West Fargo

About 5 miles from downtown Fargo, Berger keeps things close for its residents. In addition to West Fargo's city hall, folks living here are close enough to walk to their local grocery store, two public schools and nearby athletic facilities like the Hulbert Aquatic Center and Veterans Memorial Arena. In the midst of Fargo's rapidly expanding metropolitan area, this close proximity also help to bring people together and foster a small-town community. When the local hockey team plays, folks gather at establishments like Bordertown Bar and Grill to watch the games on TV together. "It's 80% regulars here. Everybody in town pretty much knows everyone and people really like that," says Josh Goedpke, general manager at Bordertown Bar and Grill. The Berger neighborhood itself is made up of a few quiet residential streets, mostly lined by single-story ramblers and split-level homes that were built in the early '70s. As one of the older parts of West Fargo, homes and lots here have limited square footage, but long sidewalks, tall trees and an affordable price range from $230,000 to $340,000 dollars help contribute to the neighborhood's livability. In colder months, attached garages make it easy for folks to get indoors quick, while, in the summer, families can often be seen outside grilling on the balcony or playing on backyard playsets. Located right in the middle of the neighborhood, L.E. Berger Elementary is close enough for most families to walk to in the mornings and earns a B-minus rating on Niche. Older students head to Cheney Middle and West Fargo High, both of which receive B-ratings from Niche. West Fargo High is also within walking distance and offers a relatively low student to teacher ratio of 13:1. Students can also participate in athletics like swim and dive, hockey, football and tennis. When looking for somewhere to get active, one nearby option is Veteran's Memorial Arena, which is right next to West Fargo High School. Folks can get out on the ice during open skate or watch teams in the West Fargo Hockey Association play each other. Located right next to L.E. Berger Elementary, the Hulbert Aquatic Center is also popular, especially during the summer. "My favorite thing about working here is that we offer so many diverse programs for people of all backgrounds and ages to enjoy-from water aerobics to swim lessons and even college meets-everyone really comes together here," says Gerald Brown, Aquatics Director at the Hulbert Aquatic Center. Shopping and dining are also close to home, from nationally recognized options to Fargo local establishments. Family Fare Supermarket and other chains like Walmart are just down the street from West Fargo High, so groceries and everyday conveniences are never out of reach. To support small businesses in the community, folks can head over to Sheyenne Street and order a hot drink from Thunder Coffee or freshly-baked donuts from Sandy's Donuts, which has been in the same location since 1983. For a sit-down meal, Lavosh crust pizza is a favorite choice at Bordertown Bar and Grill. Open since 2006, this neighborhood bar brings the community together to watch local sports as well as weekly trivia and karaoke nights. With close proximity to Main Avenue, which is one of West Fargo's largest thoroughfares, folks in Berger don't have far to go to get to most local services or destinations. Commuting the 5 miles to downtown Fargo takes less than 15 minutes and Hector International Airport is just north of the city for when people travel out of state. In the case of a medical emergency, Sanford Medical Center is just over 2 miles of Berger, right off 9th Street.

A small neighborhood on the edge of Fargo and West Fargo, Burlington sits at an advantageous spot. It’s located right along Interstate 94 and is adjacent to one of the most concentrated retail and commercial centers in all of western Fargo, in addition to being just across the highway from Sanford Medical Center, a major job provider for the region. “I thought when I moved here many years ago, that there weren’t many amenities, just because we didn’t have that much growth. In the last few years, the growth has brought a lot more,” says Poonam Budhiraja and Aruna Hagen, Realtors with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One. The neighborhood was developed at the back end of the growth, with the amenities creating separation between the traditional West Fargo communities and the newer subdivisions, like Burlington. Homes comprise only a small slice of the Burlington neighborhood – over half of the space is devoted to apartments – making it primarily a rental community. Fewer than 50 homes exist in the neighborhood, making it fairly exclusive for those looking to own. Built from 2005 through 2011, these bi-level and ranch-style houses feature modern traditional exteriors clad in durable vinyl siding with stone accents. Inside, upscale features include serving islands and tray ceilings, along with modern stainless appliances and extra attic space for storage. Large over-sized garages range from large two- and four-stall options and feature floor drains for dealing with North Dakota winters. Most homes here sit on lots smaller than a