gmelle

Have an appt Tuesday morning then am free for the rest of the day. What should I see? I was thinking about the Calder exhibit and the sculpture garden, along with random drives to check out the city's neighborhoods. Can anyone recommend an interesting restaurant for lunch and dinner? Thanks.

going_places

The minneapolis Institute of Arts or the Walker Museum are both worth your time. the new Guthrie theater by the rive is very interesting..go inside and check the view. The area along the river is interesting. park and walk the Stone Arch Bridge and see all the excavations of the old mills. If you like ethnic food, drive along Nicollet Ave (South of downtown). it is called Eat Street for a reason. A standout is the
Peninsula ...a Malaysian restaurant..also Rainbow ..a very good Chinese. Then there is Christos for Greek.

TheWeasel

Look at this thread for lots of ideas: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34854776

brando

Solara is a great restaurnat downtown, somewhat trendy with a great wine selection and tapas. It's a great meal tapa themed with nice people watching. If you want your meal to be an experience this would be a good choice. The drive alone lake calhoon and surounding area is also nice, many old stately homes.

gmelle

Thanks for the tips. Do you know if the stores on Nicollet are open in the evening, or do they close at 5? I am trying to fit in as much as possible.

marleneawe

During the week most all stores are open until 9. Sunday's alot close at 5 or 6.

AuntAnnie

there is a trolley tour of Mpls. called River City Trolleys that would give you a relaxing overview w/o having to navigate yourself. The Calder exhibit is at the Mpls. Institute of Arts (huge, traditional art museum) the Sculpture Garden is at the Walker Art Museum (smaller, modern art; currently has traveling Diane Arbus photo exhibit). The city has tons of great neighborhoods; for a close in trip try driving around Lake Harriet or Lake of the Isles. The Uptown area in South Mpls. has older homes, diverse population, good restaurants, fun shopping in Hennepin Ave area. I hope you have a good visit!! I just left my freshman daughter at the University of Minnesota.

gmelle

Aunt Annie, I didn't see your post until after I got back, but the trolley would have been a good idea.

I have to say I really enjoyed the bit of Minneapolis that I saw. I went to the MIA, Nicollet Mall, Uptown, and drove around the campus a bit. I can heartily recommend the Hilton by the airport and their chicken Caesar salad from room service. They have a shuttle to the Mall of America, so I figured, why not?

I'm curious to see more of the city someday!

travellingmom

I would recommend the Calhoun-Isles drive for the houses, lakes, view, neighborhood, etc. Also, I really like Nicollet Island. It's in between downtown Mpls and Northeast Mpls. There are historic houses, a gorgeous hotel/restaurant -you could do lunch there- great views of downtown and river. On the east side of the river (Northeast Mpls)there's St. Anthony Main with cobblestone streets and a good variety of lunch spots.
For dinner, my favorite is the Oceanaire located in the Hyatt building downtown Mpls. It's like a steakhouse but with seafood. Huge portions and very tasty.

travellingmom

Oops, I replied to this too late. Sorry.

AuntAnnie

gmelle: Glad you liked my hometown!!!
Good luck with your job and move decisions. Those are always hard because there are so many variables. Let me know if you want any more insight into Mpls....I can at least give 1 opinion!