There are parts of Minneapolis that people find to live and then stop looking. The area around Bde Maka Ska — the largest lake in the city, called Lake Calhoun for most of its history — tends to work that way.
It is not the most obvious neighborhood for someone new to Minneapolis. The North Loop gets more press. Uptown has a stronger identity online. But talk to people who have lived in a few different parts of the city and eventually landed near the lake, and most of them are not going anywhere.
Here is what it actually looks like.
The Lake
Bde Maka Ska is 400 acres with a 3.4-mile loop around the perimeter. On weekday mornings the trail is quiet enough to hear the water. On summer weekends the beaches fill and the north and east shore parking lots back up by 10am. Both things are true simultaneously, and residents who live close enough to walk mostly get the first version.
Paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes rent from a concession near the north shore. Volleyball courts at the east beach run pickup games from May through September. None of it requires a plan if you live a few blocks away. That is the shift that happens after a few months here: the lake stops being a destination, and the walking path around it becomes part of the morning before you’ve made a conscious decision to go.
The Chain of Lakes
A short waterway connects Bde Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles to the northeast. The parkway trail continues from there to Lake Harriet, which has its own loop and a bandshell that runs free outdoor concerts through the summer. Brownie Lake sits to the west — smaller and quieter — worth knowing about when the main paths feel crowded.
The full trail network covers several lakes without needing to go use a road. A standard loop from Bde Maka Ska to Lake of the Isles and back runs around seven miles if you take the long way around The Isles.
Most neighborhoods in Minneapolis have a park. This one has a park system that connects to other park systems. The Grand Rounds trail, which links the Chain of Lakes to the Mississippi River corridor and several other parkways, extends that network further for those who want to cover more ground.
The Neighborhood
West Calhoun and Calhoun-Isles rank among the more established residential areas on the city’s southwest side. You’ll find single-family homes, older apartment buildings, and a handful of newer developments along the main corridors.
There is no bar strip. Weekend foot traffic does not spill in from somewhere else. If you want that kind of energy, Uptown is a ten-minute walk and it will still be there.
Excelsior Boulevard runs along the southern edge with coffee, restaurants, and the everyday businesses that make a neighborhood work without a car. West Lake Street connects east toward Uptown. Planners designed the corridor for walking and biking, with dedicated lanes along the main streets that make car-free errands genuinely practical.
Linden Hills, just south on 43rd Street, has a short row of local shops. A wine shop, a bookstore, and a non-chain coffee place are a few standouts. It feels like it belongs in the neighborhood, not like it is putting on a show.
It is quiet here in a way that surprises people coming from denser parts of the city. Most of them adjust quickly.
What It Sits Near
Uptown is a ten-minute walk northeast. Downtown Minneapolis is fifteen minutes by car, with easy highway access from Excelsior Boulevard. The 50th & France corridor in Edina is a short drive south where you’ll find good restaurants, France 44, and the kind of independent shops that have been there long enough to have regulars. The neighborhood is close to all of it without being affected by any of it.
That gap matters. Living near good things and absorbing their traffic and noise are different experiences. The lake creates a buffer that keeps the surrounding blocks residential even as the city presses in on all sides.
Renting Here
The housing options near Bde Maka Ska have expanded in recent years. Newer buildings along Excelsior Boulevard now offer designed interiors and rooftop amenities that did not exist in this corridor five years ago. Rents run above the city average. That is not a surprise given the location, and for people who have looked at what comparable proximity to the lake costs to own, the rental math often starts to make more sense than it did at first glance.
For those still working through that question, the renting vs. buying comparison for 2026 lays out the actual numbers. For a broader view of Minneapolis before narrowing to a neighborhood, the 2026 relocation guide covers the full picture.
Why Here
Minneapolis has no shortage of popular neighborhoods, each with its own character. The North Loop has good restaurants and architecture worth looking at. Linden Hills is quiet and has a strong sense of itself. Downtown is convenient if your job is there.
The Bde Maka Ska area has most of those things nearby, plus the lake and a trail system that extends across four connected lakes without putting you on a road. The pace is slower than other parts of the city and the access to the outdoors is ideal. People who have lived in Minneapolis long enough to have tried a few neighborhoods tend to land here eventually.
Waterbury House is at 3012 Excelsior Boulevard, a short walk from the lake. If you want to see the residences and spend some time in the neighborhood before deciding, reach out to schedule a tour.
