Why Should You Buy a Home in Minneapolis?
Why purchase Minneapolis real estate? As long as you are asking that question, why would you buy a home anywhere in Minnesota? Because we are “Minnesota nice!” And because you will hardly ever see a lutefisk any more! And because of the natural beauty and resources! We know our state as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but it is a poorly kept secret that there are many more than that. If you buy a home in Minneapolis, chances are that you will be living close to a lake. A quick glance at the Minnesota MLS will tell you that lakeshore can be found just about anywhere in the state. Many of these lakes are fully recreational lakes with opportunities for swimming, fishing, jet-skiing, fishing, and water skiing. Waters abound with northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, and you might even encounter the rare but celebrated muskie. And of course, there are walleye, which fishermen both worship and tell lies about. There is even good fishing right in Minneapolis. Minnesotan’s winter toys include skis, snowmobiles, snowboards, and even dogsleds. The cross country ski trails are some of the finest in the nation. The state maintains about 17000 miles of snowmobile trails. Ice fishing is a low-tech sport and tradition in Minnesota and offers great opportunities to drink various mixtures of shnapps and brandy. You may want to try “grogg” or “snowshoe” or maybe even “glogg!” You may even want to try to catch some fish while you are out there. Minnesotans are used to sitting out on a frozen lake listening to the ice crack as cars drive by. Many small-town civic organizations raise money by leaving a car on the ice so donors can wager on what day the car will fall through in early spring (the car has a chain connected to it of course, so it can be pulled out of the water later.) Small town broomball teams abound, and of you want to get winded and freeze your lungs out, this is the sport for you. You will be bruised black and blue, but it is fun! Certainly the outdoor life is a major reason for considering a Minneapolis real estate purchase.
What about the summer? Well, Minnesota has over 450 golf courses, and the Minneapolis area holds the “lion’s share,” so you should be able to get a tee-time somewhere. Chances are, purchasing any home anywhere in Minneapolis will put you in close proximity to a golf course. In fact, Minneapolis has more golf courses per capital than anywhere in the midwest.
Camping offers respite from daily life, and you can almost completely escape civilization with a canoe trip through the BWCA. If you are not fishing, golfing, swimming, birdwatching, or biking, you will probably be playing softball. During summer months, suburbanites drive into Minneapolis on evenings and weekends to enjoy biking and jogging around miles of lakes, creekside, and riverfront trails.
As much as we hate to admit it, we have to face up to the reality of going to work and making a living. However, Minnesota is the home of 19 Fortune 500 companies and Minneapolis boasts a vibrant economy. If you relocate and purchase a Minneapolis MLS real estate listing or a home anywhere in Minnesota, you can expect a great place to live, work, and play. For six consecutive years, Morgan Quinto Press ranked Minnesota the “most livable state.” Minnesota’s employment situation improved in October 2006 with a net gain of 3,300 jobs.
Move to Minneapolis
Frommers has named Minneapolis one of its top ten travel destinations. Known as the “City of Lakes,” Minneapolis was cited for its gorgeous layout of parks and parkways, its numerous cultural attractions, and its avante-garde architectural marvels, including the new Guthrie Theater designed by Jean Nouvel. This unusal building enjoys views of St. Anthony Falls, and is attracting more shops and restaurants to the area. Other structures of note include the Walker Art Center, and the very strange looking Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota.
Although the winters are hard, seasonal weather brings many bicyclists and joggers to the chain of lakes that winds through the city. This is a great place to live, too! If you are searching for a house, you should know that Minneapolis bungalows, tudors, foursquare/mission style homes, condo conversions, and downtown lofts are hot items right now. Suburbanites are moving BACK to Minneapolis to enjoy the city’s character accented y tree-lined streets, parks, walkways, lakes, restored homes with historic character, clean streets, and a vibrant, diverse economy.
Minneapolis Offers a High Quality of Life!
Minneapolis homes are in very safe communities; Minneapolis was named #1 National Night Out City of 2005, a community event focusing on drug and crime prevention, for the fourth time in the last five years! Minneapolis cares about pollution and air quality, and their Air Quality Index, updated hourly, consistently receives the highest rating. The University of Minnesota provides job opportunities , tuition aid, and boasts excellent hospitals as well as outstanding educational opportunities.
Good Reasons for Minneapolis Relocation
Did you know that….
- According to Men’s Health magazine, Minneapolis gets an A+ in health, a B+ in the quality of life, a B in fitness, and an A overall. The magazine also says the residents of Minneapolis have the healthiest hearts.
- The Environmental Protection Agency ranked downtown Minneapolis first out of of 17 business districts in the nation as the “Best Workplaces for Commuters” in 2005.
- In a study called “America’s Most Literate Cities,”Central Connecticut State University ranked Minneapolis number 2!
- Minneapolis MN is home to thirty live theaters! The Twin Cities is 2nd only to NYC in arts activities per capita.
- The downtown area has over 2,000,000 square feet of retail. This is one of the highest concentrations of retail for a city of this size.
- There are over 950 lakes in Minneapolis MN and surrounding metropolitan area alone.
- The average drive time to work in Minneapolis MN is 21.1 minutes. This is the nation’s lowest for a city of this size!
Monster trucks at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrome, Mpls MN
Culture and the Arts
Photo by Philip Johnson. Weisman Art Museum on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus. The architecture of this building is highly celebrated, but to me, it just looks goofy.
The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts is open daily, located very close to many Minneapolis properties, and admission is free! Walker Art Center in Minneapolis offers plays, films, and visual art of many media, including their famous Sculpture Garden on 15 acres of lush fields. Minneapolis homes are located near excellent nightspots in the city that offers some of the best jazz music in the country and the world-renowned Minnesota Orchestra . Minneapolis has a very active public library and their events are a great way to meet your new neighbors! Minneapolis properties are located in a very exciting city with lots of things to do, yet still is safe enough and friendly enough to want to call Minneapolis home!
Guthrie Theater. Photo edit by Philip Johnson
Schools in Minneapolis
Minneapolis Unified School District encourages lots of parent and community involvement in making Minneapolis schools the best they can be! The district has its own radio station and TV channel KBEM 88.5 and Channel 15 for all the updates educational opportunities and school events and announcements. No matter which school your child attends , Minneapolis Unified´s emphasis on community will ensure a quality education!
Minneapolis Home Search
CLICK HERE to start browsing Minneapolis real estate listings currently for sale. The Northstar Regional MLS now forbids member realtors from saying “Search the Minneapolis MLS,” because this is not exactly the same information that REALTORS use to search for Minneapolis real estate. However, this is a technical distinction only. The important thing for you is that you can still use this link to view about 99% of all properties listed on the Minnneapolis MLS available in the region.
Need help? Please call me at 612-296-0007 for professional and prompt assistance. If you prefer, use the contact form to send me a note. All contact info is strictly confidential and will not be shared with anyone.
Back to Minneapolis real estate