quarter acre and have privacy fencing. Twin homes generally sell for $300,000 to $375,000, while freestanding single-family properties range from $600,000 to $725,000. Students in Burlington may start at Eastwood Elementary School, which earns a B-minus from Niche, before moving up to Cheney Middle School, which scores a B. West Fargo High School, also earning a B from Niche, is known for its sports teams. In 2018, the school also won the state championship for One Act Plays. Parents seeking a private school option for their children may turn to nearby Trinity Elementary School, part of the St. John Paul II Catholic Schools. Sacred Heart Middle School and Shanley High School, which share a campus in the Bennett neighborhood, are the secondary options within the diocese schools. A thorough network of sidewalks and wide streets means that some residents may be able to walk or bike to amenities or school. There is also some public transit, with MATBUS Route 24 crossing the top end of the neighborhood. Still, most residents are car-dependent, making use of those massive garages. Interstate 94 and nearby Interstate 29 help make travel across Fargo simple, with Downtown being a 7-mile drive that usually takes 15 minutes. Hector International Airport, offering regular flights, is 8 miles away. Positioned just off I-29, it can usually be reached within 10 to 15 minutes. Just across I-94 and visible from the properties of most residents, Sanford Medical Center is one of the newest and largest medical centers in the region. Sanford is the largest employer in the Fargo area and the Medical Center is home to many of those jobs. For neighborhood residents, a protected walking and biking path means they don’t need a car to commute – the Center is only a mile or so from most residences. It also provides 24-hour emergency care to the community, which can mean late-night AirMed flyovers. Sanford’s ambulance service is located within Burlington, meaning wailing sirens are common throughout the day. Burlington Commons is a small pocket park with walking trails and a basketball half-court. It’s also home to one of the most heartfelt ponds in the area – The Caroline Ruby Vetter Duck Pond. A local child who fought leukodystrophy, had a love of ducks and her story of creating her own “Duck Pond” in her bedroom inspired the community to dedicate the pond to her memory. Locals can sit on benches overlooking the pond and catch a glimpse of the waterfowl as they splash around. A half-mile walk north, Maplewood Park and Activity Center offers a larger play area along with a rink where locals get together for pick-up games on rollerblades in the summer or ice skates in the winter. Just to the east of the neighborhood, dining and shopping options can be found all along 45th Street. Chains and franchise restaurants are well represented, but a handful of quirky local spots offer up American pub and grille fare too. This includes locales like Space Aliens Grill and Bar, featuring a theme that’s out of this world. Another is the Fargo location of Wild Bill’s Sports Saloon, a western-themed sports bar and grille. Porter Creek Hardwood Grill brings the California and Mediterranean fusion of Napa Valley – along with the wine selection – to Fargo, in a contemporary setting. To the west, Blarney Stone Pub does Irish Pub favorites in a modern atmosphere. Meats by John and Wayne, a local butcher shop, is a minute’s drive away, while The Home Depot, Scheels, Walmart, and other stores to pick up home necessities can be found along 45th Street. West Fargo Events is heavily involved in producing events throughout the region. “We hold over 220 events each calendar year, from hockey tournaments and camps to concerts like Joan Jett,” says Mike Amundson, Executive Director of West Fargo Events. While most of these take place at The Lights event center, he says that there are bingo games, family fun nights, movie nights and more that they run at smaller venues throughout the area. Residents will often drive up to the heart of town – “Most of the fairs happen a little further away in West Fargo, only a 5 or 10-minute drive,” says Budhiraja, speaking of festivities like the Red River Valley Fair, the Big Iron Farm Show and West Fest that take place on or near the main drag of West Fargo.

Brooks Harbor is one of many subdivisions that has sprouted up along the edge of West Fargo where crops once grew from fertile farmland. “Brooks Harbor has become a central neighborhood with close proximity to so much. There's more restaurants, bars, local hangouts and daycares opening in the area making it a one-stop shop neighborhood,” says Danielle Beilke, Realtor with Beyond Realty. While the neighborhood offers great access to transportation and amenities, it also has a unique feature at the heart of the neighborhood – the Brooks Harbor Fishing Pond, a community fishery. On top of that, an elementary school within walking distance and the Sanford Medical Center rising high above the city skyline to the east makes Brooks Harbor a community with plenty to offer, in addition to its scenic wide-open plains. A newly developed subdivision, most homes in Brooks Harbor are still in the hands of their original