Tag: Living in Minneapolis

Four things to love about the Tangletown neighborhood!
Living in Minneapolis · Neighborhood Tours

Four things to love about the Tangletown neighborhood!

Mary1 Comment

I’m staying closer to home this week and highlighting another great neighborhood in south Minneapolis. I like to drive through here and let my jaw hang open looking at all of the beautiful homes.

#1 The homes…

This neighborhood is just chock full of very well cared for old homes. If you like the character and quality of homes built in the 1920’s, Tangletown is the place. Watch the video for a peek at the homes there, or just take a gander at the photo for this post which I took on a walk a few days ago.

Tangletown also has a row of Lustron homes along Nicollet Ave. One came up for sale last year and I was able to view it. It was like walking into a museum show piece – the owner had kept everything original and used period furnishings as well, but added a private outdoor patio / entertaining space that was ogle-worthy. If you’ve never seen a Lustron home read this article written about that particular home. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love that there is still room for different home styles and tastes.

Photo credit to Creator: Benjamin Clasen 
Copyright 2019

If you are looking for history and charm this neighborhood should be at the top of your list. And it’s positively bucolic – the winding streets, well landscaped yards, terraced gardens, and mature trees give you the very best of what a city neighborhood can offer.

#2 I love a walkable neighborhood!

This is definitely a residential area, but as is typical in Minneapolis you’ll see little corners within neighborhoods that have a coffee shop, cafe or little boutique of some sort. On the larger streets – Nicollet, Lyndale or 50th there are little shopping centers and more to offer.

Tangletown has within its borders: Kowalski’s grocery, Starbucks and Caribou coffee, one of the best stocked liquor stores in the city – South Lyndale Liquors. If you need some obscure liquor to make your special cocktail they likely have it, along with a large selection of local craft beers. The Washburn library is a friendly place with a wide selection of books and activities and they are happy to help you get a copy of whatever you’re looking for brought to this branch. On Nicollet you can get your bagels or other fresh breads and sandwiches at Sunstreet Bread or St. Louis Bagelry. I like to throw a little love toward the local Ace hardware stores here too – Tangletown has one, and I have found them to be the most helpful places to buy whatever you need for your home. If you want some farm to table food and an outdoor patio – head to Wise Acre Eatery. And one of the best garden shops in the city – Tangletown Gardens – is located right next door.

And schools are walkable too! Washburn High School and Justice Page Middle School are located within Tangletown.

#3 Bike paths!

Ok – this isn’t unique to Tangletown, but they are right on one of the BEST bike paths in the city. The one that follows along Minnehaha Creek and connects the chain of lakes to Minnehaha Falls.

I should probably change the heading to “Minnehaha Creek” because it’s not just the path, but the creek itself. We often walk along the path and my dog loves to jump in for a swim. People also kayak or float on inner tubes down the creek in the summer. Just make sure you get off the creek before you hit the falls!

Last year I saw some kids fishing there and they pulled out an ENORMOUS fish. And it wasn’t the largest caught in the creek – check out this story from MPR on a monster sturgeon caught in the creek last year:

Photo from Owen Sanderson

#4 Easy Access to Downtown

If you live in Tangletown you can be in the heart of Minneapolis in literally 10 minutes via the freeway (35W). Your commute can’t get much better than that.

So you get that neighborhood feel, walkable amenities, outdoor fun AND easy access to the more urban parts of Minneapolis.

Where it’s at!
Median home prices for Tangletown over 3 years as compared to TC Metro
mschumann@kw.com
612-234-5703
Living in Minneapolis

My summer Twin Cities to-do list!

