Favorite Twin Cities “Straddle” Neighborhoods

Best Ideas:  Bryn Mawr, Longfellow, Saint Anthony Park, Brookside

“East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”

–Rudyard Kipling

“North is North and South is South, and never the twain shall meet.”

–corollary, Ross Kaplan

As a Twin Cities Buyer’s agent, when you’re working with a client whose job is in Bloomington (or Maple Grove, or Woodbury), and who doesn’t want a long commute, you focus on housing in (or at least near) . . . Bloomington, Maple Grove, or Woodbury.

Ahhh, but what if the Buyer is a couple, and their jobs straddle opposite ends of town?

Then, the trick is to find a neighborhood that’s a good geographic compromise.

The ideal characteristics:  centrally located; convenient access to major freeways, and — ideally — affordable housing.

Also key:  whether the couple is on an “east-west” axis or a “north-south” one.

East-West Corridor vs. North-South

Why does that matter?

Because until the Lowry Tunnel bottleneck gets addressed, moving from the east side of town to the west (or vice versa) — at least on 394/94, anytime near rush hour — is a huge pain.

Meanwhile, the Twin Cities main north-south artery, 35W, is also congested much of the day.

Taking all that into account, here are the neighborhoods I like best for what I’m calling “straddle” Buyers:

1. North-South “Straddle”

Bryn Mawr (Minneapolis):  just west of Downtown Minneapolis, North Bryn Mawr is on the north side of 394; South Bryn Mawr is on the south side.  Easy access to 100 and 94 (via 394) for north-south travel.

Brookside (St. Louis Park):  pocket neighborhood just west of Highway 100 and south of Excelsior Blvd.  Smaller, more affordable housing stock.

2. East-West “Straddle”

Seward (Minneapolis):  due south of the main (East Bank) campus of the University of Minnesota.  Close to Franklin Ave. eats and Seward Co-op; ideal for couples with jobs in Downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Saint Anthony Park (St. Paul):  Beautiful neighborhood just east of 280, between 94 and Highway 36.  Como Ave. serves as SAP’s Downtown, couldn’t be more charming.



from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230700 http://ift.tt/2oP23ur
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Estimating the Discount for a Busy Street (or Not)

Image
The Art of Comp Selection One of the trickier home features to account for in a Comparative Market Analysis (“CMA”) is a busy street. For a family with little kids, a busy street may very well be a deal breaker — in which case the discount is theoretically infinite. At the other extreme, an investor looking for a rental property may see the location as a plus: free advertising! Of course, not all busy streets are created equal: depending on how far the home is set back; elevation differences; the individual home’s layout; and even landscaping and other topography, and the noise level/loss of privacy can vary significantly. Two Strategies Faced with so many variables, Realtors and Appraisers can always simply choose an average discount — say , 10% off. Strategy #2? Choose as Comp’s (Comparable Sold Properties) only homes that are also located on busy streets. Even better: the same busy street. Then, there’s no need to make any adjustment, because all the home...
Read more

“What’s the Highest Point in Hennepin County?”

Image
There sure seems to be some confusion on that, umm . . . point. I’ve now encountered at least three different properties — none close to one another — that all claimed that status in just the last month. For the record, according to Hennepin County’s website, it’s on Williston Road near High Point Road in Minnetonka — 1,131 feet above sea level. See also , “ Florida’s Tallest Point (and how to get there) .” from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230700 https://ift.tt/2Pq1ndL via IFTTT
Read more

“Are You a Realtor?” “Why, Yes I Am!”

Image
“There Goes My Realtor!” Admittedly, the intended effect is for clients who see me in and around the neighborhood where I live (by Cedar Lake in Minneapolis) to see my car on the road and say, “There Goes My Realtor!” But, my custom license plate (above) is also a conversation-starter when I’m parked. Like today, in Linden Hills, where a builder who has an upcoming listing saw my car and asked if I was a Realtor. I know what to do from there . . .  from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230700 http://ift.tt/2glixp5 via IFTTT
Read more