Are Suburbs like Edina, Wayzata, or Orono Affordable for Moderate Incomes

[vladlensky]

Another shameless plug for Hopkins. I loved the place, especially due to the proximity to Minneapolis and it's well-connected to the greenway bike path, if that's your thing. Also, Hopkins has the dubious pleasure of being sandwiched in between two wealthier suburbs (Edina and Minnetonka), so you get the benefit of the amenities without the taxes and higher home prices.

Also, the downtown is pretty cute with a surprising number of restaurant and coffee options. Check out the Depot coffee shop, built in the old train station. It's right on the bike trail.

It's been a few years since I've lived there (moved to the East Coast) but still miss the days of living (and working) in Hopkins. It was a great little town.

[blackpointyboots]

Something else to keep in mind when looking at these suburbs is the property tax rate. In looking at homes in Edina vs. Golden Valley and West Bloomington, the tax rate in Edina was quite a bit higher. I also noticed that homes that were selling for somewhat lower prices had much higher tax assessments in Edina.

I haven't been to downtown Hopkins since the early 1980's. Back then it was a grimy half empty place more noted for car cruising. Has the city made some major effort to revamp it?