Minneapolis, MN

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

On 2/4/2015 at 11:25 AM, policyphdhopeful said:

Hi -- Looking to revive this thread for the 2015 admits.  Any suggestions on decent areas/apartments for a young couple with two dogs? We are interested in being near bars, restaurants, shopping, parks, etc...  However, we do not want to be in an area where there are a ton of undergraduate students.  We are looking to move at the beginning of June.  I have read through this thread and it seems that Uptown and St. Anthony park are better areas for graduate students.  We are thinking up to $1200/month for a two bedroom.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

I was looking at St. Paul and found two bedroom duplexes, dogs allowed, with in unit washer dryer and a 30 min lightrail ride for around $1200 right now.  There aren't many rental available currently but the market should open up in the spring. 

 

Also take into consideration that most of the rentals I looked at include heat, gas, water, and trash.  Some include electric too.   

 

On 2/4/2015 at 1:23 PM, Vene said:

A piece of advice, when you're searching for apartments plug in their addresses on google maps and check out what it gives you for traffic, especially if you can check out the traffic around rush hour. It can help you compare different apartments.

 

I am going to second this.  If the commute includes I-94, don't do it ?  See what the commute would be not using the highway.

 

Supposedly there is a 20 min direct bus from Eden Prairie to the University too.  Check out the public transportation routes on google maps.

Edited February 16, 2015 by WhatAmIDoingNow

[thedoctorphd]

I was looking at St. Paul and found two bedroom duplexes, dogs allowed, with in unit washer dryer and a 30 min lightrail ride for around $1200 right now.  There aren't many rental available currently but the market should open up in the spring. 

 

Also take into consideration that most of the rentals I looked at include heat, gas, water, and trash.  Some include electric too.   

 

 

Thanks so much!  I am just doing some preliminary looking too.  Taking public transportation would be awesome!

 

Again, thanks!

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

Thanks so much!  I am just doing some preliminary looking too.  Taking public transportation would be awesome!

 

Again, thanks!

 

Parking Permit rates: http://www1.umn.edu/pts/park/parkingrates.html

 

The U Pass looks like the best deal, but the comfort of driving in a warm car during the winter may be worth a parking permit if you live further out and save on rent. 

[Vene]

I found an interesting story at The Atlantic yesterday about the Minneapolis metro: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/the-miracle-of-minneapolis/384975/

[E F]

I am going to second this.  If the commute includes I-94, don't do it ;-)  See what the commute would be not using the highway.

 

Supposedly there is a 20 min direct bus from Eden Prairie to the University too.  Check out the public transportation routes on google maps.

 

I am a native Minnesotan and took classes at the U of M during high school. I live near Eden Prairie and took this bus to class everyday as well as buses from Shakopee (another suburb). Public transportation is great in the cities and its suburbs (pretty reliably on time and quick). The buses have stops right in front of Coffman Union which is also extremely convenient (good place to do homework while waiting for a bus and fairly central point of campus). You can also get a much nicer apartment in a suburb for cheaper than you would pay in Uptown or Stadium Village if you are willing to take the bus or drive every day.

[iamsudipta]

HI

 

I am an international admit from Bangladesh and planning to accept the offer from UMN. Any suggestion for a suitable and affodable living place for me? I am single(at least I will be when I arrive at Minnesota ) and have no dogs or any sort of pets

[.letmeinplz//]

On 2/20/2015 at 1:56 PM, iamsudipta said:

HI

 

I am an international admit from Bangladesh and planning to accept the offer from UMN. Any suggestion for a suitable and affodable living place for me? I am single(at least I will be when I arrive at Minnesota ) and have no dogs or any sort of pets

You can look at websites like Zillow and search by your maximum per month rental budget, etc.

 

But I always wondered what it is like for people from countries that rarely experience any kind of cold weather moving to places where it can get to be -20F.  I'm worried if I end up living there from North Georgia where the temps get into the single digits occasionally, but Bangladesh? Good luck to you .

[goahead]

Hi,

Can anyone give any idea about CTC, Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative housing for married grad students. How is that place to live with family? Also I will be based at St.Paul campus so how far is CTC from St.Paul campus?

