Moving to Minneapolis/St Paul and need info!

[Dyanne]

I have tried to search for members who are in the Minn/St Paul area, but I simply cannot figure out the best way to find you guys! There's a 50% chance we'll be relocating there from sunny Florida within a few months.

I am mainly interested in finding out the nicest place to look for houses (someone suggested Edina -- we'd like to be fairly close to one of the twin cities) or land (I'd prefer to build), what produce is in the stores (I'd prefer lots!) and if there are great restaurants, and how bad (good?) the snow is and how long it lasts. What winter sports are nearby? We're Jewish, so I would also like to see if anyone knows anything about the Jewish population. (We're Conservative, but lean towards the Reform side.) I saw pictures of two beautiful new temples there on the web and was very impressed. Our kids are 6, 4, and 1, so I would be intrested in finding out about kid-friendliness.

I have to admit I'm a little leery of moving this time around. I grew up in Texas, then went to grad school in Syracuse and lived in Pittsburgh and Durham for a few years each. We've lived in Orlando (actually, Winter Park, which is a beautiful brick-streeted city of 25,000 people and over 100 lakes) for the past 6 years. I've gotten used to jumping in the car to go to Disney every weekend. And, of course, the beach is less than an hour away. And it's always warm. And the produce is pretty good. And the restaurants are FABULOUS, especially the new Seasons 52! And... well, you get the idea...

I pride myself on being able to live happily anywhere, so I know the transition will work out well. I've lived in Syracuse and Pittsburgh, so I know snow and cold.

Thanks for the info.

Dyanne

[Kismet]

Hey there Dyanne! I live in one of the Southeastern suburbs of the Twin Cities and work in downtown St. Paul. I've been here about 6 years, so not a very long time, but I have lived in quite a few different areas in the cities.

When looking for a place to live, you really want to consider where work will be. It's not all that convenient to live in the suburbs of one of the cities if you work in the other. As well, if you would like to use any public transportation, that's a huge consideration.

Edina is a nice suburb, close to Minneapolis, but quite pricy. It's also an older suburb, so not really much chance for building. Unfortunately, if you want to build/have land, most of your choices will be farther out. If you are going to be working in St. Paul, Eagan is quite a nice suburb, a bit farther out, but with new building still occuring. It also has a very good school district. If you want other ideas, I've lived in the east metro, the southeast metro, and the southwest metro, as well as in Minneapolis itself, so I might have some other ideas for you!

We have quite a few good grocery stores around for produce. Byerly's and Lund's are great! Also, the farmer's markets in the summer in both downtowns (as well as in some of the suburbs) are terrific! There are a number of different ethnic markets - asian, hispanic, middle eastern, italian, etc, etc, etc, so there aren't many ingredients you can't find! I love that about living here!

Ok, I've babbled enough. I'm sure Jessica will chime in here soon, as well. She lives in St. Paul and will surely have some great ideas, too!

Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions!

[Kyra]

Dyanne!

I just wrote a hugely long post, and the stupid computer ate it!

I promise to try to re-create it...the basic gist was, I lived in Mpls for about eight years (in Edina for five), and love it, love, love it! No worries about food, it's very family friendly, and fairly diverse and tolerant.

I have to do a couple of other things, but I will post here again soon. If you want to e-mail me, it's kyrasv@yahoo.com!

kyra

[Dyanne]

Kismet and Kyra, THANK YOU for replying so quickly! I am absolutely obsessed with this subject, and I was afraid I might have to wait several HOURS to get a response. You guys must know the anxiety I'm experiencing!

Price isn't really a big factor in our real estate decision. (But that $9 million place Coldwell Banker has on their site is out of our range... ) Given that information, would you say Edina is still a good choice? Are there other really nice areas to think about?

My husband's offices (sorry I have to be vague -- it's still kinda on the QT) are in 7 places around the twin cities, from Eden Prairie to Woodbury, from Burnsville to Coon Rapids. So he's got the entire area covered!

