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Renting an Apartment in Bloomington
What You Should Know
Hennepin County, Minnesota, and a southern suburb of Minneapolis. As of 2005,
it had a population of 84,347, making it the largest Twin Cities suburb, and the
fifth largest city in the state. It is the home of the United States'
largest—and the world's most visited—shopping center, the Mall of America.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 99.4
km� (38.4 mi�). 91.9 km� (35.5 mi�) of it is land and 7.5 km� (2.9 mi�) of it
(7.53%) is water.
There are three primary land types in the city. The northeastern part of the
city is a sand plain, low hills dominate the western portion of the city, and
the far south lies within the valley of the Minnesota River.
About 1/3 of the city is permanently reserved for park purposes, including two
large natural areas -- the Minnesota River lowlands (controlled by the City and
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Hyland Lake Park Reserve
(controlled by the Three Rivers Park District).
Water bodies in the city include the Minnesota River, Long Meadow Lake, Bush
Lake, Lake Normandale, Nine Mile Creek, and about 100 small lakes and ponds.
Demographics
As of the census� of 2000, there were 85,172 people, 36,400 households, and
22,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 926.9/km�
(2,400.5/mi�). There were 37,104 housing units at an average density of
403.8/km� (1,045.7/mi�). The racial makeup of the city was 88.12% White, 3.42%
African American, 0.35% Native American, 5.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander,
1.25% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
any race were 2.69% of the population.
There were 36,400 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.6% of all
households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average
family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.0%
from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there
were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,628, and the median income
for a family was $67,135. Males had a median income of $42,924 versus $32,606
for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,782. About 2.3% of
families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2%
of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Population statistics
During the twenty years from 1950 to 1970, Bloomington saw an enormous growth in
population adding more than 70,000 residents[2]. In 1998, the population peaked
and since then has begun to decline due to fewer people living in each
household.
N/A
Source for 2005 population value is Metropolitan Council 2005 Population
Estimate; source for 1998 value is unknown; source for all other values is US
Census Bureau.
History
1800s
The history of Bloomington can be traced back to the days before Minnesota was
officially admitted as a state of the union. In 1843, Peter and Louisa Quinn,
the first European settlers (white people) to live in Bloomington, built a cabin
along the Minnesota River, close to where Portland Avenue is now[2]. The
government had sent the Quinns to teach farming methods to the Native Americans
and begin integrating them into the white man's culture.
Also in that year, Gideon Pond and his brother Samuel, both missionaries,
established the Oak Grove Mission. Gideon and his brother did not have
permission to be on the Native American’s land and they did not know their
language. They only knew a few soldiers at Fort Snelling who had sent the Ponds
to a Dakota Indian village to teach them how to plow a field. Operating from
within the log cabin he built for his family to live, Gideon held church
services, taught school, and taught farming to the Native Americans.
In 1849, William Chambers and Joseph Dean opened the Bloomington Ferry. This was
an important business because, up until now, people didn’t have a way to cross
the Minnesota River in Bloomington. The Bloomington Ferry remained operational
until 1889, when the Bloomington Ferry Bridge was built and the Bloomington
Ferry went out of business.
In 1851, the territory west of the Mississippi, including Bloomington, was
opened to settlers. Settlers began settling in Bloomington, and in 1852, the
Goodrich, Whalon, and Ames families came to Bloomington and settled close to the
Ferry, near the Minnesota River. They named Bloomington after the city they were
from, Bloomington, Illinois, which means flowering field.
By 1854, several pioneers moved their families to the new settlement and began
commerce. The first hotel in Bloomington (which today has the most hotels of any
city in the state), the Half-way House, was built and opened by John Baliff
after he and his family moved to the new settlement. He got the name from the
fact that it was built half way between St. Paul and Shakopee. Many famous
people who traveled by stagecoach from Fort Snelling stayed there. The Oxborough
family, who came from Canada, built a trading center on Lyndale Avenue and
called it Oxborough-Heath. Although the original structures have long since
vanished, the Cloverleaf Shopping Center can be seen on the spot of the old
trading center, preserving its original use. The Baliff family opened a grocery
and general store at what is today Penn Avenue and Old Shakopee Road, and Hector
Chadwick, after moving to the settlement, opened a blacksmith shop near the
Bloomington Ferry. Most of Bloomington’s early jobs were in farming,
blacksmithing, and flour milling.
As more settlers began to move to Bloomington, it was clear that a public
education system needed to be established to accommodate the growing population.
In 1855, the first public school for all kids was opened in Miss Harrison’s
house (an early pioneer). May 11, 1858 was a significant day for two reasons.