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

On 3/24/2015 at 10:19 AM, goahead said:

Hi,

Can anyone give any idea about CTC, Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative housing for married grad students. How is that place to live with family? Also I will be based at St.Paul campus so how far is CTC from St.Paul campus?

 

There is also the Como Co-op that his between East and St. Paul campuses. http://cscc.umn.edu/ 

 

I don't know how they are for living, other than they do not allow dogs unless they are service animals.

[goahead]

Ok, so I found this link and filled my details on the spreadsheet. It may be useful. You will have access to the details of other incoming students ti search a good fit.

http://www.cogs.umn.edu/Roommate_finder.html

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

From what others have shared:

Zillow.com

Trulia.com

PadMapper.com (aggregates Cragslist adds by location and filters by your preferences and what the advertisement describes. There is also an app) 

http://www.cogs.umn....ate_finder.html (you fill out a form and it connects you to open rooms, potential roommates, and potential landlords. Like a dating service, but for graduate student housing).

 

From my own searches, I am finding that rent prices go houses<duplexes<townhouses<apartments.  This is completely backwards from everywhere else I have lived. When considering cost of space, houses<<duplex<townhouse<<<apartment.

 

A colleague also told me that she has found success in using AirBNB and VRBO.com for furnished lodging.  She said that she used the service to contact owners and negotiated long-term lodging.  

[JDarrow86]

Hi,

I know this must have been posted a few times before. I'm going to be attending UMN Twin Cities starting in June. Does anyone have any recommendations on apartments or living spots for $1200 or less a month for a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom with a roommate? I just signed up on the COGS site.

 

 

Thanks!

Edited April 12, 2015 by JDarrow86

[sunnyskies13]

I currently live in Saint Paul. The best options for safe, affordable housing would be Dinkytown(the neighborhood right near campus). You can probably find some good options in Uptown neighborhood or Northeast MPLS too, but it would be more of a commute. Even living on the western edge of Saint Paul like Como or Hampden neighborhood wouldn't be too far especially with the green line train running through there. I've discovered since moving into the city that duplexes/fourplexes will be cheaper than apartment buildings if you are able to find roommates. If you have absolutely never been to MPLS/STP and are wondering about what areas to AVOID definitely North MPLS. Other areas of MPLS can be spotty for crime at times, as it is with every urban area. If you are really concerned, I would look at crime maps that you can access online from the police departments.

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

On 4/12/2015 at 1:47 PM, JDarrow86 said:

Hi,

I know this must have been posted a few times before. I'm going to be attending UMN Twin Cities starting in June. Does anyone have any recommendations on apartments or living spots for $1200 or less a month for a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom with a roommate? I just signed up on the COGS site.

 

 

Thanks!

 

You should be able to find a nice one bedroom apartment for $1200, close to campus or in a nice part of town.  The two bedroom apartments are ridiculously priced, a 2 bedroom duplex or house would be a better deal. Check Trulia.com.

[Jiani Shen]

Hey ,

I'm looking for a roomie to spend my fabulous study in Minnesota. I'd love to rent a two bedroom apartment/deplex and make friend with you.

I'll be study in MSBA program in Carlson since June 2016. Hope my roomie can be a girl and study in Carlson as well. 

Anyone interested please contact me. skype: jessieshen0303@hotmail.com

 

Thank you all !

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

On 1/13/2016 at 11:36 PM, Jiani Shen said:

Hey ,

I'm looking for a roomie to spend my fabulous study in Minnesota. I'd love to rent a two bedroom apartment/deplex and make friend with you.

I'll be study in MSBA program in Carlson since June 2016. Hope my roomie can be a girl and study in Carlson as well. 

Anyone interested please contact me. skype: jessieshen0303@hotmail.com

 

Thank you all !

If you are at Carlson, it is right next to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and there are usually a good amount of students looking for roommates. The best housing deals are the University Graduate housing complexes.

[rococo_realism]

Anyone have advice on where to live? I feel that Minneapolis, in general, is a bit...sketchy. I've even heard of neighborhoods like Uptown as being a bit dangerous lately. All of the lovelier neighborhoods seem too far away or too pricey. My stipend is fairly generous, I think, so I have a nice amount to work with. I dunno...I'm pretty stressed about the move, honestly.

Would the west side of St. Paul be an alternative? Or do any grad students live in, say, the St. Louis Park area west of the lakes?

