine, Poland, Germany, etc.). Furthermore, you'll be near the river and I think that's a pretty special area and good for someone new to our region.

2) 808 Perry Place, if I'm not mistaken, is in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis. I don't think it would be a bad choice either. It's more residential and I think there would be fewer dining options than 1) above, but being directly on the Green Line means you have quick, easy access to the University Avenue dining scene which is a little gritty but gives you easy access to a great collection of Vietnamese, Hmong and Thai restaurants and groceries. Both the Green and Blue lines run frequently and are quite convenient (I live on the Blue line). In addition to having access to some great east Asian restaurants in St. Paul, being on the Green Line would give you access to a node of restaurants near the U of M, and easy access to downtown Minneapolis.

3) Oaks Hiawatha - I own a home two blocks from this apartment building. Here's where you and your husband need to really sort out what you are looking for. On the one hand, yes- this is just off the Blue Line. On the other, the restaurants aren't clustered and 'walkability' is quite limited. On yet a THIRD hand, you would be within 10 minutes of Minnehaha Falls and a parkway that extends all the way along Minnehaha Creek to the Mississippi River. And if you have a dog and are insane like me and would actually be swayed on where to live by the vicinity of a stellar dog park that runs along the river...big time bonus here. I live in this area because it's along the Blue Line and house prices are reasonably affordable. If I rented, I personally would choose a different area but again that's what I would choose for ME and it's up to you and the hubby to make your decision. Phenomenal parks, good light rail access, but definitely sleepy/residential.

Any opinions about suburbs in Minneapolis? To us they seem rather nice - lots of shopping and cheaper than the city. But I'm drawn to the light rail, and the less chain-y restaurants. Is it worth living in the city proper? What has been your experience?

Thank you in advance!

Everyone here has opinions about the city vs. the suburbs. WWII-like 'discussions' have taken place regarding this topic. I suspect I may yet have some suburban flesh under my nails from such past discussions (and other folks probably have a bit of me as well). Fundamentally it boils down to personal preference/style and it's hard to answer that question for someone else.

[xandrex]

I'm a resident of Marcy-Holmes and within a few blocks of Red20 and Stone Arch Apartments, so I can probably throw a few things out there about the area:

The neighborhood is generally a pretty great area. In some ways it's a best-of-all-worlds situation. The area is close to downtown and the University of Minnesota, there's plenty of buses that can take you just about anywhere, bike paths and sidewalks galore, pretty easy highway access (could take a quick drive over to North Minneapolis to hop on 94 to BP), etc. In other words: A lot of access to places, but without the choking traffic and limited parking that sometimes causes issues in other areas of town--I'm looking at you, Uptown.

Additionally, you've got a mix of quiet residential and bustling commercial all right next to each other. Obviously Red20 is more in the thick of things, wedged between Central and 1st Ave NE, but in my section of the neighborhood, I have a very nice two-bedroom apartment for a good price that's on a leafy street (yet still has a sliver of a skyline view) that would be enviable in many suburbs. Very quiet. But walk a few blocks over and I've got a nice grocery store, my bank, a liquor store, bars and restaurants, a clinic, plus some retail options. You really could live here and conduct most day-to-day affairs without stepping foot in your car.

Okay, I'll stop bragging about my neighborhood now. But you should definitely keep it (and Red20/Stone Arch or other apartments nearby) in mind.

[northsub]

There are plenty of non-chain and local chain restaurants in most suburbs. Places like Maple Grove do have a lot of chain restaurants, but no one is forcing you to eat at those places. You could try Pittsburgh Blue, Patrick's Restaurant and Bakery, Punch Pizza, 3 Squares Restaurant, Sawatdee, Mt. Fuji, Rodizio Grill, Malone's, Mongo's Grill. Some of those are local chains, but folks will count them as non-chain in Minneapolis proper for some reason.

If you are willing to take the short trip to Osseo from Maple Grove you will find a lot more one-off locations: Reuan Thai, Kopper Kettle, Olympia Cafe, Lynde's, Dick's, Duffy's, Collage Global Cafe.

I've been to none of these places, but it's not like you wouldn't have plenty of options for local restaurants wherever you end up.

I've known people who have moved from the Marcy-Holmes area partially due to crime/quality of life issues. Crime statistics seem to bear this out too.

I'd also be careful about places in Brooklyn Center and the southern part of Brooklyn Park.

I'd also pay attention to bus routes to the University of Minnesota. Sometimes the buses are better if you move further out due to a switch from a local to an express route. For instance, it looks like Maple Grove is something like 15 minutes closer by bus than Robbinsdale.

[pete6032]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

The answer is Rosemount but for some reason people are afraid to say it.

Lol. Rosemount or Eagan.

[uptown_urbanist]

I would go with the Berry option. Prospect Park is a beautiful neighborhood, very quiet once you get off of University, and would be very convenient to the U of MN. Realistically he's going to have to drive to Brooklyn Park anyway, but you can have a very, very easy commute to campus if you go the PP route. And that location is SO up and coming -- it's always been a desirable neighborhood, but the portion right along University and in the old industrial area is taking off, and right across 280 the Raymond district of St. Paul is also really bustling. You'd be within walking distance to the brand-new Surly brewery, plus lots of other restaurants: Foxy Falafel, Cupcake, Biaggio, etc. Plus ultra-easy access on the Green Line to all the good restaurants and other destinations in both St. Paul and Minneapolis. And for driving, you'd be very centrally located, and with easy freeway access.

[Rhody2Mn]

Originally Posted by pete6032

Lol. Rosemount or Eagan.

These towns are very nice (even though I wouldn't recommend them for the OP in this case based on their needs) and I hate that they get a bad rap just because of the previous Moderator. Actually, many suburbs offer good shopping and even dining options outside of the chain variety if one takes the time to simply look.

To get back to the OP, as has been mentioned previously, it is impossible to truly debate whether the city or suburbs are better because it comes down to personal preference. I love visiting the cities for theater or dining options but personally find the quality of life in the suburbs to be better.

I would definitely visit a variety of suburban and urban neighborhoods within reasonable commuting distance to the U and Brooklyn Park to see what fits your needs best before making a decision. You've comprised a great list to start.

[mr roboto]

What about an area that has some walkability in the Burbs? Excelsior, Wayzata, Stillwater etc.

[rzzzz]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

What about an area that has some walkability in the Burbs? Excelsior, Wayzata, Stillwater etc.

Pretty bad commute to both the U and Brooklyn Park. 169 has got to be the worst rush hour traffic in the metro.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

Pretty bad commute to both the U and Brooklyn Park. 169 has got to be the worst rush hour traffic in the metro.

True. Forgot about the commute.