Minneapolis

Minneapolis is the cultural capital of Minnesota, if Minnesota can be considered to have culture; it is also the only bastion of civilization between Chicago and Seattle. Situated on the Mississippi, its downtown is roughly ten miles west of its smaller counterpart, St. Paul. Total population within the city limits is just under 400,000; there are some 3 million residents living in the greater Twin Cities region. Officially known as the "City of Lakes" (there are 22 within the borders of the city) it is also called the "Mini-Apple" by some residents to indicate a similarity (mostly imagined) to New York City. Still, Minneapolis is consistently ranked as the most literate city in the US, with a good school system (by big-city standards) and abounding cultural opportunities. Minneapolis also enjoys an impressive skyline for its size, though there is little coherence in terms of architectural style. Views of downtown are dominated by the IDS Center, Norwest Tower, and 225 South Sixth. The only other landmark of note is the Metrodome, home of the Twins and Vikings, known not only as a horrible eyesore but also as an awful venue; work is underway to build a new ballpark to be completed in 2009. Being as it is in Minnesota, Minneapolis is both very green (lots of vegetation) and very white (lots of caucasians), and it experiences weather at its most extreme. Winter lows can reach -40 and summer highs can peak above 100, with blizzards, thunderstorms, and tornadoes scattered throughout the year. Most residents are fiercely loyal to the city, but in general the city is also very welcoming of outsiders, perhaps due to the large population of transplants. Minneapolis' music scene is underrepresented nationally; due to the dominance of New York and LA in the business most of the best artists leave (e.g. Oddjobs). Overall, Minneapolis is much like any other large city: good people, good food, good and bad neighborhoods, crime, business, sports, and skyscrapers.