Rents in Saint Paul MN?

[tommyp1]

Originally Posted by trulyhabesha

I currently live in Merriam Park on Montrose Place in a 1 bedroom apartment and pay $669 per month for rent. I think I only got this deal because I moved in Late November 2013 and they were desperate to fill the unit. It is a great location access to 21 selby lake and going into Minneapolis as well as 94 off of cretin and access to the trails along the Mississippi river!!! I am moving now and sad to leave but my sister moved back from college on the east coast so we are getting a house together.

WE are moving to aurora avenue and Lexington not the nicest neighborhood but the house is 3 bedrooms plus garage and only $1100 a month and its been re-vamped nicely by a young man from Minnetonka looks like people are buying up the houses near the green line on both sides of university and will fix it up and most likely attract young folks like me and my sister 23 &24 who are more interested in urban living and access to public transportation it is just a block from the green line and we are all in for public transportation!!!!

I actually used to deliver papers (in the old cloth sacks that nobody remembers) on Montrose. I grew up on Cleveland & Laurel. What I'm finding nationwide (and even here in Vegas) is that major restoration is going on everywhere. Jobs and money. The reason (I'm assuming) is that the young do not want to live in these 'dumps' and MORE importantly they can raise the rents and/or keep them at a high level after new appliances, cupboards, paint, etc. Some of the 'galleries' on CList are very nice...but expensive and you can see my point more clearly. $669 is market but in earlier replies it's the "location" that dominates. "Laurel Flats" (a bldg. I know well) @ 2057 Laurel, 1BR(sq ft <600): $840/mo. That's high, but the area? Next to St Thomas. "Lexington/Aurora" is still in 55104 (I think?) but here is the catch: remember the phrase from Barack vs Old John McCain?: (I think the POTUS coined it 1st?) "You can put lipstick on a pig, but in the end it's still a pig." And that's what happening where I live right now. The plumbing and infrastructure is STILL the same (after restoration) and in most cases it'll stay that way. They shut the water off where I live (even in the middle of a shower) 4-5's times a month without ANY notice. I pretty much have zeroed in on the commercial center of Merriam Park: Univ & Snelling (walking, cycling, train and bus eg. everything). I just have to be patient. As you said: (paraphrasing) "when it's in their need they'll fill them." Good luck and thanks!

[wushuliu]

If the apartment uses radiators for heat I say run away.

[tommyp1]

Originally Posted by wushuliu

If the apartment uses radiators for heat I say run away.

LOL. From my past. I think they used to call that "heat by convection" (or on a prayer...if you believe in praying?). I believe the trick to getting heat is to bleed the air from the radiators until you get water (I watched my mother do that). Some floor-board heating is like that. They also rattle and are noisy. You're better off going to Target and getting a "space heater." A lot of the old homes in St Paul ('40's-'50's) used to heat with oil furnaces. The only improvement my mother made to my childhood home next to St Thomas was to convert that furnace to gas, and re-cement the crumbling basement walls. Now that entire block (Laurel to Ashland on Cleveland) is landlord owned and trashed (some). St Thomas wanted to buy the block but no sells back then. We should have. One last thing: if no heat with rentals: a health issue. Call the health dept. and you'll get heat in minutes. I learned that in Denver one Winter when I went to work (U-Hospital) and complained with no heat. My coworkers advised me thus. Landlords (if reading) get your checkbooks ready.

[tommyp1]

Originally Posted by spectre000

Ha ha. Hope that's just an exaggeration. Alarys is quite fun actually. Nice patio area too.

No "exaggeration" (fooling). "A Bears only bar" vs an NFL tkt. sports bar maybe? I don't believe there is another bar in the same block, and someone said the St Paul cops hang out there. I do remember some mini-skirted/cheerleader-like waitresses (like "Hooters"). If my Pats play the Bears this season I'll be there with my gear on to rub it in their.....

