Moving to St. Paul Area and looking for advice (Woodbury: lease, homes)

[amunson90]

My wife and I are hoping to move to the St. Paul area in a few months now and are trying to narrow down our search a bit more. We like the character of the St. Paul area and the affordability. If anyone has any suggestions as to nicer neighborhoods close to there I would really appreciate it.

We are looking to spend about 200k on our first home. After looking online at homes, this seems very doable. I just want to make sure we are in a safer neighborhood as my wife is a nurse and will be leaving and arriving at odd times.

We aren't concerned about commute time right now since we are both planning on looking for different jobs when we get settled.

[ellysbelly]

I'm going to go against the grain and advise you to consider renting for the first six months or year-- yes, I know it's "throwing away money" but if you're not familiar enough to know what neighborhoods you like and which ones are safe-- AND you don't yet where you'll be working, it might be best to check out the area first without committing to buying immediately, especially as it's possible that one of you might get a great job on the other side of the metro or might find that you prefer a different neighborhood that you might have originally thought-- renting will give you flexibility and though it's not as financially rewarding, it's a LOT better than locking yourself into a potentially heinous commute or the wrong neighborhood.

[Mr. In-Between]

I'd give serious consideration to the inner eastern suburbs, like Lower Maplewood, Oakdale, and western Woodbury. There are many neighborhoods in that region that are safe, quiet, semi-rural, very affordable, and only 10 or 15 minutes from downtown St. Paul. You've got large hospitals downtown, in Woodbury, and Upper Maplewood, all within an easy commute, and many smaller medical facilities as well - depending on what kind of nursing she does. It's one of the most underrated areas of the Twin Cities, in my opinion.

[BryaninMSP]

There are some good options south of 94 and in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. I would second what Albert said — Maplewood and North St. Paul are nice communities with a lot of affordable options.

[uptown_urbanist]

what kind of neighborhood do you like (beyond safe, of course)? or type of house?

I'd agree with ellysbelly, though; you'll be in much better shape if you rent for a year and figure out what you want and where. Your experience is going to be very much shaped by where you live, and while moving twice is a hassle and an expense, it can save you in the long run.

[SForMNLee]

Rent. There are a ton of great neighborhoods around the twin cities. But you'll want to live in a convenient place to your work and friends.

[rtloucks]

Try to find a 6 month rental. This will be enough time to look around, find a place and close and still have a time to move out at your convenience and not feel like youre stuck in lease for a year wasting money. Don't look at renting as a wasting money when you're moving to a new place. Look at it more ass a cost involved with relocation. You need to be excited about what you are buying and, and take from someone who has relocated over a dozen times, one thing that sucks is when you buy something somewhere you think you like only to find something in a neighborhood you like more later. Good luck in your move, You really cant go wrong in the Twin Cities though.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by amunson90

My wife and I are hoping to move to the St. Paul area in a few months now and are trying to narrow down our search a bit more. We like the character of the St. Paul area and the affordability. If anyone has any suggestions as to nicer neighborhoods close to there I would really appreciate it.

We are looking to spend about 200k on our first home. After looking online at homes, this seems very doable. I just want to make sure we are in a safer neighborhood as my wife is a nurse and will be leaving and arriving at odd times.

We aren't concerned about commute time right now since we are both planning on looking for different jobs when we get settled.

St Paul neighborhoods with older homes (i.e. character), walkable, safe, etc:

Mac-Groveland
Highland Park
St Anthony Park
Merriam Park
Summit-U
Selby-Dale
Cathedral Hill
Como/Como Park

[amunson90]

Thanks for the advice everyone. We are considering renting too. I get the positives of it but am also very sick of renting. I do really like maple wood and oakdale from the little time I have spent there. If we can find a short lease I think we will almost have to go that way.

[WoodburyWoody]

Any chance you and your wife can make a visit of more than a couple of days to do some serious scouting? One that would allow you to see traffic patterns, activity, etc. for various neighborhoods?

If that is at all possible, it might be a big investment of time/money but could lead to buying instead of renting and moving twice. No guarantees, but something to consider.

St. Paul has some wonderful neighborhoods. The Twin Cities has a definite rush hour, so be aware of that in looking. On certain roads, a drive at 1 p.m. on a Wednesday can easily take twice as long or longer once rush hour kicks in, even in dry weather. While not as bad as other cities, it is something to be aware of (guess we don't have a lot of people with flex schedules for work).