Tag Archives: Neighborhood Resources

Roseville, MN

Nestled between the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers, Roseville was first home to the Dakota and Ojibway.  Because of its prime location between two rivers, the Dakota believed “it was immediately over the center of the earth and beneath the center of heaven.” Today, it still remains a central location as it is one of two Twin Cities suburbs that is adjacent to both Saint Paul and Minneapolis. With a ten-minute commute to either downtown area, it offers residents a mix of suburban and urban lifestyles.

Roseville002     Golf Carts at Midland Hills Country Club

Additionally, Roseville offers an abundance of recreational activities including shopping, skating and a variety of outdoor activities. For example, playing a round of Golf at Cedarholm Golf Course or Midland Hills Country Club is a popular activity for a sunny afternoon.

Rosedale Center Mall in Roseville, MN

Or, with the mega mall Rosedale Center as well as six other shopping centers it’s easy to shop ’til you drop! Fun Fact: the first Target was built in Roseville in 1962. How awesome is that?! But if shopping isn’t your thing, lucky for you the AMC Rosedale 14 is adjacent to the Rosedale Center. There, it’s easy to sit back and relax with an icy cold drink and hot buttery popcorn while you check out the latest Hollywood flicks.

On the other hand, bibliophiles – aka book lovers – will delight in the Ramsey County Library- Roseville. Impressively, it is the largest library in Ramsey County and busiest library in Minnesota. With more than 340,000 volumes in its collection, nearly three times that of any other branch in the county, it is no wonder why!

Roseville Skating Center and John Rose Oval

Another popular attraction is The Roseville Skating Center, which is sure to accommodate all your skating needs both on and off the ice. It features an indoor arena, banquet center as well as an outdoor skate park for skateboarding and inline skating. The Roseville Ice Arena is a year-round ice arena used for hockey, figure skating, skating lessons and general public skating. Included in the Roseville Skating Center is the John Rose Minnesota Oval. The Oval, an outdoor ice rink features a 400 meter speed skating track that surrounds an infield ice area used for hockey or bandy.

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Roseville offers nature lovers the beautiful Harriet Alexander Nature Center, a beautiful place for your next reception or special event as well as 34 other spectacular parks.

Children playing soccer in Roseville, MN

With a staggering 19 K-12 public schools and 7 private schools there certainly no shortage of options for parents when it comes to finding a nearby school. While Roseville is divided between two school districts, Mounds View School District 621 and Roseville Area School District 623, they are both consistently ranked among the best in the state.

Interior of La Casita Mexican Restaurant in Roseville, MN.

In terms of restaurants, Roseville certainly isn’t lacking. Two of our favorites are La Casita and Grumpy’s Bar and Grill. La Casita serves authentic Mexican food made with only the freshest ingredients. Be sure to check out the Twin Cities’ best frozen margarita or the happy hour appetizer bar with free chili con Queso, bean dip and salsa (with a minimum $4.95 purchase).

Sign outside of Grumpys in Roseville Grumpy's Bar and Grill Patio

Grumpy’s Bar & Grill is another spot not to pass up. It features a dining room, patio and separate bar. Plus they offer everything from bingo to karaoke so it is sure to please your entire crew.

Roseville Home

Moving on, more than half the homes in Roseville are single family homes at moderate prices, making this an ideal spot for younger families. Additionally, Roseville boasts that their taxes are consistently among the lowest in the Twin Cities area.

Overall, Roseville provides a unique blend of suburban and urban lifestyles to its residents. It encompasses both vibrant residential and retail areas, making it an ideal place to raise a family or start a business. Additionally, the safe neighborhoods, spectacular parks, friendly business environment and prime location make this Ramsey County suburb hard not to love.