MaryLeave a comment

I’m posting this on Memorial Day and it’s the start of summer, but we have some different challenges to deal with this summer while we still try to have as much fun as possible in the warm weather. So with that in mind I am presenting my list of 6 things to do this summer that are really fun and still allow for social distancing. #6 is INSANE and the one I most want to do. 🙂

Best things to do in Minneapolis / Best things to do in the Twin Cities
Minneapolis has palm trees! NOT

#1: Regular theaters are closed, but this may mean the rebirth of the drive-in! Minnesota still has several that have hung on and our love of movies and lack of theaters may be the shot in the arms that these theaters need. 🙂 My first pick is the Elko Drive-in theater. No, it’s not down the street from my house, but it’s more than a movie. Its a DRIVE-IN! When I was a kid my mom used to take us in the station wagon and we had our sleeping bags in the back and snacks ready. The “kid” movie was usually first and then they would play one for adults – thinking kids would have knocked out by then? The beauty of it then was that you paid by the car, not the person. Mom loved this. Unfortunately, Elko prices by the person $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 & under. You can see what’s playing here: https://www.elkospeedway.com/drivein/

Minnehaha Falls

#2: Minnehaha Falls & Sea Salt Eatery

If you’re in the city head over to Minnehaha Falls and walk the trails. You can really work your glute muscles by climbing the stairs back up from the Falls when you’re done, about a 100 steps – you can challenge your family & see who wimps out – and even if they do they still have to get up there somehow, so see ya at the top! If it’s hot out you can wade in the creek and cool off – there are little “beach” areas that allow you to easily get in and out. While this year is not the same as past years and you won’t get to gather and listen to music and share picnic tables while drinking beer… (memories!) you can still order carry-out from Sea Salt Eatery and pick it up from the window and take it to a spot for a picnic. Check out Sea Salt’s online ordering here: https://www.seasaltmpls.com/

Chillaxing (I know that’s not cool. I’m not cool)

#3 Rent a Pontoon!

Pricier, but a lot of fun if you have up to about 10 people that you want to spend the day with is to rent a pontoon boat and spend time on the water and the beaches of the St. Croix River. It is a MASSIVE river that borders MN, and it’s only about a 40 minute drive to get to Stillwater MN or Hudson to rent one. We have done this several summers in a row. You can take your food on board and just hang out and relax all day long. We love it as a way to bring the “water culture” of Minnesota to guests. It’s especially nice because it appeals to all ages – my senior citizen mom loves it as much as my daughter.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

#4 Bike the Midtown Greenway or bike paths

Even if you’re just visiting the city, this is a nice way to spend the day and there are day use bike rentals all over the city – our service is called Nice Ride https://www.niceridemn.com/ . It’s great because you never have to loop back to where you started, you can drop your bike at any station and grab a meal, or catch an Uber or a cab to where ever you want to go next. I love that this is an option now – for people that live here and want to use it for transportation or if you want to explore the Greenway, Grand Rounds bike trails around the lakes, or even make your way through the city in the bike lanes.

#5: Walker Art Center – Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

If you just want to wander and take in some art, the sculpture garden is a great place to go. They recently rehabbed the entire park and added a lot of new art that you can interact with. Then stop in the Walker or okay some mini golf nearby as well. And if you feel like exploring a little more, cross the bridge over the freeway and you’ll be in Loring Park – another little gem in Minneapolis.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

#6 (this is my favorite) Drive a tank!

I am so intrigued with this idea. I’m not very interested in anything military, but the idea that you can actually DRIVE A TANK?!?! That just sounds FUN!!

It’s on my bucket list. I really wish I had first hand experience with this one. I would love to hear from you if you do!

They have changed their offerings a little bit for this year, but hey. Still looks awesome. It’s located in Kasota MN, which is about an hour south west of the city, but it seems like an experience worth driving for!

https://www.driveatank.com/

What are your favorite things to do in the Twin Cities?

612-234-5703
Living in Minneapolis

Minneapolis – 3 things I like about living here… and 3 that make me NUTS!

MaryLeave a comment

CONS!

Let’s start with the negatives…

GRIT. I’ve never been in a non-beachy place with more sand. Although Minneapolitans call it GRIT. It makes me INSANE. I actually asked for, and installed, an under-cabinet vacuum to try to control it in the house – we walk around in our bare feet and if I’m not stepping on a piece of tile that the dog just licked, I’m walking around with grit attached to my foot. Usually dog spit first, then grit – sticks better and is extra annoying.

