Marvelous Minneapolis

This is an article I wrote recently on suite101 and smarttravelinfo about the wonderful Minneapolis, Minnesota. I hope you enjoy it.

However before we go into the article I just wanted to give my opinion (because its a blog and I can do that) on Minneapolis. I went there to keep a promise to a good friend Lindsey in 2010 after a trip to Pittsburgh. Seriously, that city has so much to offer, I genuinely spent some of the best 5 days of my life there. We drank a lot, we had some great experiences. It was totally made for me by the company I was in. So I would like to thank Lindsey, Cath, Mark, Kane and everybody we met along the way for some great days and nights. Also I feel that my last paragraph does not do the people of Minneapolis justice. I have never met nicer, more open minded people in my life. The fact that I asked my friend Lindsey for a quote, and what I got was her and 3 other friends whole-heartedly sending my quotes and lists of places to write about, shows how nice people in that region are. I thank them once again for that. Anyway hope you enjoy!

Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a city somewhat overlooked as a place for tourism, but brings to the table a fantastic mix for that person who wants a weekend, or even a week, where everyday is different.

Personality

The regions that make up Minneapolis bring with them their very own personality and identity. There is a place for everyone, if it is campus life, swanky bars or a downtown life you are looking for. North Downtown, South Downtown, University of Minnesota, and Uptown all bring something different to the table, but everywhere brings somewhere to party.

Nightlife

If you are after a bit of the high life, Uptown has luxurious patios, bars and restaurants. Also downtown has its fair share of nightlife, with bars and clubs scattered across it. A particular favourite is the Shout House. A dueling piano bar, located downtown, is certainly something out of the ordinary, a huge party, great tunes played live, and very appealing drinks prices makes it well worth a look.

Shopping

For the shopoholics, the Mall of America is something that could surely quell your need for retail therapy. The biggest mall in the USA, it has everything from sports to fashion to electronics, and even has a bit of spare room for its own indoor theme park. If you don't like rides yourself its certainly somewhere to dump the kids.

Sports

Sports fans are definately at home in Minneapolis. With the Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and the Wild, all the major sports codes are taken care of. There are also the Minnesota Golden Gophers of college sports, complete with their brand new stadium, TCF Bank Stadium. Also the venues to watch sport are fantastic. ESPN said that the Twins' Target Field was "the number 1 stadium experience in Major League Baseball."

Arts

Minneapolis is lucky to boast many fantastic music, art and theatre venues. The region is second to New York in live theatre per capita, and supports many fantastic venues such as the Minnesota Dance Theatre, where pop icon, Prince, famously learnt his trade. It is also home to the Minnesota Fringe festival, one of the largest festivals in the country.

Outdoors

Minneapolis is a very peaceful and tranquile city with very little traffic. Also it has a very outdoors like persona with wonderful mountains and lakes which are just short drives away. Some say that everyone in Minneapolis either owns, or knows somebody who owns, a cabin, and many outdoor pursuits such as boating, jet skiing, fishing and hunting are available. It is also worth the drive into neighbouring Wisconsin to go tubing on Apple river. Tubing involves getting into a big rubber ring and lazily drifting down a river.

The People

The best way to get people's opinions is to hear from the people themselves.
Zack Krause said: "I like living in Minneapolis for lots of reasons. We have four seasons so there is always something to look forward to. The people are great here, very nice, open, and friendly. We have tons of amazing restaurants and a very good nightlife. It is very clean and easy to get around. There is always some kind of festival going on to go to!"
Laurel Hoch commented: "I love living in Minneapolis. The best parts are the people and the fabulous locations, city parks and neighbourhoods like Loring Park. Bars like The Inn and Bar Lucarat, restaurants like WA Frost and Hole in the Wall Sushi in Uptown are the best! Not to mention the fabulous string of lakes like Calhoun, Harriest and Isles; and if that is not enough you can escape 'up north' for the real cabin/ourdoor experience.
He added: "I would absolutely recommend anyone to come here. For the most part the people are genuine, very healthy, and like to have a good time."
Brandon Quittern and Lindsey Schmelzer added that Minneapolis was very progressive and has the best school system in the country. As well as it simply was "not Los Angeles."
So if you are looking for that somewhere a little different, open your mind to 'The City of Lakes' Minneapolis. It won't dissappoint.