[tommyp1]

Originally Posted by tommyp1

The city data stats give the median rent of $750-$800. That seems a bit unrealistic. I never 'got-off' much on "wood-floors" or antique cabinetry etc. I grew up in Merriam Park (Cleveland & Laurel) and it's funny that neighborhood isn't mentioned on city-data (instead, they list Macalestar-Groveland). Anyway, I moved back to St Paul 5+ years ago but chose the WRONG area IMO: downtown (Sibley St). I left. Now I'd like to return but live on the #21 Selby-Lake line on Marshall ave. It's also a great cycling/walking area. I'm totally "green." It's an ideal location for getting anywhere in the Cities...but maybe the landlords KNOW that and thus the high rents? I'm trying to stay within $500-$600 and when I stayed dntn on Sibley it was at a "Fed tax-credit" (rent control) unit. I don't know if that exists in Merriam Park? Thanks for reading.

Many thanks to all who contributed to my queries! I found an efficiency in the HEART of Saint Paul's "Midway" and/or "Merriam Park" where as a child we used to go for MOST commercial action. It's near everything: bus, Green line, shopping, coffee shops, 2 universities, and plenty of walking. In fact my street is striped for "bike lanes." (And the St Paul City Council, even with Republican Mayor Chris Coleman, just voted into their budget thousands to make St Paul more "bicycle friendly.")
Special mention to "uptown_urbanist", BillWallace for the "padmapper" suggestion. A great site with "daily alerts." The guys from NYC who set that up are the BEST: "it truly does 'suck'" to look for apt rentals (their byline)!" And "wushiliu" my efficiency has "radiators" but I am told they work well by a very trustworthy mgr I hit it off with!
See all of you soon in 'happening' Saint Paul!

[tjasse]

sweet. congrats on finding a new place.

[wushuliu]

Originally Posted by tommyp1

Many thanks to all who contributed to my queries! I found an efficiency in the HEART of Saint Paul's "Midway" and/or "Merriam Park" where as a child we used to go for MOST commercial action. It's near everything: bus, Green line, shopping, coffee shops, 2 universities, and plenty of walking. In fact my street is striped for "bike lanes." (And the St Paul City Council, even with Republican Mayor Chris Coleman, just voted into their budget thousands to make St Paul more "bicycle friendly.")
Special mention to "uptown_urbanist", BillWallace for the "padmapper" suggestion. A great site with "daily alerts." The guys from NYC who set that up are the BEST: "it truly does 'suck'" to look for apt rentals (their byline)!" And "wushiliu" my efficiency has "radiators" but I am told they work well by a very trustworthy mgr I hit it off with!
See all of you soon in 'happening' Saint Paul!

congrats!

[tommyp1]

Well I'm moved in and the surprise is I'm just as warm (and sweating) as I was in Las Vegas. Reason: when I looked at this bldg online it looked like I rented a 2nd flr unit. Wrong. I'm on the TOP floor! I forgot about BASEMENTS in the TC. Most apts and homes (mine did growing up) have them. In addition I had to buy curtains to block the sun's heat (East-West exposure) with the worthless transparent/lucent blinds. This apt I believe is overpriced (Midway-Hamline area) and it has the LOOK of "student housing" (nothing has been done to update the sinks, faucets etc), and we all know that nothing is ever done to update "student housing" because students do NOTHING to care for the units (only there to sleep and study---if that?). The unit wasn't cleaned well by the 5yrs short of 80yrs mgr. Signed a lease though (1yr) while I keep my eye on "padmapper" etc. The location is GREAT with Green Line and shopping within walking (which drives the rents up, and location is everything in the TC...and the landlords are happy to compliment with that!) Also this street I live on is a "bicycle blvd" (no speed limit...lol) and I've been cycling a lot which is the MAIN reason for moving back to my roots (we're nbr 2 I think next to Portland OR for bicycle friendly). Hope this helps and have a great 'hot' Summer!