Moving to St. Paul (Arlington, Harmony: apartments, loft, homes)

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by meenesotahhEH

As for clubs and nightlife... definitely check out "block E" on any wed-sat night. Block E is an area of downtown MPLS where some of the best known bars and clubs are located. Hennepin Ave and First Ave are very popular streets in MPLS where these clubs are. My favorite club is Spin, although many honorable mentions are Aqua, the Dive Bar, Club Epic, Valentinos (which is located in south st paul, not in MPLS) Any wed-thurs night is bound to bring you some entertainment in that area.

If you have any other questions feel free to message me! I highly support moving to MN!

Careful though...Block-E itself is almost universally considered a failure. From the start it became a hangout for thugs. Hennepin Ave has some interesting places going SW away from Block-E.

Last summer I discovered a really neat place on Hennepin between 9th and 10th called Chambers. There's a beautiful outdoor section at street level with fireplaces and free pool, very elegant furniture. Colored LEDs light the hallways facing the street and there's a bar upstairs as well. Great place.

[Hailstate77]

Can anyone recommend a good apartment complex to visit in Maplewood, North St. Paul, Oakdale, and White Bear Lake? Thanks in advance!

[MplsTodd]

Originally Posted by Globe199

Careful though...Block-E itself is almost universally considered a failure. From the start it became a hangout for thugs. Hennepin Ave has some interesting places going SW away from Block-E.

Last summer I discovered a really neat place on Hennepin between 9th and 10th called Chambers. There's a beautiful outdoor section at street level with fireplaces and free pool, very elegant furniture. Colored LEDs light the hallways facing the street and there's a bar upstairs as well. Great place.

While Block E would never be nominated as a showcase development (especially its architecture--though I'd say it is a slight improvement over City Center), I disagree about it being a hang-out for thugs. I agree that Hennepin between 6th and 7th does have some thug issues on the sidewalk at night, but I've gone to many movies at the Keresotes Theater and have never had a problem. GameWorks and the ShoutHouse also are nice additions to downtown.

[Minnehahapolitan]

Originally Posted by Globe199

Careful though...Block-E itself is almost universally considered a failure. From the start it became a hangout for thugs. Hennepin Ave has some interesting places going SW away from Block-E.

Last summer I discovered a really neat place on Hennepin between 9th and 10th called Chambers. There's a beautiful outdoor section at street level with fireplaces and free pool, very elegant furniture. Colored LEDs light the hallways facing the street and there's a bar upstairs as well. Great place.

To clarify, Chambers is mainly a boutique hotel. A great addition to Hennepin.
Block E is a failure because of its architectural elements make it a poor environment for retail and leisure. If you think there is riff raff there now, go back in time to when that block was filled with dives and such.

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by MplsTodd

GameWorks and the ShoutHouse also are nice additions to downtown.

I've never understood the appeal of Gameworks. It's expensive and there's no atmosphere. You're treated like a criminal when you walk in the door. Hardcore gamers are at home on their PS3s.

Question: why has there been so much restaurant turnover on Hennepin recently?

[uptown_urbanist]

I was born and raised in Minnesota and have lived many other places. Let's not hijack this thread to rehash those issues. But to the OP, there are of course some regional/cultural differences, but you should be able to make friends here the same way you would elsewhere.

Public transportation in the Twin Cities isn't that bad, depending on where you want to go. It's more expensive here than in many places, though.

I wouldn't say Falcon Heights is trendy. It's a suburb, but not in the brand-new cul-de-sac style of the exurbs. It's right near the University of Minnesota's St. Paul Campus, and is also home to the MN State Fair. The area around the St. Paul Campus - both Falcon Heights and the St. Paul city neighborhoods like St. Anthony Park - are pretty quiet, but it's a nice area and fairly convenient. Being over by the "U" (as people in MN call it) means that you'll have plenty of neighbors from all over the country and world, as there are lots of students, faculty, and University staff living there.

[Hailstate77]

Thanks again for you advise... From what I've seen from these threads, I'm not worried about making friends and meeting new people. I'm quite interested about MN. I was looking at a Loft in downtown St. Paul area... I would be in the walking distance like 2 blocks away from my workplace. Its called Lowertown Lofts Apartments on Mears Park in Lowertown, St. Paul... How is the area???? Anyone know this area well, Mears park nice? Is it worth $850-900 per month with another $40 bucks per month for my dog??? Since it will be so close to work I was thinking of not even buying a new car (I'm suppose to get one this year)

One more thing... everyone has been telling me not to bring my car up there and telling me to get an SUV or a truck. I think they might be right since right now I have a Lexus IS350... its probably not the best car to drive in MN winter conditions. Right??? or not...