owners. The median build year here is 2016, which means many feature the most up-to-date styles, materials and layout. However, multiple build options/designs do exist throughout the subdivision, meaning there’s more variety than many surrounding communities. Single-family two- and three-level contemporary homes feature vinyl siding with brick accents and feature off-street parking in two- or three-bay insulated garages, which are often used for storing snow blowers, snow machines and other outdoor gadgets. A handful of twin options with a shared common wall sit at the top end of the neighborhood. Homes in Brooks Harbor sit on flat grass lots, generally under a quarter acre, with a scattering of newly planted trees in front and side yards – many backyards are also fenced for privacy. Twin homes here regularly sell for between $270,000 and $325,000. Bi-level homes with three bedrooms and two-car garages generally sell for between $275,000 and $500,000, while the larger models with four or more bedrooms and three-car garages can go from $375,000 to $600,000. Beilke mentions that the location of Brooks Harbor Elementary School is a big draw, as it's walkable from anywhere in the community thanks to sidewalks and quiet, bike-friendly side streets. The elementary school receives a B-minus from Niche, as does Liberty Middle School, where students will attend Grades 6 through 8. Sheyenne High School earns a B grade and is one of the top five Best College Prep Public High Schools in North Dakota per Niche. Trinity Elementary School, part of the St. John Paul II Catholic Schools, is a nearby private option. Students who attend St. John's will then attend Sacred Heart Middle School and Shanley High School in the nearby Bennett neighborhood to continue through the diocese schools. “One of the biggest things people in this neighborhood love is the location – it’s close to I-94, making it a quick drive anywhere you want to go,” says Beilke. Running east-to-west, Interstate 94 helps keep Downtown Fargo within easy driving distance, a 9-mile drive that can usually be done within 20 minutes. The 10-mile drive to Hector International Airport takes roughly the same amount of time. While there are amenities that are walkable and bikeable, with new, wide sidewalks and quiet streets, Beilke notes that most residents have to commute for work and are car-dependent due to limited public transit. The largest employer in the area and the closest 24-hour emergency care facility, Sanford Medical Center is only 3 miles from the neighborhood and usually within a 10-minute drive. Tucked in the center of the subdivision, Brooks Harbor Fishing Pond is a hidden treat for anglers, one of two community fisheries in Fargo. One of the main requirements for a community fishery is public access. “We focus on having a place for everybody to go fish and have easy access if they want to – to provide opportunity within metropolitan areas,” says BJ Kratz, Supervisor of the Southeast Region of Fisheries with North Dakota Fish and Game. “We stock trout in late spring, some ponds we stock perch – they’ll take care of themselves and reproduce but the trout have to be stocked each year.” It’s a safe spot to learn and develop skills, where anglers of all ages can easily bike or walk. The pond is open year-round, offering ice fishing opportunities as well. South of the neighborhood, West Fargo Sports Arena has two ice rinks. Home to the West Fargo Public Schools hockey teams, it’s also available for rental use. While Brooks Harbor is a residential haven, residents don’t have to go far for a bite. “Brooks Harbor is very close to locally owned restaurants like Bar Down, Traditions, breakfast joint Randy’s Too and others,” says Beilke. A Fargo staple since 1980, Randy’s University Diner expanded as West Fargo grew with their Randy’s Diner Too, serving the same all-day hearty breakfasts and American diner fare for lunch and dinner. Traditions offers traditional American pub dishes with a focus on scratch prep and offering meals to meet various dietary needs. Bar Down is a big, modern sports bar and restaurant with outdoor seating, part of The Lights event complex. Just east, Cash Wise Foods West Fargo is a quick, comprehensive grocery stop, while Costco Wholesale offers bulk buying for most household needs. Residents of Brooks Harbor have a quick walk or drive to the events in Essentia Health Plaza, the outdoor entertainment venue at The Lights. This space hosts national touring acts, and some residents might even be able to hear it from their homes. Red River Valley Fairgrounds, only 5 miles north, hosts events throughout the year, like the Big Iron Farm Show in September, touted as the biggest farm show in the Midwest. The crown jewel is the Red River Valley Fair, which has 10 days of entertainment, fair food and an energetic midway. While it doesn’t flood quite like the area along the Red River, the split of the Sheyenne River just above Brooks Harbor puts some of the homes in a floodplain. Water can puddle and flood low-lying areas, particularly between the eastern branch and the fishing pond. However, the layout of the lots and streets generally diverts the waters away from the homes themselves.

