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Why Minneapolis, MN is a Great Place to Live

Nice homes, the downtown, and the people contribute to an attractive quality of life.

By Kevin Litwin on April 21, 2016

Minneapolis

Rising from both banks of the mighty Mississippi River is the modern metropolis of Minnesota, a city with numerous attributes that contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by more than 4 million residents. Top job opportunities allow 50 percent of those residents to work in the city where they live, and here are some other impressive facts about Minneapolis – the Twin City to St. Paul:

Great Colleges & Hospitals

Go, Auggies. Students throughout Minneapolis have multiple choices for higher education, including Augsburg College that is known for its students volunteering in the community as part of their coursework. Other top academic options are North Central University, Minneapolis Community & Technical College and the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Meanwhile, residents have access to excellent healthcare at seven hospitals in Minneapolis, with two of them (Allina Abbott Northwestern and University of Minnesota Medical Center) ranked among the best in America by U.S. News & World Report.

Strong Housing Market

If you own a house in Minneapolis, it’s a seller’s market nowadays. The average median home price in 2016 is expected to exceed $250,000 compared to a $215,000 average in 2015, and mortgage rates remain low at around 4 percent compared to 5 percent in many other big cities. Officials with the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors expect the local housing market to stay vibrant for years to come, and also contributing to economic optimism is that Minneapolis remains a top U.S. job market for attractive careers, with wages in 2015 growing at their fastest pace in six years.

Energetic Downtown

Discover downtown Minneapolis, which has two official neighborhoods: Downtown East where a mixture of residential and commercial buildings blends with a historic Mill District, and Downtown West that has skyscrapers and a popular Warehouse District. The entire downtown area houses five Fortune 500 companies as well as art and theater venues like a famed Guthrie Theatre, and shopping is centered around a spacious and modern Nicollet Mall. Restaurants and bars are thriving, and Target Field houses the Minnesota Twins while the Target Center hosts Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx basketball games. In addition, downtown apartments, studios, lofts and condos are inhabited by 40,000 people – mostly young professionals.

Also a Robust Uptown

In the southwest portion of Minneapolis is Uptown, a four-neighborhood area with many stores and nightlife choices along with interesting venues for cultural events. Stores include American Apparel, The North Face and Victoria’s Secret, while 20 bars are within a three-block radius and draw customers of all ages. Popular Uptown restaurants include Giordano’s, Stella’s Fish Café and Sushi Tango, and other livability amenities include four parks and Lake Calhoun. Property values are on the rise throughout Uptown.

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