Recommendations for family move to Twin Cities area

June 21, 2020 1:56 PM

I’m a midwestern transplant to the Philly area where I’ve lived for 13 years but now need recommendations for where to move in the twin cities area with a family. Looking for personal experience with different neighborhoods/suburbs and commentary on raising a family there. Also asking here because we’re not ready to share with most of my family/friends quite yet!

After more than a decade out East, marrying a suburban Philly guy, moving to the suburbs and raising our 4 yo (with twins on the way), it’s time for a change. We always had in the back of our minds that “one day” we’d move to the Midwest, and have decided that 2021 is the time. With the expansion of our family we’d like to look for a new home anyway, and surviving Covid without the frequent visits we’ve typically had with my family (and planning to bring twins home potentially without support due to Covid) made us realize we want to be closer to my family and friends. Our tentative plan is to list our house in the spring and then move.

We know we’d like to be in the twin cities area for several reasons but have never actually lived there and could benefit from recommendations. Most of the time I’ve spent there has been in South Minneapolis where many of my friends lived after college.

Things on our radar:
Space - we’d like to get a 4BR house with a yard for $400k. We currently have about 1/3 of an acre and love it. Most of my friends in Minneapolis proper have much smaller yards
Town feel - if we’re in the suburbs we want to be somewhere that has its own activities and feel. Ideally even a little downtown with shops, a few restaurants, coffee shop or brewery, etc. I don’t love the idea of only being near big box stores.
Good public schools - we’ll have three kids so private is a non starter
“Reasonable” commute to downtown Minneapolis- I’ll probably only have to go in 1-2x a week, but would like to keep the drive <40 mins.
Proximity to parks, lakes, trails, etc

Also, I’m not sure how doable it will be for us to visit to look at homes, etc, so an area that would have an option for family-friendly rentals so we could live there for a year before buying would be a plus.

posted by moshimosh to Home & Garden (25 answers total)

I recommend northeast Minneapolis. We recently bought a 4BR house with attached 3 car garage for less than you're hoping to spend. We're on a double lot, which is not 1/3 of an acre but way more land than most houses in Minneapolis proper. Size/amenities like this are a little unusual for the area, but not super uncommon. We are walking distance to a small retail area with a few restaurants, a short car or bike ride to a retail district with more shops and restaurants, and a 15-minute drive from downtown. The Grand Rounds trail is half a block from my house, and there are four parks, three with playgrounds and splash pads, within three blocks. Northeast is a little less hip than South Minneapolis, which also means more affordable. It's really easy to get to the eastern suburbs from here (where most of our family is), and not bad to get to the western suburbs. Northeast has been a great place to raise kids - streets aren't too busy, lots of playing outside with neighbor kids (or there was, before COVID), public schools seem pretty good at least through middle school (we are homeschooling for non-school-quality reasons). Public transit is strong from here to downtown as well.

Family-size rentals are going to be challenging anywhere in Minneapolis, but this year might be better than most because who knows whether the rentals by the U will be filled with students this year.

We moved here from the east coast nine years ago, and I really love it. We've been in northeast nearly that whole time.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 2:15 PM on June 21, 2020

I lived in the Hopkins/Minnetonka area while in school and it was a 15 minute bus ride from a nice park and ride to downtown Minneapolis. I loved it there and would have happily stayed but my now husband would not move.
posted by notjustthefish at 2:24 PM on June 21, 2020 [1 favorite]

Just as a comment about schools for your kids and where to live: Minneapolis has a strong charter school program so you can get good charter schools where bussing is available. My two children were able to go to a Mandarin immersion school via bus to northeast while the third went to a special school specializing in autism. So, if you fall in love with a place but the main constraint is school quality then take a look at your charter school options.

If you want good transportation options and near the University of Minnesota then I always recommend the Prospect Park neighborhood. However, unless things changed it still needed to get a serious high street but everything is real close by foot and car that it didn't matter.

