Minneapolis - tell me what to do

Oh, fortuitous thread bump, since I'll be in the Twin Cities a couple weeks from now.

Awesome independent comix show coming up on the 18th btw, called Autoptic. Pretty impressive list of guests.

jaymc i would propose a hangout while you are in town, but i may be shackled to a tiny new human so

Understood! I'll only be there for a couple of days (and accompanied by my wife), so I may not have much time for hanging out with ILXors, anyway.

But if anyone knows of anything interesting happening in town the second weekend of August (I'll be there Sat. thru Mon.), let me know...

http://buxtahooda.com/

I'll be judging one of these events!

all right j i'll keep my eyes peeled

one good resource to check is letoile magazine's weekend what's what

http://www.letoilemagazine.com/whatswhat/

it runs a little more toward art and fashion events given the magazine but there's usually something good on there, the list generally goes up midweek.

Cool, thx!

Will be in the Minneapolis area for Memorial Day weekend to visit my aunt, and would appreciate recommendations for things to do. My interests are along the lines of repertory movie theaters, good used bookstores, and possibly museums.

My sister recommended the Guthrie Theater; I've already spoken to my aunt about getting tickets.

Also, does anyone here know whether SR Harris Fabric is worth going to? The Yelp page is intriguing.

Guthrie is fantastic; it's in a Frank Gehry building now and near enough to the Warehouse District (where there are some seriously nice bars and restaurants). Walker Art Center is a must. I'm not sure about used bookstores, but you've got access to great Vietnamese and Central American food everywhere.

Rep screenings mostly limited to the (very cute) Trylon screening room on Minnehaha. If you're lucky, Heights will be running something that weekend: http://www.heightstheater.com/

not sure how 'good' the selection is here (just popped in to do a delivery once) but it has a... unique feel:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/book-trader-minneapolis

http://www.mpls.tv/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BookTrader-27.jpg

3/25/2011
Lacey P.
Saint Paul, MN
37 friends
397 reviews
Ugh, this place is nasty. I usually love stores piled with crap, but this isn't good crap, it's crappy crap. Like stuff from people's garage sales that no one wants. There was no heat, so our toes got cold. And too much incense was burning, I think to cover up a gross smell. Everything was at least $25, and a lot of stuff was falling apart. Then there was tons of taxidermy. Tasteless taxidermy. I usually love that kind of stuff too, but it wansn't respectful. Like, why is there a big jar filled with liquid and what appears to be puppy carcasses? Under a big pile of papers? Or a taxidermied dog laying on a pile of junk? I never want to go here again.

I'd second the Trylon and Heights recommendations. Looks like the latter is showing Saboteur and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine on either side of (but not during) Memorial Day weekend.

The Walker Art Center is the most prominent contemporary arts space (they also have theater and cinema events, not to mention the Sculpture Garden); they're doing a lot of retrospective things now for their 75th anniversary (haven't been to the International Pop show yet, but it looks great). The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is more your standard globetrotting historical art museum, but is free for most exhibitions and very much worth the visit.

For used books maybe the Bookhouse in Dinkytown, Booksmart (beneath Cheapo Records) in Uptown — the former is a bit more academic/collectible, the latter more sprawling and remainder-pileish. Magers & Quinn in Uptown has some used books mixed in with the new, and I think you can search their inventory online.

Thanks for the recommendations. My aunt already mentioned Vietnamese food, but since the DC area has also had a significant Vietnamese population for several decades, the food is fairly familiar to me. I may ask her if there are still worthwhile German/Scandinavian/Central European restaurants, since in the Washington area such places are either nearly extinct or in really remote suburbs.

Secon Magers & Quinn and Booksmart!

Some people like Black Forest a lot, but I haven't been there in forever.

Some people like Gasthof's a lot, but they are Nazis.

If your reading tastes run to sf/fantasy on any level you must visit uncle hugo's

(I assume they have survived since last time I visited)

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/04/30/books-indie-bookstore-day

Magers & Quinn in uptown is prob the best know/biggest used book store in mpls, and the area around there is worth spending some time in (if pretty commercialized now). around the corner from there is a nice cafe called Lucia, while not de/scando is great

there's a really great nu-scandinavian restaurant called Bachelor Farmer (run by a couple of the governor's kids iirc) in the warehouse district part of downtown (anyone under 30 will call this "the north loop"). it's a little pricey; i've only had brunch there tbh, and drinks at the craft cocktail bar in the basement, the name of which escapes me at this second. not too far from there is the Lab Theater. i don't know what's running there but it's worth checking.

i need to look into how long it's up, but there's a big habsburg exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art; even if it's gone the MIA is worth a stop if you like museums. not far from there is a strip of nicollet avenue called "Eat Street" which has, wait for it, a lot of restaurants. i don't think any of them are bad. there's a german restaurant called Black Forest along there. it's good. there's a famous avedon print in the bar with a bullet hole in it.

in the seward neighborhood there's a new, tiny used books/etc stored called Dead Media, run by a dude named Paul who is, no lie, one of the funniest weirdos around. i wouldn't recommend the trip just for that (like i said, tiny) but the restaurant across the street, Birchwood, is awesome.

i don't know anything about fabric

the only good slav/russian type place i know is in st paul.

