I have recently had several closings on properties where the issue wasn't the number of garage stalls… it was proximity to bike trails or public transportation. Over the years I have had many clients come to me because they wanted to live in a location close to trails, coffee shops, bus routes, skyways, LRT. They wanted a location that wasn't car dependent.
With Minneapolis consistently ranked as one of the most bike friendly cities in the country (the green lines on the map are trails), it should come as no surprise that proximity to bike trails has become as important as garages to many buyers. This is also good news for sellers who live in older neighborhoods dominated by one-car garages.
Our bike/trail system is not only strong in Minneapolis, it also includes suburbs… with 'express' trails from suburbs into the city, not unlike express bus lines. And then there is the Midtown Greenway, which is like a bike freeway from the Minneapolis lakes to the Mississippi River… and the awesome Minneapolis 50-mile Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway.
For many buyers, not being car dependent also translates to a 'walkable' community… which can mean different things to different buyers and often has as much to do with neighborhood personality as with walkability. From the lakeside community of Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka to first ring Minneapolis suburb of Hopkins to the vibrant downtown or lakes or 'arts' areas of Minneapolis to collegiate St. Paul to Edina's 50th and France to Eden Prairie's neighborhood trails… the Twin Cities has a walkable community to fit nearly everyone's style. What does your walkable community look like?
We will be looking at different walkable communities in coming posts. Don't want to wait? Contact Sharlene or Angela to get started looking for the community that fits your style any time!
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results
The HomesMSP Team - Sharlene, John, Angela – Your Twin Cities Neighborhood Guides
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- Midtown Greenway… bike freeway from Minneapolis lakes to the Mississippi River
- Chain of Lakes… part of the 50-mile Minneapolis Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway
- Minneapolis is the First American City to be Ranked in the Top 20 List of Bike-Friendly Cities in the World
- Walkability… what does it mean to you?
- Living where your feet don't touch the ground
- What Baby Boomers and first-time homebuyers have in common
