urbanMSP

The cost of living in the suburbs, outside of driving more, is just less.

So, it's cheaper, as long as you ignore one large category of expenses. I'm fine with split-levels (though not to the point that I'll ever live in one), but this guy is emblematic of why we continue to sprawl.

Making tract houses more human is not just for the burbs. Here's a memorable redo from last fall.. http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/ho ... 18131.html
I've also seen another spilt level plan that I can now not find, which was great too. Though it seems like it's much easier to justify major work on an urban split level than a suburban one.

^I love that NE remodel. Used to bike by it when my gym was up that way. It's really a perfect location where you get the best of both worlds (single-family home in a quiet, green, suburban neighborhoods, but within easy walking distance of many of the daily amenities people expect.

A new life for dead malls. Instantly reminded me of Brookdale Mall, but instead of a new life they just destroyed it

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arc ... =SFTwitter

News from a couple of weeks ago: Walmart finally gave up on putting a store in Plymouth, and is putting the vacant Four Seasons strip mall back on the market after buying it 5 years ago: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... oject.html

Suburbs are getting in on the market rate apartment boom.

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/296331571.html

Anyone have insight on what the article drops about Doran exploring Hopkins? My hunch is it must be something near a future station, but I haven't heard or read anything new.

This looks like a nice little project replacing some lonely single family homes in what looks to be a land that time forgot of underused land in the crotch of 169 and 55.

Man, that entire quadrant bound by 169, 55, Boone Ave and the RR tracks is the land that time forgot. I could see further intensification of the whole area as the inner 394 corridor is developed.

It's coming. You're going to see a lot happening there over the next few years -- mostly housing with public improvements of sidewalks and streetlights. Some things in the works for the industrial areas, too.

Man, that entire quadrant bound by 169, 55, Boone Ave and the RR tracks is the land that time forgot. I could see further intensification of the whole area as the inner 394 corridor is developed.

Who will think of the Red Lobster?!?

The Wendy's and KFC have both closed in the past couple years due to difficult access! The horror!

papazim, curious what your source is? Are you talking specifically about the 169/55/Boone area?

Forgive me if I've started this conversation before, but what exactly do we call places like Hopkins, Osseo, Robbinsdale, and the downtowns of White Bear Lake, Shakopee, Chaska, etc.?

Old railroad towns? Main street suburbs? Proto-suburbs? I'm mostly asking what people DO call these places, but also wondering if people have any ideas for what we SHOULD call them. In all my experience in geography/URBS courses at the U, nearly 3 years on this forum, talking to people, etc. - there does not seem to be a common, default term that everyone uses. Preferably non-wonky and two words or less. It would be difficult to sell a term that doesn't have "suburb" in the name, as the old downtown area is often just a part of a larger suburban municipality (WBL, Shakopee).

A few considerations:

1. There is a term "Streetcar Suburb" but I don't believe it would be correctly applied to these places, and more correctly refers to normal residential areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul that were built out along streetcar lines. Streetcars did go out to many of these places (WBL, Excelsior, etc.) but it was in a recreational sense (beaches & amusement parks) not for suburban living at the end of the line.
2. Not all of these places are the same. The Stillwaters, Shakopees, and Chaskas of the time of their early development were fully independent places, not really part of the "Twin Cities" pull of gravity. A Hopkins, Robbinsdale, or North St. Paul at the time of its development was more economically intertwined with business activity in the central cities. Today however, they are all more or less the same thing - old towns that were surrounded (and in most cases eclipsed by) sprawl.

So gang, what'll it be? What do we call these places to differentiate from the Burnsvilles, Maple Groves, and Woodburys of the world that have no traditional town/downtown to speak of?

How about "Old Village/Town Suburbs"

"Awesome"?

Ye Olde Suburbes?

Yes, the area east of 169, north of 55, and generally west of Boone.

The City Council has already given preliminary approval to a new apartment building on the bowling alley site (and the adjacent property to the east), including using TIF to make public improvements on Golden Valley Road. There is a 45 unit housing project in the works for developmentally disabled adults on the north side of Golden Valley Road. Recently, the City Council gave direction to staff to work on rezoning those two vacant commercial properties (Wendy's and KFC) to high density housing as well as develop a Pedestrian Oriented Overlay tool that could be applied in the area. Finally, with the City approving its brewery/taproom ordinance this winter, there is a small brewery looking to start up just to the north on 10th Ave.

This area is going to receive a lot of attention in the next Comp Plan update process (over the next 2-3 years).

Hopefully the horrific megablocks are on the chopping block to get cut down to friendlier size. While I admit to using the Decatur exit and entrance, that thing needs to get shut down. Too many terrified drivers freeze up there nearly causing fender benders.

LOL Wayzata: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/m ... t-xxx.html

I for one am glad to see Wayzata stepping up and hosting an adult entertainment store, it is high time we end concentrating adult entertainment in our metro core. Very equitable.