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ORONO
Orono is one of the Minnesota cities that offer a picturesque view of Lake Minnetonka (the tenth largest lake in the State) which may be one of the reasons why it has been called the jewel of Lake Minnetonka. In fact, this city seems to hold the secret to the magic of the lake that visitors are cautioned against leaving the Twin Cities without even stopping by Orono.
Located just around 13 miles from the west side of the State of Minneapolis, Orono offers the best seat in the house for viewing Lake Minnetonka considering that it is adjacent to the lake .
But that’s not all that Orono has to offer. Those who are planning to move in for employment relocation or residential relocation will also be besotted by the city’s wide offering of major attractions like cultural shows and artwork and a variety of water sports like ice skating ice racing and the likes.
Buying a home in Orono will not only give you access to life’s little pleasures like a scenic view of sailboat clusters parading along the waters but it will also give you access to one of the world’s largest malls, the Mall of America which is located in Minneapolis. It may take forever to explore every nook and cranny of this mall so being a resident of Orono would help.
Orono’s total area of 64.8 square kilometer is 35.78% water which explains the city’s emphasis on water preservation specifically the water quality of Lake Minnetonka. The city is also committed to protecting and preserving its natural resources including the open spaces, urban and rural lands and the local character as well as the identity of its people.
Population Profile
Orono is considered a medium-sized Minnesota city with 7,538 people as of the 2000 census. A great majority or 97.73% of its residents are whites, followed by Asians (.94%), Hispanics and Latinos (.86%). The rest of the population is made up of African Americans, Native Americans and other races.
Nearly three-fourths or 71.8% of the entire population are married couples so families planning to move in to Orono can look forward to building friendly relationships with fellow couples and possibly couples with children. Orono residents live comfortably with an average income of $101,114 per family, with only .5% of the total number of families living below the poverty level.
Majority or 90.6% of the 3,949 labor force of Orono use a car, van or motorcycle when going to work while .6% or 22 people use public transportation. A small number of residents or 7.2% work at home.
Education
There are five public schools in the Orono School District including Orono Schumann Elementary, Orono Intermediate School, Orono Middle School and Orono Sr. High School. The reopened Hill Schools provide private education facilities for Pre-K up to Grade 8 students.
Influence of Lake Minnetonka
The lives of Orono residents are greatly influenced by Lake Minnetonka considering that it is the most active and heavily-used lakes in the State of Minnesota. Residents and visitors alike delight in the many activities along the Lake come summertime while they revel in the serenity offered by the Lake during spring and fall. Winter is however a different story because it is the time when various water-based activities like ice fishing and snowmobiling is done.
Despite Lake Minnetonka’s reputation as a major tourist attraction in Orono and in Minnesota, it is considered a fish-producing Lake where various species can be found including Bluegills, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, crappie and even muskellunge.
Environment programs
Orono residents are urged to help the city preserve their natural resources through the Adopt a Green Space Program. The program, which seeks to promote sustainable development so that the future Orono residents may benefit from the present natural resources being enjoyed by the city, makes use of the adoption strategy whereby residents and organizations who commit to adopt a certain resource is given the responsibility of taking care of that resource.
Among the suggested responsibilities of those who will adopt a space includes cleaning up of garbage in the area; planting of approved flowers, trees and shrubs and removing weeds in the area. Since this is a partnership, the city is responsible for designating the green areas for adoption, providing trash bags that can be recycled, garbage collection and acknowledging the contribution of the sponsoring individual or group.
There are a lot of green spaces up for adoption in Orono and here are some of them:
- Beaches-This includes the following beaches: Summit Park Swimming Beach, Sandy Beach Swim Area, Lydiard Swimming Beach and Casco Point Swimming Beach.
- Nature Preservation Areas-This includes the Mculley Road, Highwood Nature Trails, French Creek Preserve and Lowry Woods.
- Lake Access-This includes Stubbs Bay, Park Lane, Carman Street and Loma Linda.
- Parks-This includes the Casco Circle Park and Skating Rink, Bederwood Park, Hackberry Park, Crystal Bay Playground, Navarre Playground, Livingston Tower Park, Seven Nations Park and the Roberta Lee Antoine Playground.
- Public Grounds-This includes the Navarre Parking Lot, City Grounds and any street in the neighborhood.
- School Recreational Areas
Places to go
Orono offers a lot of attractions for both residents and visitors.
- Casco Beach is located between Casco Point Road and Spring Park Bay. It is actually a narrow land with a swimming dock and area buoys.
- Lydiard Beach is located in Lydiard Street and Carman’s Bay. It has swim area buoys as well as a swimming dock.
- Summit Beach Park-It is located along Long Lake Road and has swimming buoys and swimming docks.
- Bederwood Park is an eight-acre park located along Stubbs Bay Road. It has chemical toilets as well as recreational facilities like climber, bike rack and a baseball diamond. The park has been recently upgraded and now has new bases, home plate, pitcher’s mound and infield dirt, thanks to a donation from the Orono Baseball Association.
- Casco Circle Park is also an eight-acre park located along the end of Casco Point Road.
- Casco Skating Rink is also located along Casco Point Road and has a skating rink.
- Crystal Bay Playground is just behind Orono’s post office and it has a basketball court and playground equipment.
- French Creek consists of a seven-acre pond and a four-acre prairie near North Shore Drive. This is also a place for nesting birds so visitors are cautioned from making a lot of noise.
- Hackberry Park is a four-acre park along Willow Drive. It has an area for sports activities like soccer, recreational ice skating and baseball.
- Highwood Nature Trail is a 12-acre park located along the North Shore Drive. It is in its natural state but there is a walking trail.
- Lowry Woods is a 15-acre woodland which boasts of red oaks, hickory trees and sugar maples.
- Lurton Park was donated with strict provisions restricting the building of structures and ball fields in the area. It is mainly used for hiking and biking but it boasts of an old historical barn.
- Saga Hill Park is the largest park in Orono, with a 30-acre area surrounded by natural woods.
- Orono Golf Course, which was founded in 1924, is Minnesota’s first public golf course. It is a 9-hole course with mature trees, elevated greens and a wooded buffer.
- Spring Hill Golf Course is an 18-hole course.
Housing
If you are looking for houses for rent in Orono then you might want to take a look at the new luxurious residential subdivisions that are under construction and which will amount to at least $350,000 per home. However, the average house for sale in Orono amounts to $175,000.
Majority or 96.1% of the existing housing units in Orono are occupied by the owners and only 170 units are being occupied by renters. If you love sailing then you can take advantage of a house with dock access.
Life in Orono is never dull no matter what the season is. And if you get bored of the lake and all the water-based activities, you can always go the extra mile (or less) and go shopping in Minneapolis and the nearby cities.
Here is a link to the City Of Orono website: http://www.ci.orono.mn.us
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