Vive La France! Hugo was named after famous French writer Victor Hugo, who wrote the epic "Les Miserables_." _The city was dubbed Hugo by Michael Houle, the town's first postmaster, in 1882. It makes sense, as Houle was French-Canadian!
Hugo, Minnesota, is a suburb of Minneapolis. It was settled early on by French Canadians (including Michael Houle) and officially deemed a city in 1906. Like much of Minnesota, the city has tons of lakes in it, making it a scenic spot, especially compared to the large concrete city nearby. In 2008, an F3 tornado ripped through Hugo and did a lot of damage in town. In the end, however, the tornado ended up only being a testament to the strength of the community. The town banded together to rebuild and restrengthen.
Do you want to move to Hugo and look for apartment rentals? The first thing to do if you're looking for rental homes is get ready to apply for an apartment. A landlord's going to wan to see things like bank statements, tax returns, copies of your IDs, pay stubs, proof of income and proof of employment - so make sure you've got all of that! You'll need it whether you're considering furnished apartments, apartments with paid utilities, or just a simple studio apartment. Be ready to have your credit checked, too! It's normal for landlords to run a credit check and make sure you've been an upstanding citizen with your bills all along. If you worry about qualifying money-wise, consider getting yourself a guarantor! The guarantor is basically someone with more money than you, and having one will show the landlord that there's someone around who can pay for the apartment if something happens or if you can't.
When choosing an apartment, you need to figure out what you're looking for in a home. Do you want space? Lots of bright light? Nice neighbors? Ask yourself what your priorities are, then narrow down your search according to those. Try to look at as many properties as possible, too, since it can be hard to secure an apartment! You don't want to get set on only one, come to find out that someone rented it before you did. One important way to secure an apartment fast is putting down a deposit. If you have money on hand upfront, you can help take the apartment off the market and make sure you're the only one who gets to rent it.
When you move to a new city like Hugo, you're going to also ask yourself what you want out of an area. Do you want somewhere that's convenient for a commute? That has a lot of businesses around it? Once you've decided on your neighborhood specifications, check out the list below. It can help you figure out what neighborhood in Hugo is right for you.
Southern Hugo: The southern part of Hugo is pretty scenic, bordering the beautiful Bald Eagle Lake. There are more lakes in this part of town, too, including School Section Lake, Sunset Lake, Long Lake, Rice Lake, and more. So, if you don't like water, you probably won't like living in this part of town! This part of town is closest to Minneapolis, so consider moving here if you plan to commute.
Northern Hugo: Northern Hugo has its lakes, too, but it's dominated by one Oneka Lake. Other than that, you can expect to find spread out residential living. There are some businesses in this part of town, too, so it might be good if you like a little more excitement in your hood!
Most people here--and there are about 13,000 of them--certainly do commute into Minneapolis, and there's tons to do there. For starters, there's the pro basketball team the Timberwolves, a world-class zoo, and, of course, the world-famous nearby Mall of America. Theater buffs can even get a season subscription to the Guthrie to go in for regular, world-class theater! But even if people in Hugo do leave often to go to the big city nearby, there's still a lot to do when they're at home. Blue Heron Grill is a local favorite restaurants, and there are also great pubs and bars in town, such as the Blacksmith Lounge. Golfers get to enjoy the world-class Oneka Ridge Golf Course, and skiers can enjoy an abundance of cross country ski trails at Irish Avenue Park in the wintertime. Don't worry, though, if the active life is not for you; the town has a library kiosk at Hugo City Hall and awesome shopping like the St. Croix Saddlery. It's even just minutes away from White Bear Township 17, where you can catch Hollywood's latest and greatest flicks.