So, our plans for this summer have changed. Due to Covid we are moving in August rather than May, and due to operational needs we are moving to Saint Paul rather than New Orleans.
Now, I have actually visited MN three times and enjoyed it, so no complaints about the change, but narrowing down where we should live is still daunting.
Hubs will be working at Fort Snelling and I will (hopefully) be spending time with friends in Plymouth and across the border in Hudson. What areas of the metropolitan area give you the most bang for your buck? Are there any areas that are unsafe and should be avoided? Again, schools don’t matter to us at all- we homeschooled anyway, but both kids will he graduated already.
I’m open to anywhere within a 30-40 min commute from For Snelling, and I love places that are walkable for stuff like grocery stores and restaurants.
I went to school in St. Paul near Highland Park which is not far from Fort Snelling. Haven’t lived there in years but still have many friends who live in MSP. Almost all of them live in Edina or Plymouth. I love the twin cities and if I were going to live in any big city that’s where I would choose. Good luck with the move.
I was just thinking about you today and wondering how things were going. The first time we were supposed to go to NOLA, we got diverted b/c of Katrina… to Minneapolis!!
Have to admit, I wasn’t a huge fan. But I have to qualify that. I was sick as a dog w/ hyperemesis, so I think anywhere would’ve stunk!! But I still have a soft spot for the Twin Cities since I was finally able to get PG there after a long period of failures. All of our medical experiences there were stellar.
We lived in Prior Lake and it’s really cute. People are really friendly. It’s not particularly built up, very bedroom-y. Shakopee and Savage are very nearby w/ more amenities. Edina is more “surban” built up. Lots of great shopping.
The apple farms… oh how I miss the apple farms! Apple season is easily my favorite thing about our time in MN. Fall is definitely their best season. Oh, and Stillwater!! Gotta head up to Stillwater for antique-ing and the chocolate shop.
I know you’re from the northeast, so it probably won’t bother you… but the winters are no joke!! I was NOT prepared even though I grew up just south of the lake effect zone in Ohio. I remember coming home in April from a Bahama cruise… to our driveway sealed shut by 4 feet of plowed snow!! April!!!
@ChaosParent23 I’m not particularly looking forward to the winters, but I am happy with the pivot from NOLA so not gonna complain. I’ve only ever been in the summer so it’ll be… interesting. At least we’ll probably get white Christmases- haven’t had one since about 2012 when we lived in NY.
Plymouth is pretty far from St. Paul and from Hudson. I worked in Plymouth (or maybe technically it was Golden Valley) and we had a few people who lived in Hudson because, well, they were from Wisconsin and they lived in Wisconsin because that’s what Wisconsin people do. It was a long commute.
I like St Paul better than Minneapolis, so if I had a choice I’d pick one of the St. Paul suburbs. Plus it is closer to Wisconsin when the Minnesota liquor laws get the better of you and you just have to run to Wisconsin to get wine for dinner.
Oddly enough, we had a white Halloween in NY too. That was quite a thing. My daughter’s birthday is just before Halloween and we always had her party at an Apple orchard. We got a huge snowstorm a few days before that year- just knocked everything out, even Halloween got postponed. Ha.
Congrats! We grew up in MN and lived out East for 10 years but finally made it back. I got married in Ft Snelling Chapel situated in the middle of a highway cloverleaf interchange. Plymouth and Hudson are opposite ends of town, with Ft Snelling somewhere in the middle. Do you like city living or a place with a yard? Does airplane noise bother you?
You can get almost anywhere within the 494/694 loop in 30-40 minutes, as long as it’s not snowing or there is road construction - ok, maybe stay at least on the South side of town. The farther you get outside the loop people will not want to come visit you due to the drive… I live in Blaine which is apparently practically Canada.
Minnehaha, 50th and France area, Minneapolis Lakes, North Loop and St Anthony (Riverside) are all places that read “walkable”, though some might be city apts/expensive. Folks from Edina call themselves “cake-eaters”, I’ll just let that sit there… Maple Grove and Plymouth both have very nice areas but typically require driving to get to the ample shops and restaurants. There are very nice areas all over town and some sketchy ones too - North Minneapolis and the area just south of Minneapolis can be a bit rough.
