Area Information About Downtown Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis is a diverse and bustling epicenter of culture, art and commerce.

About 40,000 people – living in everything from apartments to luxury condominiums – call this part of the city home.

Downtown Minneapolis is considered one of the major commercial and financial centers of the Midwest. In fact, Downtown Minneapolis is home to a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Target, Wells Fargo, Xcel Energy and Quest.

What’s more, Downtown Minneapolis is also well known for its arts scene. From visual to performing arts, classic to contemporary art, Downtown Minneapolis offers it all!

Here are a number of venues that have made Downtown Minneapolis nationally known on the arts scene:

• The Guthrie Theater
• The Hennepin Theatre District
• Orchestra Hall, which is where the Minnesota Orchestra performs
• The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture garden
• Minneapolis Riverfront District
• The Weisman Art Museum
• The Children’s Theatre Company
• The American Swedish Institute

If you love shopping, Downtown Minneapolis offers a diverse range of shopping venues, including Nicollet Mall and Gaviidae Common.

More Recreational Amenities in Downtown Minneapolis

Here are some additional amenities that Downtown Minneapolis residents can enjoy :

• Minneapolis Central Library
• Open Book Literary Arts Center
• Medica Skyway Senior Center
• Gateway Dog Park
• Gold Medal Park
• Peavey Plaza
• And more!

Plus, Downtown Minneapolis is also home to a number of national sports teams, including:

• Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
• Minnesota Twins (MLB)
• Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx (NBA and WNBA)

And thanks to the downtown’s compact layout, it’s easy for residents to get around the city to check out its various attractions and amenities.

Residents have convenient access to a number of public transportation options in downtown Minneapolis:

• The Skyway
• Bus and Train Downtown Minneapolis hub
• Hiawatha Light Rail Line

The city, which originally arose from flour mills in the area, is typically divided into distinctive sections:

• Downtown West
• Downtown East
• North Loop
• Nicollet Island
• Marcy Homes

Continue reading to learn more about each of these unique communities within downtown Minneapolis and what it’s like to live in each.

Downtown West in Minneapolis: A Thriving Commercial Epicenter

Downtown West is well-known to many Minneapolis residents for its broad commercial base, which is evident by its numerous retail attractions, including Nicollet Mall.

This enclave is also known for its high concentration of theater and entertainment venues.

Officially, the borders of Downtown West are the Mississippi River to the North, 12th Street to the South, Portland and 5th Avenues S to the East and 3rd Avenue N to the West.

Downtown East in Minneapolis: An Exquisite Blend of Old and New

The official boundaries of Downtown East, in comparison, are the Mississippi River ot the North, 5th Street South to the South, I-35W to the East and Portland Avenue South to the West.

The developers of Downtown East did an amazing job blending the historic mill district with the modern Metrodome and other attractions.

In recent years, Downtown East has experienced considerable growth. Two major cultural institutions – The Guthrie Theater and MacPhail Center for Music – even decided to develop within the Downtown East community in recent years.

North Loop: A Distinctive Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood

The North Loop is a Downtown neighborhood that includes the Minneapolis Warehouse Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The North Loop, which is commonly referred to as the Warehouse District, is just northwest of the central business district between downtown Minneapolis and the Mississippi River.

This Minneapolis neighborhood was formerly an industrial area, before it became a well-known arts hub in the 1980s.

Today, many of the old factories and warehouses are now used for commercial space as well as condominiums and apartments.

Popular recreational amenities located within the borders of the North Loop include:

• James I. Rice Park
• Theatre de la Jeune Lune
• Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art
• Target Field

Nicollet Island: A Charming Community on the Mississippi River

Nicollet Island, which is the only inhabited island on the Mississippi River, is a 48-acre island located near the heart of downtown Minneapolis.

In addition to 22 Victorian-era homes, Nicollet Island is home to the Nicollet Island Pavilion as well as acres of public park land.

Another popular attraction on the island is the Bell of Two Friends, which was given to the city by Ibaraki, Japan – its sister city.
The Bell, which is a replica of a 2,000-year-old ancient bronze bell, pays tribute to friendship and world peace.

Marcy Homes: The First Neighborhood in Minneapolis

The historical neighborhood of Marcy Homes shares borders with the Mississippi River, the University of Minnesota, the East Hennepin/Central Avenue commercial district and the Como Neighborhood.

This community has a thriving commercial district as well as a number of other recreational amenities, such as:

• B.O. Cutter House
• Marcy-Holmes Community Garden
• Sixth Avenue Gateway
• Florence Court
• Frey Mansion
• And more!

Education in Downtown Minneapolis

School-aged children living in any one of the Downtown Minneapolis communities are zoned for the InterDistrict Downtown School, which is a K-12 school.

Lincoln International High School, a 9-12 charter school, is also located nearby.

Additionally, there are several renowned private schools is the area, including:

• The Blake School
• Breck School
• Groves Academy
• Torah Academy of Minneapolis
• DeLaSalle High School
• Minneahaha Academy
• St. Paul Academy
• Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
• And more!

Investing in Downtown Minneapolis Real Estate

For more information on any one of the five downtown Minneapolis areas – or to inquire about living in Downtown Minneapolis in general – be sure to contact us.

We’ll let you know about available listings in the area as well as other Greater Minneapolis communities, such as:

• Edina
• Lake Calhoun
• Lake Harriet
• St. Louis Park
• Uptown