[chilaili]

Not sure what the area is like nowadays but a couple of years ago it was where the Farmer's Market happens during the Summer months so very convenient for fresh produce. The park itself is quite small - it's really just a city square but they have live music there in the Summer too. Downtown St Paul doesn't have much going on but there is the new Science Museum, an excellent library, the Ordway Centre for the Arts and public transportation in and out of the area is pretty good.

Do you know the size of the apartment? 1-bed or 2-bedroom? Which way does it face - do you have a view of the river? Is parking going to cost extra? I think the Lofts is primarily an artists' community which could be interesting.

I think your car might be fine. You'll see tons of cars in the TC that are not 4WD and they do okay in the Winter. You just have to learn how to drive in the snow and maybe invest in a set of snow tires.

[Hailstate77]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

I was born and raised in Minnesota and have lived many other places. Let's not hijack this thread to rehash those issues. But to the OP, there are of course some regional/cultural differences, but you should be able to make friends here the same way you would elsewhere.

Public transportation in the Twin Cities isn't that bad, depending on where you want to go. It's more expensive here than in many places, though.

I wouldn't say Falcon Heights is trendy. It's a suburb, but not in the brand-new cul-de-sac style of the exurbs. It's right near the University of Minnesota's St. Paul Campus, and is also home to the MN State Fair. The area around the St. Paul Campus - both Falcon Heights and the St. Paul city neighborhoods like St. Anthony Park - are pretty quiet, but it's a nice area and fairly convenient. Being over by the "U" (as people in MN call it) means that you'll have plenty of neighbors from all over the country and world, as there are lots of students, faculty, and University staff living there.

Originally Posted by chilaili

Not sure what the area is like nowadays but a couple of years ago it was where the Farmer's Market happens during the Summer months so very convenient for fresh produce. The park itself is quite small - it's really just a city square but they have live music there in the Summer too. Downtown St Paul doesn't have much going on but there is the new Science Museum, an excellent library, the Ordway Centre for the Arts and public transportation in and out of the area is pretty good.

Do you know the size of the apartment? 1-bed or 2-bedroom? Which way does it face - do you have a view of the river? Is parking going to cost extra? I think the Lofts is primarily an artists' community which could be interesting.

I think your car might be fine. You'll see tons of cars in the TC that are not 4WD and they do okay in the Winter. You just have to learn how to drive in the snow and maybe invest in a set of snow tires.

Well its a studio loft and it faces north... i'm not sure if I have a view or not. I believe they have a detached garage that is included in the rent... It doesn't seem too overpriced, only thing I'm worried about would be crime rate and would it have entertainment value living in downtown St. Paul... not only that is the Mears Park a pretty cool location?

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by Hailstate77

Thanks again for you advise... From what I've seen from these threads, I'm not worried about making friends and meeting new people. I'm quite interested about MN. I was looking at a Loft in downtown St. Paul area... I would be in the walking distance like 2 blocks away from my workplace. Its called Lowertown Lofts Apartments on Mears Park in Lowertown, St. Paul... How is the area???? Anyone know this area well, Mears park nice? Is it worth $850-900 per month with another $40 bucks per month for my dog??? Since it will be so close to work I was thinking of not even buying a new car (I'm suppose to get one this year)

One more thing... everyone has been telling me not to bring my car up there and telling me to get an SUV or a truck. I think they might be right since right now I have a Lexus IS350... its probably not the best car to drive in MN winter conditions. Right??? or not...

My office is near there. It's a slowly emerging trendy area (the condo glut kind of slowed it for the time being), but there are great restuarants, coffee shops and bars within walking distance. Mears Park itself is gorgeous. On summer days, many of us grab lunch at one of the nearby places and take it over to the park to eat. It seems there are always people from the neighborhood condos walking their dogs around there, day and night (they seem to do a good job cleaning up after them). Also, as another poster mentioned, the Farmer's Market is just a block from Mears Park. It runs from April to November every Saturday and Sunday, and it really livens up the neighborhood. Plus, there's an incredible selection of fresh food, flowers, cheeses, organic meats, etc. RE: SUVs, many people here beieve they "need" an SUV or a truck and use the weather as an excuse to justify it. I've lived here for 22 years and have never wished I had one. We currently have a VW and a Saab, both front wheel drive, and we get around just fine. Plus, living so close to work, you won't have to worry about snowfall keeping you from getting to work.