Maybe I should just get a car and live further out. Le sigh.

[runjackrun]

Hey @rococo_realism, I did my undergrad at UMN and live in the cities currently. I'm moving for grad school this fall and totally get the whole "stressed out about the move" thing. I'm actually super stressed because I LOVE the Twin Cities and kind of don't want to leave  With that in mind, here is my assessment of the areas you mentioned. It sounds like you don't have a car, so I will keep that in mind. Sorry for writing a novel, but talking about neighborhoods and cities is kind of my favorite thing to do...

"West side of St. Paul" - I would investigate St. Paul a lot. I live in the Highland neighborhood of St. Paul and I really like it, but I didn't live here as a student. I live close to the river (meaning lots of great trails and park space for running and biking) and just across the river from Minnehaha Falls State Park, which is really pleasant. It's a bit sleepy as Highland has a reputation for being older, more suburban in nature, but I live near a Starbucks, Chipotle, Target Express, nice grocery store, a movie theater, plenty of local restaurants. It's really...nice. Has an urban feel without being loud and crowded like Uptown. Most areas in the western part of St. Paul south of I-94 feel similar. Grand Avenue is a little more "happening" (and expensive) and there are like five colleges within a two mile radius, so lots of rental options, but also lots of families. I should mention too--I have never once felt unsafe in my neighborhood and run regularly at night by myself. Obviously it's a city, so crime happens, but generally Highland and most of this part of St. Paul have felt really safe to me. It's not super transit accessible in my opinion, at least not to the U. However, they are starting a Bus Rapid Transit that will run up Snelling Avenue and connect the Blue Line train to the Green Line trains. This could definitely be an asset for you. I imagine the commute may be 30-45 min via buses/trains, but the BRT should speed it up a little. By car, I would guess 20 min. during rush hour and 10-15 off-peak, but you'll have to deal with parking at the U (not fun). You can definitely live without a car in the Twin Cities, but I would know someone who has one or live closer to campus if this were the case. Otherwise, a car is really nice to have in these parts, even if you don't commute with it. 

"Uptown" - Uptown is much more urban and much more youthful than St. Paul. This obviously has perks and liabilities. I would never really consider Uptown or the Lakes area to be "high crime", but there will  be more crime just because it is more densely populated. I would consider more whether or not you want to live somewhere that is louder and busier. It's a fun area, for sure, and lots of people really enjoy living there. If you are worried about "sketchy" (which, again, I wouldn't be TOO concerned about in Uptown), stay west of Lyndale and you should be fine. However, you'll also pay more. Transit connections to the U are pretty frequent, so I think you could be fine without a car here. Parking can actually be a huge pain in Uptown.

"SLP/west of lakes" - So I don't know much about transit to these parts, but I imagine it exists. Parts of SLP are really nice, parts are just boring. I don't think anywhere would be "sketchy". Southwest Minneapolis (the area immediately west of the lakes) is quite nice, so if you can find something affordable there, more power to you. These just tend to be more single family homes or condos than student apartments. If you're really interested in living in SLP or somewhere, you could look in the area called the West End. Lots of new shops, on 394 so you could probably get transit into downtown then take the train. It's probably going to be expensive, the apartments are all newer and kind of sterile, and you'll basically be living in a Costco parking lot, but that's some people's style. 

Other neighborhoods to check out:

Southeast Como (Minneapolis) - Ok, so by no means a super "desirable" place to live, but I lived in a house here for a year and actually grew to like it. It's kind of dumpy, but not in a rundown or unsafe kind of way. It feels somewhat industrial and may seem off-putting, but it's very affordable and convenient to both UMN campuses. Lots of students, but not too loud or raucous surprisingly. Not a lot of apartments here though, so you'd likely be renting a room in a house. 

St. Anthony Park - This is also on Como, but east of 280 closer to the St. Paul campus. I love this area. Fairly affordable, quaint, convenient to get to both campuses, lots of families, parks, but also a nice little commercial node with coffee shops and bookstores. Lots of students with classes on the St.  Paul campus choose to live here, but I honestly don't think it would be a bad commute via bus to the Minneapolis campus either. 

