[DEV] Live Minneapolis - Saint Paul

Nestled quite literally in the center of south Minneapolis, Central is a richly diverse, conveniently located, city neighborhood. Park and Portland Avenues-with their wide expanses and especially grand homes-serve as the neighborhood's residential "showcase" streets. Chicago and 4th Avenues, and Lake and 38th Streets serve as Central's primary commercial corridors. The Central neighborhood's popularity continues to grow as it attracts those who not only value the neighborhood's beautiful, historic housing stock and vibrant, diverse community of residents and businesses, but its close proximately to everything the city has to offer: Downtown, Uptown, the Lakes District, Minnehaha Creek, Lake Nokomis, the Midtown Greenway, the Midtown Exchange and Global Market, the freeway system, and much more.

Images

Boundaries and Zip Code

North: Lake Street
South: 38th Street
East: Chicago Avenue
West: I-35W

Zip code: 55407, 55408, 55409

History

From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, Park Avenue was considered the "Summit Avenue of Minneapolis." With its grand homes, 100-foot expanse, unusually wide boulevards, spacious lots, and generous building set-backs, the distinction of a Park Avenue address was actively sought by some of Minneapolis's most distinguished residents. By 1930, Central had become a largely Scandinavian neighborhood, with Swedes the largest foreign-born group, followed by Norwegians and then Danish settlers; other immigrant groups included Slovaks, Poles, French Canadians, Germans, and Irish. Much of Central's turn-of-the-century residential housing stock and commercial structures represent homes and businesses for these then new immigrants, workers, middle managers, and business and professional elite during the peak industrial expansion of lumber, railroads and flour milling in Minneapolis. At the same time, the Central neighborhood attracted many African-American families migrating north and looking to settle in Minnesota. For a detailed account of the neighborhood’s history, see: http://www.candompls.org/history.php

Housing Styles and Types

As one of the older neighborhoods in South Minneapolis, Central boasts a wealth of extraordinary architecture built largely between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. It is here that you'll find ornate Queen Anne architecture nestled alongside stately Colonial Revivals, and elegant Four-Squares sharing blocks with Arts & Crafts Bungalows and English-inspired Tudors. There are apartment buildings,

Schools

Public Schools:

• Richard Green Central Park (K-8)

Charter Schools:

• Friendship Academy of Fine Arts (K-6)

For more information on Minneapolis schools, visit Live MSP's Schools page.

Public Facilities

• Green Central Gym—the facility hosts volleyball, badminton, wrestling, and soccer along with other leagues for both youth and adults.
• Hosmer Community Library—built in 1916, this beautiful Carnegie library features an array of programs and services to meet the community's diverse needs. 7 East 36th
• Sabathani Community Center-- Sabathani’s wide-range of programs and services focus on life skills, self reliance, job readiness, basic needs, education, and school success for Central’s and its surrounding neighborhoods’ diverse, multi-racial, and multi-cultural residents.

Home Purchase/Home Improvement Incentives

• Minneapolis Advantage
• Central Neighborhood Home Improvement Loan Program—features a highly competitive 5% interest rate for most improvements made to any 1-4 unit, owner-occupied dwelling within the Central Neighborhood. Loans are administered by Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis, contact: 612-521-3581 for more information.
• Architectural Preservation Incentive Program—seeks to encourage residents to honor and preserve Central's historic housing stock and the neighborhood's turn-of-the-century character through the preservation and restoration of original sound architectural features, such as wood clapboard siding, shakes, and detailing, and other original exterior and interior building characteristics. The Architectural Preservation Incentive offers a 3% interest rate on projects where 30% or more of the total cost goes toward preservation. Loans are administered by Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis, contact: 612-521-3581 for more information.

For information about incentive programs that may be available in this neighborhood, visit Live MSP's Incentive Programs page.

Getting Involved

Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO): CANDO is a community driven organization that engages residents, property owners, business owners, and other invested in the Central neighborhood through regular activities, meetings, and events

News

Sign up for an electronic newsletter at the CANDO website: http://www.candompls.org

Statistics

• City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Profile—Includes trend information on neighborhood demographics, economics, and housing, taken from the most recent census data
• Home Sales Information by Neighborhood—The City of Minneapolis Assessor’s Office allows you to search home sale prices by neighborhood. You choose the time frame that you want to compare (e.g. 1/1/2006 – 12/31/2008.)
• Minneapolis Crime Statistics—Crime maps, statistics, and reports compiled by the Minneapolis Police Department. Check out Interpreting Crime Statistics. to help you make sense of these resources.

Real Estate Listings

Search Realtor.com for listings. You can search for properties by either clicking on the map or entering the neighborhood name or zip code (noting that zip code boundaries span multiple neighborhoods) into the search bar.

OwnAHomeMN.org—Check here for listings of affordable homes sold by community developers. Note: not all neighborhoods have listings.

Contacts

CANDO
310 E 38th St #304
Minneapolis, MN 55409
Phone: 612-824-1333
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: http://www.candompls.org

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