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Minneapolis
Dear Ones,
Minneapolis is called part of the Twin Cities because it stands across the Mississippi River from St. Paul, somewhat like
Buda and Pest. St. Paul never gets as much attention as Minneapolis, but they are trying harder. The greater metro area has
so many suburbs that it's hard to know exactly where you are. This confusion is further explained by the fact that you could
be at the Mall of America, technically in Bloomington (right near the international airport) and a destination unto itself
with about 2 million square feet of shopping space or you could simply be underground, overland or between connections since
downtown Minneapolis is connected by hundreds of miles of tunnels and bridges so that during inclement weather, you never
need go outdoors.
SHOPPING KINGDOM: Minneapolis is the shopping capital of Middle America. It's the headquarters city for Target stores,
a sort of hypermarche that commissions its own designer merchandise that is sold at low to very fair prices. This is also
the home town of the hair and beauty brand Aveda, an all natural ingredient brand that has its own stores around the world
but offers discount services at their local beauty college near the riverfront in NorthEast Minneapolis.
To get to Mall of America (the largest mall in the world) -- or the airport for that matter -- you simply pop on the new
train that services the downtown area. The Mall (as it's called) is somewhat overwhelming: a theme park fills the atrium;
stores dance around on layer over layer of retail arcades. While all the usual multiples are represented, you can find some
interesting resources that you don't expect, such as Archivers, which specializes in art and craft supplies for those who
makes scrapbooks and carnets des voyages. An IKEA is being built alongside and will connect by, of course, a bridge.
When you return downtown, you might want to check out the shopping streets, the Nicolet Mall walking street and the Off
Fifth store, a Saks Fifth Avenue outlet store right in the heart of everything (and across from off-pricer Marshall's). The
Neiman-Marcus store has a small Last Call (for bargains and mark downs) on the top floor of their downtown store. The NBA
(National Basketball Association) is opening one of their new flagships--NBA CITY-- the first is in Orlando, Florida.
ART WORLD: The Walker Museum (called the New Walker Art Center) has expanded and re-opened as the star in a galaxy of
a number of arts and cultural projects geared toward making the Twin Cities an art destination. Celebrating the good weather,
the Walker has an outdoor sculpture garden that is open until midnight every day; admission is free. Understanding that all
of Minneapolis, no matter how artistic, is also about shopping puts you right into The Shop at the Walker, a gift shop specializing
in contemporary art inspired gifts. Because this part of America has many Russian immigrants, there's a Museum of Russian
are with a new gift shop of home design.
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT: If you think you'll buy into one of the city's old flour mills and enjoy loft living as an investment,
think twice. The Warehouse District has gone bananas with offices, condos and lofts --prices begin at half a million US dollars
and going way up from there. This is one of the few once dead downtowns in America that has been rehabilitated and has the
infrastructure and social services to make it work. Empty nesters are actually leaving the suburbs to move downtown while
young couples-- with children-- are returning to this haven of Midwestern values to escape big cities run amok.
CHIC SLEEP: Clearly, this is no longer a Podunk town. There's art and theatre (the new Gutherie theatre opens late in
'06, down by the waterfront) and shopping to rival Chicago. There's restaurants and now the hippest hotel in town, which competes
on a world stage, has opened in what was once a Le Meridien gone bust. The Graves 601 couldn't be more moderne if it were
kissed by Philippe Starck. The hotel describes itself as home to sophisticated modern luxury -- with sleek design lines and
a tower that lifts into the clouds. Bathroom amenities are, of course, from Aveda.
On Target kisses,
SuzyKG
ARCHIVERS
Mall of America 952/858-8292
339 E. Broadway, Bloomington MN 55424
www.archiversonline.com
MALL OF AMERICA
Bloomington MN 952/883-8800
NBA City
Target Center
Minneapolis
Graves 601 Hotel
Graves601hotel.com
601 First Avenue North
Minneapolis
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