We had a really brilliant experience staying at Kari's place. The main entrance is through a shared back door but then immediately down the stairs to a private separate entrance to the apartment. This meant that it felt really private and we were in and out without disturbing people too much. Kari and her family have a big open backyard, a swing set and a trampoline which they graciously let us use- my son was out there constantly! I think it was his favorite part of the trip. Kari's kids came out sometimes too and were lovely company. The whole family were very kind and gracious to us.
The inside of the apartment was extremely well laid out. The kitchen is just slightly seperated from the bedroom/ living room area, which meant that in the evenings when the kids were asleep we could sit at the table and have a cup of tea and hang out. There is a washing machine and dryer just outside the entrance to the apartment which meant we could do laundry anytime (very important for families with messy kids like us)!!
The apartment was also really close to the bus line going to downtown and to the lakes and there's lots of delicious food nearby on a street - Nicollet- known for its amazing restaurants. This apartment really met all our needs perfectly and we are looking forward to staying again next time we're in town!