Hidden Gem
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10/3/2017
I will start off by saying Brooklyn Park is probably one of the most underrated cities in the Metro. Minnesotans who haven't lived here often have a stigma about Brooklyn Park as having high crime or being "ghetto" as a some ignorant people have said. The fact of the matter is its a very diverse melting pot of people from all over the world; whether being newly settled or looking for a cheaper place to live. There has been a lot of growth and investment in the area and is home to the Target Headquarters.
There are essentially 2 different parts of Brooklyn Park. The dividing line being 85th st. Anything on or north of 85th has been mostly built within the last 10-15 years. This is where the city hall and post office are located, the Edinburgh golf course, new schools and transit, Mississippi river/park, and all of the new construction homes. More of the investment appears to be happening in Northern Brooklyn Park as that is where the remaining open land is, as well as a larger and expanding tax base with all the new housing. I would suggest anyone looking for a place to live to look north of 85th. There are lots of affordable town-homes and split level single families in the 200k range. 2 story homes with 4 beds, 3k sq/ft are in the mid to upper 300s. New construction single family homes typically start in the low 400s, so its usually a better value to buy an existing home. The 2007 economic collapse was very hard on the city and thus there were a lot of foreclosures which caused the housing prices to fall very dramatically here.
I personally have lived on the northern end of Brooklyn Park for 5 years and I can't imagine living anywhere else in Minnesota. I love to mountain bike in the summer and cross country ski in the winter and these are both 5 minutes away at Elm Creek Park Reserve. There is a good mixture of housing, but most of the new housing going up is priced on the higher end. To give you an idea of diversity, just on my block, there are families from different parts of Asia, middle east, India, south america, and Africa as well as Caucasian. Most people are friendly and haven't had much of a problem with anyone. The only 2 negatives about this area is that the schools are not very good, and there isn't a lake nearby. We plan to open enroll our kids most likely in the Maple Grove area when they get older.
The southern part of Brooklyn Park below 85th is a mixed bag. There are pockets of nice areas and some not so nice areas. It's an older area with smaller affordable homes, and the population tends to be much lower income. All I can say is that I've never felt unsafe or had any problems. I typically drive through that part of the city for the car dealership an auto-parts store, or to get to the Brooklyn Center DMV (best dmv ever). People here are usually friendly, mind their own business from what I've seen.
If you're looking for a nice affordable place to live with lots of growth, amenities, and diversity, Brooklyn Park is a great place to live.
We also have a $5 pizza; 3$ large first Tuesday of the month. Come for the value. Tasty tasty value.
JDawg | Brooklyn Park, MN