When you're moving to an unfamiliar location, it can be challenging to find the perfect home. Often, home buyers will go online and browse for their ideal location, home, and neighborhood qualities, only to end up overwhelmed.
There are some captivating neighborhoods in Rochester, each with its own set of unique perks. But deciding which one is the best for you may not be as easy as you may think. Fortunately, here you'll find some insider knowledge for finding the perfect, exclusive neighborhood in Rochester that you can be proud to call your dream home.
Historic Southwest (SW) neighborhood
The Historic SW neighborhood is a charming and unique residential and commercial business area. It's only a few steps from Rochester's downtown district as well as the Mayo Clinic buildings.
This mature neighborhood is the ideal area for individuals looking to work, live, and socialize in the same geographical area. In fact, because there are so many stores, dining options, parks, paved trails, community events, and more, there's little reason to even step foot out of the Historic SW neighborhood. So, you can take your morning walk or jog on one of the nicely groomed trails, have a picnic in the park, go shopping with some friends, and have dinner and dancing later on, all inside this fabulous neighborhood.
What makes Historic SW exclusive?
Location! For one thing, Historic SW is a convenient, walkable neighborhood for Mayo Clinic employees, centrally located, and just a few blocks from Saint Mary's Hospital (northwest) and the downtown Mayo Clinic buildings (north).
It's also within walking distance to the entertainment district of downtown that includes shopping, premier restaurants and bars, and Thursdays Downtown at the Peace Place. You can work during the day and head on over to one of the bars for a few delicious cocktails afterward.
What to do in Historic SW
Inside the Historic SW neighborhood, you'll find Soldiers Field. This is an expansive outdoor recreation area that's a host site for a plethora of area events, including Pride-Fest, Rochesterfest, and more. There is an abundance of things to do, see, and learn in Soldiers Field.
On the north end, you'll find the
Freedom Shrine,
Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial, and other monuments that honor the history of our nation. The prized Field of Fun playground is to the far west and consists of wooden playground equipment. Locals refer to this playground as the “Wooden Park” or “Wooden Castle Park.”
In the middle and throughout
Soldiers Field are the basketball courts, football field, track, art sculptures, picnic spots, and open green space.
If you're looking for a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities, you'll find many within walking distance just outside the Historic SW neighborhood.
Where to eat in Historic SW?
There are two restaurants within the Historic SW neighborhood boundaries:
Townies Grill'd Philly Subs and More and
Twigs Tavern & Grill. If you're looking for fast-food, premium subs, burgers, and sides, then Townies Grill'd Philly Subs and More is your place. You'll find it at the clubhouse at Soldiers Field Golf Course.
However, if you're more in the mood for a date-night signature meal where you can even grill your own steak at your table on a hot stone, you will definitely want to give Twigs Tavern & Grill a try. It's in the Centerstone Plaza Hotel
Pill Hill neighborhood
One neighborhood that makes Rochester unique is Pill Hill. This neighborhood is a district located in the National Register of Historic Places because of the old, historic houses built in a Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival style. Pill Hill is one of Minnesota's sought-after and renowned neighborhoods and has many remarkable houses, both old and new.
This historic neighborhood is in the southwestern part of Downtown Rochester. It houses beautiful old, iconic-colonial-designed homes with exteriors made of exquisite stone, wood, or brick.
Pill Hill offers residents easy access to a lot of the city's main shopping, business, and commercial districts. Northwest of the Pill Hill neighborhood is the Mayo Clinic Hospital Saint Mary's Campus, and to the southeast is the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial Park.
What makes Pill Hill exclusive?
According to local legend, the Pill Hill neighborhood's name came about due to the number of Mayo Clinic doctors who lived and owned homes in the district and because of how close it is to Saint Mary's Hospital. The neighborhood has many timeless homes built on a limestone bluff.
What to do in Pill Hill
There are no community parks in Pill Hill, but Mayo Clinic's St. Mary's Park is in Pill Hill's northwestern part and is available to the public. It offers:
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Manicured green space.
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Pristine landscape.
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Outdoor seating.
It's a very tranquil place inside a busy city.
Where to eat in Pill Hill
Whether you want to begin your day with a strong cup of coffee or end your night with a perfectly mixed cocktail,
Fiddlehead Coffee Co. is the place you want to be for a creative light bites menu. It also provides some dynamic specialty beverages, whether you're in the mood for a miso caramel latte or the special “sober stout” crafted with club soda, espresso, a splash of cream, and house-made vanilla syrup. Fiddlehead Coffee Co. is near Kutzky Park at the Miracle Mile Shopping Center and Kahler Grand Hotel in Downtown Rochester.
Grab dinner and a drink at the local favorite called
ThaiPop, which hosts Southeast Asian flavors that expand the palate and complementary drink ingredients, such as passion fruit juice, butterfly pea flower, and syrups made with palm sugar, kaffir lime, and tamarind.
Baihly neighborhood
The suburban neighborhood, Baihly Woodlands, is in the central part of Rochester. It's a short drive southeast of the city's downtown district. The neighborhood, located along Salem Road SW, provides residents with convenient access to the Apache Shopping Mall. Residents also have easy access to things like:
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Public parks.
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Stores.
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Excellent schools.
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Restaurants.
The magnificently designed subdivisions offer an attractive living environment surrounded by mature trees and beautiful green spaces. Residents can indulge in the family-friendly amenities the community offers, including a small playground where children can play with their friends and a pet-friendly park with large open fields.
What makes Baihly exclusive?
The neighborhood of Baihly is an upper-middle-class, hillside, and hilltop neighborhood southwest of the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Mary's Campus. The Baihly neighborhood consists of multiple, smaller housing divisions, which include:
The length of an individual's commute is an essential factor for their quality of life, whether biking, walking, driving, or riding.
The Baihly Woodlands/Baihly Meadows neighborhood
stands out for its commute length. Residents can take advantage of having one of America's neighborhood's shortest commutes to work. Around 71.7% of the residents have a less than 15-minute commute from work to home and vice versa.
What to do in Baihly
While you won't find bars, restaurants, and things to do inside the Baihly neighborhoods other than going to the park and endless sidewalks to walk on, there are a variety of commercial businesses and some of the most popular walking and biking paths in the city south of the Baihly neighborhoods.
There are two community parks in the Baihly neighborhood:
Baihly Meadows Park and
Baihly Heights Tot Lot. Baihly Meadows Park has open green space and a playground for children, friends, and families to relax and play in. Baihly Heights Tot Lot has a smaller playground for preschoolers and toddlers.
There's also
Younge Park, which is slightly north or northwest of Baihly Heights. It has a large playground, tennis courts, and an open playing field.
The
Rochester Country Club is just past the Foxcroft neighborhood and northwest of Baihly Heights. It has an 18-hole golf course that offers premier amenities, including swimming, dining, and members-only events.
Where to eat in Baihly
If you're hungry, you can grab a sandwich at
Firehouse Subs or a gyro at
Nupa South. While a hearty sub might not be a gourmet meal per se, it will definitely do the trick when on an afternoon of shopping.
Contact Jake Huglen for your exclusive Rochester, Minnesota tour today
Nobody knows Rochester's most extravagant neighborhoods better than professional real estate agent Jake Huglen. If you're in the process of finding the perfect, exclusive neighborhood in Rochester, you'll want some valuable real estate assistance, and Jake is there to help.
Contact us today to learn more.