I would like to live within that area -- in other words, not west of Eden Prairie or east of Woodbury. The two temples that showed promise are near Edina, which was one of the reasons it piqued my interest. Also, as long as I get to pick where to move, I'd rather move where Mall of America and the airport wouldn't be TOO far away but not close enough for discomfort. I have a feeling MoA would be great for my three little kids.

You mentioned good school districts, which is something important to us. We'd happily pay for private school if it was the best option, but I've heard public school districts are great up there. I wouldn't want to drive too far to get to school, though. Any ideas?

So I've babbled on and on, but once again, I am so relieved you guys are filling me in on everything. Thank you.

Dyanne

[Dyanne]

I forgot to ask -- someone posted a message a while ago about setting up a Supper Club in the twin cities. Did it ever happen? Are you a member of a supper club? If we move there, will you start one with me or let me join yours?

Dyanne

[Kyra]

Dyanne,

The Edina school system is a very good one. My ex-husband grew up in Edina, so I can attest to the quality of their schools. It is not the cheapest neighborhood, but like most Minneapolis neighborhoods, it has a range of home prices, so you don't have to spend nine million dollars to live there (sheesh!). I am afraid I know very little about private schools.

Edina, depending on exactly where you live, is an easy 10-20 minute drive to the airport, even if there is traffic. No worries there.

I can see that small children might make The Mall more attractive, but I hated the place and only went there to go to Nordstrom's (best shoe department on the planet), or to show out-of-towners. I know lots of other places to shop!

Some of the other stuff I was going to tell you that got erased when the computer had its little hissy fit:

DO NOT WORRY about food, restaurants, and grocery stores. Byerly's (my favorite) and Lund's, the local groceries, will keep you happy for general produce. Everytime I needed an ingredient for a CL recipe, they had it! There are also the big, ugly ones: Rainbow and Cub Foods. However, i happily paid just a little bit more to shop at Byerly's. Carpeting. Friendly, helpful employees (the deli ladies and my favorite bagger knew my name, if you can believe it!). They bag your groceries for you, and have a "drive-up" pickup system: you pay, they give you a plastic number, you herd the kids into the car, go to the drive-up location, and they put the groceries in your car! Especially great with small children, or when it's raining or snowing. There are also co-ops/health food stores (the Wedge in Uptown is the best), there is a Whole Foods, and there are lots of ethnic markets. I am blanking on the name of the big Asian one that is so wonderful, Kismet, help me out here! And there are two Penzey stores. El Burrito Mercado in St. Paul. Oh, and absolutely fabulous farmer's markets all over the Cities.

There are so many good restaurants, I will only mention my absolute favorite: Broder's. italian. At 50th and Penn in Mpls. Please go, you won't regret it, and have the best Caesar salad on the planet and whatever the special is, and if strawberry mousse is on the menu, order it! But I can tell you about many, many more, and every kind of ethnic food you could want: Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, Afghani, even Tibetan and Kurdish!

Dyanne, I would be happy to e-mail with you, or even chat on the phone, or whatever you like. Drop me a line at kyrasv@yahoo.com, if you wish.

best wishes,

kyra

[Kismet]

Wow, Kyra, I think you've covered it!

I know that there are a number of CL supper clubs meeting in the Twin Cities. Jessica often posts reviews from hers in St. Paul, and I'm involved in one that has members from all parts of the cities. If you end up moving, Dyanne, we'd love to have another member!

Kyra has given you some great ideas about shopping! There are actually a number of Asian markets - I like United Noodles, but I haven't yet been to Dragon Star which is often mentioned as a favorite. I have to agree about the MoA - I hate it and try to avoid it, but it is a good place to take out of towners!

I agree about the restaurants, too. In the suburbs, there are a gazillion chains, but if you just go into either of the cities, there are tons of great restaurants of all types. I am REALLY sad, though, that I never got to go to Aquavit before it closed! :mad:

[Kyra]

United Noodles! that was what I was trying to think of! Thanks, Kismet!

This thread has made me sooooo homesick for the Cities. There is all kinds of food there that I cannot get here in Columbus, and I just keep thinking of more favorite restaurants, not to mention Byerly's. I am still going through Byerly's withdrawal....I haven't heard of Dragon Star, where is it?

