Minneapolis, MN

[Illusio80]

@ Lycidas - Thank you for that.  Do you have suggestions about how I can start looking at housing options near the University? From 3 continents away it seems a bit daunting and I'm at a loss! Are there specific websites that I can look at? I have been going through this forum to get an idea of the neighbourhoods I should be looking at. 

 

Craigslist is a good option, and there might be a University housing office - I never used it, but try Google.  As I said before, I would concentrate on Uptown and Northeast, maybe Seward and Longfellow.  Above all else, avoid Phillips and North Minneapolis due to crime rates (sorry to offend anyone.)

 

I have another general question -

How tough are the winters? It is impossible to even go outdoors? What  people usually do to cope with the harsh climate? To what extent is 'quality of life' affected by the long winters? 

(It is probably obvious from my questions that I am someone who has never experienced sub-zero temperatures!) 

 

If you are from a tropical climate, or something like it, I'm sure the winter weather will come as an utter shock.  By November you should have bought a winter coat with down filling.  That is the warmest kind of coat.  You will survive.

 

On a positive note, summers are hot and humid.  Summer will probably remind you of home, but not quite as hot.

Edited February 10, 2013 by Illusio80

[ayudell]

Generally speaking, sooner rather than later. If you're looking at living in the Twin Cities area, now would be a good time to start looking for housing. Many places may not know their exact availability yet (assuming you won't be moving in until fall semester starts) but they can put you on a wait list, which is probably a good idea. These wait lists generally fill up quick, especially in housing around the University. So you want to get on one early to have the best shot at getting good housing. 

 

I currently live in Uptown in Minneapolis.  Many of the (off campus) leases in Minneapolis forbid move-outs between November and April, so there is really not much available right now.  "Sooner is better" is sage advice, but you should consider waiting until spring to find an apartment when there will be more options. 

 

I can't speak with any authority about on-campus housing timeframes.

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

I currently live in Uptown in Minneapolis.  Many of the (off campus) leases in Minneapolis forbid move-outs between November and April, so there is really not much available right now.  "Sooner is better" is sage advice, but you should consider waiting until spring to find an apartment when there will be more options. 

 

I can't speak with any authority about on-campus housing timeframes.

 

Tell me a little bit about Uptown. Nice place to live? reasonable rent? How far is it from the university? Thanks :-) 

[MinnesotaWinter]

Tell me a little bit about Uptown. Nice place to live? reasonable rent? How far is it from the university? Thanks :-) 

 

Uptown is a nice place to live, and has plenty of express bus routes that will get you to the U in 10-15 minutes. However, there's more reasonable rent in other neighborhoods with similar amenities (Longfellow/Seward area, Northeast, etc). I've lived in Northeast MPLS for the past 2.5 years and love the neighborhood and would highly recommend checking it out as well.

[ayudell]

Tell me a little bit about Uptown. Nice place to live? reasonable rent? How far is it from the university? Thanks :-) 

 

I have lived in a 12 unit brownstone with my wife in North Uptown for three years.  We really like the area: great restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance, walking distance to the Lake of the Isles and easy access to the heart of Minneapolis' bike trail system.  Being in the north part of Uptown gives us really easy access to I94 and the U.  If we were to take the bus (which runs about every 15 min) it would take 15-30 minutes to get to the U depending on which route you took.  Driving is probably more like 10 minutes.  You could bike to the U on dedicated trail in 40 minutes although you wouldn't want to be coming back alone after dark- the Greenway goes through a not-so-nice part of town.  In fact, once you learn how to use the trail system, you can get anywhere in Minneapolis on dedicated bike path.

 

The scene in Uptown is mostly older undergrad students and young professionals.  If you want to go to big party bars, there are plenty of those.  There are also nice places to have a quieter drink on Friday nights which is more our scene.  The restaurants are very good in Uptown and you also have quick access to 'Eat Street'- Nicollet Ave.  If you are in the mood to listen to live music and pay $7 for a beer, downtown is only a $10 cab ride away.