In some harebrained world, the powers that be decided that the playgrounds should have SAND instead of wood chips. Maybe some people have kids that carefully empty the sand from their shoes before entering the house, but mine was never in that habit. No matter what I said. Each little shoe would come off her foot when she came in the house and promptly deposit about 1/4 cup each of sand on the kitchen floor.

Grit part 2 / an annoying corollary. And really, the grit is secondary here, but it is like pouring grit in my wounds that it’s a part of this “con”. I live in the city of Minneapolis and plowing here is half-hearted at best.

To say this was a shock and disappointing when we first moved here is an understatement. In Chicago, politicians would lose their jobs if streets weren’t properly cleared. Here – meh. They’ll get to it. Maybe. But meanwhile – they will sprinkle the roads and alleys with GRIT! I’ll never understand how a place known for cold and snow is so lackadaisical about clearing the streets and alleys.

Merge lanes on the freeways… sticking with the road theme here… and the last of my vents for today. 🙂 Maybe in an effort to save money? Or maybe to give the interns a chance to feel accomplished? Not quite sure, but whoever planned the merge lanes as you enter and exit freeways here was more of a dabbler than an engineer concerned about people being able to execute these moves safely. They give you about 50 feet of shared space on the cloverleaf for you to get over and exit while navigating around people entering and trying to speed up and merge. Good times!

Pros!

It’s balanced. I’ve lived in small towns and big cities and for a long time I really craved some balance between the two – I want access to good restaurants, shows and artists that come to my town, public transportation to be available, I’m also a person that likes to be either IN or OUT – in the city or in the country. But if you’re not, and you like the ‘burbs – you can still enjoy the same benefits and have that suburban lifestyle.

We do live in the city – but #2 on my list of “loves” is the bike trials, lakes, and free events in the parks here. It’s just so easy to hop on a bike and ride up to the lake to take a sunrise yoga class in summer, listen to a free performance, rent a kayak or paddle board, have a (really good) meal outside at Bread and Pickle or Sea Salt Cafe or one of the other park cafes. All of them serve beer as well, so if you want to head up there and spend the day at the beach swimming with the kids, plsaying outside, or just letting your body make some of that valuable vitamin D it’s a great, eay way to do it.

Lastly for today! And this is more Minnesota in general – 4 real seasons and everything that goes along with them. People here seem to really enjoy being outside all year round and that means that there is always something to do to enjoy the season and they all feel sweet.

Bonus love – I get to see bald eagles almost every day. They are awe inspiring.

If you have something you’re curious about – let me know! I’d love to hear from you!

mschumann@kw.com
Moving to Minneapolis?
Living in Minneapolis

Moving to Minneapolis?

MaryLeave a comment

Little joke for you – How do you get a Minnesotan to apologize? Step on their foot! ha ha! OPE!

We moved to MPLS several years ago for my husband’s job and before that happened I had given Minnesota approximately ZERO thought and had no idea what to expect.  We came from Chicago and even though it’s also an upper-midwestern city, something about MINNESOTA seemed like a whole different animal – a COLD animal that lives in the middle of “fly-over” country.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised and today I’m going to share a little about why. And, yes, it gets cold, but honestly, I love having 4 really distinct and wonderful seasons to fully enjoy and it seems that Minnesotans feel the same.

Minneapolis and the Twin Cities metro area are pretty big! There are about 3.4Million people living here.  It’s not Podunk.

All of those people support a pretty thriving economy with low unemployment, the HQ of many large companies like Target, Best Buy, United Healthcare, 3M, Cargill etc… and thriving mid and small sized businesses as well.

While the Twin Cities aren’t on the same scale as Chicago, we enjoy a lot of the same benefits – an international airport, fine dining – if you’re a foodie you’ll be glad to know that we have James Beard award winning restaurants. If you’re a beer lover – there are 56 breweries here.

There are Lots of theaters from smaller local theater companies to larger venues that host traveling companies and Broadway productions.

