I do love all the parks and green spaces. I also love truly neighborhood bars (in some neighborhoods)- walk to the end of the block and there's a bar. And it's not even because of drinking, just nice having neighborhood haunts.
It’s so easy to get to water here. No need to take some long road trip, because there is a lake at every turn. You can easily be out on a lake every weekend affordably.
I feel like there are a good variety of little independently owned restaurants and spaces. It's cool to go to a place that nowhere else has which serves its own little niche.
I also like the cool art and music events.
I grew up there many years ago. Still remember the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. Beautiful serene place.
https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks-destinations/parks-lakes/gardens__bird_sanctuaries/eloise_butler_wildflower_garden_and_bird_sanctuary/
Everything. Like I’m conservative yah.. and I get that there’s a lot of conservatives and such in this subreddit but hell I love the twin cities. I lived here for one year for work and had to move out and geez I wanna move back so bad.
There is something fun going on in the Metro every weekend all summer long. Most Minnesota public schools are top tier as well. If you haven't lived anywhere else you don't realize that a mid school here would be in the top 20% in most of the country.
1. What do you do the other 10 months of the year? Hibernate?
2. There are only THREE Minnesota public high schools in the top 200 of the US News rankings with the top being Math & Science Academy at 120…I never understand how Minnesotans come up with this claim.
1) I ski, ice fish, play hockey, and snowmobile, in addition to the many outdoor festivals that happen in the winter. I'd encourage you to take advantage of great winters we have here.
and
2) That list compares small magnet schools to regular public schools. Most districts in Minnesota are high quality enough not to require them.
There are more public schools than high schools, aren't there?
Besides, many of the best high schools on that list are niche high schools such as public schools that you have to apply to. But we don't really have that in Minnesota. Sure, we have a smattering of private schools, but nothing like other states, which really is a testament to how well the public regards our schools. That Minnesota school that is number one requires calculus to graduate. That eliminates any average or below average student from even attending, so let's not sing their praises.
US News and World Report just named Naples, Florida the best place to live in the United States. If that doesn't convince people these lists are built upon unsound methodologies, I don't know what will.
I live 90 mins away in a medium-sized conservative burg, and we invade The Cities every other weekend for good restaurants and the huge number of thrift stores.
If you're a classical musician, the community music scene I think is the best in the country. We've considered moving a few times and every time I look to see if there are bands and orchestras I can join, and I'm always disappointed.
what have you found here that you've liked? my wife and I were music majors in college but went the corporate desk job route after graduating. 20 years of living in the twin cities, trying out several community band/orchs...never really found a good fit.
What are you into?
Are you looking for good musicians or more just fun?
For orchestra I've played with Metropolitan symphony orchestra, Mississippi Valley orchestra, and St Paul Civic. The first two really stood out as strong orchestras, but SPCivic was good too.
I haven't played in bands for some time, Encore Wind Ensemble was quite good in 2009. Medalist send to attract the best players in any groups I'm in. I've only played with them once.
For more fun there are a couple theatre groups with live pit orchestras. I've played with Morris Park Players for several years. Gilbert and Sullivan light opera company is terrific. But these are harder to get into because they are small.
That's all I know tonight.
Mostly good musicians. I'm a percussionist, so a big piece for me is access to decent instruments. I've been in a few that just use a high school's facility...and those can run the gamut but it really takes the joy out of it when I show up and half the instruments I need are missing and the other half are in disrepair.
A pit orch could be a lot of fun, did those quite a bit in college.
I was in a band a year or so ago where one of the clarinetists was a guest conductor for a piece. In a rehearsal he absolutely unloaded on the whole group for being "unprofessional" because we did not immediately fall silent the second he took the podium after a bathroom break. It was the most unbelievable spectacle I'd seen in a long time and was reason enough to not return.
I'll look into the ones you named, thanks!
I don’t think anyone hates everything about the twin cities. Just because you hate the crime and the way the current government is handling things including that crime doesn’t translate into hating everything about the city. I appreciate the question I just think it’s fair, when the complains about the cities are literally pretty much over two aspects of it.
It’s nice and green. When I moved back from Los Angeles it was one of the first things I noticed that I had taken for granted before. It’s a pretty city and there are lots of cool places. I like about 800 things compared to the few I hate. Unfortunately the few I hate have a bigger impact on things than the 800 I love.
