Finding an apartment
Searching for an apartment in the Twin Cities has become easier given the relatively low rental occupancy rates here. The following information will help in your search. City of Minneapolis Maps may assist you in locating areas of the city. Keep in mind that most apartment complexes here require two months notice to vacate - this means that vacancies for August 1 will be listed on or after June 1. You may also be able to complete some or all of this task via the web. Many sites provide virtual tours, and some accept applications by fax or mail.
Areas to consider:
- Uptown: About 15 minutes from campus by car (also quite accessible by bus), the Uptown area has a large number of older, relatively small apartment buildings. Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun are nearby (walking distance from some areas). Traffic can be daunting at times, but the area is filled with trendy, interesting restaurants and shops. Plan on looking around for a while; the more desirable apartments in Uptown tend to rent quickly. Rents are reasonable and a bit lower than in the Dinkytown area (see below). Make sure to ask about parking arrangements - some buildings have off-street parking; others don't. If you have to park on the street, make sure to become familiar with the Minneapolis snow emergency parking rules BEFORE winter sets in!
- Dinkytown/Holmes: These areas are close to campus (walking distance), with the Holmes area being slightly farther than Dinkytown. Rents tend to be a bit high for the size of the apartments, but the location more than makes up for it in many cases. Most of the buildings are fairly small, but many have off-street parking. On-street parking in Dinkytown is VERY difficult during school hours: if you park on the street, you won't want to move your car much, and you'll want to be familiar with Minneapolis snow emergency parking rules to avoid finding your car plowed in or towed!
- Other areas: Downtown Minneapolis, areas of Roseville and parts of St. Paul are popular areas with students, as are many of the suburbs. Roseville is fairly suburban, but close to campus; if you like being near a shopping mall, this is a good place to live. St. Paul has some nice residential areas; ask students about their favorites! Downtown Minneapolis is nice but a bit expensive; get a roommate!
Parking at "the U" is extremely difficult. Pay lots (either daily or quarterly contract lots) are expensive, and free spots are nearly impossible to find (if you're going to try to park in Dinkytown, give yourself an extra 15-30 minutes and fill up your gas tank - you'll be driving for a while). Taking the bus (the "52" buses go to the University from various areas around the cities; other buses connect fairly easily) is a convenient and fairly inexpensive option. Check out the U's Parking and Transportation Services to learn about parking rates on campus as well as bus passes.
Sources of information:
- Apartment Search
1-800-989-8780 (outside of the Cities)
612-870-0525 (Minneapolis/Uptown)
651-636-3860 (Roseville)
- Star Tribune Home
Zone
-
Homestore.com
-
Yahoo Real Estate in the Twin Cities
Area
-
apartments.com
- University
of Minnesota Housing and Residential Life (on-campus and some off-campus
information)
612-624-1995
612-624-2994
- Current ICD Students! Feel free to ask students for their opinions about areas to look at; your mentor may even be able to send you the "Rentals" section of the Sunday paper. Current students may have "inside information" about vacancies in their buildings.