Towns / Areas within 30 minute commute to MSP airport?

[Mdcastle]

I'd start looking elsewhere than New Brighton and Plymouth. There's nothing wrong with them, but there's nothing unique that you can't find closer to your job and they're pushing your 30 minute time (which will be a lot worse in inclement weather).

I'm personally partial to Shakopee. It's got both an area with a small town feel and some newer developments that start under your budget; it's near Valleyfair and Canterbury Park, and Mystic Lake Casino if those are of interest. It has a nice smaller hospital and plenty of shopping.

[uptown_urbanist]

I can't imagine what benefit you would get from living in New Brighton or Plymouth; not that there's anything wrong with those areas, but they are on the opposite side of the metro area from the airport and I agree with mdcastle that there's nothing so unique about those locations that you couldn't find closer to work. Especially since you don't want a horrendous commute.

The nice thing about the airport location is that you really can find anything you want within 30 minutes, whether that's something that feels like small town, big city, pre-war suburb, post-war suburb, brand-new suburb, even exurban/rural-feeling suburb, and with plenty of rivers, lakes, parks, good school districts, etc. I'd assume drive time is worse than those calculators say, and stick to something closer to the airport.

[ellysbelly]

There are at least a dozen 'burbs that are closer to the airport than Plymouth (and I really like Plymouth!) or New Brighton are-- to reiterate what others have said, there's no reason to look at a location that would require a hefty commute (especially when you've already expressed that avoiding a commute is a priority)-- especially when there are so many other, closer options that offer virtually identical amenities and prices that are just as good, if not better.

Though it's not perfect, check out Google Maps during typical travel times to get a gauge on what traffic can do to a seemingly easy commute (when there's no traffic).. while it's not the worst traffic in the US, it's still not fun to deal with, especially with inclement weather.