West Side

Linden Hills & Fulton Neighborhoods of Minneapolis

The Linden Hills and Fulton neighborhoods are two of the best locations to live in all the Twin Cities. Aside from only being minutes away from both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, the area sits in close proximity to the international airport and the Mall of America – and because the neighborhood is on the west side of the metro, it’s only a short drive to the scenic Lake Minnetonka. And on that note, the area itself has plenty of outdoor space that feels anything but urban.

Image Credit: Joe Bielawa

Near the Linden Hills and Fulton neighborhoods sit plenty of bodies of water worth spending time around...

The streets of the Twin Cities are lined with green gold

Those who live in or visit the Twin Cities probably have seen how many trees we have along our streets, avenues and boulevards. 

Recently, a first-of-its-kind study was completed that used high-resolution satellite technology to analyze the tree canopy of the Twin Cities. The study was carried out by a team of University of Minnesota researchers. High-resolution satellite technology was used to examine Minneapolis from above on a clear and cloudless day, recording and analyzing how much tree cover there, down to each individual property.

They study estimated Minneapolis' overall tree coverage to be 31.5%, higher than previous estimates using less precise methods. In St. Paul, the canopy cover rate was 32.5%.

Minneapolis' estimated 979,000 trees offer many benefits, including:

  • Cleaning the air
  • Sucking up water that would otherwise flood stormwater pipes
  • Increase the attractiveness of homes
  • Drive...

Photo Friday - North Star Woolen Mill

The North Star Woolen Mill is located in Minneapolis on the Mississippi River's west side in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. Built in 1864 by W.W. Eastman and Paris Gibson, it was originally a textile mill for the North Star Woolen Company. While it was open, it manufactured high quality wool blankets, scarves, flannels, and yarns. It was the nation's largest manufacturer of wool blankets by 1925.

Entrepreneurs in Minneapolis' early days had hopes for developing a textile industry at Saint Anothony falls, similar to that of Lowell, Massachusetts. It was not to be, however, as the industry never had as much success as had been hoped. This was mostly because Minneapolis was a long distance from eastern markets and shipping centers.

The North Star Woolen Mill was the only exception. It remained a significant industry...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis February 2009

New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, decreased in February according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  Throughout the month, there were 480 new listings in Saint Paul, compared to the 602 homes put up on the market during February 2008.  That is a decrease of -20.3%.  Comparatively, there were 548 new listings in January 2009.  The Merriam Park and West 7th saw increases in posted new listings, while the other St. Paul neighborhoods saw their listings decrease. Here is a breakdown of new listings by Saint Paul neighborhood:

Como 27 (-25.0%)
Crocus Hill 32 (-31.9%)
Downtown Saint Paul 34 (-41.4%)
East Side 111 (-3.5%)
Highland Park 35 (-16.7%)
Mac-Groveland 22 (-15.4%)
Merriam Park 14 (+27.3%)
North End/Frogtown 65 (-4.4%)
Phalen 60 (-33.3%)
Southeast 20 (-20.0%)
St. Anthony/Midway 15 (-54.5%)
West...

Minneapolis Near North Community Highlights

The Near North Community can be found on the north and west side of Minneapolis. It is bordered to the south by Bassett’s creek, to the west by Penn Avenue, to the north by Lowry Avenue North, and to the east by I-94, Lyndale Avenue North and the Mississippi River.  Contained within it are six smaller neighborhoods.

Hawthorne - The Hawthorne neighborhood is in the northeast corner of the Near North community in Minneapolis. The neighborhood is bounded by the Mississippi River on the east and Emerson Avenue on the west; Broadway Avenue is the southern extent and Lowry Avenue is the neighborhood’s northern boundary.  The Hawthorne neighborhood is named after the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, born in 1804. The Hawthorne neighborhood is also the home of Farview Park, the oldest park of Minneapolis, the Nellie Stone Johnson School, and the Orvin Olson Park near the Mississippi River. Home...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: December 2008

The last St. Paul real estate market analysis for the year of 2008.  Let’s get it done!  New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, increased in December according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During December, there were 399 new listings in St. Paul, compared to the 351 homes put up on the market during the same month of 2007.  That is an increase of about +13.7%.  Unlike November, lots of neighborhoods saw increases in new listings.  The increase in new listings is a little unusual, given that December is so full of holidays. Here is a breakdown of new listings by Saint Paul neighborhood:  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about November 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 13 (+18.2%)
Crocus Hill 23 (+4.5%)
Downtown Saint Paul 17 (+21.4%)
East Side 104 (+25.3%)
Highland Park 16 (-5.9%)
Mac-Groveland 12 (-40.0%)
Merriam...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: November 2008

New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, decreased in November according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During that month, there were 398 new listings in St. Paul.  In November the previous year, there were 481 new listings.  That is a reduction of about -17.3%.  The only neighborhoods which saw increases in new listings were the Phalen and Merriam Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul.  A decrease in new listings is to be expected now as the winter season really starts kicking up snow.  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about October 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 18 (-25.0%)
Crocus Hill 22 (-12.0%)
Downtown Saint Paul 14 (-33.3%)
East Side 98 (-28.5%)
Highland Park 23 (-43.9%)
Mac-Groveland 21 (-12.5%)
Merriam Park 17 (+54.5%)
North End/Frogtown 56 (-0.0%)
Phalen 60 (+1.7%)
Southeast 16 (-5.9%)
St. Anthony/Midway...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis: October 2008

New posted listings for homes in St. Paul, Minnesota, fell in the month of October according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities.  During October, there were 515 new listings in St. Paul.  In October of 2007, there were 603 new listings.  That is a reduction of about -14.6%.  There were too many neighborhoods to list here that experienced declines of 20% to over 45%.  The only neighborhoods which saw significant increases in new listings were the Phalen and Merriam Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul.  (Barker & Hedges blog entry about September 2008 St. Paul Real Estate Market Activity.)

Como 31 (-6.1%)
Crocus Hill 40 (-35.5%)
Downtown Saint Paul 21 (-46.2%)
East Side 132 (+0.8%)
Highland Park 25 (-26.5%)
Mac-Groveland 22 (-47.6%)
Merriam Park 12 (+20.0%)
North End/Frogtown 56 (-29.1%)
Phalen 83 (+23.9%)
Southeast 12 (-42.9%)
St. Anthony/Midway 30...

Saint Paul’s Como Park Neighborhood Highlights

Located in the northwestern area of the City of St. Paul, the neighborhood known as Como Park is bordered on the north by Hoyt Avenue and Larpenteur Avenue, on the east by Dale Street, on the south by the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks and Maryland Avenue, and on the west by Snelling Avenue.  This beautiful neighborhood is a primarily residential and recreational area.  With Como Lake at its heart, its wonderful parks, and of course, the Como Park Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is known as Saint Paul's Garden District.

Como Park was originally settled as farmland in the middle of the 1800's. Como Lake was named in 1848 and was incorporated into the city of Saint Paul in 1854. Real estate developer Henry McKenty, thinking that the Como Park area would be the perfect place for a resort, began construction on Como Road beginning in 1868.  Though his real estate dreams were never realized, Como Road is still part of today’s Como Avenue, a major street running through the neighborhood. ...