Orono, MN

180 Apartments for Rent

Get your ear eating on at the Corn Days Festival, hosted every year in August in Long Lake, next to Orono. The event features a parade, a 5k run and plenty of food and drinks celebrating the delicious golden food.

Sitting pretty on top of Lake Minnetonka about 15 miles from Minneapolis, Orono offers the true American lifestyle to those hungry for friendly neighbors, plentiful recreational opportunities and a full spectrum of seasons. Residents here aren't slouches; they work hard and play hard, enjoying golf, boating and tasty eats all within a stone's throw of home, and they can zip over to Minneapolis for big city adventures or a 9-5 with limited traffic and a lovely view. It's true that the winters here are pretty brutal, but it wouldn't be an All-American Town if it didn't require a little rugged spirit to survive. But even the cold averse will quickly come to see that the benefits far outweigh any chilly disadvantages as they breathe in the fresh air and make lasting friendships in this charming little city by the water.

Onward to Orono

Living in Orono is like living on vacation, as evidenced by the large number of seasonal rental homes available here. That's great for folks who just want to hang around for a few months at a time, but for those with more permanent roots hoping for a wide variety of housing options it's a bit of a let down. Be prepared for a move to Orono by understanding a few essentials prior to ordering a UHaul.

Get the Paperwork

It doesn't matter if you've moved more times than you can count on two hands and two feet or if this is your first foray with the great beyond, you're going to need a few of the same documents regardless. For some, this stuff is common sense, but if you're new to the moving game it's good to be prepared for anything. First off, get together your ID (a driver's license will do just peachy), a few recent pay stubs proving you can afford whatever budget you've set yourself and your credit report before applying for a vacancy. This last one is crucial.

Even if you know you can't offer perfect credit, you can make an effort to look like a star renter. Gather some appropriate referrals from folks who can praise your rent paying skills to your potential lessor, and you can remove one more worry from your checklist.

Survey the Landscape

Do you love shiny, relatively new single-family homes with at least 3-4 bedrooms? Well, you've got your pick of the litter here in the Orono rental market. Detached houses take up the vast majority of real estate in these parts. If, on the other hand, you're seeking out a cute condo, townhouse, one-bedroom apartment or mobile home, you're going to have a tough run of things. The truth is, people in these parts like space; this is the Midwest after all, and land is plentiful. There are a few townhouses for rent and the occasional apartment complex, but easily over 90 percent of the living accommodations are single-family residences. If you're going to need something other than the standard situation, you'll have spend several months seeking out a situation that works.

For those into home rentals, you've got a few options. A sizable majority of the houses were built from 1970 and later, meaning if you're looking for a modern, move-in ready abode, you won't have to fight to find them. But even character-loving older home lovers aren't left out in the cold. A decent portion were built between 1940 and 1969, so pretty much everyone can have their cake and eat it too. Just do yourself a favor and try and look for housing for rent outside of the summer season, when everyone's looking for a piece of the pie.

Most homes are located close to the water, and why not? There are several bays on Lake Minnetonka, which means plenty of shoreline to take advantage of. If you're hoping to keep your toes near the waves you should have ample opportunity to find the perfect relaxing spot.

Neighborhoods

With fewer than 7,500 residents, you can't expect a charming bitty town like Orono to have distinctive neighborhoods like big cities boast. There are differences between one area and another that can help you decide where to park your tush for the long term though. Discover the benefits of each location and find your dream home.

North: Housing options are pretty much divided between on-or-near-the-water and inland. The benefit of keeping inland is obvious to commuters: Easy access to HWY 12, which heads straight into Minneapolis. There are a few apartments here too, like the Hillside Terrace Apartments. It's also less touristy during the high summer season. Plus, the shopping near Long Lake is excellent.

South: The appeal of the southern half of Orono is clear: lakeside living. Take your pick of Browns Bay, Smith Bay, Crystal Bay, Maxwell Bay or Stubbs Bay, just for a start. You'll be hard-pressed to find apartments here, though. Try just to the west of the border at Lord Fletcher's Apartments or Bayview Apartments.

Orono Living

Perhaps the best reason to move to Orono is it's seemingly endless selection of recreational opportunities. Living here means making the most of nature, but it's not all fishing and boating (there's also canoeing, bird-watching, trail hiking, biking, swimming, golfing and picnicking). Fans of cultural attractions like museums and theater aren't far from myriad choices (head straight to Minneapolis for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Varsity Theater, Guthrie Theater and Walker Art Center). If you can handle long, brutal winters (no, seriously. It routinely drops below zero in the winter, but summers are sweltering, so...yay?), you can have everything you desire close at hand

A quick word on transportation: You're going to need a car. There just aren't any great public transit options here, though once you get into Minneapolis there are buses, taxis and even light rail trains to use. Within the borders of Orono, though, you'll need to operate under your own fire.

There's no question that Orono, MN is a gorgeous and enjoyable place to live. That's why there are so many seasonal rentals here. Many people pack up and head straight to Orono every summer, but living here year round, while requiring a rugged American spirit and some no-nonsense snow tires, means taking advantage of all this beauty and easy access to the city just like a local. How about that?