Women's Media Nation | Social, political, and cultural issues relating to women

City Series Part Ten: Minneapolis

posted by ChickSpeak
Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 10:46am CDT

Ranked as one of the America’s best cities, and the second most fun city in the country by the Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places Study , Minneapolis is full of attractions ready to be explored.From arts, live music and great restaurants to sports and parks, you can find everything to make your visit in Minneapolis unforgettable.

History

Located east of Minnesota, Minneapolis was incorporated as a city in 1867 and in the same year, the rail system was created linking the city to Chicago, increasing its growth according to the Minnesota Public Library.

With Saint Anthony Falls located North of Minneapolis, the city had power enough to create sawmills and flour Mills, becoming today’s top processors of flour in the country. Today, Minneapolis is one the largest cities in the Midwest, with its metropolitan population within St Paul standing at about 3.5 million.

Travel, Accommodations, and How to Navigate

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the main and busiest airport serving the Upper Midwest. If you are staying in downtown Minneapolis, a ride from the airport costs around $34-$44 dollars; but the main hotels in town usually have a free shuttle to and from the airport.

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) also takes you from the airport to downtown Minneapolis, which takes about 25 minutes, or the Mall of America, which takes about 11 minutes. The fares for adults are US$2.25 on rush hours and US$1.75 at other times.

If you are on a budget, the Minneapolis International Hostel is a good option. Located at 2400 Stevens Av. South, this hostel offers clean amenities for a cheap rate.

A good hotel in downtown is certainly the Hilton Minneapolis. This hotel has great accommodations and amenities, including a pool and hot tub. If you stay on the top floors of Hilton Minneapolis, you’ll have a great view of the city. Rates can start from US$103.20 if you book the room in advance. The hotel is located on the corner of 10th St. and Marquette Ave.

Places Every Tourist Must See

The Sculpture Garden is the largest urban sculpture garden in the country and there the visitor can enjoin more than 40 works outdoors, according to its website. The Sculpture Garden is most famous because of the huge Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture. The park is open from 6 a.m. until midnight and is located on Vineland Place.

With more than 80 thousand objects from all around the world, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is one of the best art museums in Minneapolis. The museum has different types of arts, going from old painting and sculptures to photography and contemporary art forms. With free admission, the museum is open everyday but Monday and is located at 2400 Third Avenue South.

The Foshay Tower will provide you a great view of the city. With 32 floors and standing at 447 feet, you can visit the museum and go to the observation deck, which were both recently renovated. The Foshay Tower is open daily from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m and is located at 821 Marquette Avenue.

If you are a chick who loves sports, a visit to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the Minnesota Vikings home stadium, is well worth the trip. Besides having football games, the Metrodome also hosts amateur and cultural events. The stadium is located at 900 South Fifth Street.

Unique Shopping for Fabulous Chicks

Certainly the main shopping attraction in Minneapolis is the Mall of America. The largest mall in the U.S., with over 520 stores, offers a variety of fashion to update your wardrobe. Just 15 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, the Mall of America is located 60 East Broadway, Bloomington.

What Made This Chick Fall in Love with Minneapolis

I have been to Minneapolis a few times, since is only an hour-and-a-half from where I go to college. I enjoy walking in downtown, going to local shops and going to concerts in Minneapolis. The variety of restaurant also makes me always want to come back and if I want to watch a professional sport game, I can find it there as well. That’s what I like about Minneapolis, you can find everything there: great shopping, food, sports, arts and music!

Débora Biasutti is a journalism and political science student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She loves spending the day in Minneapolis when she needs a break from college.