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Minneapolis/St Paul, Mall of America and general MSP travel advice

abc

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I don't even know why I am asking this as I am trying to curb my spending, BUT...I just found out I will be in MSP next week for work, and know it is the location of the Mall of America. How can I (self appointed Super Shopper, indeed) go to MSP and NOT go to MoA? haha

Input on if it is any diff than any other mall (roller coasters notwithstanding)?

Assuming it is going to be a polar vortex (trust me, it will be to me, with my now southern-thinned blood) so I'm figuring I won't be up for much after hours unless it's in a warm place. At least the clocks changed and it won't be dark AND cold at 5pm!

Anything not to be missed in the area besides MoA? I'll be with a coworker. Working in St Paul. Staying about 20 min away from there (booking travel as we speak).

I like funky zones, architecture, small mom-and-pop type restaurants, etc. Love to walk but temps could curb that really quickly for me.

I will also check TripAdvisor but figured surely we have some locals that can offer an insider's point of view.

Input greatly appreciated! Thank you!

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17 replies

Latest reply was from rebekahphoto

Gigi

Veteran

I live in the Cities, but I never do anything! I might be of little help.

Glad to see you're working on the Saint Paul side. I'm partial to Saint Paul myself. (It's a little joke that people who live here will understand. :^) )

If you like architecture, you could check out the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis or the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul. Both are really amazing structures.

There is an art museum, though I haven't been there in ages. It's in Minneapolis, I believe.

You could see if anything interesting is going at the Minnesota History Center. Sometimes they bring in exhibits that are interesting. They are not far from the cathedral.

As far as mom-and-pop restaurants, I would recommend the Saint Clair Broiler in Saint Paul. I would also recommend asking the concierge at your hotel about restaurants. I don't often go out to eat, so I'm not very helpful here.

The West Side of Saint Paul (not to be confused with West Saint Paul) is kind of a funky zone, as you call it. There are a lot of Latinos who live there, and there are some interesting-looking buildings and decor. I'm actually not too familiar with the area, so I can't tell you exactly where it begins and ends--I've only seen it to drive through. Maybe someone at the hotel can help you out with specifics.

The MOA will keep you MORE than busy. The only thing I can mention about it is that if you want a shortcut to get to one end of the mall from the other, you can cut through Nickelodeon Universe or whatever it's called now (the amusement park) as long as you're on the ground level. (The amusement park is at the center of the MOA.) That has saved me a lot of walk time. If you like walking, you will get plenty of it, believe me!

There is light rail transit whose line starts at the MOA. If you want to go to Minneapolis, you can take the light rail from the mall.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know! Are you staying in downtown Saint Paul?

Gigi

Veteran

Oh, I shouldn't forget the Como Zoo and Conservatory, also in Saint Paul:
http://www.comozooconservatory.org/

abc

Veteran

Thanks, Gigi!

I am staying in downtown Minneapolis. No hotels available in St Paul via our corporate travel site. Google maps says 15 min drive so not too bad.

The hotel has a fitness center attached so I know I will spend some time there either before or after work. I don't want to drive myself ragged with plans as I'm there to work, after all, but figure one or two spots to check out shouldn't be too much. I like the area you mentioned as "funky" - sounds up my alley as do the architecture spots.

What makes MOA different other than sheer size? Are there stores there that can't be found elsewhere? I suspect I will prob find the same retail stores I'm used to but perhaps larger shops? I get the "one stop shopping" aspect. Just weighing if it really warrants a trip or if I can skip it without regret.

Thanks again!

Nebraskim

Veteran

I am so not a fan of MOA because it's just busy and icky and touristy. But there is a Nordstrom, which since I live where there isn't a Nordstrom, I do go to MOA when I'm in the cities BUT I MUCH prefer to shop at the Galleria in Edina. Higher end stores, less crowded and an overall less touristy, less carnival vibe.

Nebraskim

Veteran

You might message Sally McGraw from the blog Already Pretty. She lives in MPLS and can give you some scoop.

