3 Augsburg Off-Campus Housing Neighborhoods Compared: Cedar-Riverside, Seward and Longfellow

Short version: most Augsburg off-campus housing neighborhoods boil down to three, with Cedar-Riverside for walking to class, Seward for the best mix of price and personality, and Longfellow for a real house three Blue Line stops south. In Cedar-Riverside and Seward, a shared two-bedroom usually works out to $700 to $1,000 a person, and a one-bedroom to yourself is more like $1,100 to $1,500. Below is how they stack up in 2026 (plus one wildcard across the river), or you can skip straight to listings with student housing in Minneapolis near Augsburg.

Key Takeaways

• Walkers, this one's yours: Cedar-Riverside. GrandMarc Seven Corners is 0.6 miles from campus, with shared beds listed from $364.
• Seward begins right across I-94. Its main drag is Franklin Avenue, home to the Seward Co-op.
• Longfellow means porches, basements and 1920s bungalows, and the 38th Street station is three stops down the line.
• "Which building?" matters more than "which neighborhood?" (a 2.7-rated tower and a $3,500 five-bedroom house are a few blocks apart).
• Surprise: a lot of what shows up for Augsburg on Find My Place is actually in Stadium Village and Dinkytown, one Green Line stop east.

1. Cedar-Riverside: Best for Walking to Class

Augsburg is in Cedar-Riverside. So if your top priority is a five-minute commute, you're done reading. The Mississippi wraps it on two sides, with I-94 to the south and Hiawatha and I-35W to the west. About 9,000 people live inside those lines, roughly 16,000 per square mile. That's dense, and it comes with two light rail stops: Cedar-Riverside on the Blue Line and West Bank on the Green Line.

For a purpose-built student building on the West Bank, look at GrandMarc Seven Corners at 1849 Washington Avenue South. The commute widget on its page says 0.6 miles to Augsburg. Prices are labeled per person: $364 gets you a bed in a shared 2x2, a private room in a 4x4 is $764, and a private room in a 2x2 starts at $809 (rent falling as the unit gets bigger is exactly what per-bed pricing looks like).

Honest take on the reviews? Mixed. It sits at 2.7 out of 5 on five reviews, with one resident raving about the staff and another describing break-ins in the gated garage. Bringing a car? Ask about that on your tour.

Got four friends and a plan? 515 15th Ave S is a five-bed, two-bath unit half a mile from campus listed at $3,500 for the whole place. Divide by five and it's $700 each, before utilities. One heads-up: the listing hasn't posted its monthly fees yet.

And the neighborhood itself is a big part of the appeal. The Cedar Cultural Center, Palmer's Bar and Mixed Blood Theatre are all a short walk, Cedar Avenue is full of Somali restaurants, and Riverside Plaza looms over everything. (Those are the 1973 Ralph Rapson towers with the colored panels, 1,303 units, and yes, the Mary Tyler Moore Show shot there.) Good fit if you're renting for the first time and January bus stops sound like a punishment.

2. Seward: Best Balance of Price, Food and Bikeability

Seward is where I'd look after a year in Cedar-Riverside. You just cross I-94. From there it stretches east to the river, with the Hiawatha industrial strip along its west edge and the Midtown Greenway along its south edge. About 7,500 people live there, which is why it feels more like a small town that happens to have a light rail stop.

Everything revolves around Franklin Avenue. The Seward Co-op Franklin store (2823 E Franklin Ave, open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day) is about 0.6 miles from campus, and Meet Minneapolis' Seward guide lists Seward Community Cafe, Cafe Racer, Pizza Luce and Memory Lanes nearby. Memory Lanes does bowling and live music, which is a very Seward combination. Class is a 15-minute walk, a short bike ride, or one Blue Line stop from Franklin Avenue station. Buses 2, 9, 22 and 67 cover it too.

