Columbia Heights, MN 405 Apartments for Rent

The one-armed, one-eyed, one-legged man may have just been made up for Wrongfully Accused, but Columbia Heights sure wasn't. This town plays the backdrop in the film, and really steals the show.

In 1898, Columbia Heights was formed as a village following the residents' decision to split from Fridley Township. In 1921, the town presented its own charter and became its own independent urban entity. Since then, the town has grown exponentially in size, and now is home to 20,000 people. Ironically, the very village that early Columbia Heights founders wished to escape has also grown into a good-sized urban center that borders Columbia Heights to the north and west. Maybe they should have moved a little further away if they really didn't want to be neighbors, but who are we to judge?

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Renting an Apartment

If you have pets and are looking for a rental in this town, you are better off looking at houses as opposed to apartments, although you will probably still have to have a nice conversation with the landlord to convince them that your kitty or pup deserves a home too. Houses in Columbia Heights are generally between 2 and 3 bedrooms in size. The city is pretty small, and until now, has considered itself to be one giant neighborhood. But to spur community involvement and help safety in the city, the local government recently decided to establish official town neighborhoods. While the neighborhoods will take a while to determine and establish, there are two particular areas that have already been designated.

Hilltop: Hilltop is a separate urban entity that is completely encircled by the town of Columbia Heights. Hilltop is only 16 blocks in size and mostly comprised of mobile homes and trailers. The residents have to "commute" to Columbia Heights for work, shopping and basically everything except sleeping and cooking dinner. What's the point? Well, it's not for us to judge. If you like the idea of living in an enclosed, special town like Hilltop, you need look no further than the rental listings for Columbia Heights. For some reason, they keep the listings together. $$$

Huset Park: The center of this neighborhood is the large park made up of two parts -- Huset Park West and Huset Park East -- with green lawns, pavilions, sports facilities and more. It draws families, but you can find apartments and houses to rent. This is a great place if you want a quiet suburban home. $$$$

Living in Columbia Heights

There is a Polish flag on the sign that separates Columbia Heights from Minneapolis, but this is more of a nod to the town's history than a sign that the Poles have invaded Minnesota--unless they've already won and no one has told us. A century ago, the area was full of Polish immigrants looking to build a life in America, and their descendants are still here among the rest of the great granddaughters and great grandsons of immigrants wanting the very same thing. To honor its Polish roots, Columbia Heights joined the Sister City program and paired with Lomianki, Poland in 1944. At the time of the city's pairing, a resident of Columbia Heights had a brother who was stationed in Lomianki during a fatal attack on Allied Troops. The empathy towards Poland remains strong in this town.

Besides celebrating its Polish heritage, Columbia Heights residents do regular suburban things -- like shop, go out to eat, bowl, and more. The best part about Columbia Heights, though, is its proximity to Minneapolis. Since its basically just a suburb, you can live with peace and quiet when you want, but also soak up the best of the big midWestern city when you're looking for some excitement.