Supermarkets in Uptown? (Minneapolis, Edina, St. Louis Park: sales, neighborhoods, buying)

[Isabel_009]

I'm thinking Uptown proper. I will be moving very close to Lund's at Lagoon and Humboldt, but is there anything else close by within walking distance)?

[uptown_urbanist]

There's a Rainbow on Dupont and Lagoon; those are short blocks, so it's an easy walk. There's also a Kowalski's on Hennepin and 24th. At some point the Rainbow will be closing down for a major overhaul (they're building a new building) but that's not expected to happen until early 2010.

And, not a supermarket, but Uptown/Lyn-Lake finally has a farmer's market; it's still very new, doesn't happen very often, but it's been pretty successful and I've heard they're hoping to make it a weekly thing next year. It's on 29th between Lyndale and Dupont, but the only date left in the season is September 20. Still, something to look forward to for next year!

http://www.uptownmarket.org/

[Cruz Azul Guy]

When I lived in Uptown I'd walk to the Rainbow all the time at 3:00 in the morning, gotta love 24 hour grocery stores. I wouldn't be caught dead in Lund's or Kowalski's.

[Isabel_009]

Thanks, Uptown_Urbanist and Slig. Is the Rainbow closure a sure thing? I'm just wondering what I'll do after that happens. Well, I'm guessing I'll have to bus it somewhere. Hopefully the closure won't happen until after the worst of the cold is over... Is the new store being built on the same grounds? Also, how does Kowalski's compare to Lund's? Same prices? My grocery needs are very basic -- mostly produce and simple meats and grains, nothing fancy. I wonder if such items are significantly marked up at a place like Lund's. I read a book called 'The Undercover Economist' and I believe that the author argued that items that can be found anywhere tend to be comparably priced (maybe not the same price but not a crazy difference). The fancy stores just have more variety and higher prices on select items. That said, I could be totally misremembering what I read so don't quote me on that...

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

There's a Rainbow on Dupont and Lagoon; those are short blocks, so it's an easy walk. There's also a Kowalski's on Hennepin and 24th. At some point the Rainbow will be closing down for a major overhaul (they're building a new building) but that's not expected to happen until early 2010.

And, not a supermarket, but Uptown/Lyn-Lake finally has a farmer's market; it's still very new, doesn't happen very often, but it's been pretty successful and I've heard they're hoping to make it a weekly thing next year. It's on 29th between Lyndale and Dupont, but the only date left in the season is September 20. Still, something to look forward to for next year!

Minneapolis Uptown Market - Home

[Sarah Maske]

There's also the Wedge, but it would be a hike. Still a fun store.

[uptown_urbanist]

Lund's is definitely pricier than Rainbow, but sometimes can have good deals. It's not extremely expensive, just a step up from the Rainbow. I think it's similar to Kowalski's on price. My mother (in Uptown) pays more attention to sales and exact prices and mostly shops Rainbow, but buys some things at Lunds. I think the Rainbow closure is a sure thing, although the start date may not be firm; it would be closed for all or much of 2010, but will reopen with a new building on the same location. Right now it's pushed back from the street with a parking lot in front; the new building will come up to the street, have the store itself on the third floor, other retail (including a flower shop) on the first floor, and a parking lot in the middle. It sounds nice, and at least will be a better use of the space than what it is right now.

And probably no one cares about this but me, but the historian in me compells me to note that the Lunds has been around in Uptown for decades; it's definitely a local institution. Anyone into the idea of shopping local can shop there without feeling overly guilty. (it's also been known over the years as being quite the pick-up spot as well, for anyone out there looking to meet new people by bonding over buying produce...) Over the years the Rainbow, the Lunds, and the Kowalski's have all been upgraded to make them more upscale; the Rainbow is pretty basic, but it's a lot bigger and fancier than it was ten years ago. Kowalski's used to be a more basic supermarket (before it became a Kowalski's). I suppose that goes along with the overall upgrades to American grocery stores in general, as well as Uptown's gentrification. (again, probably far more than anyone wants to know, but hey, I'm a historian. I can't help it.)

The Wedge is expensive, but you should definitely check it out sometime. There's also a Trader Joe's in St. Louis Park; it's just a quick bus ride away, and while not worth a visit for produce, they do have good prices on convenience food and frozen stuff.

[MrMinneapolis]

I like kowalski's they have the best fruits an veggies around and you can hunt there for some good deals on stuff. overall the shopping experience is nicer and walgreens is right next door. But for mainline grocery shopping I hit up rainbow.

[gweilo845]

If/when the Rainbow closes for remodeling in Uptown, there is a SuperValu on Nicollet/Lake (by the Kmart) that is quickly accessible on the 21 bus line which has pretty good prices. Some people are sketched out by the area though.

You could also grab a number 6 on Hennepin and take it to the Cub near Southdale. It's a pretty short ride through some nice neighborhoods, but I don't like the store much. Way too crowded for me.

Also, you could take a 17 towards downtown and go to the Target on Nicollet Mall. Not the best selection, but the prices are good. I usually use it as my place to get a lot of the essentials, and then go to Kowalski's for any "special" stuff.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Lund's is definitely pricier than Rainbow, but sometimes can have good deals. It's not extremely expensive, just a step up from the Rainbow. I think it's similar to Kowalski's on price. My mother (in Uptown) pays more attention to sales and exact prices and mostly shops Rainbow, but buys some things at Lunds. I think the Rainbow closure is a sure thing, although the start date may not be firm; it would be closed for all or much of 2010, but will reopen with a new building on the same location. Right now it's pushed back from the street with a parking lot in front; the new building will come up to the street, have the store itself on the third floor, other retail (including a flower shop) on the first floor, and a parking lot in the middle. It sounds nice, and at least will be a better use of the space than what it is right now.

And probably no one cares about this but me, but the historian in me compells me to note that the Lunds has been around in Uptown for decades; it's definitely a local institution. Anyone into the idea of shopping local can shop there without feeling overly guilty. (it's also been known over the years as being quite the pick-up spot as well, for anyone out there looking to meet new people by bonding over buying produce...) Over the years the Rainbow, the Lunds, and the Kowalski's have all been upgraded to make them more upscale; the Rainbow is pretty basic, but it's a lot bigger and fancier than it was ten years ago. Kowalski's used to be a more basic supermarket (before it became a Kowalski's). I suppose that goes along with the overall upgrades to American grocery stores in general, as well as Uptown's gentrification. (again, probably far more than anyone wants to know, but hey, I'm a historian. I can't help it.)

The Wedge is expensive, but you should definitely check it out sometime. There's also a Trader Joe's in St. Louis Park; it's just a quick bus ride away, and while not worth a visit for produce, they do have good prices on convenience food and frozen stuff.

Cub is local too. It started in Stillwater by the Hooley family-who has a long family tradition of being in the grocery store business-150+ years.

[uptown_urbanist]

Yeah, I just meant "local" as in local to Uptown. I think the nearest Cub is in Edina, but there may be one closer. The Twin Cities are lucky to have so many good Twin Cities-based grocery stores around, though.