May 29, 2020 Update: Justice for George Floyd. Black Lives Matter. Stay strong Minneapolis, we are with you.

I visited Minneapolis for the first time last October, and immediately fell in love with the city. From the abundance of parks and lakes, to the addicting pizza and of course, the insanely fun nightlife, Minneapolis had everything I could hope for in a city. I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work here for the summer, and I’m officially convinced that I never want to leave. I came up with 25 reasons why Minneapolis is the best city in the United States, but these don’t even begin to cover it.

1. You can enjoy a perfect day by kayaking or paddleboating on Lake Calhoun

2. You can take a scenic bike ride through any of the parks or down the Mississippi

 

3. You can catch a show at one of the several theaters on Hennepin

4. You can enjoy the view of the city with a drink at the Prohibition on the 27th floor of the Foshay

5. You can catch a Twins game at Target Field with an incredible view of the skyline

 

6. You can go ice skating at any of the several lakes in the area

7. You can watch some incredible sunsets from Lake Harriet

8. If shopping is your thing, it’s easy to spend hours shopping at Mall of America

9. You’re never too far from nature because the city has so many fantastic parks

10. If you want amazing pizza, you have practically endless options

11. You can bike through one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world!

12. You can relax by the Minnehaha River or breathtaking Minnehaha Falls

13. You can chill by any of the many beaches around the lakes

14. It is so easy and fun to be active here. From biking to parasailing, you have a lot of options.

15. The summer weather is awesome, and when I say awesome, I mean literally perfect. 

16. You can go wild at any of the insanely fun nightclubs.

17. Or you can opt for a chill night at an equally fun piano bar or sports bar.

18. You can catch a Minnesota Wild game where people go wild for their team

19. You can completely forget you’re in a bustling city once you go to one of the lakes or parks nearby

20. You can eat some incredible food at any of these great restaurants

21. The music scene is poppin’, and you can find concerts from local talents to superstar goddesses like Beyonce

 

22. The people here are extremely friendly and charming

23. You can hit up the awesome museums, like Weisman, or Mill City

 

24. You can catch a Gopher football game, or other U of Minnesota athletics game and watch the fans go crazy

25. Because it always feels like home.