2012 Laurel Ave W, Minneapolis, MN 55405

"Easy to get to the highway and anywhere from the western suburbs to NE/uptown/downtown/lakes. Love this neighborhood. "

"A neighborhood within a park is a fine way to describe Bryn Mawr, 3 miles west of downtown Minneapolis. It's been home for 35 years: a place to make friends, raise children, and age in place. Apart from the parks and lakes surrounding this cottage neighborhood, there is a small retail crossroads with a small grocer, two cafes, a pizza counter, a few personal services and retail shops, daycare, interior design, and a gas station. I see a greatly increasing number of bike commuters as well as "share cars" , and the #9 bus serves well during rush hour. The Cedar Lake Bike Trail runs through the 'hood and connects to downtown, to the city's 40-mile Grand Rounds, and the the western suburbs. For major grocery shopping, you need to bike, walk or drive about 1.8 miles to either Whole Foods or Rainbow. At those two different shopping areas, you can find a great artisan bakery, bookstore, bars, many restaurants, drug stores, sandwich shops, clothes, furniture, etc. , etc. I've found Bryn Mawr to such a gem because it's a quiet residential area, yet I can be downtown in 7 minutes, or even seated at the Guthrie Theater (or others) within 30 minutes. Downsides? The little bungalows are quickly gentrifying, and the neighborhood would be improved by more low-rise multifamily housing like senior condos or market-rate town-homes. There's room for more density along the southern border, overlooking the bike trail. "