Chicaogan's First Time in Minneapolis (St. Paul, Woodbury: credit card, buses, trains)

[WoodburyWoody]

Originally Posted by Dogwood Porter

I know you said no parks, but... it's gonna be weird running downtown. Try it out for yourself though. Take a run down Nicollet Mall and then back up 3rd. That will show you the busiest pedestrian street in Minneapolis, and the return run will show you what most of the rest of downtown is like (a ghost town.) Even though MPLS is a city it's pretty reluctantly "urban."

The best and most popular run is around Lake Calhoun. This week with the nice weather you will encounter far more people there than just about anywhere in the city. It's a 5k loop. You will see a cross section of every type of person. It's about 15 min drive or Uber from downtown or take the 17 bus (i think) for a 30 min ride from Nicollet side of Convention center. Warning: there's some pretty heinous construction going on where the road from downtown heads into the uptown area but it's much worse on the return trip than getting in there.

If you want a true MPLS experience buy a hammock at Midwest Mountaineering on Saturday morning and string it up in some trees by this lake and just chill all day. :P

2nd most popular run is probably over at the Stone Arch Bridge. You can walk, bus or Uber down there from Convention Center easily. 5k loop is across the bridge, up to Plymouth through Boom Island, over Plymouth bridge, then back down to the Stone Arch. There's another park here called like... water energy park? or something. It's got views of the water falls used to power all the mills. Kind of cool and generally very bustling full of people when it's nice out. The U of MN collides with downtown over here so it's also a big mix of people.

Mill City Running does a group run Wednesday nights and also I think a beginner run Tuesday. It's easy to get over there via Uber or bus from Convention Center.

BTW I run a lot and I live downtown (well, north loop) and 70% of the time when it's nice I drive over to Lake of the Isles and either do a 6 mile around Calhoun and Isles or 10 mile around all the lakes. Otherwise it's on the river trails which are good too.

MOA is alright. The light rail does go from downtown to MOA and airport.
Decent food but it's definitely not as good as Chicago which could be tops in the country by some accounts. Adjust expectations kinda far downward and you might be pleasantly surprised instead of unpleasantly disappointed. I like pizza nea, bachelor farmer, MATTs, Kyatchi dog, Ramen Kazama, Pho 79, Nighthawks, Rabbit Hole, Punch, Black Sheep and the gross vegan breakfast at Hard Times Cafe.

Nobody would ever accuse me of being a runner (don't you dare!), but Dogwood's number one and number two look pretty solid to me.

You could also wind your way over to the River Road Trail along the Minneapolis side of the Mississippi River. If you take the light rail from MSP to downtown MPLS, you will actually stop at 50th Street/Minnehaha Park on the way. Cross the park to the east and pick up the trail going north along the river toward the U of Minnesota campuses or cross over into St. Paul and run around neighborhoods and St. Thomas University.

Always lots of construction in downtown MPLS in the summer (weather permitting, literally, so lots to get done April through September).

MOA - if you *have* to do it, maybe get it out of the way on the way in on light rail. Honestly, I'd advise skipping it unless you are into shopping.

If you are into beer, there are a bunch of microbreweries in the Twin Cities, including two just off the Green Line between MPLS and St. Paul, including Surley in MPLS (serves food) and Tin Whiskers in St. Paul (does not serve food, but is in the same building at Black Sheep Pizza and has menus for delivery or pick up). Or just take the Green Line to a St. Paul Saints game, get a $5 ticket for the left field berm and spend the night sampling from the dozens of local beers available in Craft Beer Corner during a night game.

[tribecavsbrowns]

I don't think there's any way Minneapolis is "one of the worst food cities in the country." I think it tends to be expensive for the portion sizes, but most of my meals there have been quite good. One thing Minneapolis has that's different from anything I've seen in Chicago is these outdoor seafood shacks. There's one in the aforementioned Minnehaha Falls Park called Sea Salt, and another one by Lake Calhoun that I haven't been to called Tin Fish. Sea Salt is run out of a pavilion in the park and has very long lines at peak times, but it's worth it if the line isn't too bad. I went a little before the lunch rush on a beautiful spring day and between the shrimp po boy, the pickled herring appetizer, and the cute tattooed server girls in beanies rushing around while Janet Jackson's "All For You" was playing on the speakers, I don't think I've ever found Minneapolis more charming. Sea Salt serves beer, too.

[cielpur]

I would suggest the Loring Greenway, which you will be fairly close to.

[UrbanCheetah]

Color me impressed! I wish I would have made my stay longer to Sunday! I thought I was going to have to cab it around town, love seeing that the light rail is extensive. I actually can't wait to use it, I have never been on light rail before I believe.

[UrbanCheetah]

Is St. Paul worth checking out?

Right now I am thinking Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings, check out downtown Minneapolis and the surrounding areas. Friday, check in to my hotel by the Mall of America, check out the Mall of America for a bit (I hate malls, but I think just walking through there 1-2 hours to get a taste will be enough) and then head to Minneapolis for nightlife (any recommendations? Gay bars included).

Saturday is what I am not quite sure what to do. I was thinking of venturing into St. Paul, or maybe check out other areas of Minneapolis, maybe UofM.

[Ghengis]

I think you will find your time better spent around DT Mpls than St Paul on a Saturday-day, especially if you are using light-rail to travel to St Pul via DT Minneapolis. Summit Ave in St Paul may interest you more than the downtown area. Think they have the free bike rentals available in both downtowns and elsewhere (?).

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by Dogwood Porter

lush is the best gay bar but it's in a weird area

What makes it so good?

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

I think you will find your time better spent around DT Mpls than St Paul on a Saturday-day, especially if you are using light-rail to travel to St Pul via DT Minneapolis. Summit Ave in St Paul may interest you more than the downtown area. Think they have the free bike rentals available in both downtowns and elsewhere (?).

Can you get to Summit Ave. via the light rail?

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

Can you get to Summit Ave. via the light rail?

it would be about a mile from University, the east end of Summit is near the impressive St Paul Cathedral and both sit on a hill overlooking downtown St Paul. The James J. Hill mansion pretty much anchors that end of Summit. It appears to be about 1 mile from both the Cedar St stops and the Capitol grounds. I'm guessing that walking from the Capitol grounds would be less of a climb up and walk you right past the cathedral. From the JJ Hill mansion, Summit goes all the way (5 miles ?) to the river to the West but the greatest concentration of mansions are near the East end.

[rcsteiner]

Check out a Carbone's and taste some real pizza.

Ok, I realize Chicago is pizza heaven (at least to me), but Carbone's has its own midwestern style.