Bancroft

Bancroft is a small yet vibrant community in the South of Minneapolis which is largely residential and mostly consists of single family dwellings constructed before 1940 which are owner-occupied, priced affordably and sit on tree-lined streets.
The commercial services of the neighborhood are available along 38th Street and Bloomington Avenue and a new Fire Arts Center is undergoing in the Chicago and 38th area. For those residents who like recreation, the neighborhood lies only blocks north of the Hiawatha Golf Course, Lake Nokomis and the scenic Minnehaha Creek where various recreational activities can be enjoyed.
The neighborhood is situated just a few minutes south of downtown Minneapolis with very convenient access through Interstate 35W, the Hiawatha Corridor and is close as well to Bloomington and airport via Cedar Avenue. It is bounded by 38th Street on the north, 42nd Street on the south, Cedar Avenue on the east and Chicago Avenue on the West.
It was named for one of the oldest education institutions, Bancroft Elementary School that is still operating in the Minneapolis School District and was constructed in 1912. The urban history of the neighborhood traced back to the early teens through the 1930s. In 1920, the residents of Bancroft would hop on the Cedar Avenue or Bloomington street cars to go to work and downtown. The services were located conveniently within the neighborhood.
Residential blocks in the neighborhood are lined with shade trees. Bancroft boasts cheap homes with historic character. Most homes within the neighborhood were constructed before the World War II. There is one public school and one charter school in the neighborhood. The public school in Bancroft is Bancroft Elementary while the charter school is el Colegio. The public facilities in the neighborhood are the Phelps Park and the Phelps Recreation Center.
The Bancroft Neighborhood Association worked with TCF Bank to offer the residents with low interest home improvement loans. Residents who wish to apply for loans for home improvement purposes can visit the official website of the neighborhood and get the latest information about availability of funding, eligibility requirements and the rates of interest.
For residents who want to get involved in the regular activities and events of Bancroft, the official organization of the neighborhood which is Bancroft Neighborhood Association can provide them with various ways to participate in the happenings in the entire Bancroft. The monthly newspaper of Bancroft is Southside Pride which is locally owned and operated in the southern part of the city of Minneapolis. The Bancroft Banner is distributed quarterly to the residents within the neighborhood.
The average size of household in the neighborhood ran higher than that of the city average between the decades 1980 and 2000. The neighborhood experienced its lowest level in the year 1990. Mainly due to the change of boundary, the overall number of Bancroft reduced by 9\39% between the 80s and 90s decade. On the other hand, between the 1990 and 2000, the overall number of households increased by 1.9%.

Located just south of Powderhorn Lake and near Chicago and Cedar Avenues, the Bancroft neighborhood is so named for the Bancroft Elementary school, in turn named after American historian George Bancroft. Most of the homes in this neighborhood (80%) were built before 1940, and the area also includes some commercial development.

Almost a century ago residents of this neighborhood would travel by streetcars to downtown Minneapolis, or shop amid their own streets at small businesses owned by grocers, butchers, or even dentists. It is even said that organ grinders and their monkeys would provide entertainment along the streets in the neighborhood.

The modern residential community gives residents and visitors easy access to downtown by Interstate 35W. Residents of the Bancroft neighborhood live in mostly owner-occupied housing, and within their community have access to two schools: the Bancroft Elementary School and El Colegio/CreArte Center for the Arts. There is a thriving business and community sense in the neighborhood and community members are a part of a larger multi-neighborhood initiative to further improve the neighborhoods of South Minneapolis.

As strong community involvement and enrichment efforts have taken place, communities such as Bancroft have seen positive changes. The median income in Bancroft has increased by $15,000 in 2000 to $55,000 in 2009. The residents of the Bancroft neighborhood represent a cross-culture of American heritages, including African American, Latino, Somalia, and Asian, of which the influences and traditions are helping to grow the community.

Whether you are looking for an experience in the arts or want to take advantage of the nearby Lake Nokomis or Hiawatha Golf Course, the Bancroft neighborhood area might be just what you need.