Minneapolis is the most common incorrect answer to the Minnesota trivia question, "What is the capital of Minnesota". When people think of Minnesota they think of Minneapolis because it's the largest city in the state not to mention the economic, cultural and population center. Minneapolis was the second of the Twin Cities to develop but it has surpassed the growth of its neighbor, St Paul to the east.
Minneapolis is the city of lakes and its name is proof of this. The name is a combination of the Dakota name for water (Minne) and the Greek name for city (polis). The city's lakes are all connected by greenways open to walkers, bicyclists and rollerbladers. The greenway that connects Lake Harriet with Lake Nokomis parallels Minnehaha Creek, which winds through the city and tumbles down Minnehaha Falls eventually flowing into the Mississippi River. The city's lakes are full of healthy fish populations and are open to all non-motorized watercraft.
A City of Small Towns
The city covers more than 58 square miles and, as a result, has a dozen or so very distinctive neighborhoods each with their own unique characteristics and charm. Residents of these neighborhoods speak of them as if they were a small town because everything they need is usually within walking distance of home.
Calhoun-Isles/Uptown
Located southwest of downtown, Calhoun Isles is also home to Uptown, a trendy area with a variety of unique shops and restaurants. The Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue intersection forms the hub of Uptown. It has become a strong and diversified commercial area. This urban business setting is softened by nearby houses, apartment buildings and parks. This area is the home of the annual Uptown Art Fair that attracts hundreds of artists from around the nation. Uptown also includes the Kenwood neighborhood located between Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. Kenwood contains the city's largest concentration of expensive homes. The Brywn-Mawr neighborhood is also in this part of town surrounded on three sides by parkland--Wirth Park on the west, Bassett's Creek Valley on the north and Bryn Mawr Meadows on the east. There also are three lakes in the neighborhood - Brownie, Birch Pond and Cedar.
Camden
Composed of the neighborhoods of Camden, Cleveland, Folwell, Lind-Bohanon, McKinley, Shingle Creek and Victory, Camden is in the far northwest corner of the city. The community includes two industrial areas. In the Camden neighborhood, most of the housing units were built between 1910 and 1930. They are two and three-bedroom starter homes with limited expansion potential. The Camden Neighborhood Association works to get rid of substandard housing, stress the importance of neighborhood schools, revitalize business in the area and address the needs of the elderly, many of whom have lived in Camden all their lives. Adjoining Camden in extreme northwest Minneapolis is the Shingle Creek neighborhood. Known for its 1950s style residential architecture, Shingle Creek itself is a prominent feature in the area. The neighborhood has a few small commercial areas and a large industrial corridor that runs along 49th avenue.
Central
Central is composed of the neighborhoods of Downtown East, Downtown West, Elliot Park, North Loop and Stevens Square. This area has some very glamorous pockets combined with some more transitional areas. Loring Park has changed over the years into a trendy neighborhood that has preserved its turn-of-the-century mansions and brick and brownstone walk-up apartments to become a Bohemian mix of new condominium and apartment complexes, cultural centers and restaurants. Five of the city's oldest and largest churches are in the area, including the Basilica of St. Mary and the United Methodist Church. Eighty percent of the condominiums, townhouses and cooperatives in Minneapolis are located downtown. The heart of the downtown residential community is a 10 by 12 block area referred to as Downtown West, developed around the venerable Nicollet Mall. It is home to the Metrodome and an assortment of turn-of-the-century buildings.
Longfellow
This area is composed of the neighborhoods of Cooper, Hiawatha, How, Longfellow and Seward. They surround the newly developed light rail tracks that link downtown with the airport and Mall of America. Hiawatha is a quiet bedroom community in the heart of the metro area and is home to Minnehaha Falls and Lock and Dam No. 1, a popular attraction on the Mississippi River. This area also includes the Seward neighborhood, which many have called a suburb of the Mississippi River's West Bank area. Both are located near the University of Minnesota and University Hospital. As a result, Seward is home to educators, students, medical professionals and government officials. A unique feature of Seward is the Milwaukee Avenue mall area, a two-block pedestrian street with many historic houses.
Near North
Near North is composed of the neighborhoods of Harrison, Hawthorne, Jordan Park, Near North, Sumner-Glenwood and Willard Hay, and is located in the northwest portion of the City of Minneapolis and north of downtown. These richly, diverse neighborhoods stretch from the Mississippi River on the east to Penn, Knox, James and Irving Avenues on the west, and from West Broadway Avenue on the north to Olson Memorial Highway and 11th Avenue North on the south. It's also home to the Minneapolis Public Library, North Branch building. This building is on the National Register of Historical Buildings and is located at 1834 Emerson Avenue North.
Nokomis
Composed of the neighborhoods of Diamond Lake, Ericsson, Field, Hale, Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park, Northrup, Page, Regina and Wenonah, Nokomis is a blend of lakes and tidy lawns that anchor the city's southeast corner. The Keewaydin neighborhood is primarily residential but contains several small neighborhood shops and commercial hubs near the intersection of 50th street and 34th avenue. Its most notable feature is the uniqueness of houses built during the 1920s to 40s when craftsman built homes to the tastes of the homeowner. Keewaydin is near natural amenities such as Lake Nokomis.
Northeast
Northeast is composed of the neighborhoods of Audubon Park, Beltrami, Bottineau, Columbia, Holland, Logan Park, Marshall Terrace, Northeast Park, St, Anthony East, St. Anthony West, Sheridan, Waite Park and Windom Park. Northeast is the largest community in the Minneapolis Area and has experienced a major revitalization in recent years as numerous families have moved into the area.
University
The University area is composed of the neighborhoods of Cedar Riverside/West Bank, Como, Nicollet Island/East Bank, Prospect Park, Marcy-Holmes and University, this neighborhood is an eclectic mixture of styles. The University neighborhood, as one would guess, is home to the University of Minnesota and its adjacent commercial district known as Dinkytown. The Dinkytown area is located at the north edge of campus between SE 8th street and University Avenue stretching from 10th avenue to 17th avenue. The Marcy-Holmes neighborhood is nearby. Its apartment buildings, duplexes and boarding houses line the tree-draped streets. Renters, who make up nearly 90 percent of its residents, include primarily students, faculty members and others attracted to the location near the University of Minnesota and the area's charm and diversity.
Linden Hills/Lakes Area
Linden Hills-Lakes is the charming, older two-story home area lying around the shores of Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet and the southern end of Cedar Lake. The homes are located on streets with mature trees, friendly neighbors and numerous parks. The Linden Hills area is one of the most sought-after areas to live in the entire metro area because of its location, setting and proximity to recreational opportunities including the many lakes.
Schools
The Minneapolis Public Schools, otherwise known as Special School District #1, is the largest and most diverse district in the state. As a large urban district, the Minneapolis Public Schools face a lot of challenges, one of which is a highly mobile population. Test scores are typically much lower than the state average, but the district is quick to point out that students who have been in the district for several years perform at the state average. Despite its challenges, the district has worked hard to educate its wide variety of students whether they are National Merit Scholars or newly arrived immigrants.
-Home Owner's Resource Guide
