NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE – Golfview Estates
Neighborhood Guides
It’s next to impossible to out-rank sites like Trulia or Abodo or Realtor.com for search terms like “homes for sale in Rochester,” “homes Woodbury,” or “apartments in Shoreview.” They just have way too much SEO juice.
But . . . you can beat them by optimizing your website pages for long-tail search terms. As example; “homes for sale in Golfview Estates Rochester MN.”
Does “homes for sale in Golfview Estates” get anywhere near as much traffic as “homes for sale in Rochester?” Of course not. But having your website on page one of Google, for even a low-traffic long-tail search term, will net you far more traffic than having your site buried on page six for a higher traffic term.
For extra juice, link from the neighborhood guide (and vice versa) on your website to the “What Does the Average Home Look Like” pin on your Pinterest page and a similar Power-point video, with the same info, that you post on YouTube.
Check out the sample neighborhood guide below and then call or email to get started driving traffic to your site.
Golfview Estates Area – Neighborhood Guide
What’s a safe assumption when you enter a neighborhood and see street names like Lehman Lane, Nicklaus Drive, and Palmer Lane?
I’m guessing you’re guessing the neighborhood adjoins a golf course and if you did your assumption is correct. Golfview Estates in west-northwest Rochester is bordered on the south by the third fairway of the city-owned Northern Hills Golf course.
Golfview Estates is a relatively small neighborhood, comprised of fewer than 160 single-family detached homes it’s probably the smallest neighborhood in all of west-northwest Rochester. (By comparison, the Wedgewood Hills/Kingsbury Hills area across 50th Avenue to the west has more than 1000 homes.) Golfview is bordered on the north by 55th Street NW, on the east by the Douglas Bike Trail, on the west by 50th Avenue NW and of course on the south by Northern Hills golf course.
Of those 160 homes, approximately 21 homes have backyards that border Northern Hills golf course. Another 11 homes have golf course views.
Finding Golfview Estates
You can find the Golfview Estates area by driving west on 55th Street NW – from Highway(s) #52 & #63 North – past the Walmart/Sam’s Club shopping complex. Some people will refer to 55th Street as Circle Drive and/or County Road #22 but either way, you’ll come to a stoplight on the west edge of the shopping complex where you’ll need to turn right to stay on 55th Street.
From 55th Street NW turn south onto Nicklaus Drive NW or from 50th Avenue NW along the western edge of the neighborhood you can turn east onto Nicklaus Drive. Just the one street circles the neighborhood and Palmer, Birdie, Par, and Lehman Lanes intersect it.
Homes in Golfview Estates
Typical of most other northwest Rochester neighborhoods, in Golfview Estates you’ll find big ramblers, splits, and multi-levels and two-story style homes.
The typical home in this neighborhood is going to have four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a three-car garage. Some of the larger two-story style homes may have fully finished basements and therefore five or more bedrooms and four or more baths. The smaller ramblers, splits, and multi-levels will have 2,000 to 3,000 square feet of finished living area while the larger rambler and two-story homes will have 3,000 to 4,000 + square feet.
Home prices in Golfview Estates range from low 200’s to the mid 300’s for homes not on the golf course. Prices will start in the 400’s and go up, for homes that back up to the course. Homes in the neighborhood range in age, most having been built between 1995 and 2000.
Lot sizes in Golfview Estates range from 70 to 80 feet wide by 130 to 180 feet deep for homes off the golf course. For those 21 homes that abutt the course, lots range in width from 85 to 95 feet with depths of 200 to 250 feet. Many of the homes along the course have extensively landscaped backyards that are then buffered from the fairway by a “rough” area comprised of tall grass.
The Greens Town Home Development
Located at the southeast corner of 55th Street NW and 50th Avenue NW – just northwest of Golfview – you’ll find The Greens, a very nice townhome development with 49 two unit buildings.
Home prices in the Greens development range from $175,000 up to the high $200’s. Comprised of one and two-story units; the one-story units having basements while the two-story units are on slabs. Entrance(s) to the Greens are from 55th Street and 50th Avenue and totally separate from Golfview Estates.
Neighborhood Amenities
As previously mentioned the Douglas Bike Trail ( http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_trails/douglas.pdf ) borders the eastern edge of the subdivision. The Douglas Trail is a 12.5-mile paved trail that runs as far north as Pine Island and south into the city where it connects to the extensive Rochester Bike Trail system. Few areas within Rochester are not accessible by the bike trail system. If you’re looking for a leisurely afternoon stroll or jog or would rather ride your bike to work – this is the way to go.
The Olmsted Medical Center North Clinic is within walking distance to the west along 55th Street NW and the city-owned White Oaks Park is directly north across 55th. The Rochester Public Schools George Gibbs elementary school is within a few blocks west as is the Holy Spirit Parish church and elementary school. Christ Community Church is a short walk to the east.
Restaurants and Shopping
Take your pick, living in the Golfview Estates area you’ll find yourself a three to five-minute drive from many of Rochester’s most popular stores and eateries.
At the intersection of Circle Drive and 55th Street – less than a mile to the east – you’ll find the Walmart/Sam’s Club Shopping Complex. Here you’ll enjoy;
• Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant
• Texas Roadhouse restaurant
• Culver’s restaurant
• Gander Mountain Sporting Goods
• Kwik Trip convenience store
• Discount Tires
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
• Petco pet supply store
And of course – besides the Super-Walmart and Sam’s Club – a variety of other smaller support businesses including hair salons, clothing and liquor stores.
Turn South on Circle Drive and in less than a mile you’ll find a HyVee grocery store. Less than another mile east on 41st Street NW you’ll come to the Target shopping complex with;
• Super Target
• Home Depot
• Staples
• PetSmart
• Andy’s Liquor
. . . as well as a wide variety of other small shops and restaurants including – among many others – Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Panera, Chipotle and Jimmy Johns.
How Far to the Rest of Rochester?
You’ll find most of the rest of Rochester within less than a ten-minute drive of the Golfview Estates area. The following drive times and distances are from within the geographic center of the neighborhood.
• Apache Mall & Scheels – 5.9 miles – 9-minute drive
• Target North/Marketplace – 2.3 miles – 6-minute drive
• Mayo Clinic & Downtown – 5 miles – 11-minute drive
• IBM – 2.3 miles – 6-minute drive
• University Center – 6.6 miles – 15-minute drive
• John Adams Middle School – 3.4 miles – 8-minute drive
• John Marshall High School – 3.9 miles – 9-minute drive
• Lourdes High School – 2.3 miles – 5-minute drive
• Schaeffer Academy – 7.3 miles – 15-minute drive
That’s a Wrap
Not everyone wants to live on a golf course – and even within Golfview Estates only 21 of the 160 homes actually adjoin the course. I used to “play at” golf but would never say what I did on a golf course could ever be confused with actual golfing. But you don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy the beautiful golf course views and quiet backyard afforded by a home adjacent to the course.
Overall Golfview Estates in west-northwest Rochester is a very low traffic, quiet neighborhood of upper mid-level homes of better than average quality and condition. Couple that with its convenient location and ease of access to everything else in Rochester and you have a prime neighborhood for a solid investment.

DAVE MEIR
CONTENT & COPYWRITING
MOBILE: 507.951.1761