Compared to many other Midwestern cities, Minneapolis is lively and vibrant. Many people, however, think of it as more of a place to go for a fun evening than a place to live. Let me tell you why I think downtown Minneapolis is a great place to live as long as you keep a few guidelines in mind.
First of all, be prepared to walk but don’t worry about heavy coats and boots in the winter. Thanks to the skyway system, I can go to restaurants and stores without even going outside. It’s a lot of fun to show up at Target in shorts and flip flops in the dead of winter. Where I live, the post office is around the corner, the library is a short walk (or I can take a free bus if I time my trip right) away. I can even walk to my favorite store–a local food co-op, if I’m ready for some exercise.
Speaking of exercise, in addition to the fitness center in my building, I also have easy access to Lifetime Fitness as well running around a small pond in Loring Park. For a more scenic run, I go around the sculpture garden, home of the world-famous cherry in a spoon sculpture. If I were feeling really energetic, I could also take more than 10 flights of stairs down to the lobby when I check my mail. The stairwells tend to be empty for the most part, so you could even perfect going down stairs backwards if you were so inclined.
If you need to drive somewhere, parking is pretty convenient for residents. The parking ramp is secure and your car is always ready to go when you need it. Driving in the city is easy. It’s the people who aren’t used to city driving that make it a challenge. I got used to giving them their space pretty quickly.
There’s also a lot going on downtown. Many times, I will hear something from my window and go down to investigate, only to find a parade right at my doorstep. There is so much to do downtown that you can reduce your entertainment budget just by paying attention to what’s going on. I’ve been living here long enough that the Winter Holidazzle parade is only exciting for the food vendors it attracts, but that event is sure to entertain families and people who haven’t gotten to see it every weekend for the past few years.
In short, I’m happy living in downtown Minneapolis. It’s not just a place to work or a place to play–it’s home.