In Chanhassen you'll be hobnobing with the likes of Jared Allen (you’re in Minnesota, you should know who that is), Kris Humphries (former short lived spouse of Kim Kardashian) and you'll be hanging in Paisley Park Studios (where Prince records his music). Who needs the bright lights of the big city?
Chanhassen is southwest of Minneapolis and far enough away that it does feel like a small town
In Chanhassen you'll be hobnobing with the likes of Jared Allen (you’re in Minnesota, you should know who that is), Kris Humphries (former short lived spouse of Kim Kardashian) and you'll be hanging in Paisley Park Studios (where Prince records his music). Who needs the bright lights of the big city?
Chanhassen is southwest of Minneapolis and far enough away that it does feel like a small town. Many residents commute into the city, but Chanhassen is large enough (23,000 people covering almost 23 square miles) that many people work and live in town. There are four different lakes in town and those lakes have six public beaches. Like other Minnesotans people take full advantage of the outdoors when the weather permits because the winters can be so long.
There are a lot of people who want to live in Chanhassen, so you may find the market tighter than in other places. Most residents live in homes and not in rental properties, but that demand does affect the rental market. You will need to begin looking early. That presents the normal problem as most tenants do not notify their landlords they are leaving before the 30 days notice required by agreements. However, rental properties are good about keeping waiting lists and staying constant. You should check back periodically just in case though. You will also need first month and last month as a deposit, so moving may be more expensive than to most locations. A credit check and employment verification will be necessary. Most of the available rental properties will lean towards the two bedrooms and rental homes. Because most of the residents are families studio apartments are in less demand this far from Minneapolis and St. Paul.
One of the aspects that makes Chanhassen feel like a small town is its lack of distinct neighborhoods. What the residents there consider neighborhoods are housing divisions. For the renter, however, there is little difference among the different segments of the city. There are divisions in town among the lakes and trail systems, but those areas feel like other areas. Neighborhoods will have individual block parties, so there are efforts to cultivate a sense of identity based around smaller geography, but hose differences are mainly limited to personalities and not larger differences in living conditions.
There is public transportation, however, don't count on it saving your day. It has limited schedules and routes. Most people drive around town or commute out of town for their employment. Walking and biking is an option as the town does care about its trail system and sidewalks. Even in the winter there is an avid community of winter bikers to help you out if you are uninitiated in the practicalities of that.