What is the best Suburban downtown for walking. (Minneapolis, St. Paul: homes, neighborhood)

[Stanton1433]

I currently live in Milwaukee and visit Chicago frequently. Downtowns that are nice to visit are in Wheaton, Downers Grove, Naperville, Glen Ellyn or Libertyville.


The downtowns are somewhat clean, historical and draw major crowds during the weekends. Visiting Minneapolis with a friend again and would like to do the same thing. What suburbs in the area are similar to those in Chicago.

[daboywonder2002]

You're not going to find that here in the suburbs. the closest we can get would be Downtown Hopkins and maybe Downtown Edina aka 50th and France.

[Izzie1213]

I was going to say those exact cities. My grandparents lived off 50th a few blocks east of the Edina/Minneapolis boundary and walked to shopping areas frequently. Grandpa walk to Harriet Lake on a daily basis. Hopkins, had a lot of friends in that area growing up, really a cute area, small homes but it has been under going a regentrafication in the past few years. Has a small town feel... Also Osseo similar but smaller

[mr roboto]

Wayzata, excelsior and Stillwater

[Glenfield]

Add White Bear Lake and the Linden Hills neighborhood in Minneapolis to the list. You have to find a place that was a town on its own before it got swallowed up in the greater metropolitan area.

[MplsTodd]

I agree with all the above posts. I thought I'd add a little commentary about their differences:
1. Stillwater: although the furthest from the central cities, this is probably the most popular 'suburban' downtown. Stillwater is at least as old as Mpls and St. Paul, has lots of historic character and is filled with interesting shops, antique stores and restaurants;
2. Hopkins: More like a real Main Street of a large town, Hopkins has fairly plain architecture (except for the Opera House), but has a lengthy Main Street with restaurants, basic shops and movie theater.
3. Excelsior: has a nice setting along Lake Minnetonka, smaller, but more upscale than Hopkins.
4. Wayzata: also along Lake Minnetonka, but filled with small office buildings housing investment banks and financial planners, along with boutiques and restaurants.
5. Edina (50th & France): very compact, tony shopping district with a few side arcades to explore off the main streets.
6. Anoka: another fairly routine small town downtown with a larger than usual collection of govt offices due to status as county seat. Hometown of Garrison Keillor and so-called Halloween capital of world.
7. White Bear Lake: nice collection of shops and restaurants.
8. Hudson Wisconsin: I just visited this for first time in 10 years and was impressed how it's improved, almost a small version of Stillwater.
Other smaller downtowns: Osseo, Shakopee, Chaska, Robbinsdale, Elk River, South St. Paul, Lakeville, Rosemount, Farmington

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by MplsTodd

I agree with all the above posts. I thought I'd add a little commentary about their differences:
1. Stillwater: although the furthest from the central cities, this is probably the most popular 'suburban' downtown. Stillwater is at least as old as Mpls and St. Paul, has lots of historic character and is filled with interesting shops, antique stores and restaurants;
2. Hopkins: More like a real Main Street of a large town, Hopkins has fairly plain architecture (except for the Opera House), but has a lengthy Main Street with restaurants, basic shops and movie theater.
3. Excelsior: has a nice setting along Lake Minnetonka, smaller, but more upscale than Hopkins.
4. Wayzata: also along Lake Minnetonka, but filled with small office buildings housing investment banks and financial planners, along with boutiques and restaurants.
5. Edina (50th & France): very compact, tony shopping district with a few side arcades to explore off the main streets.
6. Anoka: another fairly routine small town downtown with a larger than usual collection of govt offices due to status as county seat. Hometown of Garrison Keillor and so-called Halloween capital of world.
7. White Bear Lake: nice collection of shops and restaurants.
8. Hudson Wisconsin: I just visited this for first time in 10 years and was impressed how it's improved, almost a small version of Stillwater.
Other smaller downtowns: Osseo, Shakopee, Chaska, Robbinsdale, Elk River, South St. Paul, Lakeville, Rosemount, Farmington

This is a very accurate post!!!! I will say that many think Stillwater is overrated (Hudson actually has better shops and restaurants IMHO). But I was recently in DT Wheaton, Elgin, and Downer's grove, and I used to live in Barrington. Unfortunately we don't have anything like that here (50th and France in Edina being the closest to a Wheaton). I even commented to my wife on return home from a work trip that I loved all the little suburban DT's in the Chicago area. They were all built around historic train depots, with a few blocks of small mansions. Restaurants and brewpubs as well, and many had one main town park that people congregated around. I dined on a table on the sidewalk, then walked to Wheaton college on a great night, it was awesome.

We do have other redeeming qualities as a metro, but suburban DT's in not one of them

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

This is a very accurate post!!!! I will say that many think Stillwater is overrated (Hudson actually has better shops and restaurants IMHO). But I was recently in DT Wheaton, Elgin, and Downer's grove, and I used to live in Barrington. Unfortunately we don't have anything like that here (50th and France in Edina being the closest to a Wheaton). I even commented to my wife on return home from a work trip that I loved all the little suburban DT's in the Chicago area. They were all built around historic train depots, with a few blocks of small mansions. Restaurants and brewpubs as well, and many had one main town park that people congregated around. I dined on a table on the sidewalk, then walked to Wheaton college on a great night, it was awesome.

We do have other redeeming qualities as a metro, but suburban DT's in not one of them

We didn't incorporate a series of railroad towns into our metro area like Chicago. The ones listed here were all small towns before they were suburbs. That's why Lakeville has a downtown area but Bloomington does not.

[CCbaxter]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

We didn't incorporate a series of railroad towns into our metro area like Chicago. The ones listed here were all small towns before they were suburbs. That's why Lakeville has a downtown area but Bloomington does not.

Way back in the old days, Bloomington did have a downtown and it was called Oxboro. It's now 98th and Lyndale. Back in the 70s there used to be a sign but it was taken down when they widened the road there.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by CCbaxter

Way back in the old days, Bloomington did have a downtown and it was called Oxboro. It's now 98th and Lyndale. Back in the 70s there used to be a sign but it was taken down when they widened the road there.

Fascinating. Thanks for the info.