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You have never been to downtown Minneapolis, but you've seen a dead area of downtown via Google Street View so your opinion counts, right?
which is why I asked if you could find some better views, since I couldn't find any. I know Minneapolis has a skyway system, I didn't know that it was so big most shops were along the skyway.
which is why I asked if you could find some better views, since I couldn't find any. I know Minneapolis has a skyway system, I didn't know that it was so big most shops were along the skyway.
Downtown MPLS has over eight miles of skyways linking 80 downtown blocks from the riverfront to the convention center and Target Field to 5th Avenue South. There are several small eateries and shops located within the skyway system. I'm not a fan nor is the city's mayor and many of its business leaders.
You have never been to downtown Minneapolis, but you've seen a dead area of downtown via Google Street View so your opinion counts, right?
Perhaps you should actually spend some time in downtown Minneapolis instead of relying on Google Maps to help form your opinions. If you had spent anytime there, you would know that downtown MPLS has a massive skyway system, which is full of shops and people. People use them throughout the year, which does take away street activity in a lot of areas of downtown, including Nicollet Mall.
If you can post pictures of downtown Minneapolis with robust street activity, please do. I can only go off what I see. Not just from Google Street View but Google Images.
Yes, of course you can find single pictures of downtown San Francisco and think its unimpressive. However, most of us here know that San Francisco is a top 3 or 4 downtown in America. Anyone here can post numerous pictures showing robust street activity. If you have some, post some of Minneapolis because lets be honest, few here will think of downtown Minneapolis being a thriving place. Prove us wrong. A Target and Whole Foods doesn't cut it.
Besides, the picture you posted of SF actually contains numerous shops, including the Westfield shopping Center, which is one of the largest urban malls in America and also has a organic grocery store which is better than Whole Foods in my opinion.
If you can post pictures of downtown Minneapolis with robust street activity, please do. I can only go off what I see. Not just from Google Street View but Google Images.
Yes, of course you can find single pictures of downtown San Francisco and think its unimpressive. However, most of us here know that San Francisco is a top 3 or 4 downtown in America. Anyone here can post numerous pictures showing robust street activity. If you have some, post some of Minneapolis because lets be honest, few here will think of downtown Minneapolis being a thriving place. Prove us wrong. A Target and Whole Foods doesn't cut it.
Not one person, including myself, ever stated that San Francisco isn't a top 3 or 4 downtown area so stop being paranoid.
The fact is that downtown Minneapolis has a lot more going on than the majority of US downtown areas. It has the transportation options that most downtown areas don't have; it has the architecture that most downtown areas don't have; it has the workforce that most US downtown don't have; it has a higher number of residents that most downtown areas don't have; it has the entertainment options that most don't have; it has the more retail, including Target, Whole Foods and dozens of other stores/shops that most downtown areas don't have; it also has a skyway system that takes thousands of people off the street each day - again, something that most downtown areas don't have. These are all facts that can't be disputed.
Downtown Whole Foods and other grocery stores/box stores are actually quite common. Anybody who has done a lot of traveling in the last 10 years would have noticed a MAJOR change in downtown orientation across the U.S., not just in big cities like San Francisco, but also smaller places like Orlando, Charlotte, Omaha, etc... These plays are WAYYYY better than they were just 10-15 years ago. So what the jury wants to know is, what sets Minneapolis apart, please don't list Target or Whole Foods...
When I am looking at good downtowns, I want to see unique local places I can't find elsewhere and/or flagship stores and a general lack of chains. Otherwise, why would I want to visit or live there?
It's kind of clear from the description that while Minneapolis might be safe, livable, and nice, it isn't all that unique and is in fact kind of generic, similar to Denver. I don't think there are that many people moving there *for* the city and lifestyle it provides like people do with San Francisco or New York, or even small places like New Orleans and Portland. It's more in the category of cities like Dallas, Denver, Charlotte etc. Jobs first and we hope we can get some big name chains to come in.
Downtown Whole Foods and other grocery stores/box stores are actually quite common.
Quite common? By common are you saying 10, 20 30, or more downtown areas have a local full-service grocer or national grocer such as Whole Foods?
Downtown MPLS has a local (Lunds) and national (Whole Foods). That's two more than most downtown areas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by grapico
Anybody who has done a lot of traveling in the last 10 years would have noticed a MAJOR change in downtown orientation across the U.S., not just in big cities like San Francisco, but also smaller places like Orlando, Charlotte, Omaha, etc... These plays are WAYYYY better than they were just 10-15 years ago.
Some of these downtown areas are better than what they were 10 or 15 years ago, but still nothing compared to what they were 30+ years ago. BTW, I've done a lot of traveling and most downtown areas don't have a full-service grocery store. Downtown MPLS has two.
Quote:
Originally Posted by grapico
So what the jury wants to know is, what sets Minneapolis apart, please don't list Target or Whole Foods...
When I am looking at good downtowns, I want to see unique local places I can't find elsewhere and/or flagship stores and a general lack of chains. Otherwise, why would I want to visit or live there?
There is more to what makes a downtown great than shopping.
Downtown MPLS offers everything that one would expect from a "major" downtown area, including nightlife and dining options, food trucks, farmers markets, public plazas, green space, and local shops / boutiques.
Where it does differ than the majority of downtown areas
- size (office space, workforce and residential population)
- transportation options (bus, light rail, commuter rail, dedicated bike lanes)
- professional stadiums (all professional stadiums are downtown and connected via light rail)
- a mix of retail (national and local)
Quote:
Originally Posted by grapico
It's kind of clear from the description that while Minneapolis might be safe, livable, and nice, it isn't all that unique and is in fact kind of generic, similar to Denver. I don't think there are that many people moving there *for* the city and lifestyle it provides like people do with San Francisco or New York, or even small places like New Orleans and Portland. It's more in the category of cities like Dallas, Denver, Charlotte etc. Jobs first and we hope we can get some big name chains to come in.
I was just in uptown Charlotte a couple months ago and it really doesn't come close to downtown Minneapolis, but yeah, I get what you are saying.
Just to illustrate, Detroit has a downtown Whole Foods.
Newark has a downtown Whole Foods, and it's a urban-style, no parking, retail base of major building format.
That's two.
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