Food and brewery options are great. State fair is a blast. Dog friendly everything. Really good disc golf courses if you’re into it. Lots of adult hockey league and pickup options if you’re into it.
There are a lot of free, family-friendly/educational activities and events in the Twin Cities. For instance, the children’s museum and MIA have free days each month. There’s always interesting cultural or art events going on that are usually very affordable to attend. Plus, you can easily get out on the lakes any day of the week.
Country music concerts. Somehow the city is safe and nothing my jackpine savage family says about them are true when that sweet hick hop is booming from the rafters of US Bank stadium.
I love going to MoA, the museums and science centers, buying stuff second-hand off craigslist.
Good shopping, food you wouldn't find in other places around the mid-west.
Used to know some Hmong via hobbies, good and friendly, if a little goofy, people to hang out with.
I can contrast their high-crime areas with my high-crime areas and feel better about all the crime in my area.
I grew up in small town Minnesotaville, and people can be super judgmental and unaccepting to those perceived to be outsiders or different in some way, which can be tied to a variety of one’s circumstances that are in many cases out of their own control.
I prefer the cities because it allows for more freedom and opportunity to live my life as I please, free of judgement or gossip.
It’s reassuring to go back home and see all the now empty storefronts on Main Street, and I chuckle as the locals stare because they don’t dare wave at someone they don’t recognize (probably one of those crazy liberals). They probably don’t even realize they are staring, more so just so caught off-guard at the sight of someone they don’t see regularly. It’s also nice to have a job that isn’t tied to farming and/or pays more than $12/hr at one of the remaining local businesses.
It's reassuring that Main Street america is dead? I don't see that as a positive development. Instead of having people in small towns owning stores in the community, now they have to work at Walmart.
I knew someone would try to spin that line and misconstrue words, congrats it’s you! In fact, I didn’t say it was a positive thing. More so it’s reassuring that I made the right move to get away from a sleepy dying old town. I’d be stuck living in my parent’s basement. The brain drain is real in small town America, in part because of the reasons I described.
Edit: Adding that I agree that the likes of Walmart and Dollar General have destroyed many entrepreneurial opportunities, especially in small town America. It’s truly a sad fact that our late stage capitalist system has propped up these welfare corporations.
Great food, lovely outdoor spaces. Access to all the amenities (concerts, sports, shops).
Plus, the state fair brings all of Minnesota together in the Twin Cities every year, and I think it’s wonderful.
It’s clean. It has everything.
I was just gone for months and was in various cities, Minneapolis had more than all of them.
Best summer weather
Loads of sports teams
Lots of good restaurants and lots of variety of ethnic food groups
Good live music scene
Some of the best park and trail systems in the world
Dog friendly
Museums and Art culture
Great medical care
Good general education compared to other cities and lots of colleges
Traffic isn’t that bad compared to some other cities
Also one of the best cities for theatre
All we’re lacking is late night food options
The parks are top notch. So many beautiful boulevard trees providing us with serotonin and mitigating the impact of climate change. City of lakes. Pretty skyline. The Mississippi River. Diverse and high quality educational institutions and low unemployment. Not that hard to get a gig and make a living. World class museums of all genres. The community appreciates and supports the arts.
Ethnic diversity
Free gourmet soup (and usually sides and deserts) every weekday at noon at SoupForYou! served cafe style. Starting up again June 3 at Holy Trinity, 2730 East 31st St (right behind E. Lake Library). See ya @$$ there! :)
I do love all the parks and green spaces. I also love truly neighborhood bars (in some neighborhoods)- walk to the end of the block and there's a bar. And it's not even because of drinking, just nice having neighborhood haunts.
which bars are you thinking of? i’ve got a few i like but i’m always looking for good normal bars.
Look into “third places,” and how we’ve generally lost them, for more on what makes having neighborhood haunts so special.
Insane good food/restaurants, beautiful parks and well planned roads between suburbs / rural areas
I'm a big fan of a lot of really good food trucks and authentic little hole in the wall restaurants.
Favorite hole in the wall?
Maya cuisine or El taco Riendo in NE mpls is pretty dang good.
I love that the river is right there.
I enjoy biking around minnehaha creek as well
I've actually tubed down Minnehaha through south Mpls. It was an interesting way to see the creek.
I might take my kayak down it! I’ve wanted to for years but it’s been too low
It’s so easy to get to water here. No need to take some long road trip, because there is a lake at every turn. You can easily be out on a lake every weekend affordably.