Lowertown (Downtown St. Paul) - The area around Mears Park may be a little pricey, but is really doing well. Lots of artists, new restaurants, new stadium for the St. Paul Saints (minor league baseball) and the Green Line starts here and would take you into campus in 25-30 minutes. Some crime because you're downtown but, again, not what I would consider unsafe. Farmers market on the weekends. I work over here and repeatedly kick myself for not spending more money to live in this area. 

You may also check out Prospect Park (Minneapolis), Cathedral Hill (St. Paul), Northeast Minneapolis, and the area around Hennepin and Central just across the river from Downtown Minneapolis. Feel free to message me if you have other questions and sorry again for such a long response!

[rococo_realism]

@runjackrun Not apologies necessary; thank you for going in-depth about those neighborhoods!

I'll be taking you up on that PM at some point.

[Diana C]

Hello,

I am incoming grad student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  My partner and I will be relocating from California.  I am wondering if anyone can give us some insight on housing in Minneapolis.  We are looking for a neighborhood that isn't too loud and busy but has close access to grocery stores and coffee shops.  Preferably, I would like to be near a bus stop in order to get to campus easily.

Thank you!

[CreativeAnalyst]

Hope you found a good place. Re: bus stop, it would depend on which campus you're going to be on. Metro Transit has a decent website. Google also does a decent job at showing transit alternatives between two locations.

Re: neighborhoods, I'm fond of Seward ( pron. SOO-urd) neighborhood, which has a great cooperative natural foods grocery store; Northeast Minneapolis (ditto), which actually is made up of a bunch of smaller neighborhoods. Some of the first-ring suburbs are decent and relatively accessible via transit...or even commuter biking, in some cases (it's a "thing" here); e.g., St Louis Park. Parts of Longfellow are quiet, but there aren't a lot of apartment buildings there. Maybe St Anthony Park in St Paul (there's a free circulator bus that connects from the St Paul to the main campus); there's even a cooperative family student housing entity, Commonwealth Terrace, adjacent to the St Paul campus, but there may be a waiting list for that. Also, places a little more distant have express buses to the U, so don't rule them out. Those routes are listed here: https://www.metrotransit.org/university-of-minnesota-bus-routes.

[GCBrittany]

Hello all! Curious if anyone has any suggestions for neighborhoods near the St. Paul medical campus that is good for small families. We ideally want a private entrance type place, and pets allowed is a must!  Thanks  

[pataka]

14 hours ago, GCBrittany said:

Hello all! Curious if anyone has any suggestions for neighborhoods near the St. Paul medical campus that is good for small families. We ideally want a private entrance type place, and pets allowed is a must!  Thanks  

Try St. Anthony Park or Como. Cathedral Hill is also a nice area if you don't mind a slightly longer commute. 

[rrk686]

Hi,

I'm considering UMN for an English PhD. I'd be moving with my wife, and, for the first six months, our income may be just the stipend (17-20k probably). So, is Minneapolis the kind of place where one can find a one-bedroom apartment or studio for $800-900/month or less, with bus or shuttle access to campus? Also, how do you feel about living in Minneapolis? We're coming from Brooklyn, which we dislike. The cost of living here is high, the affordable neighborhoods are bleak, the public transportation is congested, and it's loud and busy.

Thanks.

[khigh]

1 hour ago, RK092089 said:

Hi,

I'm considering UMN for an English PhD. I'd be moving with my wife, and, for the first six months, our income may be just the stipend (17-20k probably). So, is Minneapolis the kind of place where one can find a one-bedroom apartment or studio for $800-900/month or less, with bus or shuttle access to campus? Also, how do you feel about living in Minneapolis? We're coming from Brooklyn, which we dislike. The cost of living here is high, the affordable neighborhoods are bleak, the public transportation is congested, and it's loud and busy.

Thanks.

I LOVE Minneapolis. You will find a lot of similarities with NYC (We are sometimes called the Little Apple), but it's much safer and they are only talking about the food and theater. For 800-900 a month, you could live in a one-bedroom in Uptown or Downtown in one of the older buildings, which I love. I live in a Victorian era building with all the Victorian features. In Uptown, you can walk to the lakes (Calhoun, Harriet, Lake of the Isles) and Lake St, which has tons of restaurants, bars, shopping, and theaters.

I'm just going to go copy what I wrote elsewhere here. I could type for hours about the joy of Mpls.