Moving to St. Paul commuting Minneapolis: Realistic? (Roseville, St. Anthony: renting, amusement park)

[meaghanlfogarty]

My husband and I, along with our two toddlers, are moving to the twin cities in the spring. My husband will be working in downtown Minneapolis. Originally, we were looking at houses in areas surrounding Minneapolis, but I've recently been looking at houses in St. Paul since it seems that we can get more house for our money. It looks like it would be a 35 minutes train ride on the green line to get to Minneapolis. The commute doesn't bother my husband since it's shorter than his current commute and he likes the idea of public transportation since he can get some work done. It looks like a good plan on paper (or internet), but is this a reasonable plan? Also, is St. Paul a good place to live with toddlers? Will I be able to find a house within walking distance to parks and shops, or is more of a car city? Any information would be helpful!


Meaghan

[rzzzz]

It's not that bad of a drive to Minneapolis from St. Paul. Especially if you are west of Snelling.

Green Line is a great option if you can find a house near it.

I don't think the Green Line is a good place to try to do work. It is more like a subway than a commuter train.

I think St. Paul would be a good place to live with a toddler. Many of my younger cousins grew up in St. Paul and afaik they don't have any complaints about their childhoods.

It is easier to live within walking distance of parks in Minneapolis. The park system there was designed to have a park within walking distance of every home. This is not the case in St. Paul. There are some nice parks in St. Paul but it is not a comprehensive system like the one in Minneapolis. The best park is Como Park.

It is possible to walk to neighborhood places in St. Paul but it is more of a car city.

[uptown_urbanist]

St. Paul has a lot of small business nodes. If being able to walk places is a priority, you should be able to find something to fit your needs.

Don't forgot bus routes, too; there are some parts of St. Paul that are an easy commute to downtown Minneapolis via bus, so it's not just Green Line -- although the Green Line is also a fantastic resource.

While I'm at heart more a Minneapolis person and prefer a busier city, St. Paul has some really wonderful neighborhoods, including many that are perfect for families with young kids and would be an easy commute to downtown Minneapolis.

[Yosh01]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

It is easier to live within walking distance of parks in Minneapolis. The park system there was designed to have a park within walking distance of every home. This is not the case in St. Paul. There are some nice parks in St. Paul but it is not a comprehensive system like the one in Minneapolis. The best park is Como Park.

It is possible to walk to neighborhood places in St. Paul but it is more of a car city.

St. Paul relies heavily on neighborhood community centers. They have playgrounds, ice rinks, basketball, baseball, etc. and I believe there is one within walking distance of most households.

St. Paul being more of a car city? I don't understand that comment at all.

[rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Yosh01

St. Paul being more of a car city? I don't understand that comment at all.

I think it is a headache to do things without a car in St. Paul. It is easier in Minneapolis.

On the other side of things, I don't think it is a headache to have a car in St. Paul. The traffic is not bad and parking is pretty easy.
The only complaint I have is the side roads can be very slippery in the winter as they are usually not completely plowed.

[steel03]

I mean when you say you're going to commute from St. Paul to Minneapolis, it really depends on what part of St. Paul you live in. If you're talking about downtown St. Paul, that's about 40 minutes on the Green Line (which is clean and nice and extremely user-friendly), or in a car anywhere from 15-50 minutes depending on traffic. But there are also lovely St. Paul neighborhoods that are right next door to Minneapolis, like St. Anthony Park and Mac-Groveland.

Basically the answer is yes, that is a completely reasonable plan, there are tons of people who commute from city to city both ways.

[Texamichiforniasota]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

I think it is a headache to do things without a car in St. Paul. It is easier in Minneapolis.

On the other side of things, I don't think it is a headache to have a car in St. Paul. The traffic is not bad and parking is pretty easy.
The only complaint I have is the side roads can be very slippery in the winter as they are usually not completely plowed.

Both cities are really car cities. You can survive without one in in several neighborhoods, but it would be a an unnecessary hassle if you can afford one. Not sure where the OP is from, but the Twin Cities are not like an East Coast city, or even Chicago for that matter. They are, however, much more walkable than most Sun Belt cities, and probably have an edge on most Midwest cities other than Chicago.

[aus1ander]

Originally Posted by meaghanlfogarty

My husband and I, along with our two toddlers, are moving to the twin cities in the spring. My husband will be working in downtown Minneapolis. Originally, we were looking at houses in areas surrounding Minneapolis, but I've recently been looking at houses in St. Paul since it seems that we can get more house for our money. It looks like it would be a 35 minutes train ride on the green line to get to Minneapolis. The commute doesn't bother my husband since it's shorter than his current commute and he likes the idea of public transportation since he can get some work done. It looks like a good plan on paper (or internet), but is this a reasonable plan? Also, is St. Paul a good place to live with toddlers? Will I be able to find a house within walking distance to parks and shops, or is more of a car city? Any information would be helpful!

You do not necessary have to live next to the Green line to have transit options to downtown Minneapolis. I live in the Highland/Mac Groveland area in Saint Paul which is very family friendly. My block has many young families with toddlers and small children. We live in a walkable neighborhood close to abundant shopping (Highland Village), paths along the Mississippi river, public parks, and Minnehaha Park. You are also close to the airport (<10 minutes) and do not hear much plane noise.

