Until recently, Minneapolis often was lost in the shadow of other metropolitan regions -- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago. Today, however, as people increasingly begin to expand their horizons and redefine what they're looking for in urban life, Minneapolis has made its way up the list of America's favorite places to live. In fact, the city has found itself ranked among the nation's top cities in terms of quality of life, cost of living, economic vitality, job growth, and other factors. Arthur Frommer, author of the famous Frommer's travel guide series, calls Minneapolis as one of his five favorite places in the world to visit, and earlier this year, Money magazine named Minneapolis the best large city in the Midwest in which to live.

Like other cities gaining a loyal following these days, Minneapolis -- with 22 lakes (laid out in a natural configuration called the Chain of Lakes) and 170 parks -- offers a mix of a nature and urban development. Its abundance of lakes have earned Minneapolis the nickname "City of Lakes." A piece of trivia that might surprise you is that the Mississippi River winds through the city, as well. With all of these natural wonders, natives are treated not only to scenery, but also an abundance of recreational offerings: canoeing, windsurfing, and -- along the trails adjacent to these waterways -- biking, hiking, and rollerblading, as well.

A trip to the banks of the Mississippi is well worth your while. At the riverfront, you'll find the city's oldest buildings and structures -- most of them renovated to impeccable condition -- and St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge, two of the city's more popular tourist destinations.

Most of us don't think of Minneapolis as a shopper's paradise, but it is. The city boasts a 12-block shopper's boulevard, reminiscent of La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain, or the Champs-Elysses in Paris. Called Nicollet Mall, this stretch contains more shops within a single four-block area than in any other city in the United States. And of course, you can't miss the Mall of America, the nation's undisputed largest shopper's mecca.

Among the city's neighborhoods are the Warehouse District, a historic neighborhood filled (surprise) with well-preserved warehouses converted into coffee houses, art galleries, and antique and gift shops, among other venues. Minneapolis' Uptown district, the "artsy" neighborhood, offers entertainment options, independent film houses, art galleries, unique shops, and various restaurants.

Minneapolis' cultural offerings have been overlooked in comparison, again, to the country's larger cities. The city, in fact, has 35 museums, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which contains 85,000 pieces among its collections; and the Walker Art Center, which houses a variety of contemporary art. And Minneapolis, together with nearby St. Paul (which collectively are called the Twin Cities) boast more theater seats per capita than any other United States city with the exception of New York.

Sure, all of these features are great, but what about the weather? Isn't it frigid in Minnesota? Well, yes ... but the summers are well worth the winters. While many of us swelter in the summer sun, Minneapolis residents enjoy temperatures in the 60s and low 70s, sleeping with their windows open. And if you like white Christmases, this city's for you. Minneapolis receives an average of 46 inches of snow each year; temperatures in December in January often settle in the single digits.

Residential real estate is comparatively cheaper in the Twin Cities than in other regions of the country; however, as this city continues to gain its share of loyalists, prices could creep upward in the future.

If you're planning on visiting or possibly relocating to the Twin Cities area and want to do a preliminary research on what to do there, here's a couple of Web sites to get you started: http://www.minneapolis.org/gmcva/whatshap/index.html http://www.ci.mpls.mn.us/ http://city.net/maps/view/?mapurl=/countries/united_states/minnesota/m inneapolis

Published: August 27, 1998

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