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Apple Valley Homes for Sale

Apple Valley

 

Apple Valley has been consistently rated as one of the very best places to live in the entire United States. In 2007, CNN’s Money Magazine rated it as the 28th best place to live; in 2008, the 24th best place; in 2010, the 20th best place. And if you take a step back and think about all the great things Apple Valley has to offer, it’s easy to see why: Apple Valley is the home of the Minnesota Zoo, an IMAX movie theatre, is only ten miles from the Mall of America, and features a variety of homes for sale in a series of rolling hills.

But perhaps Apple Valley’s biggest selling point is all there is to do in the city. We’ve already mentioned the giant IMAX Theatre, with its huge movie screens that make viewing a movie a totally engrossing experience. We’ve already mentioned the Minnesota Zoo, with its hundreds of animals from all over the world and educational, entertaining exhibits and events. We’ve already mentioned the city’s proximity to the Mall of America. Besides these two big selling points, the center of the city, lovingly nicknamed the “Apple Core” by Apple Valley homeowners and residents, is home to over 200 shops and 60 restaurants. There is plenty of golf near the center of the city, as well as a waterpark, bowling, frequent live music events, and much more. A number of hotels are available as visitors come from around the world to visit the nearby Mall of America and the other attractions – that visitors come to Apple Valley from around the nation and from all over the world should be reason enough to buy a home in Apple Valley.

But there’s more to Apple Valley than all entertainment options. The city’s rolling hills make up a beautiful location full of parks and natural scenery. Over the course of the city, the elevation varies by over 100 feet, making for some large homes on a hill and a number of beautiful valleys. Across these hills and valleys, the Apple Valley city Parks and Recreation Department maintains a number of parks for residents to use. With each of the city’s parks come each park’s recreational amenities, ranging from playgrounds and sports courts to biking and running trails, barbeque areas, and picnic tables. In addition to these amenities, Apple Valley also features a Community Center, and aquatic center and pool, a Community and Senior Center, a Teen Center, a Sports Arena, golf courses, and more, each with their own unique amenities. So even when Apple Valley residents aren’t busy at the IMAX or the Mall of America, they can relax at any of the many, many recreational outlets in Apple Valley.

With all that buying a home in Apple Valley has to offer, it’s easy to forget that Apple Valley is only minutes from downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, with all the Twin Cities have to offer. Of course, one need not ever leave Apple Valley. It’s also easy to forget that Apple Valley is home to a whopping total of 50 parks. On top of all the entertainment and recreational services, Apple Valley is also home to an outstanding educational system with a number of public school options for residents.

For these and many, many other reasons, it’s easy to see why Apple Valley was rated the 20th best place to live in the entire United States. Great homes on a hill for a great price, almost unlimited entertainment opportunities, fantastic park and recreation services, and a beautiful landscape of rolling hills and valleys makes Apple Valley one of the very best places in America to buy a home.

Apple Valley Schools

 

Buying a home in Apple Valley means buying a great education for your kids. A wide variety of public school options means being able to choose the very best education for your children. The public school in Apple Valley include the following:

 

  • Highland Elementary
  • Greenleaf Elementary
  • Westview Elementary
  • Southview Elementary
  • Diamond Path Elementary
  • Cedar Park Elementary
  • Falcon Ridge Middle School
  • Scott Highlands Middle School
  • Valley Middle School
  • Apple Valley High School

 

All of these schools are under Independent School District 196, which has been honored with six National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence awards. It is nationally recognized as one of the nation’s top school districts. For more information, visit http://www.district196.org/.

Apple Valley Hotspots

Restaurants

  1. Enjoy: Enjoy serves a variety of foods, from salads, steaks and seafood to Tuscan pastas and fine American dining. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a wrap-around patio and an inner grotto area, making every meal an experience.
  2. Panino Brothers: Panino Brothers is Apple Valley’s home for pizza and Italian cuisine. They feature a great wine and beer selection and are a great spot for happy hour!
  3. Rascal’s: Rascal’s has gigantic portions of delicious, mouth-watering food. The cheap prices and great service will make you a regular after your first meal.
  4. Satay 2 Go: Satay serves tasty Japanese and Asian cuisine for very low prices. The service is great and the restaurant has a cozy “mom and pop” style feel.
  5. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers: Raising Cane serves American cuisine, but specializes, as its name suggests in chicken. Fresh food and spicy, strong flavors, and ridiculously low prices make it a local favorite.

