Minneapolis city overview
Minneapolis is a city of just over 410,000 people in Minnesota. The city may be modest in size and population but it is growing fast. Set in Hennepin County, this is a city that is embracing new ways of working, new industries and new cultural influences.

Brief history of Minneapolis
The area that became Minneapolis was originally peopled by the Dakota Sioux. French traders did business with the Sioux for many years until more Europeans began arriving on our shores. Fort Snelling was set up by the army in 1819. The fort brought settlers and traders which began populating the area.

After buying the land from the Sioux, the Minnesota Territorial Legislature recognized Minneapolis as a town in 1856 and as a city in 1867. The railroad arrived the same year, bringing more people and more opportunity to the area.

The modern city is growing all the time. The skyline is full of new skyscrapers and it seems more are appearing each year. Despite that, look out of any window and you will see trees and parks all around.

Doing business in Minneapolis
Early Minneapolis thrived on milling and lumber. As it was positioned by Saint Anthony Falls, the city had an endless energy supply which powered flour and sawmills. Woolen mills soon followed, then came iron and the railroads. This industry has seen Minneapolis grow to become the second largest economic center in the Midwest behind Chicago.

Those original industries are still here but at a lower output than before. There are still lumber and flour mills but they have now been joined by commerce, finance, transport, healthcare, publishing, food processing and technology. It is a very diverse economic base which provides a solid foundation for the city.

Other highlights of Minneapolis
As well as industry, Minneapolis is known as having one of the best cultural bases of any city in the Midwest. Clubs, music, theater, art, writing and other creative arts all have a strong presence here. As does The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Pence Opera House, the Academy of Music, the Grand Opera House, the Lyceum and the Metropolitan Opera House to name a few.

According to Wikipedia, Minneapolis is the third most literate cities in the US and a center for writing and publishing. Locals are also philanthropic with an estimated 40 percent of adult residents giving time to volunteer in a wide range of good causes.

City character
Minneapolis is an industrial city. We work hard and play hard too. With more theater seats than anywhere in the country except New York, we also enjoy our culture. With a Midwest climate, summers are warm and winters can be cold. The city is designed around the needs of its people though so has lots of indoor malls and walkways and lots of outdoor spaces for when the sun shines.

Money goes a lot further here than in Chicago so the city enjoys a surprisingly strong tourist industry. With all the culture and entertainment options going on around us I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised.

Neighborhoods
Minneapolis is made up of a number of neighborhoods, including:

Armatage, Audubon Park, Bancroft, Beltrami, Bottineau, Bryant, Bryn Mawr, Calhoun, Cedar-Isles-Dean, Cedar-Riverside, Central, Cleveland, Columbia Park, Corcoran, Diamond Lake, Downtown East, Downtown West, East Bank-Nicollet Island, East Calhoun, East Harriet, East Isles, East Phillips, Elliot Park, Ericsson, Field, Folwell, Fuller Tangletown, Fulton, Harrison, Hawthorne, Hiawatha, Holland, Howe, Jordan, Keewaydin, Kenny, Kenwood, Kingfield, Lind-Bohanon, Linden Hills, Logan Park, Longfellow, Loring Park, Lowry Hill, Lowry Hill East, Lyndale, Lynnhurst, Marcy Holmes, Marshall Terrace, McKinley, Minnehaha, Morris Park, Near North, North Loop, Northeast Park, Northrup, Page, Phillips West, Powderhorn Park, Prospect Park, Regina, Saint Anthony, Seward, Sheridan, Shingle Creek, Southeast Como, St Anthony East, St Anthony West, Standish, Stevens Square, Sumner-Glenwood, University District, Ventura Village, Victory, Waite Park, Webber-Camden, Wenonah, West Calhoun, Whittier, Willard Hay, Windom and Windom Park.