My commute to downtown Minneapolis is about 15-20 minutes driving via Cretin/I-94. When there is traffic (which honestly is rare) that commute increases to maybe 25-30 minutes. In the summers, I can take a rush hour express bus to downtown Minneapolis which takes about 20 minutes from my house. I can also take a bus to the Blue line for non-rush hour commutes, which takes about 25 minutes. Its also very convenient on the weekend to go downtown or to see ballgame at Target Field.

[montymontage]

It's doubtless true, you'll find better housing values in St. Paul than in Minneapolis. If you live near the green line, the commute into Minneapolis will be simple and reasonably pleasant. While I'd have no issue living in any area along the green line, there are some areas such as Midway that some people might find dicey. In general, I'd say all Minneapolis and St. Paul are fine for children. Only thing I'd really draw attention to is that with the exception of the green line and a few main streets such as Snelling transit options are significantly less than in Minneapolis. Neither city is really noteworthy for incredible transit but Minneapolis does have a little more.


If you're really set on St. Paul, I'd consider downtown or, as posted above, neighborhoods on the boarder with Minneapolis.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by meaghanlfogarty

My husband and I, along with our two toddlers, are moving to the twin cities in the spring. My husband will be working in downtown Minneapolis. Originally, we were looking at houses in areas surrounding Minneapolis, but I've recently been looking at houses in St. Paul since it seems that we can get more house for our money. It looks like it would be a 35 minutes train ride on the green line to get to Minneapolis. The commute doesn't bother my husband since it's shorter than his current commute and he likes the idea of public transportation since he can get some work done. It looks like a good plan on paper (or internet), but is this a reasonable plan? Also, is St. Paul a good place to live with toddlers? Will I be able to find a house within walking distance to parks and shops, or is more of a car city? Any information would be helpful!


Meaghan

I'm from Mpls originally and now live in St Paul. I've worked in DT Mpls and live near the Lexington exit on 94. It's 15 mins during rush hour by car to DT Mpls. The train is new, but it's pretty slow. There is a 94 Express bus that runs from DT St Paul to DT Mpls that makes one stop in the middle at St Anthony/Snelling. Your husband could grab the bus at that bus stop, which is actually a freeway entrance and he'd be DT Mpls in 15 minutes. I'm linking the MTC website so you can see the schedule. Strangely, there is no listing for a stop at St Anthony/Snelling? I know some service was cut or limited when we opened the train this summer, so maybe that's not a stop anymore? Call or email them and ask them.

Metro Transit - Online Schedules

I certainly think you get more house for the money in St Paul whether or renting or buying.

Lot's of walkable areas. Since there's no shopping district in DT St Paul, it's very much a city, made up of bustling little neighborhoods. Very family friendly. Many from Mpls look down on St Paul, or "St Small" as it's sometimes called. Those people's gripe is normally that it's too slow, but admit, it's a nice place for families.

While there are many great neighborhoods to consider (Highland Park, MacGroveland, Merriam Park, St Anthony Park, Summit-U, Midway et al), I recommend you look at the Como Park neighborhood. Lot's of smaller homes to be had and a great value for the money imo. While it lacks a real commercial center, it has a great rec center in NW Como, where you'll see parents/kids doing art classes, playing on soccer teams, archery lessons, etc. There's also Como Park which is the most visited park in the state. Tons of people picnic, barbeque, etc. Within Como Park there's ComoTown, a smaller amusement park that's a blast for kids up to about 11 or 12 y/o. http://www.comotown.com/ Then there's the Como Zoo, which is an older, smaller, zoo that's free! Also on premises is the Como Conservatory, which I don't know much about other than that my daughter's Girl Scout troops goes there in the winter to enjoy the warmth and the plants/flowers. http://www.comozooconservatory.org/ There's also a mini-golf course across the street from ComoTown. They have the McMurray field complex which is where youth soccer teams from all over the city play. http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=1189 They built the new Como Pool complex two summers ago and that's a great feature of the neighborhood now as well. Lazy river, kiddy pool, rock climbing, zip line, etc. Go in the summer with your kids and you'll see young Mom's with kids as far as the eye can see. http://stpaul.gov/ComoPool You're also walking distance to the state fair grounds when that comes around every August and people will be jealous. http://www.mnstatefair.org/ There are a few cafes/bars in the neighborhood, but it's not particularly "walkable". Still, you absolutely can walk to all the amenities I mentioned.

If you have a car (which I recommend) it becomes an especially great value for you. Your husband wouldn't have to drive to work, he could drive to the bus stop or train line and park for free. In that neighborhood most people head North to Roseville, which has the Rosedale shopping mall and all the things you'd find in any suburb http://www.myrosedale.com/. That's only a 5 minute drive from Como Park and there is a bus that would take you right there. Also of note for a Mom with tykes, is that DT St Paul is 10 minutes away and has the Science Museum (much more fun than it sounds) http://www.smm.org/members, Children's Museum http://www.mcm.org/ and the Mn History Center (again, more fun than it sounds) http://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/.