Dreaming of Byerly's produce section...and eating gazpacho on the patio at the Good Earth in the Galleria...and Broder's...and that tapas place in LynLake..and Sebastian Joe's ice cream...and Sonny's ice cream...and Pasqual's..and, most of all, the lakes!

homesick in flat, boring, water-less Ohio,

kyra

[granolagirl]

Kismet, when did Aquavit close? Dang, that was on my "someday" list.

Dyanne, I can't help you out too much because I don't live there, but my DH is from the Cities and we are there (somewhat) often to visit family. So, I feel it's safe to say that you'll love it. There are tons of lakes in the area, great restaurants, lots of fun things to do. You can check out www.byerlys.com to get a feel for it. And if you do indeed become a Minnesotan, you must visit the MN State Fair (and sample the mini donuts!).

Most of my DH's family lives in Bloomington, home of MOA, and it's a nice city. Edina is very nice though--I love the older homes.

Anyway, just wanted to chime in with my opinion that the area is a great place. Good luck to you!

[Kismet]

Originally posted by granolagirl
Kismet, when did Aquavit close? Dang, that was on my "someday" list.

Yeah, me too. It closed about a month ago - very unexpectedly. I guess I'll just have to go to the NY one someday!

Kyra - Dragon Star is on University Ave in St. Paul. There are supposed to be tons of great asian restaurants in that area, too, but I haven't tried any of them yet, either.

[Nancy171]

Is Table of Contents still open (I think it's near Loring Park)? I loved that place! What about Tejas in Edina? DH and I met in Minneapolis (long story), so I have a soft spot for it. Everyone is so nice and there's so much to do.

I hope things with the move work out for you, Dyanne. Becuase you have children, I'll put in a plug for my old summer camp in Northern Minnesota (I guess they're a bit young still, but you can always plan ahead). They're the Concordia College Language Villages, located near Bemidji. Each camp is a separate "country" where the kids learn languages through immersion with songs, crafts, group lessons, etc. Everyone gets a passport, changes their money into the foreign currency, takes new names. Because it's Minnesota, they have all of the Scandinavian languages (I went to the Swedish camp b/c that's my family background), but the French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese, etc. are probably more popular. See: Concordia Language Villages

[Jessica]

Hi,

I was out of the office all day, but of course I want to tell you how much I love the Cities. I've lived here on and off since 1993 and we came back to stay for good in 1999.

My DH and I live in St. Paul and belong to a Reform temple here. Feel free to PM or email me with questions about synagogues and I will answer as best as I can, although I am not familiar with the suburban ones.

Edina does have good schools, as do most of the western suburbs. Minneapolis and St. Paul both have magnet school systems but I don't know how hard it is to get your kids into the magnet schools--some of them have lotteries or something like that. Can you tell we don't have kids yet?

You can get good produce here, but IMHO it is expensive and many things are hard to get in the winter. I've paid a lot at Byerly's for middling quality at times. It's not California. But we do have great farmer's markets and grocery stores and a good restaurant scene.

One thing you should know--I hate to be at all negative about my home city but I have heard that it can be difficult to make new friends here. People are verrrrrry nice, but most Minnesotans were born and raised here and they have busy family lives and old friends. We were lucky in that we went to college an hour outside the Cities and have many college friends here, although neither of us was raised here. Just something to consider.

On the plus side--you have a terrific urban environment with beautiful parks and lakes, reasonably priced homes and low crime. We have a great children's museum, two zoos, lots of theater and the State Fair.

On the minus side--not very diverse population and the climate is not great.

Many people are saying Minnesota is getting more conservative politically. Whether that is a plus or a minus depends on where you stand.

Bottom line--it's not perfect but it's home to us. I interview a lot of business people who move here for a year or two for a job and then decide to stay.

Email or PM me with any questions.

Jessica

[Kismet]

Originally posted by Jessica
One thing you should know--I hate to be at all negative about my home city but I have heard that it can be difficult to make new friends here. People are verrrrrry nice, but most Minnesotans were born and raised here and they have busy family lives and old friends. We were lucky in that we went to college an hour outside the Cities and have many college friends here, although neither of us was raised here. Just something to consider.