I live in Sydney now and sorely miss Minneapolis.
posted by jadepearl at 2:41 PM on June 21, 2020

The Twin Cities have changed dramatically in the past 10 years, so make sure you get current advice. Northeast Minneapolis will meet most of your requirements except perhaps lot size. A large house with a large yard near Lake Nokomis might work too, although most houses in that neighborhood are tiny postwar crackerboxes. Noise from the airport is an issue throughout South Minneapolis. Saint Paul is much cheaper than Minneapolis and some neighborhoods might suit you. The public schools in both cities are undergoing intense change, but there have historically been many specialized options in both cities, not just charters but magnets. In St. Paul, my son attends a charter conservatory high school, and before that attended an arts magnet. In Mpls., I attended open magnets 30+ years ago, so these have a long history here. You are likely to have several choices for schools if you live within either city's limits. Private school much less common out here compared to the East Coast. Minneapolic Public Schools *just* voted to eliminate almost all of their magnet schools, though, and it is still unclear how that will affect their schools. Suburbs in the Twin Cities remain monotonous bedroom communities infested with strip malls -- the only suburb I can think of that might meet your wishes is Hopkins, which has a sort of cute downtown. Apple Valley, Eagan, and Eden Prairie are suburbs that are reported to have excellent schools, and you can probably find the large yard, but these are not appealing little mini cities. Your budget is a little tight for a house and yard the right size near the Mpls lakes or in Saint Louis Park, but if you can find something you can afford somehow, you will be happy in that area.
posted by shadygrove at 3:15 PM on June 21, 2020 [1 favorite]

Just a note about Minneapolis Public Schools. What is true today about schools/attendance districts and more may not be true by the time you are here and your kids are ready for school. The Comprehensive District Design plan outlines big changes in the district by 2021. It has been controversial. Emergency distance learning & the uncertainty about fall school situation may delay some of it, but change is coming. Other districts to consider that may have the walkable neighborhoods you like are Hopkins, St Louis Park, Minnetonka, Wayzata, & White Bear Lake (NE of St Paul). Bloomington may have a few walkable neighborhoods. Edina & south MPLS around 50th & France, too, but housing there will be at a premium. MPLS & St Paul have lots of walkable neighborhoods with small shopping areas that originally grew around street car stops. But in (most) cases, the yards & houses are smaller, as you noted. Most places in the TC are close to trails, lakes, & parks.

I live in a SE suburb with great schools, but it definitely doesn't meet a 'town feel'. Typical suburban feel with houses of all types, large yards, kids walking to elementary schools, walkable to parks/playgrounds, pools, etc. Also an easy commute to St Paul, less so to MPLS. Commute from the western suburbs like several mentioned above will probably be more than 40 minutes--at least that was true in 'before time.' A 'reasonable commute' will also depend on the weather and road construction, both of which are real considerations.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 3:47 PM on June 21, 2020 [4 favorites]

I grew up in the Macalester-Groveland area of Saint Paul, and, until, he moved into a retirement community a few years ago, my father still lived there. Very nice, affordable, large houses, and decent lot sizes. Grand Avenue was our "downtown" equivalent, with lots to do there (movie theaters, restaurants, and other stores within walking distance), but Highland Park had even more of a mini-downtown feel.

I'm not sure what's going on with the public schools now - my parents sent me to public schools for K-6, and then to a truly excellent private school in Saint Paul from 7-12. The parochial school system is also quite robust. My entire senior class went to college, and we had several students heading to Ivy Leagues.

The other neighborhood I would consider is Lake Harriet. It's a lot closer to parks and trails and probably closer to downtown Minneapolis, but also quite a bit more expensive.
posted by dancing_angel at 4:15 PM on June 21, 2020

If you’re okay with a slightly smaller yard, this sounds like either Mac-Groveland or Highland Park in St. Paul. $400k can go a long way here.
posted by heurtebise at 4:58 PM on June 21, 2020

Hopkins is the first place I thought of. Good schools, housing in your price range plus the cute downtown. St. Anthony Village and Golden Valley are two others you might want to check out. Both are first ring suburbs to Minneapolis so your commute will be reasonable and you’ll be able to get a decently priced house with a yard.

There are many nice parts of Minneapolis as well, with good schools, but none of those places are in your housing budget. (Lake Harriet, lol, no.)
posted by scantee at 6:44 PM on June 21, 2020 [3 favorites]

I agree with the general sentiment here. Will only add that you might be able to swing far south / southwest Minneapolis for 400k if you're willing to go for a smaller 4br made in the early 50s to early 60s. I'm talking Windom (where I live), Kenny and Armitage neighborhoods. Example in your price range.
posted by MillMan at 7:14 PM on June 21, 2020 [1 favorite]

+1 to Mac-Grove or Highland Park, although depending on lot size and updates $400K might not go as far as you think. Anything under $300K in these neighborhoods sells almost instantly so if you see something you like be prepared to act (I bought my house the morning it was listed and not much has changed since then).

