Oakdale, MN 130 Apartments for Rent

Its ironic that Oakdale has no Main St. or even an extensive downtown. The city could serve as the picture perfect example of Main Street USA. The people are friendly, the scenery is inspiring and the living is easy. Hadley Ave is referred to as Oakdale's signature street,' and it's a signature that belongs to a unique and vibrant community.

Oakdale is a suburb of St. Paul, one of the infamous Twin Cities. People here share all of the artistic flare and innovation of their metropolitan counterparts, without the urban hustle. This is a leisurely community that has enjoyed steady growth over the last several years. When its warm enough to go outside, there are more parks and recreation activities than you can shake a stick at.

Moving To The 'Burbs

Its cold outside. Seriously. Bring a jacket, and a parka, a couple of sweaters, some hot cocoa, and a lot of warm socks. Let there be no mistake, it gets cold in Oakdale -- real cold. Were talking an average of 13Fin January and the mid-70s during summer. While you're at it, bring some snow tires too: average snowfall in the city is 50 inches per year.

The good news is that life is cheaper in the country.If you're moving from a larger city, you're going to be pleasantly surprised by the housing costs. Real estate is only about 4 percent over the national average. Compared to St. Paul, that's pretty cheap.

Give yourself some time to find a place.You should begin your search early, if possible. The vacancy rate in Oakdale is less than 4 percent and the available homes are desirable to say the least, but they don't come along every day. Also, come prepared.You will need the standard paperwork when you arrive. Anticipate a credit check, which the leasing office will be more than happy to perform, for a fee. They will want to know you can afford the place, so proof of income is highly recommended, and bring a couple of references for good measure. The town is smaller than its neighbors and you may run into a number of direct lease situations. Make sure you do your homework and be wary of scammers which are known to operate on sites like Craigslist, or you may find yourself in a van, down by the river.

Neighborhoods

If you're like most people, you enjoy the activity that living near a big city has to offer. However, tiny apartments and traffic are enough to make anyone start to feel claustrophobic. This is a city where you can keep your finger close to the pulse of modern society and still unwind every now and then and just leave the world behind.

There are no clearly defined neighborhoods in Oakdale, but the I-694 separates the city down the center, so areas can be separated by the divides created from the highways.

West Oakdale: From the interstate to Maplewood in the west. Neighborhood with mostly one and two bedroom single-family homes. This is a good place to look for housing for rent and one bedroom apartments.

East Oakdale:Very rural area in places. There are a number of subdivisions. Cul de sacs and neighborhood committees.

Southwest/City Center: This is where the most commercial establishments are. Lake Tanner is towards the southwest. Mostly smaller homes with a selection of lakefront property.

Southeast: Oak Marsh Golf Course is located here.

Living Like The Locals

After spending the winter months huddled up like a pack of hibernating grizzly bears, its understandable that residents of Oakdale love to get outdoors in the summer months. The season is the perfect temperature for the majority of the warmer months. Festivals mark the calendar: fireworks in July, a farmers market every weekend, a renowned skate park and live music during Summerfest. Its a truly great place to spend the season.

The majority of residents here drive their own cars. You will find yourself traveling between cities on occasion. The city does, however, also have a strong public transportation infrastructure. Trains, buses and a light rail will get you where you need to go within city limits.

The city enjoys a number of festivals throughout the year. There are 25 parks in the city, including the infamous Walton Park. When it comes to getting out and taking in the fresh air, Oakdale has made an art out of it.