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Uptown: Normally Out of the Ordinary
Uptown Minneapolis is—undoubtedly—one of the most unique and interesting areas in Minneapolis. Surrounding the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street and bounded by Lake Calhoun on the west, Dupont Street on the east, 31st Street to the south and 28th Street to the north, the Uptown community has a dynamic energy and vibrant pulse unlike any other Minneapolis neighborhood. People are free to express themselves here. In Uptown, alternative is mainstream.
The funky Uptown vibe can be found in diverse restaurants, eclectic shops, and in and around two popular lakes (Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles), popular hot spots for residents and visitors alike. Other attractions include the annual Coffee Festival, Beer Festival, Bryant Lake Bowl Block Party, City of Lakes Loppet cross-country ski event, Bastille Day Block Party, and the Uptown Art Fair, which attracts as many as 500,000 people during the first weekend in August. While these annual events help draw people to the area, Uptown catches the attention of visitors year-round simply by being Uptown. People come for the shopping, they come for happy hours with friends, they come for some of the best people-watching this side of the Mississippi, and they come for food, food, and more food. Uptown menus feature a range of American, Italian, European, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Indian cuisine. There is, literally, something for everyone.
Other Uptown attractions include the bustling and diverse Walker Library, located under a sunken courtyard at Hennepin and Lagoon Avenues; the much-visited Minneapolis Sculpture Garden; and Calhoun Square, right smack dab in the middle of the commercial area (at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street). Once outside Calhoun Square, pedestrians can roam the streets for a trendy salon or hip makeup store, professional office, clinic, bike shop, funky retail store, book shop, specialty store, vintage clothing boutique, store specializing in furniture or housewares, gallery, or a cozy little coffee shop.
When the sun goes down, Uptown really comes alive. Theaters feature everything from indie films to classics to current releases and hilarious improv shows.Bars and restaurants cater to all tastes and budgets. From the wine aficionado to the casual beer drinker, adventure-seeker to the more reserved, Uptown offers a little bit of this and a little bit of that in a normally out-of-the-ordinary environment.
For more information, visit
www.uptownminneapolis.com.