First, the state of Minnesota was admitted into the union and officially became
a state. But on that same day, Bloomington became a city, and the twenty-five
organizers present at the meeting approved a $100 budget for the new city. When
Bloomington became a town it was called Town of Bloomington, not Bloomington
Township. The reason for this special name was because it was bigger than other
townships, so it had to be given a special name. In 1859, the first real school
building, the Gibson School, was built at France Avenue and Old Shakopee Road to
accommodate the growing population. By 1880, the population had grown to 820 out
of almost 800,000 in the state[3]. In 1892 the first town hall was built at Penn
and Old Shakopee Road.
1900s to 1930s
With the population reaching one thousand by 1900, Bloomington began to
transform from a small village to a city. With the rising population came
conflict among citizens over certain social issues. Among the major issues
during this period were the parents unwillingness to dissolve the individual
schools for a larger, consolidated school, and the fear of mounting taxes. By
1900 there were already six rural schools spread throughout the territory with
over 200 students enrolled in grades first through eighth.
Shortly after the turn of the century, the first telephone service was installed
throughout the city as the popularity in telephone communication was growing
throughout the country. Several years later, automobiles began to appear around
town as people began to replace the feeble horse and buggy with the more
practical automobile (around the turn of the century Henry Ford applied the
assembly line method to automobile manufacturing, greatly reducing the cost and
making it more accessible to everyday people). By 1917, the school consolidation
issue had been settled. That year voters approved the consolidation of the
schools and a year later secondary education and school bus transportation began
throughout the city.
1940s to 1950s
During the twenty years from 1940 to 1960, the city's population increased to
nine times that of the population at the turn of the century. During the 1940s
the city's development vision was low-cost, low-density housing, each with their
own well and septic system. This was in part due to the post World War II boom
and subsequent birth of the baby boomer generation. In 1947 the first fire
station was constructed and equipped at a cost of $24,000 and the Bloomington
Volunteer Fire Department was established with 25 members.
The 1950's saw a considerable expansion to the city and its infrastructure, with
the city shifting away from its small town atmosphere and feel. In 1950, because
of the increasing population, the first elementary school, Cedarcrest, was
built. It was evident that one consolidated school could no longer serve the
growing population, and ten new schools would be built in this decade as the
school system expanded to meet the needs of the citizens. In 1952 the first
large business, Toro Manufacturing Company, moved to Bloomington. The
significance of this can be seen in Bloomington today, which is home to hundreds
of businesses of all types.
In 1953, Bloomington changed from a township to village form of government. This
more professional approach to government was accompanied by open council
meetings, land use plans and published budgets. The effects of this new form of
government began immediately, first with the formation of the city police
department (at a cost of $2 per taxpayer) and secondly with the first park land
acquisition. Both Bush Lake Beach and Moir Park were established at a cost of
one dollar to each residence. Today, about 1/2 of the city's land area is
devoted to city and regional parks playgrounds, and open space. In 1956 the
first city land use plan was initiated with the construction of interstate 35W
(Minnesota) and Metropolitan Stadium.
In 1958, the city changed from a village government to a council-manager form.
One of the first council adopted policies was the encouragement of commercial
and industrial development, low-cost housing and shopping centers. Due to the
rapid population increase during this time, police and fire departments go to a
24-hour dispatching system, and the fire department (now made up of 46 members)
converts a garage into the second fire station.
1960s to 1970s
The 1960s saw accelerated school and business growth throughout the city. On
November 8, 1960, Bloomington officially became a city as voters approved the
city's organizing document, the City Charter. The city charter provides for a
Council-Manager form of government in which the city council exercises the
legislative power of the city and determines all city policies (see City of
Bloomington Government). In 1967, a second and third official fire station were
approved and built to more effectively combat fires in the increasing
population. In 1968, Normandale Junior College opened with an initial enrollment
of 1,358 students. It would not be until 1974 that the college would change to
its present name, Normandale Community College, to reflect expanded courses of
study.
From 1961 to 1982, the city of Bloomington was home to all the major sports
teams of Minnesota. In 1961, after the completion of Metropolitan Stadium in
1956, both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings began regular season play.
Although Metropolitan Stadium was originally built for the American Association
Minneapolis Millers, a minor league baseball team, Metropolitan stadium was
renovated and expanded for Major League Baseball and Football. The first Twins
game was held on April 21 (Twins 3, Washington 5) and the first Vikings game was
held on September 17 (Vikings 37, Chicago Bears 13). In 1967, with the expansion
of the National Hockey League, the Metropolitan Sports Center was built near the
site of the Metropolitan Stadium and the Minnesota North Stars began play later
that year.