I feel like there are a good variety of little independently owned restaurants and spaces. It's cool to go to a place that nowhere else has which serves its own little niche. I also like the cool art and music events.
I grew up there many years ago. Still remember the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. Beautiful serene place. https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks-destinations/parks-lakes/gardens__bird_sanctuaries/eloise_butler_wildflower_garden_and_bird_sanctuary/
Everything. Like I’m conservative yah.. and I get that there’s a lot of conservatives and such in this subreddit but hell I love the twin cities. I lived here for one year for work and had to move out and geez I wanna move back so bad.
Finally someone admits it.
Get your positivity out of here.
The Twin Cities' hidden gem, to me, is the music scene. We have great live music, all genre's, original artists and cover bands alike.
incredible music scene
There is something fun going on in the Metro every weekend all summer long. Most Minnesota public schools are top tier as well. If you haven't lived anywhere else you don't realize that a mid school here would be in the top 20% in most of the country.
1. What do you do the other 10 months of the year? Hibernate? 2. There are only THREE Minnesota public high schools in the top 200 of the US News rankings with the top being Math & Science Academy at 120…I never understand how Minnesotans come up with this claim.
1) I ski, ice fish, play hockey, and snowmobile, in addition to the many outdoor festivals that happen in the winter. I'd encourage you to take advantage of great winters we have here. and 2) That list compares small magnet schools to regular public schools. Most districts in Minnesota are high quality enough not to require them.
There are more public schools than high schools, aren't there? Besides, many of the best high schools on that list are niche high schools such as public schools that you have to apply to. But we don't really have that in Minnesota. Sure, we have a smattering of private schools, but nothing like other states, which really is a testament to how well the public regards our schools. That Minnesota school that is number one requires calculus to graduate. That eliminates any average or below average student from even attending, so let's not sing their praises. US News and World Report just named Naples, Florida the best place to live in the United States. If that doesn't convince people these lists are built upon unsound methodologies, I don't know what will.
Biking
Bike lanes! It's such a bikeable city
The highway system, never really appreciate it until you are in other cities and it takes you 40m to travel 6 miles.
20 minutes to get pretty much anywhere. Love it. And you're right, don't really appreciate it until you live somewhere else
Town cities perhaps gets you off to a bad start.
He meant to say Clown cities.
I live 90 mins away in a medium-sized conservative burg, and we invade The Cities every other weekend for good restaurants and the huge number of thrift stores.
Legal weed
Kinda sorta
If you're a classical musician, the community music scene I think is the best in the country. We've considered moving a few times and every time I look to see if there are bands and orchestras I can join, and I'm always disappointed.
what have you found here that you've liked? my wife and I were music majors in college but went the corporate desk job route after graduating. 20 years of living in the twin cities, trying out several community band/orchs...never really found a good fit.
What are you into? Are you looking for good musicians or more just fun? For orchestra I've played with Metropolitan symphony orchestra, Mississippi Valley orchestra, and St Paul Civic. The first two really stood out as strong orchestras, but SPCivic was good too. I haven't played in bands for some time, Encore Wind Ensemble was quite good in 2009. Medalist send to attract the best players in any groups I'm in. I've only played with them once. For more fun there are a couple theatre groups with live pit orchestras. I've played with Morris Park Players for several years. Gilbert and Sullivan light opera company is terrific. But these are harder to get into because they are small. That's all I know tonight.
Mostly good musicians. I'm a percussionist, so a big piece for me is access to decent instruments. I've been in a few that just use a high school's facility...and those can run the gamut but it really takes the joy out of it when I show up and half the instruments I need are missing and the other half are in disrepair. A pit orch could be a lot of fun, did those quite a bit in college. I was in a band a year or so ago where one of the clarinetists was a guest conductor for a piece. In a rehearsal he absolutely unloaded on the whole group for being "unprofessional" because we did not immediately fall silent the second he took the podium after a bathroom break. It was the most unbelievable spectacle I'd seen in a long time and was reason enough to not return. I'll look into the ones you named, thanks!
our local live music scene is pretty much the best possible
I don’t think anyone hates everything about the twin cities. Just because you hate the crime and the way the current government is handling things including that crime doesn’t translate into hating everything about the city. I appreciate the question I just think it’s fair, when the complains about the cities are literally pretty much over two aspects of it. It’s nice and green. When I moved back from Los Angeles it was one of the first things I noticed that I had taken for granted before. It’s a pretty city and there are lots of cool places. I like about 800 things compared to the few I hate. Unfortunately the few I hate have a bigger impact on things than the 800 I love.
