Interactive link to median sales price: http://northstarmls.stats.10kresearch.com/infoserv/s-v1/jPrA-GyA
It’s easy to get around in Burnsville thanks to Interstate 35, which splits east to St. Paul and west to Minneapolis, and because of that this suburb has been a favorite of commuters since the 1960s. Originally a rural Irish farming community, Burnsville became the tenth largest city in Minnesota following the construction of Interstate 35. Prior to the World War II postwar housing boom, Burnsville was still a quiet township with a population of 583 people. School was taught in a one-room schoolhouse containing eight grades.
Fast forward a few decades and Burnsville’s population exploded to 61,481. Escaping a annexation attempt by the city of Bloomington in 1964, Burnsville was officially incorporated that same year. Currently the ninth largest suburb in the metro area and a bedroom community of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the city was fully built by the late 2000s. Large pockets of ramblers and split-level houses completed in the 1960s were followed by upscale housing stock and apartment complexes in the 1990s. In the 2000s, redevelopment and rehabilitation transformed the city, producing many four-story residential buildings.
Burnsville’s “Heart of the City” project is a downtown development policy driven by smart growth, which aims to create an attractive, vibrant, and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood setting with economically viable local businesses. The redevelopment encompasses 54 acres that are centrally located in Burnsville. Current phases have already replaced traditional suburban elements such as former gas stations and drive-through services with several four-story mixed-use condominium buildings that seek a return to Main Streets of the past as central gathering places for cities. The centerpiece of the project is Nicollet Commons Park, located on Nicollet Ave.
Burnsville has gone from a community that was 95 percent white to almost 50 percent minority students in its schools today. Along with changes in demographics, the city has worked to provide alternative transportation options such as the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, a regional bus service.
The best of Burnsville includes the 1,275,703-square-foot regional shopping mall, Burnsville Center, part of a heavily traveled retail strip on County Road 42. Outdoor enthusiasts ski, snowboard, or tube 365 days a year at Buck Hill, thanks to a synthetic mat used in the summer. The ski resort has produced amazing athletes such as Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn, and boasts a 310-foot vertical ski peak. Enjoy daring thrill rides, ripcords, and rip tides at Valley Fair Amusement Park. In the warmer weather, have a blast at Soak City cooling off with the wave pool, four waterslides, a tube slide, and more.
In the 19th century, Burnsville was considered a long distance from downtown Minneapolis. Rail access came in 1864 and Burnsville became a resort town, with cottages along Crystal Lake, an area that still draws boaters, fishers, jet-skier, and swimmers. The city has held onto its love of the outdoors by maintaining 1,800 acres of parkland spread throughout 79 parks. Only a third are developed and for recreation, with the remainder preserved as natural habitat in this city along the Minnesota River. Burnsville’s north border falls within the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and a section of Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve is within the city. The Burnsville Skate Park is free, and the Burnsville Ice Center boasts two large professional ice rinks. The city runs one of the largest dog parks in the nation, Alimagnet Dog Park. This heavily wooded 85-acre park along a lake sets aside seven acres as a fenced-in area for dogs, and also has nature trails, canoe launches and a volleyball court.
While the city doesn’t have museums, it does operate the sole major arts institution, the Lake Alimagnet Center for the Arts in eastern Burnsville. With a sweeping view of Nicollet Commons Park, the Minnesota River Valley, and the Minneapolis skyline, the Ames Performing Arts Center has two theatres, a 1000-seat Proscenium Stage and an intimate 150-seat Black Box. The center provides community space for arts and non-profit groups. The art gallery currently holds eight gallery exhibits every calendar year in its 2,000-square-foot space.
Burnsville is a regional leader in youth and teen activities thanks to THE GARAGE Youth Center located near City Hall. This non-profit music club and teen center has attracted music acts nationally and internationally. The Burnsville Athletic Club, an all-volunteer youth sports league, has an annual participation of nearly 1,300 players in the baseball leagues for grades K-12, 80–90 boys basketball teams in grades 3–12, and over 400 players in flag and tackle American football in grades 2–8. There are also a number of traveling teams for boys and girls.
Residents look forward to the Burnsville Fire Muster held annually every August or September. The event originated in the 1970s as a showcase and short parade for a local fire equipment collector and has grown to include a large parade (which set the record in 2004 as the longest of its kind in the world), music concerts, and fireworks.