 

I think in Uptown you can expect to pay about $1 per square foot in rent.  It is probably slightly more expensive than other neighborhoods, but you lose access to the trails and the lakes.  I have spent some time in Northeast and St. Anthony which are also very nice with similar qualities, but we love the trails too much to move.  I would personally avoid Seward as there is more crime there than in Uptown or NE. 

 

Something that we found out is that the motorcycles are very loud up and down Hennepin and Lyndale in the summer.  The loud ones seem to go by a couple times an hour when the weather is nice so if this would bother your sleep, you might consider living a block or two from those main roads.

 

I was recently accepted to the U and will be staying in Uptown- we really like it.  I would recommend it if you want to have access to the great walking and biking trails for which Minneapolis is famous.

Edited February 11, 2013 by ayudell

[introspectiveopacity]

 I would personally avoid Seward as there is more crime there than in Uptown or NE. 

 

I think plenty of people would be totally fine living in Seward. It's just less yuppie-ish than uptown. I think it's a great neighborhood, and I'd much rather live there than uptown. Particularly if you're going to live on a less luxurious grad stipend, you can save lots of money by living in a house with roommates in a neighborhood that is a little less "polished."

 

Minneapolis/St. Paul is not that dangerous of a city...most neighborhoods are pretty safe as long as you take basic precautions.

[Spreadpeace88]

I am a non-native Minnesotan (born and raised in Cincinnati) but have lived in Minneapolis for 6 years now.

Here are my two cents: as somebody who could barely stomach living near campus as an undergrad, I would never recommend it to a grad student. If you want to be surrounded by cheap bars full of frat boys and woken up at 3 in the morning but loud and drunk 19 year olds, go ahead.

I think that uptown is a good option for grad students, it's mostly full of young professionals and I always feel safe there. It is, however, a little spendier for rent. My boyfriend and I used to live over there and each paid $675 for a nice two bedroom apartment. We now live in south minneapolis by lake Nokomis in a gorgeous brownstone and pay $675 TOTAL, so less than $340 each, and we love this neighborhood. If you looking to be close to the action I would say uptown, but if you are looking for something quieter and a little more removed (or if you have a family) I would definitely suggest the Nokomis area or even St. Paul.

As far as the winters go, it's really not that bad. I've found that its all a matter of dressing correctly. If you wear a cheap coat and toms with no socks, you will be cold, wet and miserable. Buy some smart wool socks, good (waterproof) boots and a warm coat and you will be just fine. With all the lakes here it is so beautiful in the winter, and it only makes you appreciate the gorgeous and sunny summers up here even more.

[Illusio80]

 if you are looking for something quieter and a little more removed (or if you have a family) I would definitely suggest the Nokomis area or even St. Paul.

 

 

I lived in Saint Paul for four years while attending grad school on the West Bank and lost at least a couple hours of productivity to bus travel each day.  But, I had no choice (free rent option.)  I don't study well during bumpy busrides.  So, I recommend living within Minneapolis.

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

From what everyone is saying,  for grad students Seward, Uptown, Longfellow and Northeast are the places to look at. (Uptown does sound a little expensive) I think I will start my search around april...thanks all! 

[Maggi]

I got accepted to UMN for a PhD program starting Fall 2013, and it looks like I would be going there. I jsut read through this thread. Just want to convey a big thanks to all those people who provided suggestions. It was really helpful, especially for an international student like me who would have been lost completely otherwise to look at accomodation.

[zabius]

So, my long-awaited visit to UMN is finally coming up in a few days. The school is hosting me for 4 days and I'll have a lot of free time to explore the area. Are there any places that you would consider "must-see" for a prospective student? I'm not really looking for tourist attractions or anything, but if there are particular places/areas that you think would be informative for a prospective graduate student to check out, do let me know! I've never been to the Twin Cities before. Of course, if there are things that you think any first-time visitor should do before leaving, let me know as well. I'll have some time for general fun before I catch my flight back home.

 

UMN is one of my top choices at the moment, and so I'm beginning to seriously consider where I'd live if I decide to attend the U. There are some great recommendations earlier in this thread, and I definitely plan to take a look at some of those areas.

