10 Reasons I Love Living in South and Southwest Minneapolis

I sell real estate all over the Twin Cities, but South and Southwest Minneapolis are areas I know especially well because this is also the kind of place I genuinely enjoy living in.

When people ask me why I like this part of Minneapolis so much, it is hard to give them one answer. It is not simply the houses, the lakes, the restaurants or being close to downtown. It is how all of those things overlap.

I can leave my house and walk around a lake, jump on a bike and ride for hours, take my kids to hockey, grab dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, go downtown for a concert and still be home without feeling like I spent the entire day in the car.

So rather than writing another generic neighborhood guide, these are ten of the things I personally appreciate most about living in South Minneapolis and Southwest Minneapolis.

1. The Lakes Are Actually Part of Daily Life

The Minneapolis lakes are probably the first thing I would mention to somebody who has never lived here.

Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Lake Nokomis are not places you necessarily make a special trip to visit. They become part of your routine.

You might walk the dog around Lake Harriet before work, take a lap around Bde Maka Ska on a bike, paddle on Cedar Lake or head over to Nokomis on a summer afternoon.

What I love most is that the water is woven directly into residential neighborhoods. In places like Linden Hills, East Harriet and Fulton, you can live a few blocks from incredible outdoor spaces while still being surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops and neighborhood businesses.

2. The Park System Is Hard to Beat

The lakes are really just one piece of a much larger park system.

South Minneapolis has Minnehaha Creek cutting across the city, Minnehaha Falls at the eastern end, the Mississippi River, neighborhood parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and miles of shared green space.

The mature trees are a huge part of the feel of these neighborhoods too. There are streets where the canopy practically covers the road during the summer.

That natural beauty is one of the things I think people appreciate more the longer they live here.

3. You Can Get Almost Anywhere on a Bike

This may be one of my favorite things about Minneapolis.

The bike and running trails connect in a way that lets you keep going almost indefinitely.

You can ride around the lakes, connect to the Midtown Greenway, head toward Theodore Wirth Park, continue west through St. Louis Park and Hopkins and eventually make your way toward Lake Minnetonka.

You can also connect into trails heading south through the metro. A simple ride can turn into a legitimate adventure without having to load bikes onto a car first.

My kids can jump on their bikes, ride the lakes and eventually end up at Theodore Wirth riding mountain bike trails in the woods. That is a pretty remarkable thing to have available in the middle of a metropolitan area.

4. The Mississippi River and Minnehaha Falls Give You Something Completely Different

The Chain of Lakes gets much of the attention, but the Mississippi River side of South Minneapolis is equally impressive.

Minnehaha Creek eventually takes you to Minnehaha Falls and the river. From there, the parkways and trails continue along one of the most scenic sections of the Mississippi.

You can walk, bike or run along the river and feel surprisingly removed from the city even though you are only minutes from downtown.

Having lakes, a creek, a waterfall and the Mississippi River all within the same part of the city is something I probably took for granted until I spent more time traveling to other places.

5. There Are Great Little Neighborhood Pockets Everywhere

I like neighborhoods where you do not necessarily have to leave the neighborhood to find somewhere good to eat.

South and Southwest Minneapolis have small commercial areas scattered throughout residential neighborhoods instead of concentrating everything in one giant shopping district.

There is the village area in Linden Hills, restaurants and shops along 50th through Lynnhurst and Fulton, the restaurant scene around 38th Street, Nicollet Avenue around King Field, and smaller spots tucked throughout Tangletown and other South Minneapolis neighborhoods.

That means you can have a favorite coffee shop, restaurant or neighborhood hangout that feels like it belongs to your part of the city.

6. There Is Almost Always Something Going On

Minneapolis does a good job using its public spaces.

During the summer there are concerts at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, movies and music in parks, farmers markets, races, neighborhood events and festivals happening throughout the city.

The Twin Cities Marathon is obviously one of the larger events, but there are constantly smaller things happening that you stumble into just by being outside.

Winter does not shut that down either. Theodore Wirth Park and the Loppet Foundation host winter events, skiing and fat biking, and the lakes themselves become part of the winter landscape.

7. Youth Sports Create a Real Citywide Community

This is something I have probably appreciated more as my kids have gotten older.

Kids in Minneapolis may attend different public schools, private schools or programs throughout the city, but sports give them another community that crosses those boundaries.

Programs such as Minneapolis Storm hockey, Minneapolis Millers baseball, Minneapolis Lakers basketball and the different Minneapolis Park Board sports bring kids together from neighborhoods throughout South and Southwest Minneapolis and beyond.