 

Neighborhood Schools

Faith Communities

Concordia Academy (Private HS) Advent Lutheran Church
King of Kings Lutheran School (K-8) Bethany Baptist Church
North Heights Christian Academy (K-8) Calvary Baptist Church
St. Rose of Lima Catholic School (pre-K-8) Christ Temple Apostolic Church
Mounds View School District 621 Centennial United Methodist Church
Roseville Area School District 623 Church of Christ Roseville
Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Public Parks

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Acorn Park Galilee Lutheran Church
Central Park Dale East Grace Church of Roseville
Lexington Park King of Kings Lutheran Church
Reservoir Woods Off Leash Dog Park Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
Tamarack Park North Como Presbyterian Church
Villa Park North Heights Lutheran Church
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Local Restaurants

Rose Hill Alliance
The Good Earth Real Life Church
Grumpy’s Bar & Grill Roseville Baptist Church
Maverick’s Real Roast Beef Restaurant Roseville Covenant Church
Snuffy’s Malt Shop Roseville Lutheran Church
Aurelio’s Pizza St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church
Digby’s St. Michael’s Lutheran Church
J. Arthur’s Coffee Saint Rose of Lima
D’Amico and Sons Vietnamese Buddhist Association

 

 

 

Robbinsdale

Located just 15 minutes outside of Minneapolis, Robbinsdale has a small town feel with the convenience of a big city. Nestled in the northwest corner of Hennepin County, this city offers a variety of single-family homes, plenty of green space and two area lakes. While the city may be small, the spirit of this community is evident to anyone who passes through.

As you stroll along the downtown sidewalks, the height of the buildings allows you to peer inside shop windows while the street is just narrow enough for you to say hello to the person passing by on the other side. Overall, the close layout reinforces the tight-knit vibe of this community.

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Speaking of a small town vibe, the city is able to maintain its charm by being selective about which businesses they allow downtown. For instance, Hackenmueller Meats is an old-time meat market that has served the residents of Robbinsdale with choice cut meats for more than 120 years. Known for their specialty sausages, this hometown business has built a reputation as one of the premier butcher shops in the metro area.

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Likewise, the mural found in Robbinsdale Plaza adds a splash of color to this historic downtown. However, the city has plans to update this mural with a design by local artist, Shawn McCann, at the beginning of September.

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Hungry? Well, you won’t find any chain restaurants in this historic district. Luckily, Robbinsdale offers a variety of unique restaurants including Pig Ate My Pizza, a pig-themed pizza pie shop and Nonna Rosa’s, a classic Italian restaurant with some famous fans (we ran into the mayor of Robbinsdale, Regan Murphy, enjoying a late lunch). However, if you are seeking a more upscale experience you may want to give Travail a whirl. While the menu is written on a simple chalkboard, the culinary experience to be had is quite the opposite. At the restaurant, which was recently named one of Bon Appetit’s nominees for America’s Best New Restaurant, you can embark on a culinary adventure while sampling a ten-course tasting menu. Though Travail may be on the pricier side, they do offer date nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays with the tasting menu at a reduced price.

The citizens here are so passionate about their local fare that they even started “The Birdtown Club.” On the first Friday of each month, residents meet at one of Robbinsdale’s bars or restaurants as a way to connect and reinforce their love for the city.  

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If you are in search of something more leisurely, you should check out one of the 14 parks in the city, including Lakeview Terrace Park. This sunny park adjacent to Crystal Lake lends itself to a variety of recreational activities with its baseball diamond, tennis courts, playground, numerous walking paths and opportunities for boating and swimming.

Additionally, the schools in Robbinsdale are known to be both dynamic and diverse. Both Robbinsdale Armstrong and Robbinsdale Cooper high schools repeatedly earn national acclaim for academic excellence. They offer one of the largest AP programs in the state, in addition to boasting a state and nationally recognized orchestra program.

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If an unexpected accident happens, look no further than North Memorial Medical Center. Featuring a Level I Trauma Center as well as cancer treatment, heart and stroke care, orthopedics, and women and children’s services, you are sure to be in good hands. Accordinglythey have won numerous awards including the Patient Safety Excellence Award for five consecutive years. Moreover, North Memorial Medical Center was the only hospital in Minnesota to receive Healthgrades’ recognition as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2014.  

For those looking to become a part of the community, the housing market in Robbinsdale offers a variety of options. From charming historic homes, town homes and newer two-story homes, this town suits a wide variety of styles and budgets. Even more, it is evident that Robbinsdale is a place were many choose to plant their roots as 72% of the 14,000 who live there are homeowners. Overall, Robbinsdale is a city that prides itself on their high quality of life and works hard to promote relationships among its residents that last a lifetime. If you are looking for small town charm with big city convenience, Robbinsdale is the place for you.