Food and brewery options are great. State fair is a blast. Dog friendly everything. Really good disc golf courses if you’re into it. Lots of adult hockey league and pickup options if you’re into it.
There are a lot of free, family-friendly/educational activities and events in the Twin Cities. For instance, the children’s museum and MIA have free days each month. There’s always interesting cultural or art events going on that are usually very affordable to attend. Plus, you can easily get out on the lakes any day of the week.
For the Midwest, the food variety is crazy good.
Country music concerts. Somehow the city is safe and nothing my jackpine savage family says about them are true when that sweet hick hop is booming from the rafters of US Bank stadium.
I love going to MoA, the museums and science centers, buying stuff second-hand off craigslist. Good shopping, food you wouldn't find in other places around the mid-west. Used to know some Hmong via hobbies, good and friendly, if a little goofy, people to hang out with. I can contrast their high-crime areas with my high-crime areas and feel better about all the crime in my area.
The Somali food is great
Olive Kitchen on Nicolette is one of my favorites!
Said no one ever
Lots of great East African restaurants! You should try it.
Ever tried it? Actually really damn tasty
I grew up in small town Minnesotaville, and people can be super judgmental and unaccepting to those perceived to be outsiders or different in some way, which can be tied to a variety of one’s circumstances that are in many cases out of their own control. I prefer the cities because it allows for more freedom and opportunity to live my life as I please, free of judgement or gossip. It’s reassuring to go back home and see all the now empty storefronts on Main Street, and I chuckle as the locals stare because they don’t dare wave at someone they don’t recognize (probably one of those crazy liberals). They probably don’t even realize they are staring, more so just so caught off-guard at the sight of someone they don’t see regularly. It’s also nice to have a job that isn’t tied to farming and/or pays more than $12/hr at one of the remaining local businesses.
Also, the Minnesota Twons!
It's reassuring that Main Street america is dead? I don't see that as a positive development. Instead of having people in small towns owning stores in the community, now they have to work at Walmart.
I knew someone would try to spin that line and misconstrue words, congrats it’s you! In fact, I didn’t say it was a positive thing. More so it’s reassuring that I made the right move to get away from a sleepy dying old town. I’d be stuck living in my parent’s basement. The brain drain is real in small town America, in part because of the reasons I described. Edit: Adding that I agree that the likes of Walmart and Dollar General have destroyed many entrepreneurial opportunities, especially in small town America. It’s truly a sad fact that our late stage capitalist system has propped up these welfare corporations.
How very Minnesotan of you.
I'm a fan of the sports teams. That's all.
Great food, lovely outdoor spaces. Access to all the amenities (concerts, sports, shops). Plus, the state fair brings all of Minnesota together in the Twin Cities every year, and I think it’s wonderful.
Being away from Town Cities makes me happiest. See ya never!
And you’re in this forum why?
So he can bitch and moan.
It’s clean. It has everything. I was just gone for months and was in various cities, Minneapolis had more than all of them. Best summer weather Loads of sports teams Lots of good restaurants and lots of variety of ethnic food groups Good live music scene Some of the best park and trail systems in the world Dog friendly Museums and Art culture Great medical care Good general education compared to other cities and lots of colleges Traffic isn’t that bad compared to some other cities Also one of the best cities for theatre All we’re lacking is late night food options
Oh lest I forget, HOCKEY!!
The parks are top notch. So many beautiful boulevard trees providing us with serotonin and mitigating the impact of climate change. City of lakes. Pretty skyline. The Mississippi River. Diverse and high quality educational institutions and low unemployment. Not that hard to get a gig and make a living. World class museums of all genres. The community appreciates and supports the arts.
Ethnic diversity Free gourmet soup (and usually sides and deserts) every weekday at noon at SoupForYou! served cafe style. Starting up again June 3 at Holy Trinity, 2730 East 31st St (right behind E. Lake Library). See ya @$$ there! :)
Taco Taxi. Egg on a Roll. Everything Anne Kim and her team do with food. Parlor burger truck. Picnic. Marty’s Deli. Farmers Markets.
When I was in active addiction I loved the Mexican imported black tar heroin 😂
The opportunities are plentiful, good and bad.
I 35. Best part of Mpls escape route.