The neighborhood dividing line is Randolph Ave. Neighborhood elementary schools are good on both sides and St Paul has tons of magnet options including some with citywide busing. Middle school is meh everywhere. Above Randolph kids go to Central HS (huge, diverse, variety of opportunities, tragically remodeled from a castle to a brutalist prison years ago) and below Randolph they go to Highland Park HS (smaller, yuppier, IB program, quasi-suburban), so depending on your kids' ages, consider what kind of experience you prefer for them and go from there.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:32 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

(Parents I know generally prefer Central for the academic opportunities and student population that reflects the city's diversity but anecdotally it seems harder to open enroll into Central than HP, fwiw. Minnesota has statewide open enrollment so you can send your kids to any school that has space as long as you're willing to drive them there. As far as I've seen all the St Paul elementary schools are pretty good, after that it's more personal preference on large/small, magnets, etc.)
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:43 AM on June 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

I agree with the thoughts above. The only suburbs with a “town feel” that I can think of are downtown Hopkins, downtown Robbinsdale, some parts of St Louis Park, some parts of St Anthony, and some parts of Mendota Heights. Hopkins and Robbinsdale are most likely to meet your budget, and commuting to downtown will be a breeze from Hopkins when the light rail is done.

I think Robbinsdale is adorable and seriously underrated - I’m trying to convince my parents to downsize and move there from a 2nd ring SW suburb, but they can’t wrap their [racist] brains around moving “north of 394.” There was some headline lately about the state auditor investigating the Robbinsdale school district for financial sketchiness, but the district can’t be any more messed up than Minneapolis.

I love St Paul (lived in Merriam Park for a couple years), and it’s got more of an east coast Main Street vibe than any other place in the Twin Cities. Now I live by Lake Harriet and can only afford it because we bought at the bottom of the market in 2012. We have a small 1950s 4-bedroom ranch, but 2 of those bedrooms are in the basement, so I don’t think that’s what you have in mind... Our yard is bigger than most because our block doesn’t have an alley, but it doesn’t really matter because the neighborhood park is fantastic and super close. As for schools, I have zero confidence in the Minneapolis Public Schools accomplishing anything in their Comprehensive District Design besides further money/student hemorrhaging and massive disruption for my kid and his magnet school classmates who will be scattered to the wind in 2021. But YMMV as a new family entering in a couple years.
posted by Maarika at 7:00 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Oh yeah, Robbinsdale is a neat little gem, as is Hopkins. I might be more positive on St Anthony, but that may be biased by dear friends living there and proximity to Northeast Minneapolis. I'd also add White Bear Lake (but spendy), Anoka (maybe too far), and North St. Paul (decent travel time to St. Paul, but rough to Minneapolis).
posted by advicepig at 7:10 AM on June 22, 2020

Response by poster: Thank you all for your recommendations. Hopkins sounds like the type of area I was picturing, but one i know very little about having almost never ventured to the western suburbs. Robbinsdale is also appealing. I'll dig more into St Anthony and other areas i'm unfamiliar with.

I should add that we love the charm of the older TC homes with lots of wood built-ins, etc, so the suburbs appeal more to us for outdoor space and schools (and because my husband would honestly love to live wayyy out). We're not too concerned about square footage - we're currently in a 3 BR 1 Bath 1,200 sq ft split level. From what I've seen on Zillow, in order to get the 4th bedroom we're after and a second bath we'll naturally wind up with a bit more square footage that should work for us for many years. The lot size thing is largely for my husband who would prefer a more rural setting than me.

Also huge thanks to everyone with comments on the schools. @Nosey Mrs. Rat, your information on the school reform is the type of planning I know nothing about and was hoping to learn, so thank you! And thanks everyone for your personal experience, which seems like a much better barometer.

I should add that while charter/magnet options can be appealing, I'd ideally like to be in a school system where we're not competing/applying early to get into the best fit schools and where neighborhood schools that you default into are strong enough to support diverse needs - both in terms of student population but also academics, arts, music, etc. Is that too much to hope for? Maybe, but i grew up in a district like that and we live in one similar to that now, so i'm holding out hope!
posted by moshimosh at 7:26 AM on June 22, 2020

I don't know much about Hopkins schools. The nearby Wayzata and Edina districts draw a ton of open enrollment but not sure how much of that is kids from Hopkins v. other areas.