Mixing relaxed suburban subdivisions with an entertainment hotspot in the southwestern end of the Fargo metro, Eagle Run is part of the recent growth of the city. “It has the feel of a small community, but with much greater size and amenities,” says Poonam Budhiraja and Aruna Hagen, Realtors with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One. Tidy streets meander through the community as plains stretch to the west, giving it a sense of tranquility and countryside living. At the same time, it’s home to The Lights, one of the newest and biggest attractions in the Fargo region. With entertainment and activities throughout the year, many Eagle Run residents can enjoy the sounds of nationally touring artists playing at the venue from their own backyards as they enjoy picnics together. It’s a sense of community that helps to attract people to the area. Says Budhiraja, “I moved here from England to study, the goal was to go back to England. I used to hear North Dakota nice - experiencing North Dakota nice is what kept me here. People are so helpful, it’s just a loving community, neighbors will watch out for you.” Apartments and condos are featured in the area around The Lights, reaching five stories or more into the skies, but as the neighborhood expands southward, it shifts to twin and single-family homes with fenced yards and garages. These range from tightly-packed units with just enough space for a patio and a kiddie pool, to sprawling homes with in-ground pools sitting on a half acre or more. Durable vinyl siding in subdued natural hues is the standard, with stone accents often featured. Twin and single-family homes come with oversized two-car garages at the minimum, some having three or even four stalls for seasonal toys, winter tools, watercraft and general storage. Condo units at The Lights have two bedrooms and two bathrooms and range from $415,000 to $525,000, depending on size and if they offer a corner or plaza view. Twin homes start as low as $225,000 and usually top out at $300,000. Single-family homes regularly sell for between $300,000 and $450,000, with spacious four- and five-bedroom properties and those with half-acre lots reaching as high as $550,000. Students in Eagle Run generally start their schooling at Aurora Elementary School, located in the center of the neighborhood. Some students can walk out of their backyard onto school property, and others can walk the wide sidewalks or bike to school. The school receives a grade of B from Niche. Students then move on to Heritage Middle School, rated a B-plus by Niche, before finishing up at West Fargo Horace High School, which has yet to be graded. Opened for the 2021-22 school year, Horace was built in response to the rapidly expanding population in the southern end of West Fargo. In addition to the usual coursework, career-specific course options range from Agriculture Education to Health Sciences and Technology Engineering. Mike Amundson, Executive Director for West Fargo Events, says, “We do anything from bingo games to family fun nights and family movie nights. Our intention is to ticket as few events a year as possible and keep everything free of charge.” Many of these free activities take place in and around Eagle Run, while others are put on in the heart of West Fargo, 4 miles north. Red River Valley Fair is the highlight of the year, with national recording artists and a midway full of food, rides and games. Other events at the fairgrounds throughout the year include the North Dakota Renaissance Fair and the Big Iron Farm Show – it’s also home to the Red River Valley Speedway, with regular dirt track races. West Fargo Events also oversees The Lights, a unique mixed-use complex. Major concerts and events take place at Essentia Health Plaza – past and upcoming performers include Joan Jett and Ice Cube, while the Pro Bull Riding event is Amundson’s personal favorite. These are ticketed events and come with a cost, but Amundson points out that the tickets to see bull riding at The Lights are half the cost of when PBR comes through town. It’s not just a local draw - “For the larger events, we have had people from every state except Rhode Island for ticket sales,” he says. In the winter, the plaza in the center of the development transforms into an ice rink for skating and hockey. Residents in the neighborhood's northern end can hear the shows for free from their yards – however, this complex also brings in extra traffic and noise when events are on. The Lights is also home to restaurants ranging from Moxie Java, where residents can get their caffeine kick to start the day, to Tati’s Mediterranean Saveur, with Mediterranean dishes focused on Lebanese flavors. Bar Down offers American bar and grille favorites, while Dive Bar West Fargo focuses on the drinks, with only a light menu of bar snacks. Across the street from the complex, Hooligans also fits the bill for diners looking for pub food, and Rebecco’s Taco Bar focuses on family-style eating with tacos and tapas. Randy’s Diner Too is the go-to for hearty all-day breakfasts and American diner fare. A few blocks east along 32nd Avenue, Burggraf’s Ace Hardware and Cash Wise Foods Grocery West Fargo provide a convenient stop for groceries and home necessities. Warmer weather sees residents biking or walking to The Lights or the park. Several MATBUS stops are available centered around the commercial area, but for running errands or getting to work, most residents rely on a car, truck or SUV. Interstate 94, just north of the neighborhood, provides high-speed travel into the heart of Fargo or into the western plains. Even though it’s 10 miles away, this puts Downtown Fargo within 20 minutes most days. Hector International Airport, with commercial flights linking Fargo with the rest of the country as well as Canada, is 11 miles away and usually a drive of 20 minutes. Sanford Medical Center offers 24-hour medical care and is one of the largest employers in the region – it’s less than 4 miles away, usually a drive of 10 minutes or less. A waterfall offers soothing sounds in the heart of Rendezvous Park and makes a great backdrop for a picnic. The flow leads down to a manmade pond, with a beach that offers space to play sand volleyball or relax in the sun. Green space provides spots for pick-up soccer games, along with the Powerline Disc Course. Numerous playgrounds sit along the concrete walking track, while six ball fields get packed with softball and baseball players of all ages during the spring and summer seasons. Improvements in the works include eight pickleball courts with court lights and a skate park.