I had never been to Minnesota before and considering that my buddy lives in Minneapolis I thought I would take advantage and text him to see if I could come visit him. Next thing I knew, two weeks after my spring break vacation, I found myself in the great state of hockey.
Cool Things About Minneapolis, Minnesota
1. Very walkable city
2. Quiet (not a lot of people walking around)
3. Hockey (it’s a thing of beauty and Minnesota is very dedicated to their hockey teams at all levels: professional, collage, high school and amateur)
4. Midwest Vibes (the majority of people are friendly and approachable)
5. There are a lot of things to do, it’s a very active city (sports, bars, nightclubs, hiking trails, boating, fishing and a ton of breweries, etc.)
6. Churches vs. Strip Clubs (I will explain later.. lol)
7. Weather is very predictable and consistent, it’s not bipolar or close to Michigan weather where it will snow one day and then be 84 degrees the next day
8. Affordable Rent for Apartment (good price for the square footage, amenities, location and very modern)
9. One of the best Mayo Clinics in the nation
First off my recommendation for travel is to take a direct flight from Detroit Airport to Minnesota. I won’t recommend driving all the way to Minnesota or taking a connecting flight from Lansing Airport to O’Hare and then arriving at Minnesota Airport. The only reason that I took a connecting flight is because my buddy offered to cover the cost of my flight. So if I wasn’t offered a free flight, I would have paid for a flight through Delta. Delta is the best way to travel; don’t do Southwest, don’t do American Airlines and especially don’t do Spirit!
When I first arrived in Minnesota, I talked to a young lady on the flight. She was a native of the state and definitely had Midwestern vibes because she was kind enough to walk me to the pick-up area so I didn’t get lost in the airport. I never met someone who was kind enough to walk with me through the airport. Everyone I talked to in Minnesota was very nice, except for some people at the bars. But other than that small minority of people, everyone maintained the Midwest standard of being approachable, funny and nice.
I love hockey, I grew up a Detroit Red Wings fan and went to a lot of hockey games when the opportunity came. So when I arrived in Minnesota, which is arguably the state of hockey, I knew I wanted to go to a professional hockey game. Whether or not you’re a hockey fan I highly recommend going to a hockey game! Whether it be professional, college or high school, you’ll experience a great game. After all, Minnesota is the state of hockey and it’s Minnesota’s most entertaining sport, so you won’t be disappointed. One thing to be aware of is that the stadium the Minnesota Wild play at is located in St. Paul not Minneapolis so you will have to drive a bit farther south, about 30 minutes or maybe an hour depending on traffic, in order to attend a game.
Minnesota is well known for many things, such as cold weather, hockey and lakes, but did you know that located within the heart of Downtown Minneapolis is one of the best Mayo Clinics in the nation. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities has one of the best medical schools in the nation mainly because of the Mayo Clinic. My professor for one of my upper level physiology courses worked for the Minnesota Mayo Clinic for four years and gained a ton of experience. So if you are interested in medical research, working for a Mayo Clinic or want to be located around some of the best hospitals in the city, then Minneapolis has you covered.
One of the most interesting things I learned about Minneapolis is that there is an equal number of churches to strip clubs. Minneapolis is a very walkable city, so when walking about the city I noticed that on every route there was a church and then right across the street there was a strip club. Minneapolis is a very catholic city, so on every corner there is a church that is dedicated to the catholic mission. But for a city that is very catholic, I am curious that for every church erected there was a strip club. I guess a lot more happens on Sundays than just worshipping God.
One thing to be aware of when attending the city is that there are a lot of crackheads and homeless people wandering around the streets of Minneapolis. Be careful walking around the city. I also won’t recommend taking public transportation and mainly sticking to Uber, Lyft or renting a car. This is because the train and bus are mainly used by the local gangs and crackheads as main sources of transportation to get around the city. It’s best not to be where a majority of the gangs and crackheads are located because you don’t know what could happen. So definitely don’t walk alone at night for your own personal safety.
Though it is very cold (because of Minnesota’s proximity to Canada) and there are some sketchy areas of the city, I have considered moving to Minneapolis because of the affordability and practicality. I find for a city that the pricing for luxury apartments is 10 times cheaper than anything I would find in Chicago, Miami or Boston. The square footage is great, a lot of apartments include a hot tub and you even get a patio.There is also a lot of newly established apartments, which is something you have to pay extra for in a lot of other cities. One of the apartments even includes a personal grill. If you don’t want to live in Downtown Minneapolis there are other districts with a lot nicer neighborhoods with more affordable apartments, especially for those who are newly graduated.
Overall, the three days I spent in Minneapolis, Minnesota were wonderful and I had an amazing time experiencing the city. I do wish I did more within the time frame I was given, but I always know that I can always go back if I desire. Who knows, maybe one day I might desire to live in Minneapolis for a bit after graduation. After all, for a city, Minneapolis is one of the most affordable places to live. So please do consider visiting the town that is proud to honor Prince, the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins and Hockey.