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Minneapolis, located on the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota, is the largest city in the state, with a population of around 400,000. It and adjacent St. Paul were dubbed "the Twin Cities" by Mark Twain. St. Anthony Falls, the only waterfall on the Mississippi River, supplied electricity for dozens of Minneapolis flour and lumber mills built in the late 19th century. Within a short time, the city was the flour milling capital of the world; industry giants Pillsbury and General Mills are still based there.
Today, Minneapolis is a modern city with more skyscrapers than mills, and additional Fortune 500 companies Target, Best Buy, Northwest Airlines, Xcel Energy and Medtronic based in the area. It's no wonder Minneapolis ranked #1 on Entrepreneur's 2003 list of Best Cities For Entrepreneurs. A thriving economy coupled with a safe, affordable environment make Minneapolis a great place to live, ranking it high on many publications' list of top cities. It ranked #4 among big cities on Men's Journal's 2004 list of the 50 Best Places to Live, #3 on Child Magazine's 10 Best Cities for Families and #7 on Ladies Home Journal's 2002 List of Best Cities for Women.
Minneapolis is home to the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera and quality museums such as the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum and the Walker Center, whose huge and varied collection of American and European art makes it the fifth-most visited museum in the country. The city's top architectural attraction is the IDS Center, a 51-story, octagonal skyscraper in front of which Mary Tyler Moore tossed her hat during the opening credits of her 1970s sitcom.
Greater Minneapolis is famous for its amusement parks and its shopping. Just 14 miles southwest in Shakopee, Valley Fair Amusement Park is Minnesota's largest, with one of the country's most spectacular roller coaster rides. There's even an amusement park inside in the Mall of America, the nation's largest shopping mall (more than 4 million square feet on 4 levels), in nearby Bloomington. In downtown Minneapolis, Nicollet Mall spans 12 blocks, offering great shopping, dining and entertainment.
The Twin Cities are well represented in professional sports, with 4 major league teams. In downtown Minneapolis, the Metrodome hosts major league baseball's Minnesota Twins, the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and University of Minnesota college football. The 19,000-seat Target Center, also located downtown near the Warehouse District, is home to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. In St. Paul, the 18,600-seat, ultra modern Xcel Energy Center holds the home ice of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.
Despite its cold climate, Minneapolis is one of the country's best cities for outdoor recreation. Beautiful trails and clean air are two of the reasons Runner's World Magazine ranked the Twin Cities #2 on its list of the best running cities. Opportunities for swimming, boating, ice skating and fishing are practically everywhere. Known has the "Land of 1,000 Lakes," Minneapolis has 22 of them within its city limits and 949 within its metro area. The city's excellent park system includes many inter-linked parks. Minehaha Falls Park has the famous falls immortalized by Longfellow, as well as trails for jogging and biking trails and an off leash dog park. Lovers of snow will find plenty of it in the winter. Although the area lacks mountains for downhill skiing, greater Minneapolis is excellent for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing, with great scenery and literally dozens ski areas are less than an hour from the city.
After decades of being thought of across America as a cold, dull area, Minneapolis is now recognized as one of the country's hippest cities. With a nightlife that doesn't take a back seat to any of America's larger cities, Minneapolis ranked #14 on Forbes Magazine's List of the Best Cities For Singles. The Warehouse District and First Avenue Area, made famous by Prince (a Minneapolis native) in Purple Rain, are loaded with good restaurants, trendy bars and clubs offering great music. The St. Paul offers a quieter scene.
Minneapolis strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Minnesota):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Transportation Use (vs. State) | Top 1% |  |
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 1% | |
| Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers) | Top 5% | |
| College Educated Adults (vs. Peers) | Top 12% | |
| Well-Paid Single Men (vs. Peers) | Top 14% | |
| Well-Paid Single Women (vs. Peers) | Top 15% | |
Comparing Minneapolis to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Minnesota (State):
Ratings range from 
(lowest) to 
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Male Share of the Population |  | |
| Well-Paid Single Men | | |
| Well-Paid Single Women | | |
| Racial Diversity |  | |
| Age of the Population |  | |
| Senior Citizens | | |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | |  |
| Female Share of the Population |  | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | | |
| Portion of People Married | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | | |
| Median Family Income |  | |
| People in Middle Class or Better | | |
| People Above Poverty |  | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Walking and Biking to Work | | |
| Public Transportation Use | | |
| Working at Home | | |
| Short Commute Times | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| People Living Alone | | |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | | |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | | |
| Affordability of Rents | | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | | |
| Housing Recently Built | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Property Crime | | |
| Low Violent Crime | | |
 | Minneapolis Careers Minneapolis career and employment information. |
 | Minneapolis Colleges Minneapolis colleges and trade schools. |
| Minneapolis Graduate Schools Minneapolis Graduate and Business Schools |
 | Minneapolis Hotels & Travel Minneapolis hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
 | Minneapolis Mortgage Minneapolis property, mortgage, and real estate. |
