Late 20s, single female: move to Twin Cities from Atlanta (Minneapolis: neighborhoods, college)

[LeTraveler]

Wow, so bus and rail are preferable to car. It's the opposite here. Despite heavy car traffic, commuting by bus still takes much longer than by car.

Originally Posted by Justabitoff

A nice thing about Northeast is that it's primarily residential, but has lots of pockets of commercial, so you're not far from restaurants and bars, but there are lots of quieter streets to live on.

That's exactly what I'm looking for. Quiet, safe area but not too far removed from the action. I'm going to look into all of those you mentioned.

Originally Posted by daboywonder2002

In my opinion you wanna be close to your job.

That makes sense, yet I need to figure out where to live because if I get an attractive job offer, I'm not wasting time in moving. Most of my essentials are already packed.

The most I can say is that it will likely be near downtown, and maybe, possibly, St. Paul.

[Thedosius]

I'm glad to hear you've decided to move here - I hope all goes well.

I think the neighborhoods you are looking at are good for what it sounds like you are looking for. You may also want to check out the Hiawatha neighborhood as it is on the Blue Line, and also has a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line going through it to St. Paul. It is also about a 10 minute drive (traffic permitting) to the airport, and both Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River run along its borders. Some of the better parks (in a city that has one of the best park systems in the world) are in Hiawatha, including Minnehaha Falls and the river and creek parkways.

Hiawatha is quiet, safe and not too far removed from the action. I've lived in Hiawatha for 15 years (yikes! I'm old!) and work downtown so I take the train every morning. From the front door of my house it takes me about 40 minutes to reach my office (including walking several blocks to the train, waiting for it (it runs every 10 minutes during rush hour), riding it, then walking to my office). Both the 38th and 46th street stations are in/near Hiawatha.

Otherwise I wholly endorse what others have suggested: Prospect Park, Northeast, Seward, etc.

[Thedosius]

If you do check out Seward neighborhood, don't miss checking out Milwaukee avenue- it's a pedestrian zone with houses like this running along both sides - very charming!

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Thedosius

If you do check out Seward neighborhood, don't miss checking out Milwaukee avenue- it's a pedestrian zone with houses like this running along both sides - very charming!

Great tip! This is one of my favorite streets in Minneapolis.

[LeTraveler]

Thedosius,

Thanks for the response. I'm liking the Longfellow area in general, so far. It's definitely on my list of areas to visit on my trip/house hunting. And I absolutely love historic streets and neighborhoods so Milwaukee Avenue is amazing to me. It looks a lot like the neighborhood I lived in as a child, except less hilly.

Looking at these neighborhoods makes me wonder which are the most walkable.

[Ursicinus]

One of the first things that really endeared Minneapolis and St. Paul to me is they still have a fair bit of the old fashioned mix of residential areas with businesses here and there (and especially at "major" intersections) which blend right into the neighborhood. Other places I've lived, the original buildings the businesses used to be in are still there, but are either vacant or re-purposed into housing. But around here, a lot of that still survives, which is a reminder of the days when everyone walked or rode the trolley into work. I can't really think of any neighborhood in Minneapolis where you can't comfortably walk, or at least bike, to small businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, and so on.


Oh, and since hockey came up earlier in this thread: it is no joke that this is a great way to meet people, though maybe not for the reasons you may think (at least in my experience). The league I play in (AHA- the Adult Hockey League) is, I think, the biggest league in the country in terms of numbers of participants and has multiple skill levels ranging from "I used to play in college" to "I've never seen ice before" They have a beginner school program which is an awesome way to meet people, because it's a great mix of humanity: locals who always wanted to play but couldn't afford it as kids, and people in your exact same situation--transplants who want to learn to do this "typically Minnesotan" thing. I've met a majority of my social network this way, and can't recommend it highly enough! Also, in years when there's sufficient interest, there are also women's teams/divisions as well, if that's appealing to you. Otherwise, women and men play on the same teams and no one thinks anything of it. If you'd like any more information, go ahead and PM me, as this is a passion of mine, and I'd love to help

[LeTraveler]

Thank you for your response, Ursicinus.

I will definitely look into hockey so expect to hear from me!

A lot of what the posters here describe is what I like in a city so that's a great sign I picked a great city for me. You all have been so helpful and spot-on in your assessements so far, which is another great sign.

[Ursicinus]

Originally Posted by LeTraveler

Thank you for your response, Ursicinus.

I will definitely look into hockey so expect to hear from me!

A lot of what the posters here describe is what I like in a city so that's a great sign I picked a great city for me. You all have been so helpful and spot-on in your assessements so far, which is another great sign.

You're very welcome I'm happy to help, especially with stuff I actually know about

[LeTraveler]

All,

The worst has happened: I've been offered a position...in Edina.



I'm excited yet of course this means that if I accept then I will have a longer commute. I have a few more interviews so hopefully I can receive offers from companies in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

If not, what does a commute from S Minneapolis to Edina look like? Soul-crushing?

[Ursicinus]

Originally Posted by LeTraveler

All,

The worst has happened: I've been offered a position...in Edina.



I'm excited yet of course this means that if I accept then I will have a longer commute. I have a few more interviews so hopefully I can receive offers from companies in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

If not, what does a commute from S Minneapolis to Edina look like? Soul-crushing?

Nah. They're right next to each other, for the most part. Depending where in S. Mpls you end up, the connections are pretty good. Have a look at MetroTransit's website to get a general idea.


And, congrats, btw