 

Also, if it matters, my program is in St. Paul so I'd probably be there a lot. But everyone tells me that Minneapolis is where a lot of the grad students tend to live/hang out on the weekends. So, I'm open to suggestions in both cities!

 

Thanks, everyone! I agree with Maggi above... you've all provided some excellent info so far!

Edited March 7, 2013 by zabius

[Cheminal]

Anyone who has decided to go to UMN for PhD in Chemistry?

 

Please reply here. I am interested in looking for housing. As an international student it would be difficult to find housing for me, and I'd really appreciate it if someone else is looking for housing too, because I'd prefer a wet lab scientist as a roommate.

 

Thanks.

 

I'd also prefer if someone can reply about getting housing near campus for people who are wetlab scientists. Thanks.

[Sorawit]

So, my long-awaited visit to UMN is finally coming up in a few days. The school is hosting me for 4 days and I'll have a lot of free time to explore the area. Are there any places that you would consider "must-see" for a prospective student? I'm not really looking for tourist attractions or anything, but if there are particular places/areas that you think would be informative for a prospective graduate student to check out, do let me know! I've never been to the Twin Cities before. Of course, if there are things that you think any first-time visitor should do before leaving, let me know as well. I'll have some time for general fun before I catch my flight back home.

 

UMN is one of my top choices at the moment, and so I'm beginning to seriously consider where I'd live if I decide to attend the U. There are some great recommendations earlier in this thread, and I definitely plan to take a look at some of those areas.

 

Also, if it matters, my program is in St. Paul so I'd probably be there a lot. But everyone tells me that Minneapolis is where a lot of the grad students tend to live/hang out on the weekends. So, I'm open to suggestions in both cities!

 

Thanks, everyone! I agree with Maggi above... you've all provided some excellent info so far!

I'm totally jealous. It's not logical for me to go visit the campus for just a few days and fly home (I'm from Thailand). So I'll have to wait till July-August to go there and see for myself.

[abeilles]

what would be a good time to start looking at apartments for the fall?

[Jbenrod]

I imagine there would be a lot of turnover in apartments after this school year is over so I would think you can wait until end of May or early June to really start looking.   If anyone reads this thread who is on the ground there in the Twin Cities can you give us an update on general apartment cost.  I would have to share an apartment with someone. 

 

Also, has anyone else noticed how much it cost to have a parking spot on campus?   It ranges from $128-98/month depending on ramp location to a remote lot like $68/month.   They don't want people to use a car and I'm fine with that as I don't like to think about starting a car in "0" temps every morning just for a 2 or 3 mile drive to campus.   I hope the bus system is as good as I've heard as I am from the warm south and am a bit concerned about surviving the long brutal winters.

 

If anyone has moved to MN from a warmer climate can you tell us again that you have somehow adjusted and survived ?    I have never driven with snow on the ground and we tend to close down anytime it gets below freezing so I am concerned about temps that will get below even 10F !

 

Someone tell me it is going to be OK to freeze for months at a time and that you can commute from an apartment somewhere around the East bank campus area without a car  !

Edited March 19, 2013 by Jbenrod

[G2A]

I need to find a new place for September since my room mate is defending his dissertation soon. I do not plan to start looking for another couple of months at least.

 

@Jbenrod, I've been very pleasantly surprised by the public transport system here. The light rail is great (going N-S) and a second line will open up in the near future (W-E). Both intersect at the University. Busses come fairly often and are always on time. There is also a campus connector (from the East and West bank to the St. Paul campus) which is free and some people can use as their regular bus since it does stops along the way. Overall, I'm impressed by the system (means a lot coming from a European). That being said, there are definitely a lot of characters on the bus lines. If you don't want to talk to them, don't worry, they'll talk to themselves.

[kdilks]

I believe you only have to give 2 months notice as to whether you want to continue your rental, so lots of stuff opens up on the first few days of the month for 2 months out. I came to look for housing in either April or May before I moved out here looking to start in August or September, and there just wasn't much available yet.

 

Parking on campus is definitely not worth it. Some people try to bike year-round, and only take the bus on days when the roads are really bad. Ideally you'd want to live near an express/ 'limited stop' bus to campus.

