Be wary of The Gates. It's gotten better, so I've heard, but it's kind of known as the slum of Rochester and is sketchy. I've had multiple coworkers tell me not to move there. One coworker told me she had students who gave her terrifying reasons why they couldn't get back to their apartment to do their homework--drug deals, murders, sex trafficking, crime. That might have been a few years ago, but personally I'd still be wary of it.

Do you have access to the Mayo Classifieds yet? There's lots of rooms for rent and apartments for rent and such, and some allow pets.