Uptown Minneapolis can easily be understood as Downtown’s hippie sister. It’s definitely more of a free-spirited hipster vibe with hints of the California coast. Again, there’s much to discover in this smaller city. Follow along with my Perfect Uptown Minneapolis Itinerary to find out how to make the most out of your time here!
PS: You’ll find a map below with each location I mention!
Where to stay
To match the spirit of Uptown, I stayed at the Moxy Minneapolis Uptown. It’s part of the Marriot collection in an attempt to reach the party-loving young generation and they perfectly hit the mark. As soon as you walk in, you’ll be greeted by endless fun. There’s giant jenga with get-to-know-you questions, ping pong, foosball, and my favorite, an album room. They offer you two free complimentary drinks that you can enjoy with free snacks throughout the hotel.
Up in the room, there’s a minimalistic but vintage rocker feel. They even have a real electric guitar hanging in the room! Fun fact about me is that I’ve been dying to learn how to play the electric guitar forever.
The entire hotel has a very industrial vibe mixed with bright fun elements that truly tie the room together. It’s like staying in millennial heaven, with Instagram worthy spots all over. Plus, it’s right in the heart of uptown, with everything within walking distance.
Where to eat
First, we tried Stella’s Fish Cafe and Prestige Oyster Bar. We shared three appetizers here: the calamari, cajun beef bites and the jalapeno cornbread. DELICIOUS! For dinner, we shared the snow crab boil that had mussels, shrimp, and sausage along with potatoes and corn. I seriously ate and ate and ate until I couldn’t anymore and not once did I ever feel sickly full. Everything here is fresh and you can tell. It’s all cooked with light ingredients so you have the ability to eat a ton (like me!).
Breakfast
For breakfast, we headed back towards Stella’s for an established cafe called Agra Culture. Everything at Agra Culture is local and organic. I tried the Banana smoothie bowl that had berries, avocado and almond milk in it with granola on top. It did have a strong banana taste but still felt light after eating it.
Time for dessert!
Of course, dessert is the most important option every day and lucky for me, there was a homemade ice cream store nearby. If you know anything about me, it’s how much I love my ice cream. And luckily La La Homemade Ice Cream has endless (and some quite odd) flavors to choose from!
What to do
Uptown is an area diverse in culture and art. Step outside the hotel doors and you’ll find plenty of nook-n-cranny places to enjoy your time. Here’s a few popular must-dos:
Entertainment + Art
Your one stop shop for entertainment in Uptown is Bryant-Lake Bowl. The famous joint has both a theater and bowling for whatever mood you’re in. They have great prices for bowling based on time and day you go and the theater calendar is almost always full! Plus there’s food and beer to snack on during your trip.
You’ll also find loads of free fun on every corner. Being the adventurous place it is, Uptown is also home to many murals, including one of Prince!
Activities
My summer tradition is to head over to Lake Calhoun in Uptown. Lake life is an absolute must in Minnesota and Lake Calhoun is one of the most popular lakes in the Twin Cities area. You’ll find two sand beaches for swimming, volleyball nets, bikes to rent and a variety of water sport activities. I’ve rented a kayak and pedal boat from a little shop on the lake on two separate occasions and had a blast!
TIP: Lake Calhoun has been renamed Bde Maka Ska, but you’ll hear it called both by locals.
Map
So there you have it: the Perfect Uptown Minneapolis Itinerary! Also, check out my Perfect Downtown Minneapolis Itinerary!
If there’s anything else you want to know, please drop a comment below and I’ll update with the answers!
Xoxo Gina
All opinions are my own.