[wafflechunk29]

Hi everyone, this may have been mentioned already at some point but I just wanted to say that the uptown area in Minneapolis is a great place for students to live. If you live near Hennepin Ave or Lyndale Ave, you will have access to quite a few express buses that go straight to the U of M. I have lived in uptown for a few years (while attending the U), and I love it. It is very convenient, and it is easy to find relatively affordable housing. Lots of food options around too.

 

Tldr - uptown Minneapolis highly recommended!

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Hi everyone, this may have been mentioned already at some point but I just wanted to say that the uptown area in Minneapolis is a great place for students to live. If you live near Hennepin Ave or Lyndale Ave, you will have access to quite a few express buses that go straight to the U of M. I have lived in uptown for a few years (while attending the U), and I love it. It is very convenient, and it is easy to find relatively affordable housing. Lots of food options around too.

 

Tldr - uptown Minneapolis highly recommended!

 How long is the commute exactly? 

[mbs]

Hi, thanks to everyone for your advice! I am thinking of coming to Minnesota for Math and I have also started searching for housing etc. Do you think that it is better to find something now or should I wait till June? I also have a question regarding Northeast. I have found some places available there, but they are a 30-40 minutes ride away (from UMN) by bus and I would prefer something closer. Could someone suggest any area there where there is an easy access (e.g. express bus) for UMN?

 

@wafflechunk29, thanks for your advice. I was also searching for Uptown but I didn't know what the places with good transportation were.

[wafflechunk29]

On 3/21/2013 at 12:19 PM, Ambigiousbuthopeful said:

 How long is the commute exactly? 

 

Let's see...leaving from 25th St & Lyndale it takes about 15 minutes to get to East Bank (15th & University) in the morning. Coming home during rush hour, it can take more like 30 mins. If you choose to live further south (closer to Lake St), which many students do, it will take a few mins longer than that. Also, sometimes there is snow or random morning traffic...but in general, it is very nice.

 

It's a straight shot on the highway, and there are several buses in the morning and evening (esp. in the 8am-10am and 4pm-6pm range). You can check metrotransit.org for more details, but right now all they have up are their greatly reduced spring break schedules (so don't look yet!). 

 

@mbs, yeah I think living in Northeast would generally produce a long commute. I heard that there aren't really any direct bus routes (but, I could be wrong).

 

Ah, also...a lot of uptown apartments are in smaller buildings or large houses. The only thing I can say about this is that landlords might not know about availability months  and months beforehand. I think June would be a reasonable time to look (it's when I will probably look for my new apt in Toronto)...but don't quote me.

 

It doesn't hurt to look now and see what's out there though. Maybe start checking Craigslist?

[mbs]

I have started checking already, but in many places they ask for the renting to begin on April 1st.. I'll keep searching, but I may wait a little more before deciding on a place.. Thanks fro the info.

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Ah, also...a lot of uptown apartments are in smaller buildings or large houses. The only thing I can say about this is that landlords might not know about availability months  and months beforehand. I think June would be a reasonable time to look (it's when I will probably look for my new apt in Toronto)...but don't quote me.

 

It doesn't hurt to look now and see what's out there though. Maybe start checking Craigslist?

 

okay thanks! Well, I will be at West Bank so I wonder if that will further the commute. What do you think a realistic rent budget is? I've started checking craigslist .. things are a bit slow at the moment but will keep an eye on it. Hopefully I'll find a mailing list for incoming students looking for housing. 

[Tahoma]

okay thanks! Well, I will be at West Bank so I wonder if that will further the commute. What do you think a realistic rent budget is? I've started checking craigslist .. things are a bit slow at the moment but will keep an eye on it. Hopefully I'll find a mailing list for incoming students looking for housing.

I'll also probably be on the west bank and I'm also curious to know if Uptown would be just as convenient. Google maps says the commute (by bus) from Uptown to the west bank is ~30 minutes, but I haven't checked metrotransit yet. Would someplace like Seward make more sense?

[mbs]

I asked some students there and they told me that Uptown and Northeast are indeed not that convenient regarding commute,but many students live in Como Avenue and Marcy Holmes which are relatively close to campus..