About this Website

What is so special about Minneapolis?

Although this website is not specifically about Minneapolis, it’s worth noting the many attractions the city has to offer. Residents of Minneapolis enjoy a high quality of life thanks to the city’s excellent healthcare, education, and outdoor recreation options. The extensive park system provides ample opportunities for outdoor activities, and the city is known for its world-class cultural amenities, such as museums, theaters, music venues, and sports teams.

This website is built with WordPress, but it’s only used to manage content for a static website built with Metalsmith. All content is pulled during the build process via the GraphQL API.

This implementation includes several ready-to-use sections. The sections are implemented as PHP templates. The templates use an HTML structure identical to the Nunjucks templates that are used for the Metalsmith static site.

This text section is built with a Long Text flexible content template, while sections below are built with the multi-media flexible content template. Even the footer is built with a flexible content template.

Three things to know about Minneapolis

Minneapolis is more than just a vibrant city – it’s a living, breathing testament to the incredible people and events that have shaped it over time.

  • Native Americans have been living along this part of the Mississippi for over 12,000 years.

    Evidence of Native American occupancy has been found throughout Minneapolis with the oldest being found near the Washington Avenue Bridge and Boom Island Park that date back to roughly 10,000 B.C.E. In more recent times The Dakota have considered the area around St. Anthony Falls to be very sacred. Nicollet Island was a peaceful meeting place between the Dakota and Ojibwe, and downstream eight miles, where the Mississippi meets the Minnesota River, lies Bdote.

  • Thanks to a European florist, you’re never further than 6 blocks from a park in Minneapolis.

    Theodore Wirth acquired 3,500 acres of land for the Minneapolis Park System during his tenure as superintendent. When he was hired as Minneapolis Park Board superintendent in 1904, he began his promise of putting a park within six blocks of every city resident.

  • The first bridge to span the mighty Mississippi River was built right here in Minneapolis.

    The first Hennepin Avenue Bridge opened back in 1855 as a wooden suspension bridge that connected the west bank of the river to Nicollet Island. While it was not built to last, a bridge just on the other side of St. Anthony Falls was. The Stone Arch Bridge was completed in 1883 as a railroad bridge and is the second oldest continuously used bridge across the Mississippi River.

Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), commonly known as Prince, was an Minneapolis singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings.

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Soul Asylum

Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit “Runaway Train” won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of Dave Pirner, Dan Murphy, Karl Mueller, and Pat Morley. They changed their name to Soul Asylum in 1983

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Great Neighborhoods

Here are some examples

  • Linden Hills
  • Central
  • Uptown
  • Northeast

Linden Hills

Flanked by two lakes with cycling and walking trails, Linden Hills is home to beaches and waterfront parks, as well as the historic Como-Harriet Streetcar Line and the Minnesota Streetcar Museum. Regular summer movies and concerts take place at Lake Harriet Park bandshell, and there’s also a seasonal farmers’ market. The commercial center has cafes, restaurants, and upscale eateries, along with specialty shops.

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Linden Hills Library

Central

The Central Minneapolis community is located in the central part of the city, consisting of 6 smaller official neighborhoods, and includes Downtown Minneapolis and the central business district.

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Minneapolis Skyline

Uptown

Hip Uptown is full of buzzy gastropubs and fashionable bistros, as well as stores and independent boutiques selling contemporary designer clothing, vintage garb, furnishings and locally made gifts. The classic Uptown Theatre screens indie and foreign movies and has a bar. Nearby, walking and cycling paths encircle Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles.

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Uptown

Northeast

The sprawling Northeast area is an up-and-coming area known for art galleries and studios in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, plus a mix of artisanal food shops, craft breweries, dive bars and decades-old sausage and cheese stores. Dining options range from experimental restaurants to old-school supper clubs. Along the river, Boom Island Park offers downtown skyline views and a footbridge to Nicollet Island.

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Northeast