|
|
Minneapolis and Saint Paul are known as the “Twin Cities” and together make up the fifteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.5 million residents. The Twin Cities area is consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the U.S. and truly offers something for everyone in cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. Recently, Minneapolis-Saint Paul was ranked #2 in the 2006 Kiplinger's poll of Smart Places to Live. Read New York Time’s Article “In the Frozen North, an Increasingly Cool City.” Scroll down to read more details on our city's climate, economy, education, housing market, and recreational activities.
Climate Minneapolis has a continental climate typical of the upper midwestern United States. Winters can be cold and snowy, while summers are usually mild although at times they can be hot and humid. Many residents love the fact that there are four distinct seasons.
People Nearly 60% of Minnesota's residents live in the Twin Cities, which has a diverse population compared to the rest of the state. Over the past 30 years, the Twin Cities have attracted immigrants from Latin America and from as far away as Somalia, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Minneapolis has a long tradition of charitable support through progressive public social programs and through private and corporate philanthropy. The state is known for its moderate-to-progressive politics, its civic involvement, and high voter turnout. It has one of the most highly educated and literate populations in the nation. Economy The economy of Minneapolis is based in commerce, finance, rail and trucking, health care, and industry. Smaller components are in publishing, milling, food processing, graphic arts, insurance, and high technology. Five Fortune 500 headquarters are located in Minneapolis: Target Corporation, U.S. Bankcorp, Xcel Energy, Ameriprise Financial, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Fortune 1000 companies in Minneapolis include PepsiAmericas, Valspar Corporation, and Donaldson Company. Based on the availability of Wi-fi, transportation, university research, energy conservation, and advanced degrees held by the work force, Popular Science named Minneapolis the "Top Tech City" in the U.S. in 2005. Healthcare Minneapolis has five hospitals, three ranked among America's best by U.S. News & World Report—Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota is about a 75-minute drive from The Cities. Minnesotans have the nation's lowest premature death rate, third-lowest infant mortality rate, and the second-longest life expectancies. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 91% of Minnesotans have health insurance, more than in any other state. Accordingly, Minnesota consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation. Education Minnesota's public schools deserve their great reputation. Recently, the state ranked 13th in the 2006–2007 Morgan Quitno Smartest State Award, and is first in the percentage of residents with at least a high school diploma. With an 84% graduation rate, Minnesota ranks 5th in the nation in high school graduation and Minnesota students earn the highest average score in the nation on the ACT exam. The state supports many public universities and colleges, including 32 institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, and five major campuses of the University of Minnesota. There are also more than 20 private colleges and universities, six of which rank among the top 100 liberal arts colleges, according to U.S. News and World Report. Links to School and Child Care Information: Things to do in Minneapolis
Sports In the spectator sports category, the Twin Cities professional and college basketball, football, baseball, and hockey teams provide year-round entertainment. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings, is located across the street from HCMC.