 

Entertainment

 

  1. The Mall of America: Minnesota’s biggest tourist attraction brings millions of visitors each year from all over the world. The Mall of America remains the largest shopping mall in America and features an entire theme park, restaurants, activities, and of course, shopping, all just minutes away in Bloomington.
  2. Great Clips IMAX Theatre: More than your standard movie cinema, the IMAX features huge screens and 3D experiences unlike any other movie theatre.
  3. Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium: The aquarium is the perfect destination for family fun and makes a great date spot as well. With over 10,000 sea creatures, including sharks, sea turtles, rays, jellyfish, seahorses and more, visitors are sure to have an exciting time.
  4. Apple Valley Family Aquatic Center: The Aquatic Center features a huge wrap around pool, towering water slides, houses and centers, and poolside lounging. The Aquatic Center is great for families, dates, and anyone else wanting to cool off in the summer.
  5. Buck Hill Minnesota Skiing: For Apple Valley Residents, a long Minnesota winter means a long season of downhill skiing, snowboarding, and winter fun. The hill is just minutes from any Apple Valley home.

 

Leisure

  1. Valleywood Golf Course: Valleywood is widely recognized as one of the Twin Cities’ best public golf courses. With 11 ponds and 190 acres of rolling hills, Valleywood gives country club service at public course rates.
  2. Adventure Gardens Mini Golf: 18 holes of miniature golf are here surrounded by gardens, waterfalls, streams, and ponds.
  3. Fort Snelling: This historic fort marks the birthplace of modern Minnesota and is a wonderful spot for families and for visitors looking to learn more about our own history.
  4. Wood Lake Nature Center: The nature center features beautiful walking trails across the lake as well as informative programs that are great for kids or for a nice day out.
  5. Minnesota Zoo: The Zoo, located right in Apple Valley, feature hundreds of kinds of animals for visitors and is both an educational and exciting way to spend time with family, friend and loved ones.

 

Churches

 

  1. Hope Church
  2. River Valley Church
  3. Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church ELCA
  4. Grace Lutheran Church
  5. Apple Valley Baptist Church
  6. South Suburban Evangelical Church
  7. Church of the Risen Savior (Catholic)

 

Apple Valley Community Events

 

Apple Valley is home to a number of festivals, events and programs for community fraternity that fosters its sense of community pride. Some of the highlights throughout the year include the following:

 

  • The Apple Valley Mid-Winter Fest, hosted annual for two days in winter, celebrates winter with snow sports, hay rides, snow tubing, sled dog rides, snow sports, a medallion hunt, and much more.
  • Apple Valley Freedom Days, held each year around the fourth of July, is a multiple-day festival with a number of events, including a parade.

 

Other events are held within the city from year to year. For more information on upcoming events, visit the Apple Valley Parks and Recreation Department at http://www.ci.apple-valley.mn.us/Parks/index.html.

Apple Valley Parks and Lakes

 

Apple Valley is home to a total of 50 parks over 790 acres of land. All outlets, from canoe rentals to Frisbee golf to playground, ice rinks and more can be found right near any Apple Valley home you buy. Here’s a short sample of some of the popular parks in the area:

 

  • Alimagnet park is a wooded 85-acre park on a lake, with canoe launch access and nature trails, as well as volleyball courts and playgrounds.
  • Delaney Park is a smaller park but is home to playgrounds, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, hockey and skating rinks, and park buildings.
  • Farquar Park is a beautiful 11-acre park on another lake. It is home to a canoe launch, volleyball courts, picnic shelters, tennis courts, park buildings, and a horseshoe pitch.
  • Lac Lavon is a 6-acre park with a fishing dock right on Lac Lavon. Besides fishing and canoeing, you can enjoy the picnic shelter and kids can enjoy the playground equipment.
  • Scott Park & Archery Site is an 8-acre park featuring playgrounds, tennis courts, and, most distinctively, an archery site.

 

This is of course just a small sample of Apple Valley’s 50 parks. For more information on these and other parks, visit http://www.ci.apple-valley.mn.us/parks/Facilities/Parks/main.html.

 

Apple Valley is also home to a number of lakes and ponds. Larger lakes in the area include the following:

 

  • Crystal Lake
  • Orchard Lake
  • Cobblestone Lake
  • Lac Lavon
  • Farquar Lake
  • Keller Lake

 

In addition to these larger lakes, there are a number of smaller lakes and ponds nearby Apple Valley homes.