A friend of mine has sent her kids to Robbinsdale schools, both their neighborhood elementary/middle and the STEAM magnet (which looks so cool!), and has had good experiences.
posted by Flannery Culp at 7:58 AM on June 22, 2020

Echoing all the Hopkins comments. A friend of mine moved to the area with a very young family, and they landed in Hopkins and are really happy with it. Her kids aren't school-age yet, so I haven't heard as much about the schools.
posted by verity kindle at 10:10 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Just popping back since your update says your husband would like to live way out. What about Northfield? It is a small town with lots to offer. Both Carleton College & St Olaf College are there, it has a river, lots of festivals throughout the year, an Arts Guild, a lovely public library (remodeled Carnegie), breweries, a nice walkable downtown with shops/coffee/restaurants, a co-op, hospital, and more. Previously, there were many cultural events for families or adults and will be again. Besides the colleges, Malt-O-Meal has a plant there, so it smells like toasting grain. Parks & playgrounds. It has its own school district. You could find housing you like in your price range. It is divided by Hwy 3 with downtown/Carleton on one side & St Olaf and a lot of nice neighborhoods on the other. It is a major highway through Northfield and crossing it on foot is not for the fainthearted.

It is a straight shot to downtown Minneapolis via 23/Cedar Ave, either all the way on Cedar to downtown (city streets once past Hwy 62) or catch a freeway to downtown via 494 or 62. There are lots of shortcuts/paths to downtown if Cedar is backed up. Or over to I-35 and straight into downtown. I know someone who commuted from Northfield to the U for 30 years. They raised (big) dogs in Northfield and wanted space, so he was willing to commute. On his way home, he could do his big box shopping as needed in Apple Valley. If you only go in a couple times a week, the trade off could be great. I wish someone had told us about Northfield when we moved here.

Cannon Falls is another small town possibility with a not terrible commute, esp if you can do it non-rush hour. It is on Hwy 52 between the TC & Rochester (I commuted to Rochester via 52 from Apple Valley for about 3 years--not every day--and it was an easy drive. I stopped/shopped in Cannon Falls a lot because cute shops--& DQ.) Not as big or vibrant as Northfield, but it does have a downtown with shops, winery, brewery, restaurants, and a public library. Also the Cannon Valley Bike Trail and the Cannon River for canoeing & tubing. Probably more conservative than liberal Northfield.

Also, since no one mentioned this. Taxes. Be sure to look at property taxes wherever you look. There are big differences, with St Paul & MPLS having high taxes. Plus some areas have an added sales tax. Not all services are covered by the city in some areas; eg, you pay for private garbage hauling & alley plowing in St Paul. Before we moved to Dakota Co (from Mac-Groveland in St Paul) & were looking at listings, it was startling how different the taxes are! Almost twice as much on a Mac-Groveland 4bd/2br house at ~$400 as in Apple Valley. Houses are very different ages/styles, of course. (Plus our streets are plowed early & often, as an added feature.) Just something to consider.

You should ask those questions about neighborhood schools and specialists plus student diversity where you are looking. Minneapolis & St Paul have cut a lot of those positions--for example, less than half of the MPS elementary schools have a certified librarian and fewer than that in SPPS. In some of the neighborhoods recommended here, the elementary student body will not reflect the overall makeup of the city--one of the things the MPS plan tries to address, along with equity in resource distribution.

Hard to see school makeup/culture now with summer & the pandemic, but that is a good way to get a sense of it all. I am with you avoiding the competitive nature of magnet/open enrollment and other alternatives. Not only because of the uncertainty, but it is definitely a mark of privilege to be able to navigate those systems which can put families with fewer resources at a disadvantage.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 3:04 PM on June 22, 2020 [2 favorites]

I love Northfield. I went to Carleton in the late nineties and worked there commuting from south Minneapolis for five years not that long ago. I hate that commute, even in the reverse. Winter makes even the not that busy drive horrible some days, and they are always messing with something in the summer to derail your regular commute. I know every shortcut, but so does everyone else, and there's no decent transit to back it up. I suppose you could park and ride on the "red line" BRT to the blue line LRT, but that's still an hour on a good day.
posted by advicepig at 3:43 PM on June 22, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks for the Northfield recommendation. I’m a St Olaf grad so pretty familiar with the area :) If I find out that there’s no expectation for me to be in the office regularly, we’ll think about it. The reality is that I could see myself looking for a different job in the next 3 years, so want to be sure we’re somewhere that will facilitate other opportunities in healthcare.
posted by moshimosh at 5:25 PM on June 22, 2020

It's on the borderline of your criteria for pricing/commute time to MPLS, and there's not much in the way of diversity, but you might consider jumping the state line to Hudson (or North Hudson). Small downtown with a waterfront park, restaurants, arts/antique stores, bars, a brewery, public theater with concerts/plays/dance classes, library, etc. We're not immune from suburban sprawl, cul de sacs, and big box stores, but Hudson has an identity of its own, rather than as a bedroom community with a strip mall. I don't have firsthand experience, but I understand the schools are fairly good.