There are 55 museums in the Twin Cities! The Walker hosts contemporary art, the Minneapolis Institute of Art has art spanning 5,000 years and 6 continents and it’s FREE! Some other highlights that we enjoyed a lot when my kid was younger were the Children’s Theater (located inside the MIA), the Children’s Museum and the most amazing hands on museum – the Science Museum of Minnesota, that one shouldn’t be missed!

Bicycling is HUGE in the Twin Cities – year ’round!- and there are 4,000 miles of bike trails in the metro area – from designated lanes on city streets, converted rail lines like the Midtown Greenway and Luce Line Trails, and the 40 miles of paved bike/ walk paths called the Grand Rounds that wind around the many lakes residing within the city of Minneapolis.

Speaking of the lakes (and parks!) the Minneapolis Park District wins strings of awards every year and are an integral part of living here.  Most people live within 10 minutes of a park, and have access to community centers, park programming, tennis and pickleball courts, wading pools, beaches and restaurants.  If you visit Lake Harriet or Bde Mka Ska you can rent sail boats, kayaks, or paddle boards and have a great day on the lake while taking in the skyline.

If you are a sports fan – we have you covered! We have professional football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and hockey teams. No matter what the season, there is no reason not watch your favorite sport.  And if that’s not enough we are neck deep in college sports as well!

There are 34 colleges and universities in the TC area, including the main campus’ of the University of Minnesota – of the best public research universities in the US. The U has many famous alum – including Bob Dylan, Chief Justice Warren Burger and if that’s not enough to convince you – Ric Flair! Minneapolis has a very educated population – 70% of all adults have at least some college education!

Ric Flair – Photo Credit WWE.com

Minneapolitans and Minnesotans are “outsiders” all year long – winter doesn’t keep anyone inside.  From the Art Shanties on Lake Harriet, to Holidazzle and Winter Carnival, and the Luminary Loppet – people here don’t let winter stand in the way of having a good time.  Of course, summer is outside all the time either at the lakes and parks or festivals like block parties, the Aquatennial, Minnesota Fringe Fest, or get something fried on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair.

The Housing market in Minneapolis is currently very “hot”, the average home price is nearly $280,000 in the Twin Cities, but that varies drastically by neighborhood.  If you like being in the heart of the city there are a lot of brand new buildings or repurposed industrial buildings and flour mills downtown on Mississippi River for condo living in the middle of everything.

As you move outward to the north – there are more affordable neighborhoods, and Northeast is somewhat hip and artsy.  To the south and west of downtown are well established neighborhoods with large gracious homes and as you move further south you gradually get into fairly solidly single family neighborhoods, with a lot of home built in the early & mid 20th century. 

Rentals in MPLS are generally between $1400 and $2500/mo.  St. Paul is less expensive for rentals and homes than Minneapolis as a general rule.

The first is that there is great access to good healthcare in the Twin Cities – from the University of Minnesota Medical center, to Abbott Northwestern, to the renowned Mayo Clinic to our south in Rochester MN.

If you love shopping – you’ll be happy to know that MN does not tax clothing purchases, so you can go to the Mall of America and shop yourself silly without paying a dime to the government. There is also no tax on groceries in MN – not the case everywhere, so it’s nice to not have regressive taxes.

If you have questions about any aspect of life in the TC or have a topic you’d be interested in seeing a video on, I’d love to hear from you!

mschumann@kw.com
Looking for things to do in Minneapolis? With (or without!) Kids?
Living in Minneapolis

Looking for things to do in Minneapolis? With (or without!) Kids?

MaryLeave a comment

It’s February and here in MN, patience is starting to wear thin as we look out the window at snow that shows little sign of leaving and the sled hills and skating rinks may be starting to lose their charm.

I thought I’d make some suggestions for some indoor activities that kids (of various ages) will enjoy if you’re visiting, or even if you live here, and you’re looking for an idea (or five).

Mill City Museum

Photo Credit to MNHS.org

This is a fun way to learn about the city’s history and why this city ended up parked on the side of the Mississippi River.