Pictures of UofMN Gopher basketball game and HCMC resident Jose Luna at a MN Vikings game. Links
University of Minnesota Sports
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Theatre and Arts Minneapolis is home to an internationally known arts community and is considered the artistic capital of the Upper Midwest. The region is second only to New York City in live theater per capita and is the third-largest theater market in the U.S. Our most recognized theatre is the Guthrie Theatre, which draws creative people and audiences from around the world. Recently, stage and screen actor Ian McKellen appeared at the Guthrie in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions of King Lear and The Seagull. The Guthrie was one of only three U.S. venues on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s tour. Other successful theatres in Minneapolis include the Theatre de la Jeune Lune, the Jungle Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Penumbra, the Brave New Workshop, the Minnesota Dance Theatre, Theater Latté Da, and the Children's Theatre Company. The Ordway and the Fitzgerald Theatre are well known performance spaces across the river in Saint Paul. Minneapolis is also home to several noted fine art museums, including the Weisman Art Museum, The Walker Art Center, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is the largest art museum in the city with 100,000 pieces in its permanent collection. A new wing designed by Michael Graves was completed in 2006 for contemporary and modern works. The Weisman Art Museum, designed by Frank Gehry for the University of Minnesota, opened in 1993. The Weisman’s permanent collection includes over 17,000 works of art and is especially rich in the areas of American modernism. The Walker Art Center was established in 1927 as the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest. Since then, the museum has evolved from a small-scale, regional institution into a major national artistic resource. The Walker Art Center is known for presenting innovative contemporary art and was described as “possibly America’s best contemporary art museum” by Newsweek. Cultural opportunities for kids include the Children's Theater Company, in Minneapolis, as well as the Minnesota Children's Museum and the Science Museum of Minnesota, in St. Paul. There are plenty of opportunities for music lovers here in the Twin Cities. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra are full-time professional musical ensembles that regularly perform for the community. The Minnesota Orchestra plays classical and popular music at Orchestra Hall under music director Osmo Vanska who has set about making it the best in the country. The Minnesota Opera produces both classic and new operas. In addition, the area has become a center for film- makers and rock, pop, folk, and country musicians. High-quality live music is available at a variety of local venues virtually every night. The son of a jazz musician and a singer, Prince is Minneapolis' most famous musician. With fellow local musicians, many of whom recorded at Twin/Tone Records, he helped make First Avenue a venue of choice for touring musicians. The Fine Line Music Cafe is also a popular spot to hear live contemporary music. Fairs and Festivals Minnesotans love their fairs and festivals! Below are just a few of the most popular festivals in the Twin Cities area and beyond. The Minnesota State Fair Known as “The Great Minnesota Get-Together," the State Fair is an honored Minnesotan tradition. It is Minnesota’s largest public event with over 1.5 million visitors in 2006. The fair highlights many aspects of Minnesota life, including science, agriculture, and industry, as well as music, crafts, and food. It is best known for its displays of seed art, butter sculptures, the birthing barn, and dozens of varieties of food on a stick, such as “Pronto Pups," cheese curds, and deep fried candy bars.
PGY3 Oge Alozie & partner at the State Fair. The Minneapolis Fringe Festival The Minneapolis Fringe Festival is an annual celebration of theatre and improvisation. The summer festival consists of over 800 performances in 11days, and is the largest non-juried performing arts festival in the United States. Detroit Lakes' 10,000 Lakes Festival The 10,000 Lakes Festival offers 4 days of camping and folk music at the scenic Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, 220 miles northwest of The Twin Cities. Other festivals Minnesota Renaissance Festival Festival of Nations – hosted by the International Institute of Minnesota since 1932: Cinco de Mayo - in St. Paul’s District del Sol Restaurants & Bars Minneapolis is a great city for young professionals in part due to its vibrant nightlife. The Twin Cities ranked in the top 5 in Kiplinger’s “Smart Places to Live” in both the singles and couples categories (besides ranking #2 overall!). Kiplinger’s writes: “The Twin Cities are a mecca for young people who've figured out that they can get bright lights and big city for a lot less than what it would cost them in Chicago or on the coasts…Young locals believe the city's arts and entertainment scene is lost on outsiders. Too bad. They point out that live music hot spots are packed every night of the week." Link to article. Below are just a few of the restaurants and bars our residents like to visit: Vincent - classic French cuisine downtown Azia - hip uptown Asian fusion restaurant Cafe Brenda - downtown vegetarian cafe Brit's Pub - a good place to get drinks after work, close to HCMC The Local - another good place for drinks, also close to HCMC Bryant Lake Bowl - not your typical bowling alley, good food, good beer AND bowling! La Belle Vie - probably Minneapolis' most famous restaurant, $$$ Birchwood Cafe - nice neighborhood cafe, organic food Hell's Kitchen - great place for breakfast downtown True Thai - good classic Thai in the Riverside Neighborhood Origami - Sushi in the Warehouse District Victor's 1959 Cafe - authentic Cuban Turtle Bread Company - amazing pastries and great breakfasts 112 Eatery - Star Tribune's "Restaurant of the Year" Da Afghan - voted "Best Middle Eastern Restaurant" by City Pages Loring Cafe - restaurant and bar in Loring Park Neighborhood Joe's Garage - great patio for drinks in the summer, in Loring Park Neighborhood Graves 601 Hotel - very chic downtown spot Manny's Steak House - classic midwestern steak joint, $$$ Peter's Grill - old school diner downtown Solera - tapas bar downtown with a great roof patio where they show movies in the summer The King and I Thai - great Thai food, but also hip bar, 2 for1 wednesdays Read NY Times article “A Foodie Scene in the Twin Cities” Shopping: Of course, Minnesota is most famous for the Mall of America, the largest indoor shopping area in the country. It's equipped with every chain store known to man as well as an indoor amusement park. But Minnesota also has other, smaller shopping destinations to explore.