As a parent, you end up meeting people from all over the city. Your kids develop friendships with teammates they otherwise may never have met.

I think there is something really valuable about that. Their world becomes bigger than simply the kids who happen to attend the same school.

8. Downtown Is Close Whenever You Want It

I enjoy having a house, yard, neighborhood parks and lakes, but I also like being able to get downtown quickly.

Target Field, Target Center, U.S. Bank Stadium, theaters, concerts and restaurants are all close enough that going downtown does not have to feel like an expedition.

The North Loop and Mill District are also close when you want dinner, nightlife or a completely different urban environment.

That is one of the advantages of living in the city rather than farther out. You can have a quiet residential street and still be very connected to Minneapolis entertainment.

9. Getting to MSP Airport Is Ridiculously Easy

This may not sound glamorous, but if you travel even occasionally, it is a huge quality-of-life benefit.

From much of South and Southwest Minneapolis, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport can often be roughly a 10- to 20-minute drive depending on traffic and exactly where you live.

There is something pretty great about leaving your house and being at the airport around 15 minutes later.

It also makes picking somebody up from the airport considerably less annoying.

10. You Are in the Middle of Everything

Being centrally located is something that becomes more valuable when your life starts spreading around the Twin Cities.

From South and Southwest Minneapolis, you can head west toward St. Louis Park, Minnetonka and Lake Minnetonka, south into Edina, Richfield and Bloomington, east toward St. Paul or north into downtown without starting from the edge of the metro.

That matters if you have family in different suburbs, kids playing sports around town, clients throughout the Twin Cities or simply want the freedom to explore different parts of the area.

You also have Edina, Richfield and Bloomington immediately adjacent, which adds even more shopping, dining and services within a relatively short drive.

And Then There Is Winter

I know winter is supposed to be the thing people complain about in Minnesota, but I actually think it adds another layer to why I like living here.

The same outdoor spaces we use all summer simply change.

• Cross-country skiing at Theodore Wirth
• Fat biking through the Wirth trails
• Ice skating at neighborhood parks
• Ice fishing on the lakes when conditions cooperate
• Walking and running around frozen lakes
• Winter events through the Loppet Foundation
• Cold plunging for the people who are somehow enthusiastic about doing that

You can be riding a bike around the lakes in July and skiing through the same part of the city six months later.

The Homes Are Part of the Appeal Too

Obviously I sell real estate, so I would be leaving out a pretty major piece if I did not mention the houses themselves.

South and Southwest Minneapolis have an incredible mix of architecture.

You will find Tudors, Craftsman homes, Colonials, bungalows, story-and-a-half homes, 1950s ramblers, mid-century houses, condos, townhomes and newer infill construction.

The neighborhoods also feel genuinely different from each other.

• Linden Hills has the lakes and village atmosphere
• Fulton blends residential streets with Lake Harriet and 50th & France access
• Lynnhurst follows Minnehaha Creek and has some beautiful older housing
• East Harriet sits right against Lake Harriet and Lyndale Park
• Tangletown has winding streets and distinctive architecture
• King Field has a more urban neighborhood feel with great restaurant access
• Armatage and Kenny offer established residential neighborhoods farther south
• Nokomis brings another lake-centered lifestyle to South Minneapolis

One of the nice things about this part of Minneapolis is that you can move through different stages of life without necessarily having to leave the area. You might start in a smaller house or condo, move into something larger later and eventually decide you want something lower-maintenance while still staying close to the places you have always enjoyed.

Why I Keep Coming Back to South and Southwest Minneapolis

If I had to sum it up, I think it is the combination that makes this part of Minneapolis special.

You have water, trees and shared green spaces everywhere. You can bike, run, ski, skate and paddle. There are neighborhood restaurants and community events. Your kids can build friendships across the city through sports. Downtown is close. The airport is close. The suburbs are close.

And you still get to come home to a neighborhood with mature trees and houses that actually have some personality.

That is a pretty hard combination to beat.

If you are thinking about moving to Minneapolis or trying to decide which South or Southwest neighborhood fits you best, I am always happy to talk through the differences.

Schedule a Consultation to explore South and Southwest Minneapolis homes and neighborhoods.

Tags

• Minneapolis Real Estate (15)
• Minneapolis neighborhoods (8)
• Southwest Minneapolis (3)
• East Harriet (3)
• Lynnhurst (2)
• Fulton Minneapolis (2)
• South Minneapolis (2)
• Lake Harriet (2)
• Minneapolis Chain of Lakes (2)
• Linden Hills (1)
• Lake Nokomis (1)
• living in Minneapolis (1)