Preserving rural character despite suburban development
Along Highway 55, 20 miles west of Minneapolis, sits the small city of Medina, a traditionally rural community that’s seen an increase in suburban development due to its location in some of Minnesota’s top school districts. Its longtime residents strongly feel Medina should maintain its rural character and prefer to drive to nearby communities for commercial amenities. It does, though, have a few longstanding local spots, like Peg’s Countryside Café, a no-frills diner where each of the city’s 7,000 residents has at least once filled up on sausage and pancakes. Down the road, a dive bar provides a cozy spot to drink beer and shoot pool, but other than that, most prefer to unwind on their own properties. “What draws people to Medina is the rural character of the community,” says City Administrator Scott Johnson. “We have a lot of acreage homes where people are able to build out and enjoy the land.”
Rural and suburban real estate
Most homes in Medina were built post-2000 in traditional styles, and the city continues to develop. Traditionally, Medina has been a rural area where people move to spread out on large properties, but an increase in denser developments offers options for those who don’t want as much land. “We have added quite a bit of suburban development in the northeast section of the city in recent years,” Johnson says, referring to the section of Medina that sits in Wayzata’s school district, which ranks as the top district in Minnesota on Niche. Johnson assures, though, that those looking for larger lots can still find them: “We also have some rural areas where people are currently building.” Realtor Nevin Raghuveer, based in nearby Plymouth, explains, “It’s a mid- to high-end marketplace. The starting single-family home is probably around $600,000, and prices can get as high as $4 million, maybe higher depending on the amount of land.” Buyers looking to spend less than $600,000 can likely find an older, smaller single-family home or a newly built townhouse, while the neighborhood’s sprawling new builds tend to start around $700,000. A budget beyond $1 million in Medina often means buying or building a custom estate, often with six or seven bedrooms and typically sitting on at least an acre of land.
Minnesota’s top-ranked school districts
“We’re fortunate to have some excellent school districts,” Johnson says. Medina has four school districts: Rockford, which has a B-plus on Niche; Delano, which has an A-minus; Orono, which has an A-plus; and Wayzata, which also has an A-plus and ranks as Minnesota’s best school district on Niche. Rockford students attend Rockford Elementary Arts Magnet School, Rockford Middle School and Rockford High School, all of which have B-plus ratings. Delano students attend Delano Elementary and Delano Intermediate, which have As on Niche, followed by Delano High School, which has an A-minus. Orono students attend the A-minus-rated Schumann Elementary, the A-rated Orono Intermediate and Orono Middle, and the A-plus-rated Orono High School. Wayzata students attend schools like the A-plus-rated North Woods Elementary, Wayzata East Middle and Wayzata High School, which ranks on Niche as the best public high school in Minnesota. Wayzata High School has a variety of career exploration opportunities, including CTE internships and apprenticeships; Compass, a career studies program with classes taught by local business leaders and faculty from local colleges; and Hennepin Technical Pathways, where students take skills training classes at Hennepin Technical College. Medina is also home to Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School, which enrolls students in preschool through sixth grade.
Transportation options for getting around Medina
Medina is a car-dependent community with no formal public transportation routes, but the city offers options for residents seeking assistance getting around. Transit Link is a Metropolitan Council service that reaches Medina, allowing residents to schedule trips. Metro Transit also keeps a list of people interested in carpooling and has an online matching system. Interfaith Outreach Community Partnership’s volunteer program offers rides to medical appointments and adult basic education, and Senior Community Services helps seniors access transportation. Medina is 20 miles from Minneapolis, and it takes about 30 minutes to get there. The nearest hospital is Abbott Northwestern, nine miles away in Plymouth, and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is 30 miles away.
Keeping shopping and dining to a minimum
Medina intentionally keeps its retail options to a minimum to maintain its rural character. “Commercial is a pretty small percentage of what’s out here because we’re mostly residential by design,” Johnson says. The city’s few restaurants provide just enough food and camaraderie to satiate appetites and social lives alike. In the daytime, locals fill up on places full of pancakes and sausage at Peg’s Countryside Café. Just down Highway 55, they spend their nights at Inn Kahoots, a cozy dive with live music, pool and sand volleyball. A Target in town provides access to basic retail needs, and most go to the ALDI across the road for groceries. For additional shopping, people from Medina will head to downtown Wayzata, Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka or The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove.
Staying active in the Three Rivers Park District
Medina offers plenty of opportunities to stay active, including the nearly 3,000-acre Baker Park Reserve along Lake Independence. This park has campgrounds, extensive trails and a swimming beach. The city also offers organized sports like youth and adult baseball leagues and tennis lessons, and Medina has one public and two private golf courses. Three Rivers Park District has a scholarship program at Hyland Hills Ski Area to help increase access to downhill skiing and snowboarding. Community education and additional recreational programming are available through local school districts, nonprofits and the Three Rivers Park District. The City of Medina’s Friends of the Park Program regularly organizes opportunities to maintain area parks, such as trash pickups and gardening days.
Live music and bowling at the Medina Entertainment Center
There’s always plenty to do in town at the Medina Entertainment Center, a combined concert hall, bowling alley and restaurant. Chris Stapleton, Doobie Brothers and ABBA tributes grace this stage, and occasionally bigger names do too, like Georgia-based Blackberry Smoke and Minnesota’s own Gear Daddies. The venue also hosts recurring events like flea markets, dance classes and psychic readings.
Crime
Medina has a CAP Index Crime Score of 1/10, the lowest score possible on the scale.
Photography Contributed By
Pat Vasquez-Cunningham