For older, well-kept, generally safe places, look in Roseville/Falcon Heights, Shoreview, Sunfish Lake, South St Paul, Tangletown. Do some online searches that fit your parameters and then use google maps to “walk around” the area. Tons of fun things to do here - enjoy!!
More bang for your buck in Plymouth than Edina, but a bit farther from Fort Snelling. Parts of Edina/south Minneapolis would be more walkable to restaurants etc. Golden Valley and Minnetonka have some great neighborhoods and are not far from Plymouth. The southern suburbs like Prior Lake, Lakeville and Savage have grown a lot, but I am not very familiar with them - or with St. Paul’s neighborhoods either. Hopkins has a cute downtown that has restaurants, breweries, movie theater etc. Light rail is being built right now passing through there. Friends love Bryn Mawr and Seward neighborhoods of Minneapolis. Feel free to message me if you have specific questions.
We have Sunday liquor sales now so no need to run to Wisconsin any more, lol. We DID just get 5 inches of snow this week but it is almost all melted now. Then again sometimes on tax day it is 80 degrees so you never know. I am not a huge fan of winter, but this place would be really crowded if winter didn’t keep people away. It’s a nice place to live.
@milgymfam You mentioned in your OP that you were moving to St. Paul, so are you looking specifically for areas in the city? Are you planning to buy or rent? I would recommend looking into the Highland Park or Macalester-Groveland neighborhoods in the southwest corner of the city. Either would be a 10-15 minute drive to Ft. Snelling, airport and Mall of America, and Plymouth and Hudson would both be about a 30-minute drive. I’ve lived in MG for over 30 years and love it. Lots of charming older homes and very walkable. We have 3 restaurants, a coffee shop and a small neighborhood grocery store within a few blocks. Lots more a little farther in Highland Village (“The Village”) and Grand Ave. area. Housing prices and property taxes are higher than the suburbs, but I’m not sure about rentals - probably higher as well (but much more reasonable than other metro areas around the country).
@TCMom renting, as we will only be there for 2-3 years. We are open to basically anywhere in the larger metro area really- trying to find the sweet spot between commute and rental prices at the moment. I haven’t found a ballet studio for my D yet, so that commute will end up being what it will- can’t choose one until we are there and they audition her/she auditions them. I was leaning toward Hudson because it has the walkability that I want (plus a built-in dear friend) but I’m not seeing rentals that are making me excited. They’re affordable, yes, but I’m hoping that by expanding our search we can find the right space too. Just as an aside, I don’t care for malls. I’ve been to MOA twice and hopefully that’s it for my lifetime. Ha.
I grew up in Woodbury. Walkability is a tough request. Like TCMom, my first thought was Higland Park. You could check Stillwater, too, but rents in both areas would tend to be higher. If you look at location and affordability alone, you might want to check out Inver Grove Heights, Oakdale, or West St. Paul.
Not sure if you are looking to rent an apt or house but make sure to check facebook marketplace and craigslist for house rentals in your preferred areas as well. Ford Parkway area is nice too - Hidden Falls regional park there is our family favorite and there are lots of nice restaurants and shops there!
30+ years ago, we were married at the Fort Snelling Chapel as well. We loved the Highland Park 'hood in St. Paul…college area, great walking/biking trails, and about 5-10 minutes to Fort Snelling.
The rental market in the Twin Cities area is tight. The decision may need to be made strictly by what you can get into.
If you want a small town versus the big city take a look at Northfield. There are two colleges, many independent shops and restaurants, and a strong sense of community. It would take about 35-40 minutes to get to Fort Snelling.
“Sometimes It Snows in April” is a Prince song…and yes, yes it does. I am in MN and looking out my window at snow on the ground. We had about 5 inches the other day.
@“Snowball City” , really? I’ve seen just tons and tons of rentals in our price range. That was my main reason for wanting to narrow the area a little. I’ve looked on realtor.com, Zillow, fb marketplace, and craigslist. Assuming some places are advertised as a scam or are misleading, there still seems like plenty. When we moved here, for instance, we couldn’t find a single rental that met our parameters within our budget. I wonder if less people won’t also be not moving due to covid… and if when we arrive we might not be in a better position than normal given my H’s guaranteed income throughout the crisis.
I live in Blaine which is apparently practically Canada.