CLA Student Blogs

This may be a little daunting to first year students moving to Minneapolis from smaller town settings but don't worry; there are enough activities to do on-campus that you will not have to head downtown until you are ready. However, many students approaching their sophomore, junior and senior years are excited by the opportunity to explore the largest city in Minnesota.

First of all, it is very easy to get downtown. There are several bus stops that go from the University of Minnesota directly to many popular locations downtown. In addition to taking the bus, student may also choose to ride the Light Rail downtown. This railway system starts at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and ends in downtown Minneapolis. One of the stops on the Light Rail is only about a short, 10 minute walk from campus.

There are also many, many things to do downtown. I was attracted to all of the sports venues located downtown. Two of my favorite sports teams are the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team and the Minnesota Twins baseball team. During the baseball season the Twins host 'Student Nights' where students are able to get very low priced tickets to the game. The Minnesota Timberwolves also host 'Student Nights' when the basketball season starts up toward the beginning of November.

There are also many things to do besides watching professional sports teams. The Target Center downtown hosts many musicians from Beyonce to Green day. The Target center also hosts many different speakers; one of the most recent was President Obama just this past September. Another smaller venue downtown is called First Avenue. This location tends to host smaller local bands but has also brought in bands such as Third Eye Blind and Hanson.

Minneapolis also offers more theaters seats per capita than ANY other city in the U.S. besides New York. One of these theaters is the Guthrie which is located within walking distance from the West Bank of the University of Minnesota. This is actually a brand new venue as of 2006 when the Guthrie moved to its current location overlooking the beautiful Mississippi river. A few of the upcoming plays at the Guthrie are A Christmas Carol and Macbeth. In addition to theater, Minneapolis also has many museums and art centers as well.

As you can see, there is plenty to do in this very lively and energy filled city of Minneapolis. Come check it out!

-Mike