PGY2 Mariam Anwar with her son at the Mall of America. Shopping Districts: Farmers’ Markets: Where to live in the Twin Cities: Minneapolis is known for its clean, attractive inner-city neighborhoods, many of which are located within short, easy commuting distances from HCMC. Suburban neighborhoods are also easily accessible through a convenient freeway system. The Twin Cities ranked in Kiplinger’s top 5 “Smart Places to Live for Families” in part due to availability of affordable housing. Kiplinger's writes " Yes, we like the Twin Cities for just about every stage of life. You'll see children everywhere here -- browsing with parents at the Walker Art Museum, riding in a running stroller, roller-blading around the downtown lakes, or playing hockey or ball out in the suburbs. You don't have to move way out to find a big-enough house or good schools. But if you want a larger, new home, you can find one in the rapidly developing outer suburbs. A four-bedroom, three-bath home in Anoka County (to the north) or Lakeville (to the south) sells in the low to mid $300s. Visitors from the coasts will chuckle over complaints about so-called traffic congestion. But improved public transportation, including light and commuter rail, is in the works. And, remember, this is the part of the world, says Garrison Keillor, where "all the children are above average." Housing Information Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation – Twin Cities 123 Relocation.Com (in Twin Cities) The Relocation Center, Realtors Neighborhood Links http://www.uptownminneapolis.com/ http://www.minneapolis.org/thingstodo/neighborhoods.asp |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greater Minnesota The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration; there are 11,842 lakes over 10 acres in size. Trips to family cabins on Minnesota's numerous lakes are a way of life for many Twin Cities residents. More than 36% of Minnesotans fish, second only to Alaska. And fishing does not cease when the lakes freeze; ice fishing is an honored winter tradition for many Minnesotans.
HCMC Resident Aaron Rutzik in a friend's ice fishing hut up north. Greater Minnesota has 72 state parks and recreation areas, 58 state forests covering about four million acres, and numerous state wildlife preserves, all managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Superior National Forest in the northeast contains the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, which encompasses over a million acres and a thousand lakes.
Pictures from HCMC resident Leslie Surbeck's trip to the BCWA, Summer 2007. State forests and parks are used year-round for hunting, camping, and hiking. There are almost 20,000 miles of snowmobile trails statewide. Minnesota has more miles of bike trails than any other state, and a growing network of hiking trails, including the 235-mile Superior Hiking Trail in the northeast. Many hiking and bike trails are used for cross-country skiing during the winter.
HCMC resident David Van Dyke hiking in the BCWA, summer 2007.
Links Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Outdoor Activities Paul Bunyan Trail – located in Brainerd, MN There are also many historic towns throughout the state which draw Minneapolis residents for day trips and weekend getaways. Some examples are listed below. Links Minnesota Historical Society, National Registry of Historical Places
Reference: "Minnesota." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 11 Nov 2007, 18:34 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 11 Nov 2007
View from HCMC |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