Don't expect towers. Most of the rentals are older walk-ups, duplexes and houses split into units. Per Find My Place's Augsburg page, a shared two-bedroom here (or in Cedar-Riverside) runs about $700 to $1,000 a person, and one-bedrooms sit around $1,100 to $1,500. Picture a sophomore or junior with a roommate, a bike, and opinions about bulk granola. That's the Seward renter.

3. Longfellow: Best for More Space on a Budget

You give up the walk. You get a house. Strictly speaking, Longfellow is a community made up of five neighborhoods, Seward included, but for this guide it means the blocks south of Lake Street near the 38th Street and 46th Street Blue Line stations, roughly 2.5 miles from Augsburg. From Cedar-Riverside, 38th Street is three stops. No transfers.

Housing here is mostly 1920s Craftsman bungalows and duplexes, lots of them split into an upper and a lower. This fall, public rental averages for Greater Longfellow sit near $1,270 for a one-bedroom and about $1,700 for a two-bedroom. Split that two-bed and it's around $850 apiece, often with a porch and a basement thrown in. Storage! Real storage.

Weekends are the bonus. Minnehaha Falls (53 feet) is right there in Minnehaha Park, and the Minnehaha Mile has more vintage and secondhand shops than any other strip in Minnesota. Meet Minneapolis' Longfellow guide adds Moon Palace Books, Arbeiter Brewing and the Hi-Lo Diner to the list. If you're an upperclassman or grad student who wants quiet more than convenience, this is your spot.

4. Wildcard: Stadium Village, One Green Line Stop Away

Something the neighborhood guides usually leave out: plenty of the listings that come up for Augsburg on Find My Place are actually across the Mississippi, by the University of Minnesota. West Bank station to East Bank is a single Green Line stop. Less of a stretch than it sounds.

Take Stadium Village Flats at 850 SE Washington Ave. Its commute widget lists Augsburg at 0.9 miles, and it carries a 5.0 FMP score. Beds in a shared 2x2 start at $699. A one-bedroom lists at $1,899 while the four-bedroom plans list at $849 to $899, and the only way that makes sense is per-bed pricing.

The downside? You're living in Gopher territory, game-day crowds and all. For the full rundown on that side of the river, see our guide to the best Minneapolis neighborhoods for University of Minnesota students.

How to Choose Between Cedar-Riverside, Seward and Longfellow

Be honest about your commute first. Early classes plus no car? Cedar-Riverside, no contest. If a bike or a one-stop train ride doesn't bother you, Seward hands you more neighborhood at about the same per-person price, and Longfellow is the pick when square footage beats minutes.

After that, forget the zip code for a second and judge the building. A five-bedroom house and a so-so high-rise can be two blocks apart and feel like different cities. Read the reviews. Ask what utilities really cost. Tour before you sign.

Frequently Asked Questions About Augsburg Off-Campus Neighborhoods

What is the cheapest neighborhood near Augsburg?

$364 a month was the lowest price we found, for a bed in a shared 2x2 at GrandMarc Seven Corners in Cedar-Riverside. Need a whole apartment? Longfellow tends to give you more room for similar money (two-bedrooms average close to $1,700, so about $850 each), you'll just be riding the Blue Line.

Can you live near Augsburg without a car?

Absolutely. Cedar-Riverside is walkable, Seward is a 15-minute walk or one stop from Franklin Avenue station, and Longfellow's 38th Street station is three stops south. Given that GrandMarc reviewers have reported garage break-ins, skipping the car might even save you a headache.

Is Seward or Cedar-Riverside better for Augsburg students?

Depends what year you're in. As a first- or second-year, you'll probably be happier in Cedar-Riverside with class minutes away. Once you've got roommates sorted, Seward is worth the move for the duplexes, the co-op and the calmer streets. Per person, shared two-bedrooms cost about the same in both, roughly $700 to $1,000.

How far is Longfellow from Augsburg?

Around 2.5 miles to the 38th Street station area. That's three Blue Line stops from Cedar-Riverside with no transfer, or a ride on the Midtown Greenway if you bike. Keep going to the 46th Street station and you're close to Minnehaha Falls and the Minnehaha Mile.