Neighborhood Resources

NEIGHBORHOOD Schools

Faith Communities

Lakeview Elementary School Elim Lutheran Church
Robbinsdale Middle School Faith Evangelical Free Church
Sacred Heart Elementary School (Private) Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church
Spanish Immersion School (K-5) Olivet United Methodist Church
Peace Lutheran Church
Pentecost Church
Redeemer Luthern Church
Robbinsdale United Church of Christ
Sacred Heart Catholic Church

 

Public Parks

Local Restaurants

Grazier Park Athen’s Cafe
Hollingsworth Park Birdtown Cafe
Humphrey Park Canton Garden Restaurant
Kelly Park Eagles Nest
Lakeland Office Park First Crack Cafe
Lakeview Terrace Park Lodge of Robbinsdale
Lee Park Mai Thai Restaurant
Lions Park Nonna Rosa’s
Manor Park Pig Ate My Pizza
Mielke Park St. Petersburg Restaurant
Parkview Park Travail Kitchen and Amusements
Robbinsdale Park Wuollet Bakery
Sanborn Park
Sochacki Park
Sunset Park
Triangle Park

Edina

Edina 74 Although Edina is most well-known for its status as the wealthiest suburb in Minnesota, the city of almost 50,000 people has many other great aspects that are often overlooked. Committed to maintaining a tight-knit community feeling, the city puts on many popular annual events, such as the Edina Art Fair and Taste of Edina, as well as weekly and monthly gatherings that bring together people from all walks of life in fun and relaxed settings.

For starters, Edina is a good place to express your creative side. Each year, the esteemed Edina Art Fair is held in the 50th and France district, and it draws 300+ artists and more than 165,000 visitors alike. The annual event is celebrated as Minnesota’s first official art fair of the year (and an unofficial kickoff of summer festival season), and it holds the distinction of being the second largest art fair in the state (the biggest is in Uptown). The city also hosts the Fall into the Arts Festival each September at Centennial Lakes Park, with 200 exhibitors and crowds that can reach 20,000 Metropolitans.

To further fulfill the city’s goal of beautifying the community through displays of public art, several sculptures can be found around the city year-round, including the popular bronze piece “Reflecting on Friendship,” which depicts two young children chasing bubbles. The Edina Art Center, conveniently located adjacent to the Edina Aquatic Center in Rosland Park, offers classes to students of all ages in mediums ranging from painting to pottery to ceramics, helping to foster the community’s creativity.

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Edinans are fortunate enough to experience a high quality of life, with more than 1500 acres of park space for children and families (including four-legged members) to enjoy. Van Valkenburg Park has a designated off-leash area, where playful pooches are free to run to their little hearts’ content. Lewis Park, meanwhile, is home to the city’s only “Edible Playground,” a communal vegetable garden that is tended by volunteers and is meant to inspire children to be active and to promote healthful living. Residents also have access to a community garden, located in Yorktown Park.

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Speaking of a high quality of life, the city has not one, but two upscale country clubs – Edina Country Club and Interlachen, the latter of which occupies a coveted spot along the new stretch of premier Interlachen Boulevard. Over the years, Interlachen has played host to several major professional tournaments, most recently the U.S. Women’s Open in 2008. In addition to the renowned golf course, the Club also offers top-notch amenities, including a pool, clay and hard surface tennis courts, and a wellness center. For those who prefer to spend less green to play on the green, there is the Braemar Golf Course, located in the southwesternmost corner of the city. Braemar Park also houses the Golf Dome, a facility that’s open during the winter months for golfers who won’t let a little bit (okay, a lot) of snow stop them from perfecting their swing, and the Braemar Ice Arena.

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Within the 16-square miles of the city, there are 45 (count ’em!) distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique flair. Morningside, for example, was previously a “streetcar suburb” and was a separate village until its reincorporation into the city in 1966. Now it is home to some of the most beautiful (and expensive) houses in the area. The Country Club District, unsurprisingly, is known for its huge, extravagant homes. It is also a historic district, recognized as one of the nation’s first planned communities and for its majority of homes that are nearing 100 years old. While most of Edina’s homes are much younger, the median listing price for homes throughout the city is steady at almost $500,000. This is actually quite reasonable considering the median household income is over $80,000 per year.