A number of new city buildings were constructed in the 1970s. In 1970 Jefferson
High School, Bloomington Ice Garden rink one and a fourth fire station were
built. In 1971, school enrollment peaked with 26,000 students, and the fire
department had grown to a force of 105 men. It was not until 1974, after a six
hour city council meeting, were women allowed to join the Bloomington Fire
Department (the cities first female firefighter, Ann Majerus, would not join the
department until 1984). In 1975 a second rink was added to the Bloomington Ice
Garden and fifth fire station, and subsequent sixth in 1979, were also built.
1980s to present
The 1980s brought a radical change to Bloomington with the departure of the
Minnesota Twins and Vikings. In 1982, the last baseball game was played at
Metropolitan stadium (Twins 2, Kansas City Royals 5) as the Twins and Vikings
moved to the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown
Minneapolis. In 1985, the Bloomington Port Authority purchased the 86-acre Met
Stadium site and in less than two years approved first site plans for the Mall
of America. Two years later, ground breaking took place for the new megamall,
and in 1992 it was opened to the public. Today the Mall of America is the
largest private sector employer in Bloomington, employing about 13,000 people.
In 1993, the Minnesota North Stars hockey team moved to Dallas and a year later
the Metropolitan Sports Center was demolished. In 2004, an IKEA store opened on
the west end of the property, and the remainder of the site is planned to become
the site of Mall of America Phase II. Opening in May, 2006 is the Water Park of
America, promoted as the largest indoor water park in the United States.
Local information
Bloomington is divided into two areas by Interstate 35W. The area west of I-35W
is locally known as "West Bloomington," and the area east is called "East
Bloomington." West Bloomington is mostly residential, along with several large
office buildings in the north; East Bloomington contains most of the industry,
as well as lower-income housing, and the Mall of America. Lower income here,
however, has to be taken into context as both median income and home prices in
Bloomington are substantially higher than the average for the metro area it lies
within. While according to the Census Bureau, Bloomington is one of the major
cities of the Metro Area (formally the "Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Metropolitan Statistical Area"), Bloomington is culturally and socially a suburb
of the two larger cities, and few people refer to the area as anything other
than "Minneapolis-St. Paul" or the "Twin Cities Metro Area."
Many locals will refer to themselves as either from "East" or "West"
Bloomington, but the line between the two is somewhat blurry, with some
residents claiming I-35W as the boundary, and others placing it as far west as
France Avenue. Residents are further divided in to "east" and "west" groups
because Bloomington is served by two high schools, John F. Kennedy High School
and Thomas Jefferson High School, in the east and west respectively. Despite the
two schools being only about a 5 minute drive away from each other, school-age
children and their parents often identify themselves as from "East" or "West"
according to which school they (or their children) will eventually attend.
Bloomington's third high school, Lincoln High School, was sold to the Control
Data Corporation in the mid 1980s. Now controlled by General Dynamics, it is
used primarily for defense contracting work although Bloomington Public Schools
is now a tenant. The stadium there is still used by both Kennedy High School and
Jefferson High School for home football and soccer games.
The city is a longstanding favorite location for employers, hosting more than
100,000 jobs. Benefiting from its location near major transportation routes and
the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Bloomington is a major
hospitality center with about 7000 hotel rooms.
City government
Bloomington, Minnesota is governed by a seven member part-time City Council.
Members include the mayor and six Council members, four of whom are elected from
districts and two who are elected at-large. Members are elected to four year
terms, except during redistricting when all district councilmembers have a two
year term. Elections are non-partisan.
City operations are controlled by three interrelated entities - the City itself,
the Port Authority, and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The Port
Authority is responsible for managing development in the Airport South district,
in which the Mall of America is located. The HRA handles low income housing in
the city and manages the city's redevelopment activities. Membership on the
boards of the Port Authority and HRA are controlled by the City Council.
The city's organizing document, the City Charter, was approved by voters on
November 8, 1960.
* for a list of city mayors (past and present) see List of mayors of
Bloomington, Minnesota
* for a list of city council members (past and present) see List of
councilmembers of Bloomington, Minnesota
Government services
* Fire Protection: Bloomington has one of the largest volunteer fire departments
in the country with 150 firefighters. They provide fire protection that has
resulted in a Class 3 fire rating. The department operates six fire stations and
utilizes the latest in fire fighting equipment. The department has a total of 30
fire fighting vehicles including pumpers, hook and ladder and specialty units,
all of which are equipt with opticom equipment, which automatically switches
traffic signals to expedite emergency runs. The average response time is four
minutes.