Nearby is Stillwater, MN which, as near as I can tell, hits a lot of the same notes.
posted by yuwtze at 9:03 PM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Downtown Stillwater is nice. Bayport, my favorite little river town, has a great elementary school and public library. That said, Stillwater schools have been in crisis mode for the last five years - they closed two high-performing schools in rural north communities and a relatively diverse central school while building a new school to serve exurban growth to the south - and recently ousted their superintendent.

If Northfield is not too far from the cities for you, take a look at Red Wing - about the same distance, historic downtown area, great bakery. And of course, for medical-related jobs, the obvious choice would be Rochester, which has been working to make itself more of a real city and not just a hospital town.
posted by Flannery Culp at 5:46 AM on June 23, 2020 [2 favorites]

I grew up in Mac-Groveland, but I came here to suggest Red Wing and Stillwater, too! I know they aren't the total job magnets that the Cities are, but they have a strong "town" feel to them. In the last hundred days, so many organizations have discovered that they actually can do WFH, so that may not be quite the barrier that it used to be.

I live in Rhode Island now, so I get the east coast thing; I would love to have raised my kids in MN, where my family still lives. It's not flawless, but I would prefer it.
posted by wenestvedt at 11:53 AM on June 24, 2020

Best answer: Popping back in to acknowledge something that came up in one of the race discussion threads: "good schools" is often a dogwhistle for "white and wealthy". St Paul's East Side and Midway are less moneyed and don't have the small shopping district or hipster college vibe of Highland and Mac-Grove, but they still have good schools and neighborhood engagement. I can't think of any truly bad SPPS schools (as in ineffective and unsafe) and can think of several I'd choose over a certain Highland elementary which is the richest and whitest in the district and not at all reflective of the city. Similarly, Edina always ranks high and Inver Grove Heights is on no one's radar, but Simley HS has some really cool programs and philosophies (ex. allowing woodworking to count for the fine arts requirement) without all the wealth and pretension of Edina.

There are very few non-religious private schools in Minnesota and that is because most families trust and use public or charter options. Test scores mostly reflect the socioeconomic status of the students, not the quality of the education, and can be gamed - the top performing "elementary school" in the Cities is a small gifted magnet program that draws kids from surrounding areas. Many suburban districts have similar programs but only one broke it out as a separate school on paper. Meanwhile the others are purposely locating those programs in certain buildings to raise their overall test scores and look better to parents choosing a school. Find a neighborhood or town your family would be happy to live in and don't focus on its scores, especially with very young children - so much can change in a few years. The Stillwater school closings I mentioned earlier? Two of those were Blue Ribbon schools anchoring small towns and no one saw it coming.

Sorry for the length, I've spent a lot of time overthinking Minnesota schools. I was one of those "lofty community goals but my kid's education can't wait" parents who heard and dismissed these things because it all seems so fraught when kids are small. In retrospect I would make different choices and mostly stress less over finding the perfect educational fit. Your kid's eventual college and life path doesn't depend on where they go for K and you aren't bound for the next 13 years if that school turns out to be a bad fit.)
posted by Flannery Culp at 5:47 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: @Flannery Culp this is extremely helpful and great perspective. Do you have any resources I could reference other than the ubiquitous Great Schools ratings? As we narrow our search based on other criteria I’d love to have more diverse opinions, even better if they’re from families in those communities, to learn from. I’m not sure how much opportunity we’ll have to visit areas in person due to Covid, so anything we could reference online would be helpful!
posted by moshimosh at 4:32 AM on June 26, 2020

Sites like GreatSchools and Niche can be useful if you ignore the overall score and look at the data and reviews. Minnesota DoE also produces report cards for every school and district that include data broken out a million different ways (want to know, say, how Hispanic-identified 4th graders perform in math at this school v. the overall district or state? The report card is on it) plus parent survey responses.

Individual district and school websites are also useful. St Paul for instance produces its own report cards in addition to the state ones and links both on each school's About page (example). Reading through school board minutes will give you a feel for the district and its priorities.

As far as finding local parent opinions, others here with younger kids might have better sources. Local Facebook groups can be useful for "I'm considering school X, what has been your experience there?" You might also try an ECFE office - every district has one and they might be able to connect you with families with similar-age kids or slightly older ones who recently aged out and started school.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:26 AM on June 26, 2020 [1 favorite]