Edina boasts some of the top public schools in the state, with Edina High School repeatedly being ranked among the best academic and athletic institutions in the nation. Having won more than 100 state championships and spawning the careers of numerous professional athletes, Sports Illustrated ranked the school as having the 8th best athletics program in the country in 2005. 95% of the school’s seniors go on to college, which contributes to the 86% of Edina residents who have completed some form of post-secondary education. These numbers help explain the city’s low unemployment rate and high concentration of those in healthcare and other professional and technical industries.
With so many doctors around, it is fitting that Edina would be home to Fairview Southdale Hospital, a facility that has received numerous national awards for its excellent service. Fairview’s emergency wing is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation that is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015.

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Shopping is superb in the suburb, offering the universally-pleasing Southdale Center, the ritzy Galleria, and the 50th and France neighborhood. The latter, which serves as Edina’s downtown, is known for its trendy and chic retail stores as well as its wide array of one-of-a-kind restaurants, such as Red Cow and Pig & Fiddle, both local favorites. Edina is serviced by multiple bus lines, most notably Route 6, which brings riders from the University of Minnesota and Downtown to all of the city’s hotspots, including a major transit hub at Southdale Center. But with multiple automobiles per household and an average work commute of 20 minutes, it is safe to say that most Metro Transit users are probably out-of-towners looking to get a taste of the vibrant and diverting city that Edinans are lucky enough to call home.

Edina Infographic

 Neighborhood Resources

Edina Schools

Faith Communities

 Concord Elementary

 Calvary Christian Reformed Church

 ALC Edina High School Alternative

 Calvary Lutheran Church

 Calvin Christian School

 Christ Presbyterian Church

 Cornelia Elementary

 Christian Science Churches

 Countryside Elementary

 Church of St Patrick of Edina

 Creek Valley Elementary

 Colonial Church

 Eagle Ridge Academy Lower School

 Edina Community Lutheran Church

 Edina Extended School Year

 Edina Morningside Community Church

 Edina High School

 Good Samaritan United Methodist

 EHS Summer School

 Jehovah’s Witness Edina Congregation

 Excel High School

 KTC Minneapolis Tibetan Buddhist

 Highlands Elementary

 New City Covenant Church

 Normandale Elementary

 Normandale Lutheran Church

 Options at Edina High School

 Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church

 Our Lady of Grace School

 Pilgrim Center – Reconciliation

 South View Middle School

 Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran

 Special Ed – Non Public

 Sri Venkateswara (Balaji) Hindu Temple

 St. Peter’s Lutheran School

 St Albans Episcopal Church

 Valley View Middle School

 St Peters Lutheran Church

 VET- STS School

 St Stephens Episcopal Church

 West Campus

 Wooddale Church – Edina Campus

Public Parks

Local Restaurants

 For the full list of Edina parks and recreation areas,  please click here.

 Arezzo Ristorante

Attractions

 Beaujo’s Wine Bar & Bistro

 Arneson Acres – Edina History Museum

 Big River Pizza

 Braemar Arena

 Biryani

 Braemar Golf Course and Golf Dome

 Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolates

 Centennial Lakes Plaza

 Brew Crew

 Courtney Fields at Braemar Park

 Cheetah Pizza

 Dog run at Van Valkenburg Park

 Cocina del Barrio

 Edible Playground at Lewis Park

 Convention Grill

 Edina Aquatic Center

 Eden Avenue Grill

 Edina Art Center

 Edina Creamery

 Edina Cahill Historical School

 Edina Grill

 Edina Country Club

 Hello Pizza

 Edina Promenade

 Imperial House

 Edinborough Park & Amphitheater

 Makers Cafe

 Galleria Edina

 Mozza Mia

 Interlachen Country Club

 Nakamori Japanese Bistro

 Landmark Theater  Patisserie Margo
 Southdale Center

 Patrick’s Bakery & Cafe

 Wind Horse Tours

 Pig and Fiddle

 Yorktown Park Community Garden

 Pittsburgh Blue

 50th and France

 Q. Cumbers

 Raku

 Red Cow

 Rice Paper

 Salut Bar Americain

 Tavern on France

 The Neighborhood Ice Cream Shoppe

 The Sweet Retreat