I will be staying at the Hilton Minneapolis at 1001 Marquette Avenue South for a few days next week for the IBM user Conference Common.
I plan to fly in Sunday and Fly out Wednesday Morning. I am wondering what I can do in the Evening on a Sunday or Monday. I will not have a car as I am taking the train/shuttle from the airport to the Hotel.
Thank you,
Jim
Eat a hotdish. Uff da!
Really, what I’d do if I were in Minneapolis for a few days is put on my best Jersey accent and go out to bars and stuff and try to make people think I’m in the mafia. But that’s just me.
Great, me a fat Italian guy who suits are all dark is getting advise from a fellow Jerseyite to act like I’m in the Mafia. I have had to prove my geek credentials occasionally to disprove any ties. 
I was just hoping someone familar with downtown Minneapolis might be able to suggest a good place within walking distance or a short cab ride.
Do they have cabs?
All I know about Minneapolis is that it is cold and the Mary Tyler Moore Show took place there.
Jim
Hello Jim,
Maybe you could try checking this out: Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Map to the TCMRM and a Bus Route
There are cabs. There is a downtown. There are clubs and bars and restaurants. There is a train to the Mall of America - where you can shop, eat, see movies, and ride a rollercoaster. There are museums (mostly Art in Minneapolis - Science and History in St. Paul.) There is live theatre. There are parks. There are athletic events.
Its a big city - what do you want to do Sunday night and I or another Twin Cities doper can point you a direction?
Minneapolis is a fantastic city. I haven’t lived there for awhile, but I’ll give you some ideas. First - pick up a CityPages, the local alternative weekly. It’ll have all the music, movie and theatre stuff.
Theatre and music are huge there, and you’ll be pretty close to the Orpheum, the Guthrie, Symphony Hall, and a bunch of other theatres that I can’t remember right now. My favorite Minneapolis stat is that there are more theatres per capita there than anywhere else save NYC. I believe it too.
Tons of museums, too. The Walker Art Center is near where you’ll be - they just remodeled it a few years ago. If it’s warmish out you can check out the sculpture gardens. Also the Minneapolis Art Institute is just a few miles south of you, and it’s great too. If you’re into purely modern art, the Weissman Art Museum on the U of M campus is cool.
For fun, hip little areas, there’s Nicollet Mall downtown (one street over from your hotel). Well, I don’t know how hip it is anymore, but it’s a great pedestrian mall where you can shop or catch about a billion busses. There’s also Uptown, which is a several mile long stretch of Lake Street, a couple miles south of downtown. Lots of good bars, weird shops, ethnic food, and indie theatres (movie and otherwise). The U of M campus has a few other little neighborhoods with a similar vibe that are less built up, like the West Bank of campus, and Dinkytown.
Public transportation is pretty decent. The light rail was put in after I left, but I know it’ll take you from downtown to The Mall of America (hideously overrated, imho, but maybe that’s just because I went to high school a couple of miles away). You can get a cab, though I’ve never tried to just hail one. I’d call ahead of time.
The park system is fun, but they just got a bunch of snow, so that’ll probably be out. But don’t forget about St. Paul. I don’t know it as well, but the Science Museum there is truly amazing. They just rebuilt it a few years ago, and it’s hands-down the best museum I’ve ever been to.
Can you tell I’m homesick? I hope this gives you some ideas!
Thanks, I would love this, I am really into trains, but I only have the evenings free and the hours of Operations probably won’t work.
Actually the Mall of America sounds interesting. How far is that from Downtown by train? I’ve heard of it of course and it is probably a must see.
MsMitey: The Walker Art Center sounds interesting, but the hours don’t work for me. The Science Museum has the same problem of hours.
So far the Mall might be the easiest. I could plan to go there Monday night.
I think I am out of luck on the Museums as I will be there the worst two days.
Thank you all,
Jim
Go look up my former friend who I’ve known since 7th grade, and who was my best man, then Bus Kid’s godfather who suddenyl and for no apparent reason just stopped writing, calling or even responding to me about 8 years ago.
We still get chatty christmas letters from him, he sent the Bus Kid a graduation gift 2 years ago, but otherwise pretends as if I don’t exist. His folks and I live in the same town, and I’ve stopped bvy to see them, and they’re just peachy, but just shrug when I mention him.
So go kick him in the balls for me, ok?
Ok, I’m done ranting. Enjoy Minneapolis. Pretty much everybody doesn’t suck there.
I’ve never taken the train, but I think it would be about half an hour. Plenty to amuse yourself with at the MoA - if you go with the right attitude. If the weather is decent, the Walker Art Museum has a scupture garden that has fairly extended hours (being outside) - from 6am to midnight daily. Its a nice sculpture garden. Also, if the weather is nice, you can walk Lake of the Isles, peoplewatch and gawk at homes (its a short cab ride from downtown - however, have a cell phone so you can call for a cab back - or figure out the bus route).
34 minutes from 5th/Nicollet to the mall. It’s 23 minutes from downtown to the airport and then 11 from the airport to the mall. That last stretch is pretty clunky but it gets you to the mall without driving. Train is definitely the way to go.
Thank you. I think I have my Monday night planned.
I believe the tourism board has found a new slogan!
Someone already mentioned picking up a copy of the City Pages.
They also have a website including a calendar of events. Of course, not everything that is going on is listed there, but it might give you some ideas.
Get up early in the morning, and walk the couple of blocks to Hell’s Kitchen for one of the best breakfasts in town.
Oh hells yeah, How could I forget?
Here is a previous thread that has lots of info.
Thanks again everyone.
I did some looking at the Mall, I was wondering how the Aquarium is?
Looks like it is open until 8pm on Monday.
I will shoot for Hell’s Kitchen either Monday or Tuesday for Breakfast.
Gotta love this board,
Jim
The aquarium is actually pretty cool. They’ve got a big saltwater tank that has a dozen or so sharks in it. You walk through a plexiglass tunnel, so you’re surrounded by sharks on all sides.
Might be a bit cold, but if you’re taking the train to the MOA (which is the best way to go), stop off at the 50th Street/Minnehaha station and take a walk across the road and see Minnehaha Falls.
I’ve heard good things about Hell’s Kitchen, although I’ve yet to eat there. Nicollet Mall has several good bars and restaraunts (I also recommend Brit’s Pub is about 2 blocks from the Hilton). If you go south on Nicollet, the section between downtown and Lake Street is known as Eat Street. Lots of good dining options there.
If you like blues music, head to Famous Dave’s in Uptown, they have live blues musicians every night.
I Love the Blues, I will look for Famous Dave’s.
Jim
A couple of random thoughts: Your hotel is about eight blocks from the Nicollet train stop. Given that distance and the fact that the train is unbearably slow, you’re probably better off taking a city bus to the Mall of America. I think the bus you want to take is the Number 5, but you may want to ask at the Hotel desk.
If you’re a fan of Asian/Fusion cooking, be sure to visit Azia on the aforementioned “Eat Street.”
Finally, at **Hell’s Kitchen ** the lemon ricotta pancakes or the huevos rancheros come highly recommended from me.
One last bump, I fly out Sunday Morning.