Great place for raising a family ...
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10/25/2009
Orono is a nice place to live, especially for families with children. First, the schools (k-12) are really good. It is hard for your child to get lost in the shuffle because most of the teachers care about teaching, they are smart, and there is a strong "alliance of parents" that makes sure resources for students and teachers are top notch. If my memory is correct, the "Orono Alliance" has raised enough money to help fund additional teachers, smart boards for classrooms, computers, playground equipment, etc. Second, this small town, being in the western suburbs, is far enough away from Minneapolis that you have a small town / country feel (there are several horse farms out here). Third, the new bypass that connects the edge of Maple Plain, Orono, Long Lake and the edge of Wayzata, means that a lot of people who live in this area, can now commute from their doorstep to downtown Minneapolis and encounter only a handful of traffic lights or stop signs. Fourth, if you like big yards, you can easily find homes with one plus acres to five or more acres. Fifth, residents have access to a lot of outdoor activities, including biking or jogging on the Luce Line trail or other nearby trails that go through Lake Minnetonka as well as nearby Baker Park. Sixth, one of the largest lakes, Lake Minnetonka, is part of this community, along with other smaller, picturesque lakes. On the negative side, property taxes and property values are generally high. There isn't a lot of diversity in the population. The winters can be brutal but the summers are generally awesome. Overall, it is a wonderful place to raise a family. Crime is low and the residents (parents and their children) all make this an ideal community.
John | Orono, MN