Hey Minneapolis! I have occasion to be in town for a few days in a few days, for the exciting reason that a thing I did is up for this prize:

http://mcbaprize.org/

and it'll be on display at Open Book as part of their Book Art Biennial (also linked from that page) if you're interested in taking a look.

I've read this the thread and it's useful but (given it's a few years old now, od you have any updates or recommendations in terms of:

bars (beer): not desperately bothered about needing 75 different taps serving limited edition barrel aged yuzu-flavoured gose or whatever, but good atmospheric places to have a few drinks
bars (cocktail): always happy to hear about places that mix incredible drinks without being too snooty
bookshops (secondhand): my dream is to find somewhere that'll sell me not-too-pricey copies of editions of Scandinavian literature as published by upper Mid-West University presses in the 1970s, now long out-of print; is Magers & Quinn my best bet?
good places to eat with a cost-conscious Father-in-Law over from Wisconsin?

Also if you had to visit just one record store to maximise your chances of picking up a $3 copy of one of the really good Moe Bandy LPs from the 70s, which would you pick?

I think I'm good for being able to work art listings and whatnot, and we only have a few days, but any recommendations gratefully etc etc.

you'll wanna give the bookhouse a look, probably their website will give you enough of an idea whether a visit would be called for.

Midway Books on University has a reputation for having a surprisingly large amount of old and rare books. It's one of those "big disorganized mess / owner probably has a mental illness" type spots though.

Lovely.

If you end up going to the Bookhouse, Kitty Kat Club patio is really nice this summer, all overgrown with plants. More of a 3rd world decay vibe (in a good way) than sharp and expensive decor (for the latter, Norseman's new-ish converted warehouse space is nice, but the drinks are expensive)

Stillwater MN is not far away and has a good amount of antiquarian bookstores

Roadrunner Records is highly recommended

http://moscowonthehill.com/

jjjusten took me here and it ruled

Roadrunner Records is highly recommended

Yes, best bet for $3 Bandy records. Bought a big country/bluegrass collection recently, lots of small label stuff.

On's Kitchen also has fantastic Thai food and is within a block of Midway Books.

seconding On's, but if you're there for lunch rush it's generally a long wait

Fasika, an Ethiopian place, is excellent and just down the block from Midway.

welp tim i guess yr gonna be enjoying the wonders of the american 'tube', we put ours above ground for your convenience and make it go slower, for safety

I CAN'T WAIT. Slow public transport is my business.

This is all super-helpful, I am excited about these Midway and near-Midway recs because that's also just around the corner from a church I want to have a look at.

I should've added, we're staying just South of downtown in what I think is Powderhorn, or similar.

seconding On's, but if you're there for lunch rush anytime it's generally a long wait

But yeah, it's great food.

i sometimes order takeout before 11am and when i arrive nobody's there and i get it in time for lunch at my desk :)

Don't call the police:

http://jezebel.com/minneapolis-yoga-teacher-fatally-shot-by-police-after-c-1796977034

Oh, the Blue Lives Matter cohort of my high-school classmates have magically discovered that cops who shoot people are bad bad very bad.

I wonder what it is about this case that finally allows them to see this.

it sure is mysterious for sure

Doubly so.

Any further thoughts on this I have are going to go on the police brutality thread.

any hotel/neighborhood recommendations for where i can stay in the twin cities area where the hotel room is not too expensive but there's stuff in the area to do or see, like a nice park or a cool bar or something?

i'm going to be taking my kid to summer camp an hour or two north of the twin cities and will be getting a hotel/motel room after instead of doing 14 hours of driving in one day and i could just stay somewhere boring off the highway and watch cable or i could see something interesting in minneapolis and/or st. paul

The Days Inn by the university could be cool. You can walk around campus and get down to the river, maybe hit up the Weisman, and there's got to be a few interesting things left in Dinkytown these days (maybe? I'm not entirely sure). Plus if the students are mostly gone it won't be too busy around there.

Also FAP at our neighborhood bar patio if you're up for it

Nicollet Island Inn https://www.nicolletislandinn.com/

hey dan, sounds good! i didn't know when you two were moving. i'll send you a message on our other communication platform.

Man it's sad how many things recommended eleven years ago are no longer things.

I'll be in Minneapolis April 21-22. On Thursday I'll be at a memorial service and lunch in memory of my late aunt, but the rest of that day and most of the day on Friday I'll be available. Does anyone here recommend anything? Factors:

1) I will be accompanying my mother.
2) I will have a rental car.

When I was last in town my aunt took me to the MIA and to a Vietnamese place. Wandering near her condo/the university I found what I think was Dinkytown--there was a good used book store and the prototype Target Express.

As a visitor, here are some of my fave restaurants:
-Sun Street Breads (went there for the first time a few months ago for brunch, it was fantastic)
-Quang Restaurant (Vietnamese)
-Midtown Global Market (lots of different stalls)
-Maria's Cafe (breakfast, Colombian)
-Tiny Diner