[DEV] Live Minneapolis - Saint Paul

Columbia Park is a quiet and stable residential neighborhood, somewhat hidden away from the rest of the city by the parks, river, and railroads. It has quick and convenient access to Minneapolis’ downtown by main roads and public transportation. Several small businesses and industries are located in the neighborhood and separated from homes by the parks and railways. The neighborhood is home to a substantial amount of City of Minneapolis park land, including the 18-hole Columbia Golf Course, which was founded in 1919 as well as the following amenities: archery, bicycle and walking paths, cross country skiing trails, sledding, driving range, rugby field, picnic area, playground, dog run, horseshoe pits, tennis courts, and wading pool.

Boundaries and Zip Code

North: 37th Avenue at the Anoka County border
South: To the south and west Columbia Park is separated from the Holland neighborhood by 27th Avenue and from Marshall Terrace by St. Anthony Boulevard, University Avenue NE, and 4th Street NE.
East: Central Avenue (Hwy 65)
West: Mississippi River

Zip code: 55418

Neighborhood Voices

I never realized how great our neighborhood was until my daughter turned one. Now we have a small park with a wonderful wading pool just a few blocks away in our quiet, cozy little 5 block neighborhood. Although we have little through traffic we do have a direct bus route downtown, and walking and biking trails to take us either down along the river or up through St. Anthony Parkway. It's the best of city life while still having quiet and a yard to play and garden in.
- Robin

History

Columbia Park’s name goes back to the year 1894, which was the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to America. At one time the neighborhood had a large and shallow lake, named Lake Sandy, but all that remains today are some scattered wetlands within the golf course.

Housing Styles and Types

Most of the housing is owner-occupied, single-family units, where the local pride in ownership is evident. There are a variety of housing styles in the neighborhood and along Columbia Parkway most are stucco and brick Tudors and two-story colonials—reminiscent of the homes along Minnehaha Parkway.

Schools

Charter Schools:

• Learning for Leadership (K -12)

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

Public Facilities

• Columbia Golf Course

• Columbia Park Manor

• Columbia Park Driving Range

• Columbia Park

• Saint Anthony Parkway Off-leash Dog Park

• Hi-View Park

Home Purchase/Home Improvement Incentives

The Columbia Park Neighborhood Association (CPNA) will be launching a major revolving home improvement loan fund for both exterior and interior projects. The program will be administered by the Northeast Housing Resource Center. For details, contact: Denise Eloundou at 612- 378-7985.

In addition, the CPNA is currently working to establish a loan program for emergency housing problems. It is envisioned that those funds will be available for owner occupied homes, as well as multiple dwellings, which do not to exceed four units.

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

Getting Involved

The Columbia Park Neighborhood Association (CPNA) is an active advocate for the area’s residents and businesses and works closely with the City of Minneapolis to maintain and improve the quality of life within its boundaries.

News

The CPNA publishes a quarterly newsletter, which is delivered to local households and businesses. The publication is also available on-line at: http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/minneapolis/colpark/news.html

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

The CPNA’s community organizer is Kathy Buchanan (phone: 763-571-1230). CPNA’s 2009 Co-Chairs are Sue Bembenek (phone: 612-788-8274) and Mike Melman (phone: 612-789-9454.)

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