If you’re not familiar with an area, it can be hard to know where you should think about staying and where to avoid. Minneapolis is a beautiful and iconic city, but you’ll get a different experience each time depending on where you’re staying! Get a few tips here about where to stay and what makes each place unique from the others.
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Staying for the Super Bowl
The areas closest to US Bank Stadium may be the most ideal locations to reach the big game within minutes, but they’re also some of the most expensive and not necessarily the most comfortable. You don’t have to limit yourself to a personal rental right beside the stadium in order to enjoy your time in Minneapolis for Super Bowl 52. There are plenty of other great places to stay that you might enjoy even more than downtown!
If you’re staying for the Super Bowl, just make sure you have easy access to the stadium when needed. There are many great places with public transportation options that will take you directly to the stadium, or you can opt for taxis, Uber, or Lyft. You can get Metro Transit tickets ahead of time that will let you ride the light rail directly to the stadium, so your best options for public transport are probably areas that are served by the light rail system. This gives you plenty of great options!
Proximity to Bars and Restaurants
If you want the nightlife and the social environments to be close by, you’ll most likely enjoy the Warehouse District, Nicollet, or Uptown. All these are right in the action and give you an enormous variety of options for eating, drinking, and nightlife. The Warehouse District and Nicollet are the densest in terms of things to do and options for entertainment.
These three neighborhoods aren’t just about nightlife. Nicollet is home to the enormous Nicollet Mall. This mall has all kinds of great opportunities for shopping, eating, and just generally enjoying yourself while you’re in the city.
Most of the bars and restaurants in these areas are non-chain, so you’ll get a more local feel and taste in these areas than you might get otherwise. It can get pricey, but it may be worth it for the great experience and the entertainment that’s so close by. Plus, these areas all offer easy public transit options to the US Bank Stadium.
Peaceful Vacation Locations
Some of the more relaxed places to stay without as much noise are Bloomington, North Loop, Northeast, Roseville, and Eagan. Some of these areas are more suburban, such as Eagan and Roseville, giving them a quieter atmosphere and plenty of appeal if you’re looking for more relaxation. Some of these locations are right on the waterfront of smaller lakes around Minneapolis, so if you can snag a place with a lake view you’ll get the most bang for your buck!
The advantages of Bloomington are that it’s where the Mall of America is located. There are also convenient shuttles to the airport, so you can easily get to your rental without having to take an expensive cab ride or otherwise.
The Uptown neighborhood is one of the best locations in the entire state. There a vast variety of restaurants, bars, night life and shopping, enough to appease any visitor.
North Loop has a more mature nightlife and entertainment scene. Instead of young singles bars and loud clubs all around, it’s a more mellowed out area with upscale bars and restaurants. You’ll find a lot of local gems for eating out and a great craft beer and distillery or micro-brewery scene.
Roseville also has a great local scene with small businesses and fantastic craft shops and breweries around the area. However, it is located near the University of Minnesota, which may make it unattractive to you if you don’t want to be around a younger crowd in the evenings you dine or drink out. There is easy access to downtown via that city bus service. You can also get to St. Paul easily, which may be nice for those who want to check out the festivities going on there around the Super Bowl.
Minneapolis has a lot of local charm and a great selection of food, drinks, and fun. Start looking now for a place to stay if you’re looking to be around for the Super Bowl in 2018!