The museum sits right downtown on the river front and lives in what was once the worlds largest flour mill. There are hands on activities for kids in the water lab and the baking lab, and the Flour Tower exhibit shouldn’t be missed. I was really surprised by the things I learned!

Mill City Museum : 704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401. 
It is open every day except Monday.  Hours are 10am-5pm with the exception of Sunday when it's 12-5.
https://www.mnhs.org/millcity

Kids under 4 get in free and under 18 is $6. There are discounts for veterans, college students and seniors off the regular adult price of $12.

If you go on a nice day – go outside and walk along the river front. The lock and dam on the river is right in front of the museum, and that’s an interesting thing to see. And then head south past the Guthrie Theater & Gold Medal Park and hit Izzy’s Ice Cream shop! Give your mouth a treat after feeding your brain.

Izzy’s 1100 Second Street South, Minneapolis, MN 55415.

Bryant Lake Bowl

 810 West Lake Street – Minneapolis, MN 55408 https://www.bryantlakebowl.com/

This little bowling alley is so much more!

It has a decent menu (even breakfast!) and a full bar. And they have theater there nearly every night as well.

But if you’re just coming to knock down some pins (and/or some pints?), it’s a fun place to be and on the less expensive side! $4.50/person per game, $2 shoe rental. No reservations for bowling or food.

It’s open from 8am – 2am every day and the crowd is varied.

We actually spent Thanksgiving there a couple of years ago as a fun alternative when we weren’t traveling and didn’t have family in town.

Edinborough Park

photo credit to EdinaMN.gov

Tag line “Where it’s sunny and 70 degrees all year long!”. Yes.

Edinborough Park is an indoor playground and it is an AWESOME way to drain your kid of some of their energy on a cold winter day when you just. can’t. deal. anymore.

Check the website for prices and hours: https://www.edinamn.gov/158/Edinborough-Park

7700 York Avenue South
Edina, MN 55435
Phone: 952-833-9540

So much climbing. So much running. So many other kids!

There is a free play area called The Great Hall that has balls and tricycles and just space to RUN.

We’ve had birthday parties here, and there is a HEATED pool that you can pay as you go or get a pass to if you or your kid like to swim recreationally in the winter.

There is a little cafe & coffee kiosk called The Peak Cafe near the front desk and they have pizza, hot dogs, PBJ and other kid accepted foods as well as sodas, milk, juice boxes. I mean, it’s like it was designed by a kid.

The Riverview Theater

3800 42nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
http://www.riverviewtheater.com/

I LOVE this neighborhood theater! It’s amazing – like stepping into a 1950’s neighborhood theater. The decor is still mid-mod. The prices are RIGHT. Films are $2- 2.50 unless you’re having a big night out – evening films for adults are $3. The movies are sometimes classics that you get to see on the big screen again, or recent movies from the major theaters, not quite new releases, but not old!

They also do film festivals and special events at the theater. It’s really a great place.

Besides the inexpensive price and the sweet decor – the Riverview has a strict “No butter flavored oil” policy – they put REAL BUTTER on their popcorn and it’s heaven! People actually stop in to buy popcorn to go!

If you want a meal before or after the film, there are restaurants a couple of blocks away up and down Minnehaha Ave.

Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater

Photo credit to Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater HOTB.org

https://hobt.org/neighborhood-night-puppet-shows/

This one requires a little planning because you can’t just drop in, but this puppet theater often has shows and right now is staging a series of SIX FREE shows at the Midtown Global Market on Lake Street (another fun place to visit!) and some have “make and take” activities for the kids.

This puppet theater is a driving force behind the May Day Celebration and, to me, it’s just a really unique thing that can capture the imagination of children and adults.

Photo credit to HOTB.org

I hope these help you find some things to entertain yourself and your kids in Minneapolis! Spring is coming… 🙂

If you have questions, comments or suggestions I’d love to hear them. Send me an email, leave a comment or tap one of the links below.

mschumann@kw.com