Help me rank these small towns (Minneapolis, Eden Prairie: co-op, houses, to buy)

[sabrina4848]

I am a 50-ish single woman looking to relocate from Minneapolis and all of its traffic to a smaller, quiet, fairly safe community within an hour of the Twin Cities. I work from home, so commute time is not an issue, but I love good restaurants, wine bars, book stores/libraries, an art scene, co-op grocery store, walk/bike/ski trails, friendly & educated people. My budget is around $250,000. I'd like to go east/south of metro area and so far have ruled it down to these towns:
Stillwater
Hudson
Hastings
Northfield
I've spent time in and like all of them, but any pros/cons from people who've actually lived there? How would you rank them? Thanks for any help!

[pvoyd]

Have not lived in any of these, but noticed that Stillwater gets quite busy / crowded with visitors on weekends (at least in the spring, summer and early fall.)

[Ghengis]

sorry, I haven't lived in any of them but I've noticed that the people in Hudson are kinda funny lookin', more n' most people even.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

sorry, I haven't lived in any of them but I've noticed that the people in Hudson are kinda funny lookin', more n' most people even.

I think it's the cheese in their blood.

[StPaulGal]

I went to college in Northfield and I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a slightly offbeat, artsy, intellectual sort of vibe. With two well-ranked colleges in town it has a very unique atmosphere. I would describe it as quaint without being remotely backward. Lively art scene, lots of college cultural events that are open to the public, extremely safe (as a 5'1 18-year old I went on dozens upon dozens of late night walks and never once felt uncomfortable), and lots of charming shops and coffee places downtown.

My fiance grew up in Hastings, and we are down there every few weeks visiting his dad. It also has a charming downtown, but overall I get more of a stereotypical modern suburb vibe than I ever got in Northfield. I think the difference may lie in the commute time to the twin cities: some Hastings residents are there because they work in the metro and can't afford to live further in, while Northfield is just far enough away that nobody lands there without intentionality about that choice.

Stillwater is nice. I have a good friend who lives there, and he loves it. He does get a little annoyed by the flood of "tourists" who stream into the town when the weather is nice. Restaurants are a little pricier and a little lower quality than they might be if the percentage of locals/repeat guests was a bit higher.

I, personally, do not find Hudson to be nearly as charming as the other three cities. I admit to being the least familiar with it, though, so perhaps I am missing something.

[Ursicinus]

Interesting... Northfield sounds like exactly the type of place I was asking about in my own thread.........except it's so damn far away! I just don't think I'd ever be able to handle that commute. The OP, however, won't have that problem!

[rcsteiner]

I used to commute from Southeast Eden Prairie (Pioneer Trail and Franlo Road) to Owatonna.

Did it for 8 months in the winter. It wasn't that bad. Mostly rural interstate. I drove by Northfield twice a day. Of course, that was in 2002/2003.

[StPaulGal]

Originally Posted by Ursicinus

Interesting... Northfield sounds like exactly the type of place I was asking about in my own thread.........except it's so damn far away! I just don't think I'd ever be able to handle that commute. The OP, however, won't have that problem!

The commute is exactly *why* it can be that way. It's not just a bedroom community because it's simply too far away for that to be a viable option. It is a stand-alone town in its own right.

[Ursicinus]

Originally Posted by StPaulGal

The commute is exactly *why* it can be that way. It's not just a bedroom community because it's simply too far away for that to be a viable option. It is a stand-alone town in its own right.

Just took a peek at Zillow, though... for the affordable cost of houses down there, I might just be persuaded

[Cruz Azul Guy]

#1 Hudson - due to being able to buy booze on Sundays.