Moving from NY to Minneapolis -- I need your help! (St. Louis Park: upper-class, real estate)

[NYC Mama]

My husband may be taking a job in Minneapolis. We currently live in NYC. I'm a little nervous about the move, but I'm open to what Minneapolis has to offer.

What neighborhoods would you suggest we look into that will make us most feel like home? We have an 18 month old, so I'd like a good pre-school or kindergarden near by. Although I read somewhere that one is not restricted to your school districts. Is that correct?

A friend who lives out there suggested Uptown. Thoughts? Other Suggestions?

I'm open to a nice suburb if there's a house we reallllyyy like.

If money was no object, where would you live in Minneapolis. Thank you!

[golfgal]

Where exactly is his job. That will help narrow down a place to live.

[Thegonagle]

What's it like where you live now, and what do/don't you like about it? What would you like in a new home/community that you don't currently have? Help establish a base line, so we have an idea of what feels like home to you. You'll get more thoughtful, reasoned responses that way.

[NYC Mama]

Hmmm... Those are some good questions. My husband's in marketing/advertising and I'm a writer.

We lived in a very "hip" part of NYC for a long time. I loved being able to walk out of my door and run my errands without having to get into a car. We had a large loft space. Then, a year ago we moved to the suburbs to again a modern home. While I love out here in the 'burbs is the extra space, the outdoors and the excellent schools (although we're not making use of the schools since our son's only 18 months).

So as you can see we've done both (city and burbs) which is why we're open to anything that's an upscale neighborhood, with good schools and/or cool neighborhood.

Gosh, I guess I didn't really give you a straight answer did I?

I appreciate your input.

[Libby01]

I'm guessing your husband will be working downtown Minneapolis? and you probably have the flexibility to work from home?

I would suggest you look at the Kenwood Area/ Lake of the Isles area if you want upscale. It's close to downtown and you would love having access to all the lakes thru the Minneapolis parkway system. There is also the Linden Hills neighborhood which is next to Lake Harriet. Great little shops and restaurants and a great mix of larger and more modest homes.

A lot of people in the creative fields live in south Minneapolis, so you will have a number of great options if you desire to be around like-minded folks. Don't overlook St Paul either. I live in Highland Park and can walk to everything and am just blocks from the Mississippi River and Minneapolis. There are some great houses along Mississippi River Blvd with large lots here or you could check out the Summit/ Grand Avenue area.

One thing you will find about the Twin Cities is that you don't have to move out to the suburbs to get access to the outdoors. We have great biking trails, lakes, parkways (along Minnehaha Creek or on either side of the Mississippi River), Fort Snelling- all in our back or front yards. We have excellent public schools in both Minneapolis and St Paul and although some of the inner-city schools are struggling, there are great schools in both Mpls and SP.

If you are still interested in loft living, you can probably find some great deals now. Like many other places, we had a housing boom, which resulted in many condo towers being built.

I'm a huge fan of living in the city (either Mpls or SP)- especially if you are working downtown and want convenience to shopping, restaurants, museums, theatre, etc. I'm sure others will contribute their suggestions on the suburbs. There are some great neighborhoods out there as well.

[uptown_urbanist]

I strongly echo the Uptown suggestion. I'd avoid most of, if not all, of the Twin Cities suburbs for what you're looking for; you'll find that many city neighborhoods feel somewhat "suburban" compared to urban neighborhoods in New York. A couple of decent public transportation and are walkable (St. Louis Park comes to mind), but I think you'll find what you want in the city itself.

Check out the East Isles neighborhood. That's part of Uptown, right by Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun, very walkable, great access to parks (and some nice preschools), etc. ECCO (another Uptown neighborhood) is quieter, but also within walking distance of lots of things, and has a great "Tot Lot" (aka playground) right on the banks of Lake Calhoun. Both East Isles and ECCO are expensive for Minneapolis, but cheap by NYC standards (walked past a very nice house two blocks, maybe less, from Lake Calhoun tonight listed for $449k). To the east of Hennepin the neighborhoods are also great, a little less posh, but still very nice -- the Wedge/Lowry Hill East, and CARAG. Both also have nice playgrounds and easy access to the lakes. For more "cool" head closer to Lyndale, particularly the area around Lyndale and Lake (sometimes considered part of Uptown, sometimes not). There are some newer upscale townhomes right in the heart of that area (right near the Greenway, which is a biking/walking path built in an old railroad trench that functions as a sort of "bike highway" through south Minneapolis), otherwise there are also many very nice older homes. Some loft buildings, too.

I was just internally debating the "if money was no object" question tonight, and was trying to decide if I'd take a place in East Isles or if I'd prefer to be closer to the Lyn-Lake area. The East Isles/ECCO side of the neighborhood are literally right on the banks of the lake, but the Lyndale side is starting to really take on more energy and has a little more excitement to it, maybe in part because there's a more eclectic mix of people. It's more economically and ethnically diverse. You'll find kids in both areas. So far my ideal has been the Wedge and CARAG because they're so easily accessible to both.

I also second the Linden Hills recommendation as an option. It's too quiet for me, and not quite convenient enough to really live without driving (my personal litmus test for a neighborhood), but it's a great neighborhood, and extremely family-friendly. I can't think of a more family-friendly neighborhood anywhere in area. Lake Harriet, the nationally-known Wild Rumpus children's bookstore, a bunch of other kid-focused stores as well as options for the adults, a co-op, a nice library, great neighborhood schools, etc. No lofts, but there are some modern places mixed in, as well as a number of homes that have had interesting architectural additions or renovations, plus many very nice older traditional homes. (still very close to Uptown, though, so if you want more daily practical walkabilty for errands you're probably better off living in Uptown and driving/busing/biking/walking over to Linden Hills)

Even in the city neighborhoods like Uptown or Lyn-Lake you'll still be able to find a house with a backyard, if that's what you want, as well as have easy access to plenty of green space. And Minneapolis Public Schools have some great options. Not every school is good, but in general you don't have the middle and upper-class families fleeing for the 'burbs or going private.

(lots of writers and advertising company people in Uptown, too, so you'll be in good company.)

[NYC Mama]

Wow! I can't thank you both enough. I really appreciate the thorough and thoughtful suggestions. I guess then next step will be to see for ourselves with a good real estate agent. I really like the idea of being able to walk every where and still have a single family home with a yard. Thanks again!

[golfgal]

You will want to find out where the job is first before you commit to an area though. You don't want to end up with an hour commute if you don't have to.

[NYC Mama]

It's right in downtown MPLS. And it looks like it's pretty close to the areas suggested earlier. Do most people drive or use public transportation?

[uptown_urbanist]

Yes, many people downtown take the bus (or in some cases, although not from the neighborhoods mentioned, light rail or train). It's a straight shot from Uptown/Lyn-Lake to downtown, and on a nice day it's within easy and pleasant walking distance (depending on specifc location on either end and willingness to walk, of course). Buses run frequently up Hennepin to downtown. (plus other streets, too, but Hennepin's the one that runs through the heart of Uptown)