* Police Protection: Public safety is protected by Bloomington's 110 officer
police force. The officers have very sophisticated squad cars which help aid
them in their round-the-clock patrol. Each squad car contains a
computer-assisted dispatching center that contains a computerized records
system, mobile digital terminals, which allow officers direct access to warrant
information and state motor vehicle and drivers license records, and opticom
equipment, which automatically switches traffic signals. The police force is
also supported by three canine teams, a fully equipped bomb squad, and highly
trained SWAT team.
* Bloomington Public Health Division
* Bloomington Parks and Recreation
* Human Services: Bloomington Human Services helps to improve the lives of
residents by identifying needs and problems. They provide services that are
accessible to youth, families, older adults and people with disabilities.
Education
Public schools
Two entities operate public schools in Bloomington: the Bloomington Public
Schools, and Seven Hills Classical Academy.
Bloomington Public Schools
15 public schools in Bloomington are operated by Bloomington Public Schools.
Governed by a seven member elected school board, public schools in the city have
a good reputation for quality. Voters traditionally have supported the schools
financially; in 1999 they approved the (then) largest school bond issue in
Minnesota history, funding a $107 million school expansion and renovation
project. Bloomington Public Schools Superintendent Gary Prest won the award for
Superintendent of The Year for 2005 in Minnesota.
Seven Hills Classical Academy
Formed in 2006, Seven Hills Classical Academy is a charter school that uses the
Core Knowledge Curriculum.
Private schools
* Trinity School at River Ridge is located off Old Shakopee Road, near the Mall
of America.
* Nativity of Mary School is located on Lyndale Ave. It is associated with the
Nativity of Mary Catholic Church and community.
* Bloomington Lutheran School is located near Bloomington Ferry Road and Old
Shakopee Road.
* Minnehaha Academy operates a K-5 school at 102nd and Xerces.
* Bethany Academy operates a K-12 school just west of France Avenue on 98th
Street.
Higher education
* Normandale Community College is a two-year college, with 8,500 full and
part-time students, that has been in Bloomington since 1968. It is part of the
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.
* Northwestern Health Sciences University focuses on natural health care and
patient research, in the areas of chiropractic, acupuncture, oriental medicine,
and massage.
* Bethany College of Missions A small Christian school focused on missionary
preparation
Some Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment...
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to
think through what are the most important things to you in an apartment
and plan your search based on those priorities. Here are some things to
consider when planning your move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in
the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in
unit laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air
conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application
More Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth
countries) is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a
building. Apartments may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by
tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which
the residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or
development; or in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments
and share ownership of the public spaces. Most apartments are in
buildings designed for the purpose, but large older houses are sometimes
divided into apartments. The word apartment connotes a residential unit
or section in a building. Apartment building owners, lessors, or
managers often use the more general word units to refer to apartments.
Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment,
the lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each
vacancy represents a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the
time the apartment is vacant (i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are
often to minimize the vacancy rate for their units. The owner of the
apartment typically transfers possession to the occupant by giving
him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any other keys need
to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other common
areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency,
bed-sit, or bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with
the cheapest rents in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually
consist mainly of a large room which is the living, dining, and bedroom
combined. There are usually kitchen facilities as part of this central
room, but the bathroom is its own smaller separate room. Moving up from
the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where one bedroom is a
separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have
only one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits,
perhaps a door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the
building design, the entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside
or to a common area inside, such as a hallway. Depending on location,
apartments may be available for rent furnished with furniture or
unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in with his/her own
furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all
the tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built
and the design of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and
electric may be common for all the apartments in the building or
separate for each apartment and billed separately to each tenant
(however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal to split a water
bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the premises).
Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always
billed separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar
amenities are extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra
storage space may or may not be included with an apartment. Rental
leases often limit the maximum number of people who can reside in each
apartment. On or around the ground floor of the apartment building, a
series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location accessible to the
public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit typically gets
its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large apartment
buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a
doorbell) for each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such
as two- or three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of
in trash containers similar to those used at houses. In larger
buildings, garbage is often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster.
For cleanliness or minimizing noise, many lessors will place
restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to
refer to a new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a
building, whereas the word flat means a converted self-contained unit in
an older building. An industrial, warehouse, or commercial space
converted to an apartment is commonly called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's
family member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny
flat, though these (sometimes illegally) created units are often
occupied by ordinary renters rather than family members. In Canada these
suites are commonly located in the basements of houses and are therefore
normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly
becoming popular with travelers.