Quick and Dirty Guide for Minneapolis (Nicollet, Isle: rent, houses, neighborhoods)

[Soulstice]

Hello all! I'll be in Minny for business in about a week (from the 24th to the 29th) and just wondering what are some places I must visit during my down time before I leave. Tourist spots as well as restaurants and nightlife.

About me, I'm a 24 year old female, African American, and will be staying in the heart of Downtown. Also I won't be renting a car so I guess the biggest thing will pretty much be depending on public transportation to get to these places.

I know there are places I could get this info online, but I wanted to get it straight from the people who live here, as you guys know best

[Mr Maps]

Really touristy thing I suppose would be to take the Hiawatha train down to one of the biggest, and dullest, shopping malls in the nation. or stroll through the Sculpture Garden down to the 800 pound spoon and 1200 pound cherry. However, I don't see myself recommending any of that stuff to anyone. What is your idea of 'fun time'? Do you consider yourself outdoorsy type, do you like modern art, biking or ethnic restaurants?

[Soulstice]

Not all that outdoorsy in general, but I definitely am when exploring a new place. And yes, love art, music, trying new food at restaurants and all the above. And of course the typical 'young people' thing, bars and lounges with a nice vibe.

And lol this is the 2nd time I've heard that Mall of America is not fun. What is the deal with that?

[Minnesota Spring]

The Mall is fun the first few times, but after a few hunderd.... There is Ikea by the mall if that sounds like something that would interest you. Downtown Mpls. you could walk along Nicollet Mall, Loring Park and the Sculpture Garden. I recommend walking the stone arch bridge. Catch a Twins game. I'm not much of a bar/club person so can't help you out a whole lot in that dept. Check the schedules to see if there are any good concerts or plays downtown.
OH, I almost forgot, you can rent a bike for cheap at many places in downtown, so you can ride to other neighborhoods downtown (Uptown, the Lakes).
Most of the things I suggested are outdoor things I guess, but being outdoors in the Twin Cities in the summer is awesome IMO.

[Soulstice]

Is that what you guys consider outdoors? I was thinking like mountain climbing and hiking trails so thats why I said I'm not really outdoorsy lol. So yeah if that type of stuff you listed is outdoorsy thats right up my alley. Big fan of parks and lakes/beaches, especially since its sure to not be as sweltering there as it is in TX right now.

Catching a play is a great idea too, glad you mention that because I didn't think of it for some reason. Thanks for your input!

[Cleverbeetle98]

Originally Posted by Soulstice

Is that what you guys consider outdoors? I was thinking like mountain climbing and hiking trails so thats why I said I'm not really outdoorsy lol. So yeah if that type of stuff you listed is outdoorsy thats right up my alley. Big fan of parks and lakes/beaches, especially since its sure to not be as sweltering there as it is in TX right now.

Catching a play is a great idea too, glad you mention that because I didn't think of it for some reason. Thanks for your input!

We don't really have mountains to hike/climb...

Outdoorsy in the city is biking, walking, lakes....ect.

[Haver]

This is a fairly frequent topic so sometimes people are all on fire to help, and sometimes they're burned out on it for a bit so it helps to spend an hour or so checking out other threads in here.

Here's a thread from a month or so back with a lot of recommendations (a lot of them mine, but others agreed and I'm only quoting it because I didn't have to look hard to find it): //www.city-data.com/forum/minne...olis-week.html

[GBCommenter]

Originally Posted by Soulstice

Not all that outdoorsy in general, but I definitely am when exploring a new place. And yes, love art, music, trying new food at restaurants and all the above. And of course the typical 'young people' thing, bars and lounges with a nice vibe.

And lol this is the 2nd time I've heard that Mall of America is not fun. What is the deal with that?

Note my comments come from someone who is really not much of a shopper and tries to avoid shopping to the extent I can...

I would guess Twin Citians might say MOA isn't fun because it's too much "been there, done that" deal. I bet there are plenty of people who live in Orlando who might say Disney World is boring - a local can go just about anytime and have done it enough times that the appeal has worn off. I would say MOA has a number of chain stores that you can find in most other malls in America, which perhaps makes it less unique or appealing. However, if you're a shopper, I would take the Light Rail train. Ikea is somewhat interesting - though I tend to get a bit claustrophobic about halfway through that store...I simply decide I have to be out of that place but then am stuck in the middle of the store.

From downtown it's 40 minutes each way and trains run every 10 minutes during the day so it's a fairly easy day trip without taking the whole day - so if it's not your thing you can move on fairly easy.

[GBCommenter]

Originally Posted by Soulstice

Is that what you guys consider outdoors? I was thinking like mountain climbing and hiking trails so thats why I said I'm not really outdoorsy lol. So yeah if that type of stuff you listed is outdoorsy thats right up my alley. Big fan of parks and lakes/beaches, especially since its sure to not be as sweltering there as it is in TX right now.

Catching a play is a great idea too, glad you mention that because I didn't think of it for some reason. Thanks for your input!

There are the "chain of lakes" in Minneapolis. From downtown, there are a number of bus lines on Hennepin Avenue that will go to Uptown area and the Lakes. You may consider checking out Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet for more relatively hopping lake areas to explore. These are also near Uptown, which has it's own relative appeal (assuming you are into the urban scene). Lake of the Isles is also nice for a walk, though that tends to be where Minneapolis' "old money" is located so perhaps a bit more sedate. However, some spectacular historic houses and architecture in that area (though around Calhoun isn't exactly trailer parks either...)

Have you tried checking out City Pages (Minneapolis News, Events, Restaurants, Music City Pages). Usually a good resource for live music, theater, dining etc. City Pages also prides itself on being very "in the know" and urban, so I suspect one would have little problem finding options.

Don't forget Minneapolis is home to more live theater per capita than any city next to NYC. The big boy one to consider is Guthrie Theater (What's Happening | Guthrie Theater). One interesting thing about their building is the "endless bridge". Building itself is generally open to the public and you have the opportunity to visit the bridge - which offers a spectacular view of the Mississippi River and walkway. You could have a double bonus - theater and nature...

[Mdcastle]

People fly in to see it, but the Mall to me is just, a mall. I do go to it a lot because you don't have to walk several acres from the parking lot to the mall and it's the closest one to me if I need a widget from Radio Shack. There are a few stores there that aren't that common, like the lego store and American Girls. But then again I was in Seattle and my relatives just waited while I saw the Space Needle because it was boring to them by that point. So you might find the Mall insteresting having never seen it before more than I do.

Minnehaha falls hasn't been mentioned, it's one of the icons of the area, within walking distance of light rail.