Unfortunately, I've found this to be very true. But, there are more and more "transplants" to the Cities, so there are bound to be lots of poeple out there looking for friends!

Nancy - What a great plug for the Language Villages! I never attended them, but I've only heard great things about them! As far as the restaurants you asked about - Table of Contents is no longer open; Tejas is, but I've heard very negative things about them lately.

[Kjente2]

Now if I were to go look for a house in the twin cities, I would actually consider living in Northfieild 35 miles outside the city, but more realistic New Brighton, Shoreview, Eagan, Roseville, Edina if you likd suburbs. Mac/Groveland, Highland Park or in Minneapolis, just on the other side of the Franklin or Highland bridge if you like the perfect mix of city and homey neighborhood. I lived on the river road when I left, 2 blocks from the falls...it was perfect for me. Its easy to get around so anywhere works, those are just kind of in the middle of everything.
My favorite resturants, Lucia's in uptown, both the Luci's on Raymond in St Paul, Loring Cafe on Loring Park..then of course Cosettas and Kramarczyks.
I lived there until 3 years ago. I would go back there in a heartbeat. Education is far superior to what you find in a lot of the United States, I know that from working with drs coming from other places and from having had a traveling job in the past. A doc that moved from CA where he had his kids in magnet schools put the in public school as they were so superior to CA public schools.

[Dyanne]

Thanks for the specific info on housing areas, Karen. Like I said, money's not the issue, but driving IS. I don't think I could live far from a city.

The info on education is obviously a hot-button topic for me right now. I'm going to see what web-based resources there are for education standards and statistics for MN.

I suppose my father did me in during our unending ride-in-the-van vacations. I'm more of a get-there, do-your-stuff, leave kind of girl. My father, who sold cattle feeders for a living, would force me to look up from my Nancy Drew book to look at a pretty cow. Given that we traveled from Waco, Texas, to every state except Hawaii and Alaska, we saw quite a few cows. Once he even made me cry because he made me put the book down in Kansas and look at the pretty scenery passing us by. (No offense to anyone in Kansas -- these were ROWS OF CORN, for criminy's sake! -- or anyone with a love of cows!)

Back to the topic...

It has now reached a 99% chance that we will be moving there, so all these hypothetical questions have suddenly become very, very important. I will be e-mailing anyone who will answer! (Jessica, I've already started an e-mail to you. Hopefully it'll be done soon!)

We're not sure of the timing of the move, though. My husband will need to train his replacement, which could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Life just isn't complete without a little uncertainty!

Dyanne

[Kjente2]

Northfield IS a city, its just a smaller city than the twin cities. St Olaf college and Carlton College are both located there. There is excellent theater, music, and culture, its just in a more intimate setting.
If money isn't an issue and you want city living (actually more like a suburb/park in the middle of the city..then you want
Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, Mount Curve in Minneapolis or Crocus Hill in St Paul. East or West river roads in either city. Stillwater is
18 miles from downtown St Paul and on the St Croix River, its BEAUTIFUL all year round.
the northside of town has really built up some nice places as well.
If you need a realtor, I've got a friend that you would very much enjoy.
hehhe....yes, there really are 10,000 lakes....
email anytime you like.

[Jessica]

I graduated from Carleton and I just want to point out that while Northfield is a city, albeit a small one, there are no synagogues there. You would have to travel to the Twin Cities to attend one (or perhaps to Rochester).

[javajulie]

Dyanne,

I just had to weigh-in on the whole Twin Cities discussion. Hi, my name is Julie and I live in lovely St. Paul in the Mac/Groveland neighborhood. My supper club in the cities has been going for about 1 1/2 years. We also met through Cooking Light. In fact we meet this coming Saturday again. It has been great fun. I have seen a number of other postings for people trying to start clubs here so I doubt you'd have trouble getting into one.

