gay couple looking for advice on move (Minneapolis, St. Paul: for sale, houses)

[mtappy]

Hi,

My partner and I are considering moving to Minneapolis/St. Paul in the summer. We are both from WI so we know about the weather....but we are looking for advice on neighborhoods to visit on our trip out in March and advise on where to settle if we decide to move in July!

First off, we have 2 goldens and love to hike with them off leash! My partner loves the outdoors, we both run and are looking for a neighborhood that is a reasonable commute into the city (not looking in suburbia) but has a quiet neighborhood feel. Right now we live in the arts district of Charlotte and looking for that type of feel...plus, we are a gay couple so we are looking for an accepting part of town!

(If anyone has been to Asheville, NC - that is what we are looking for in Minneapolis/St. Paul).

Thanks for any suggestions!

[uptown_urbanist]

I think all areas around here are gay-friendly, so you won't need to worry on that front.

What's your price range? That will make a difference.

I don't know Asheville or its arts district, but I'd suggest considering Linden Hills in Minneapolis: it has a nice contained neighborhood feel, is quieter than many areas (but not in a boring way), and is near both Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet - perfect for walking the dogs or going for runs.

Parts of Uptown can be noisy, but most residential blocks off the commercial streets are actually pretty quiet. Uptown is also by the lakes (Calhoun and Isles, especially), has the Midtown Greenway, and has a lot of shops, restaurants, cafes. It's on the pricier side, but depending on budget I'd at least put it on your list of places to visit while in town.

[Astron1000]

I would second that vote for Linden Hills. Other places include both St. Anthony East and West neighborhoods (just across the river from downtown Minneapolis). If you can afford it, Kenwood and Calhoun-Isles are also great places. See this article about Minneapolis neighborhoods. See this map for neighborhood borders. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/MinneapolisNeighborhoodsAndCommunities.PNG - broken link)

The St. Anthony Park area of St. Paul (yes, that's a little confusing) near the U of M's St. Paul campus. See this article about St. Paul neighborhoods. Minneapolis and St. Paul are siamese twins. Along the Mississippi Riverfront you'll be hard-pressed to know which city you're in, so don't discount the Capital City.

There are several off-leash dog parks in the Cities. Here's the website.

Also, check out these resources:

Outfront Minnesota

A list of local GLBT organizations (More than 200 are listed!)

PM me if you want to know more!

[mtappy]

Thanks for those comments...! We did hear that Minneapolis/St. Paul is gay-friendly everywhere, so I am glad you reinforced that!

Do you know anything about the Northeast arts district? I imagine it is still growing but I heard conflicting accounts...

Also, how is that public transportation system to Linden Hills? Does it have a train nearby? Is the system itself user friendly?

We are probably looking at houses in the $170,000 range...we are not afraid of fixer up houses and want a house with history and not brand new ones...I am not sure if that fits with Linden Hills or other areas you mentioned?

Thanks again!
Marissa

[Astron1000]

Hi Marissa,

Yes, the Twin Cities are pretty gay-friendly. Minneapolis was actually the first city in the US to ban discrimination based on sexuality. This happened in the 1970's. St. Paul has a similar ordinance, which was overturned later, but re-instated in the '90's. (I don't know your politics, or if it even matters, but be prepared: Minneapolis has not had a Republican mayor since the 1950's. They have not even offered a candidate since around 1984.)

The Northeast Arts District is an area of the city that has traditionally been the heart of the immigrant community. First Russians, then Poles, then Ukranians, then Mexicans, then Middle Eastern immigrants. Central Avenue is a wonderful locus of ethnic restaurants and grocery stores. This area is also home to the annual Art-A-Whirl, which is a huge gallery crawl that takes place in May.

Regarding mass transit, the LRT train system is still being developed. The Hiawatha Line is quite handy if you are traveling between the new Twins Stadium, downtown Minneapolis, the Mall of America and the Airport. See the route schedule here. (http://www.metrotransit.org/rail/ - broken link) The Central Corridor, connecting the two downtowns is in the final stages of design and should break ground in the next year. There is also a commuter rail line opening up next year.

Bus transport in the Cities is not bad. You can find more info here.

And always remember that both downtowns - if you happen to work there - are almost completely climate-controlled via the skyway systems. You can walk literally from one side of the city to the other without ever needing a coat in the winter. These are the first cities in the world that are "under glass." Not that it's an issue during fair-weather months!

[josh1966]

Hi Fairview Forest Estates thats the place Fairview N.C I own a house there . I could tell you that i bet half of our sub division is gay couples.

[DinerCoffee]

I predict that Camden Northsider will pop up and recommend the Victory neighborhood in Northside. When I was looking for a place to move, it was one of my priorities that the place be LGBT friendly, and Victory seems to be recommended a lot for that.

You might be interested in this link: Lavender Magazine - Minnesota’s GLBT Magazine - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender News - Minneapolis / Saint Paul » Blog Archive » The Birth of a Gaytion

Good luck!

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by DinerCoffee

I predict that Camden Northsider will pop up and recommend the Victory neighborhood in Northside. When I was looking for a place to move, it was one of my priorities that the place be LGBT friendly, and Victory seems to be recommended a lot for that.

You might be interested in this link: Lavender Magazine - Minnesota’s GLBT Magazine - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender News - Minneapolis / Saint Paul » Blog Archive » The Birth of a Gaytion

Good luck!

You are correct in that DinerCoffee- there is actually a relocation book about Minneapolis neighborhoods floating about that describes Victory as very gay-friendly. There are quite a few gay couples here in Victory, a number of whom are pretty active with local nbrhd associations/ politics, and this is the case in greater Camden and the Northside as well (this website may be helpful: GLBT Northsiders, Camden Gay Neighbors' League; as well as this related site: http://glbtnorthsiders.blogspot.com/ (broken link)).

Actually, check out this home currently for sale in the Victory neighborhood- I think the 8th picture in might be a statement about the neighborhood in relation to the topic of this thread.