Best Places to Live 2007: No. 8 town

As a little boy I would dream about living in Chaska working in Chaska playing in Chaska. Who said dreams can’t come true?

We spent 8 months looking for a place for our family with 2 very young kids. During these period, we visited houses and conduct research for Savage, Shakopee, Prior Lake, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, Chaska & Lakeville. Finally narrowing it down to Eden Prairie & Chaska.

I totally agreed with CNN money evaluation on why is Chaska is the best no.8 place to stay! However, after some careful considerations we choose Eden Prairie (No. 10 last year!).

There are no major highways connecting Chaska to the rest of the cities. Traffic is a major headache for us. Having personally drove that area both peak and off-peak, we have decided we cannot live with it.

I read somewhere from Forbes with the Mayor stating by the time all the major road constructions are completed in 2009, he expected the population to increase by 50%!

But still I have many friends staying in Chaska and they loved it! And Chaska is a perfect place for young family with reasonable housing cost and much NEWER compared to Eden Prairie & Edina.

I may be starting a new job in Edina, MN and am considering Chaska as a place to raise our two kids (ages 5, 3).
- How many minutes would the commute be from Chaska to Edina for arrival 8am? Will it be easy to acess the new highway that is partially constructed?
- If we want excellent schools, is it worth tapping into out of district schools under the choice program? If so, which one(s) - we were considering Minnetonka? How long would the drive be to the Minnetonka schools?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Chaska as the 8th best place to live in the U.S. I would agree. I have lived in other towns within MN as well as out East and I believe Chaska is a wonderful place to raise a family.

We have the small, older part of town that looks like Mayberry and is a gathering place for the community as well as the newer part of town with Target…etc. We have a lot of walking paths and parks/playgrounds. My neighborhood gets together for 4th of July parties, Halloween parties…block parties…and we are all close to the same age with kids similar ages. The kids get together in our cul-de-sac for impromptu games of baseball and kickball - sometimes joined by the dads. At the dinner hour you can still hear people calling their kids in for dinner just like when I was a kid.

We found this town by accident and we are so glad we did.

I am from Chaska, Mn. and was delighted to see our rating…I totally agree! It’s a small town feel with sense of community.

if you want your kids to grow up here and never leave, this place is swell.

The previous post from ’sg, minneapolis, made me laugh. I’m guessing ’sg, minneapolis’, really lives in Chaska and is posting his/her own absurd entry in hopes of keeping more people from moving to Chaska. I don’t live in Chaska, but I live near Chaska and its a million times better than Minneapolis. If he/she thinks Chaska is a dump, he/she better look around the streets of Minneapolis (where I work) and look at the garbage blowing down every street.

Great city but a tad overrated on this list (I live in neighboring Eden Prairie and have many friends that live in Chaska) I like the way they conveniently do not mention the trailer parks in Chaska that you must drive past to get to the lovely downtown which is the size of 1 city block…
Too many negatives and not enough positives to convince me it belongs this high on the list.

I am both shocked and appalled to see Chaska, of all places, on this list. The town is one of the worst places in the entire state of Minnesota, second only to Carver. Im not sure what they were thinking when the decision was made to include such a crummy dump in a list of best places to live. It is absolutely absurd.

Chaska is wonderful, not only because of what it offers, but what the surrounding towns offer as well.

Within a 10 mile radius can be found:

Victoria, north of Chaska, is a smaller bedroom community on the border of Carver Park reserve. It is home to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Deer Run golf course, and several small lakes and parks.

Excelsior, to the Northeast of Victoria, has its downtown nestled against the shores of Lake Minnetonka and hosts several festivals a year. It draws people from around the state not only for its family friendly lakeside charms and boating but for the restaurants and shopping. Not to mention Adele’s custard. mmmm!

Shakopee, to the south across the Minnesota River, provides more adult entertainment with Cantebury Race Track and Mystic Lake Casino. Valley Fair Amusement and Water Park is also here along with Murphy’s Landing, a recreated living history museum located along the Minnesota River, and the Renaissance Festival which is held from August to October every year.

Chanhassen, to the Northeast, is another town of lakes and parks and is also home to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, whose most recent famous alumni is Laura Osnes, who went from Grease at the CDT to Grease on Broadway.

Not only do all these towns offer large park systems and lakes for recreation but they are linked together by an extensive trail system for biking and jogging.

And Minneapolis is only 35 miles away.

But what does Chaska offer?

Recreation — lakes, parks and and trail system. The Chaska recreation center has exercise facilities, a pool, basketball courts, two hockey rinks, meeting rooms and the community theatre. The highly rated Chaska town course and par 30 course offer reduced rates for residents. In addtion, there are many youth baseball, soccer, lacrosse, softball and football leagues.

For entertainment — local movie theatre, Chaska River City Days celebration and restaurants. Hazeltine National golf course hosts major events occassionally as well. The US Amateurs were recenly held there and at the Chaska town course.

Housing — while median house costs may seem high, Chaska is active is providing affordable housing. A recent Star Tribune article (today in fact) lists Chaska as one of the cities in Minnesota that is ahead of schedule in providing affordable housing.

Jobs — Plenty of jobs in Chaska and the surrounding area. Around the border between Chaska and Chanhassen are several industrial parks offering both blue collar and high tech jobs. The economy is thrivent with several shopping centers providing an economic boost as well.

Schools — very good school system. Several elementary schools, two middle schools and Chaska high school. The high school, while large, provides plenty of opportunities for everyone to be involved. Another county high school is under construction.

Public transportation — Not the most convenient at times, but available and expanding. SW Metro Transit is the provider. Intercity and to Minneapolis. Half hourly pickups in the mornings and evenings, sporadic throughout the day. My brother uses this to get to work.

Community — growing but still small enough that you’ll likely see someone you know when you go out shopping or to eat.

Taxes — relatively low considering what I get: Low crime(although that’s probably due more to the citizenry), good roads, parks and trails for recreation, education and job opportunities.

I’ve lived in this area for 10 years, initially in Victoria and now in Chaska. I can’t think of a better place to live and raise a family. Everything is here.

One of the primary reasons that my husband and I chose to move to the Chaska area was the downtown.

It has a “small town” look and feel. When you enter the town, you come down the hill and see Guardian Angels’ steeple, the gazebo in the park, and the other brick buildings from the downtown…it has character…it makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a Terry Redlin painting.

What activities and events does it offer? Tell us what you think.

What makes it a great American town?

What do you think of the No. 8 town on this year’s Best Places to Live list?