I know you're looking to build probably out in the suburbs but don't overlook St. Paul. We have a great school system. My oldest daughter is entering first grade in the fall so we've been through the whole school search thing in St. Paul. Yes, they have magnet schools but they are not impossible to get into as long as you have your application in by the deadline. French and Spanish Immersion, creative arts, Gifted and Talented, you name it. We ended up at our neighborhood school and are very pleased with it. If you'd like me to send you the St. Paul school catalog I'd be happy to do that.
My neighbors are Jewish and seem quite satisfied with the community here. If you have smaller children, the Twin Cities (especially St. Paul) offer Early Childhood Education classes which I consider essential to parents of young children. We really enjoy them.
St. Paul has many lovely older homes. Because of the great interest rates many people have been doing extensive expansions and updates to their homes.
My husband likes living in St. Paul because he can catch a bus to work in either downtown St. Paul or Minneapolis. If you live in the city the bus system is the best.
We live near adequate markets. We have Lunds and Whole Foods nearby which seem to have most of the cooking ingredients I need. When I need ethnic foods I drive about fifteen minutes to Minneapolis (up Central Ave) to the many middle-eastern grocery stores (Patel is a current favorite).
Oh, but the best thing is that I can order my groceries online here through a service called SimonDelivers.com. They are a local company and are fabulous. They have been working hard to make this work here in the Twin Cities before expanding to other markets. Check them out. The produce I've gotten through them has been just great. They are very service-oriented. Who wouldn't like having their groceries delivered to their front door after all?

I wouldn't say that the Twin Cities lacks diversity. St. Paul has the largest Hmong population in the United States. The West Side is predominately Hispanic with a number of good Mexican markets. The East side is populated by various Asian groups. University Avenue in St. Paul has many interesting Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants (and now Ethiopian too). St. Paul is also home to a growing Somali population as well. St. Paul and Minneapolis also has a large African American population. There is MUCH less diversity as you go out into the second and third tier suburbs. But for all the diversity in St. Paul, my neighborhood is predominantly upper-middle class whites. Go figure.

So, I hope we can continue to arm you with information. If you do move here, please don't hesitate to contact me. Not all of us are as stand-offish as you may have heard. (I too have heard from non-natives that Minnesotans tend to have networks that are already "filled". ) Good luck to you. My email is Julie.Printz@usfamily.net.

Julie

[Jessica]

Hi JavaJulie--I am in Mac-Groveland, too! Glad to hear this area has another supper club.

Julie is right about the diversity. I tend to see it through different eyes because I grew up in Chicago, but the Cities are getting a more diverse population.

I've also heard very good things about SimonDelivers.

[EVOO4]

Hi,
I lived in MN from 1978-1997. My parents still live there, near St. Cloud. Edina has a good reputation, but I'd never send someone to live there unless I thought they were a snob (but couldn't afford Minnetonka, which is even worse snob-wise). I suggest Bloomington, Lakeville, Apple Valley or Eagan. Or, St. Louis Park, which has the largest concetration of Jewish folks. As far as schools, I was educated at St. Olaf College to be a teacher. Minnesota & Iowa swap the #1 spot on national educational rankings, so you aren't really in a position where you have to worry about bad schools. If you're going to work downtown or in any suburbs, you'd be crazy to move to Northfield. It's too far away, and it's a college-focused town that basically shuts down in the summer (if you're a professor, then live there, it's great if you're in academia, like small town cafes, and bars that kids try to sneak into). Don't ever go to the Northfield hospital, as they only give two diagnoses: (1) you have mono and (2) you're pregnant. (Note: If you went to Carleton, it's morel likely #2 but St. Olaf #1.) Park Nicollet is a good doctor system, as well as good old Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (This is more than personal opinion, I worked in human resources, including benefits). Apple Valley Wine Club and Lakeville Wine Club (run by Dakota county liquor stores of similar names) are a fun way to meet people and a great value for the money. Byerly's and Lund's are the 'expensive' grocery stores, which offer a great selection of stuff. Go there for hard to find ingredients, or for pre-made deli stuff. For everyday needs, Cub Foods and Rainbow Foods are great. I now live in the South (Atlanta) and I can tell you that in the North you'll have to bag your own groceries at most stores, but that means your tomatoes won't get smashed. Lots of things are set-up for drive-thru in the North, especially important in the winter. I found it easier to make friends in Minnesota than in Georgia. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help. Just email me. Best of luck!