ECCO

East Calhoun is situated in the Calhoun-Isle community in the city of Minneapolis and a part of the Uptown Area. It is bordered on the south by 36th Street and on the north by Lake Street. The western extent of the neighborhood is Calhoun Parkway, running to the east to the Hennepin Avenue.
One of the most popular attractions of Minneapolis is Lake Calhoun which is at the western border of the neighborhood. A wide array of amenities can be found in and around the neighborhood including restaurants, shops, movie theaters, night clubs, grocery stores and coffee shops. The housing mix in the neighborhood includes duplexes, apartment buildings and single family homes that were mostly built around the turn of the twentieth century.
Lake Calhoun is one of Minneapolis’ most popular lakes. Part of the Chain of Links, it was connected to the Lake of the Isles in 1911 by a canal and on the same year, there was a boathouse established on the lake shore.
The average size of household in the neighborhood was lower than the average of the citywide between the years 1980 and 2000. It remained at an average of two persons per household at this period of time. The average household size of the city between the 1980 and 1990 was 2.2 and it increased then to 2.3 per household in the year 2000.
The household composition of East Calhoun was substantially changed between the 1980 and 2000. The two types of household which increased at this time were those with people living together but are not related to one another had a 34% increase and those with people living alone and under the age of 65 had a 16% increase. The biggest decrease in the type of household was with individuals living alone and over the age of 65.
Family households composed the largest percentage of households in the year 1980 but the percentage reduced to 31% from 39%. There were more households of individuals living alone than family households in 2000.
The percentage of vacant housing units in the neighborhood was 2% in 1980 but it increased to 4% in 1990 and decreased into its lowest level in 2000 of 1%. The percentage of housing units in East Calhoun occupied by owners and not renters was 36% in 1980 and 1990 and increased in 2000 to 38%.
The neighborhood has been a center of environmental activities and has been renowned for its environmental fortitude. East Calhoun was one of the first of all the neighborhoods in the greater Minneapolis area to implement recycling organic waste which is a comparatively new solution to waste management and was used as a model of successful organics recycling.
It also pioneered programs like Waste Watchers which is an organics and recycling program intended to raise awareness and strengthen ties to the community for the purpose of reducing waste and the TOLBY or Turn Off Lights Behind You program with a goal to help children and families remember to turn their lights off in unoccupied rooms in their homes to reduce the consumption of energy.

ECCO (East Calhoun Community Organization) is one of several upscale lakeside neighborhoods for which Minneapolis is well known. As the name would suggest, this community has Lake Calhoun as its western boundary while W. Lake St., Hennepin Ave. and W 36th St. serve as the remaining borders. ECCO is indeed an exclusive place to live since there are so few vacancies with most exceeding $600,000 in costs. This enables residents to enjoy some true peace and quiet while at the same time being within close range of downtown, Whittier and other hopping communities i the metropolitan area.

ECCO is also home to some city hot spots, most located along W. Lake St. Residents can enjoy a movie at the Landmark Lagoon Cinema, some java at Dunn Bros Coffee, happy hour at one of several bars, and some good eats at various restaurants. Should one grow tired of the hustle and bustle, he or she can mosey on over to Lake Calhoun for some aquatic or lakeside recreation. ECCO is the best of all possible worlds for those that live here, but it requires one to have an impressive income as well as some lady luck to grab one of the less than dozen homes that are on the market each year. Settling down here provides various access points throughout the city as well as scenic views not far from the city skyline.

East Calhoun, sometimes referred to by its neighborhood organization name of ECCO (East Calhoun Community Organization), is situated in the Minneapolis Calhoun-Isle area and is considered to be part of Uptown. As Lake Calhoun is considered one of the premier attractions in the Minneapolis area, it is no wonder that East Calhoun is a popular place to visit, and for the fortunate few, call home.

The residential area of ECCO is upscale and comes with a golden price-tag. The average price of a single family home in this neighborhood is more than $600,000, and perhaps only a dozen or so properties even go on the market each year. With so few homes up for sale and the glamor and convenience of the neighborhood, it is little wonder that many wish to find a home here. Beyond the high priced homes are a few apartment buildings, condos, and duplexes for those looking for smaller spaces and to spend less.

Beyond the extravagant homes of the neighborhood, ECCO is home to movie theatres, night clubs, boutiques, fine dining, coffee shops, and grocers. This neighborhood also boasts itself as the “epicenter of the Twin Cities” and makes every effort to live up to that billing. If you tire of the beautiful homes and luxury shopping, there are countless outdoor activities on the water, along the shoreline, and amid the trails.