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.

Living in Lincolnshire

I’ve always liked the Lincolnshire area – even though the thought of it gives me the occasional vision of stern-faced Hobbits running around wearing top hats and tailcoats spouting, “Four score and seven years ago . . .” (insert uproarious laughter here)

Lincolnshire is tucked between West Circle Drive/County Road #22 and 31st Avenue NW, just northwest of the three white – formerly IBM buildings – that are across the street to the north of Target.

The Douglas bike trail borders the western edge of the neighborhood and provides a nice buffer between the homes and the commercial properties further west. With the obvious added bonus of giving you easy access to the extensive Rochester bike trail system.

Finding the Lincolnshire Area

You can enter the neighborhood from two different points;

• Off West Circle Drive turn east on Members Parkway NW – between the Think Bank admin building and branch office – and follow that to Nottingham Drive NW.
• Go north on 31st Avenue NW from 41st Street NW and then go west on either Oxford Lane NW or Arbor Drive NW.
  Between Oxford Lane NW and Arbor Drive NW and bordering 31st Avenue NW you’ll see Arborglen Park, which is a really nice green space area that buffers the neighborhood from the commercial properties on the east side of 31st Avenue NW.

Homes in the Lincolnshire Area

Lincolnshire was developed in roughly three different phases. The first area you come to on Arbor Drive NW is actually called Arborglen.

Arborglen is comprised predominantly of split-level and rambler style homes – built in the late 1980’s and early 90’s – in a price range of $150,000 to $200,000.

Further along Arbor Drive to the west, you’ll enter the Lincolnshire subdivisions. Homes along Arbor Drive NW, and to the south, include a mixture of rambler, split-level, and two-story style homes. Homes in this part of the neighborhood were built in the mid-1990’s to early 2000’s and range in price from $200,000 to $300,000 with the occasional home selling on either side of that range.

North of Arbor Drive you’ll find the newer section of Lincolnshire. Homes in this part of the neighborhood were built in the mid-2000’s all the way up to new construction. You’ll again find splits and two stories in a range of $225,000 to $450,000.

Also in this area, north of 48th Street NW, you’ll find the Carriage Homes Townhome development; single level, two-bedroom, two-bath, townhomes that range from $140,000 to $160,000.

Lincolnshire Area Restaurants and Shopping

Lincolnshire is one of those awesome neighborhoods that really doesn’t have any – logical – thru streets. It does of course – if you wanted you could drive through the neighborhood from the Target area to the Walmart area – but why would you when it’s much faster to go around. Consequently, it’s a quiet enclave of well-kept homes on tree-lined streets with all forms of shopping and dining close at hand.

Within a couple miles to the southeast you’ll find the Target Marketplace Area with, among many others, the following;

• Target
• Home Depot
• Five Guys Burgers and Fries
• Jimmy Johns
• Applebees
• Panera
• Taco Bell/Pizza Hut
• Pi Wood Fired Pizza
• Noodle Company
• Chipotle

Slightly more than a mile to the north you’ll find the Walmart North complex and among other businesses, the following;

• Walmart
• Sam’s Club
• Gander Mountain
• Culvers
• Texas Roadhouse
• Buffalo Wildwings

To the east, and again just over a mile, you come to the west Highway 52 Frontage Road where you’ll find a variety of office and retail businesses as well as;

• Carlos O’Kelly’s (Is that really an Irish/Mexican place?;-)
• Broadway Bar and Pizza
• Kwik Trip convenience store

From the Lincolnshire Area to the Rest of Rochester

All the rest that Rochester has to offer is within less than a ten-minute drive of the Lincolnshire 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
• Walmart & Sam’s Club – 2.6 miles – 5-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
• Sunset Terrace Elementary School – 3.1 miles – 6-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

To the left, on this page, you’ll find on-going statistics for real estate sales within the Lincolnshire area. Marketing times and percent of list price received both compare favorably to other similar neighborhoods in Rochester.

Up and to the left on this page, you’ll see the current listings within the neighborhood. Simply click on any of the pictures to see the full details for that particular home.

And as always, if you have questions about Lincolnshire or any of the other neighborhoods in West/Northwest Rochester you can call, text or email 24/7. See my contact info at the bottom left of the page.

Thanks for stopping by the website and have a great day.