Gigi

Veteran

I think that MOA is just big, for the most part. I'm sure there are stores there that are not elsewhere, as every mall has such stores, but in general it's the major retailers with bigger shops.

Nebraskim is right that the Galleria is much quieter than MOA. MOA is usually a zoo in the evenings and on weekends. As she pointed out, the Galleria stores are higher-end in general than the ones at MOA, but MOA does have a lot of favorite "Angie" stores, such as BR, Nordie's, Club Monaco, etc.

Here's a guide I found about the West Side:
http://www.historicsaintpaul.o.....stside.pdf
I think the area I'm thinking of is called the District del Sol, with all the Mexican businesses.

I think the MOA is worth seeing just as an architectural marvel. But if you miss it, it's not that big a deal shopping-wise. If you do decide to go, I would recommend planning your trip by going to the MOA's web page and seeing what stores are where (there is a map, I think). The mall is so unbelievably huge that you will wear yourself out if you don't have a plan of attack.

AviaMariah

Veteran

I went to MOA a few years ago while there for work and will be going again this year. I was underwhelmed with it to tell you the truth. But to be fair a good bit of it was under construction when I was there so it had a grungy, dirty feel to it. Hopefully it feels better now. It is large and has a lot of stores, some which are larger than the ones in my area. I enjoyed the Nordstroms the most since it was larger than the one in my hometown and I could see many of the items I had on my wish list! You'll have fun I'm sure!! I stayed in a hotel right by the mall so didn't see much else.

Laurinda

Veteran

MOA is big, but the same stores as every other mall - yawn.
I'd skip it to enjoy spots that are unique to MSP.

The Twin Cites are a metro area of over 3,000,000, think of it as one city with two downtowns with a couple of rings of suburbs. There are dozens of neighborhoods and enclaves -- arts, music, theater, ethnicities -- it all depends on what you are most interested in.

If I were staying in downtown Minneapolis I would immerse myself in Eastern European heritage a few blocks across the Mississippi river at 1st & East Hennepin Ave in Northeast Mpls. (Pronounced Nordeast by the locals.) Visit Kramarczuk's Eastern European Deli and Cafeteria or Nye's Polonaise Bar, or Surdyk's wine & cheese shop. Check out the Baltic gift shop next door to Kramarczuk's for Pysanky (Ukranian easter eggs) and amber jewelry. Enjoy the river view and 'historic' Grain Belt neon sign on Nicollet Island.

ETA: As far as weather, wear walking shoes and warm outerwear and you will be fine. The next couple weeks will probably be slush weather, so forget about PPL; cuff or roll pants as needed.

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abc

Veteran

Nebraskim, thanks for the suggestion for the alternative mall. I might have a return to do at Nordies but we'll see.

Gigi, thanks for the link, I will take a look. Funny you mention the Mexican district...I live in Mexico so in one way it would be interesting to see but on the other hand I live in the "mother land" so why visit a Mexican zone when in the US? Though now I do miss my corn tortillas when I'm away, haha

AviaMariah, same here - in town for business. I'm used to a smaller Nordstrom so it might be nice to see the in store selection at a bigger store. We'll see.

Laurinda! OOOH! Now we're talking. The Eastern European stuff sounds intriguing, something I def don't find where I am living now. Putting these suggestions at the top of my to do list. Thanks.
Slush weather, huh? I haven't seen snow in years. My dressy work wardrobe is mostly dresses and skirts (bought without regard to weather, obviously). Gonna see what I can do to figure out pants outfits and for work probably boots. After hours I will likely change into walking shoes and jeans. Will keep the slush thing in mind, I hadn't thought about that aspect. I might actually see white stuff on the ground and I'm shocked I am kind of excited about it! I hated winter but now that I never see snow or feel cold I must admit I am a teeny tiny bit excited. I'll be over it in a day, I'm sure. Sorry for rambling. Thx again.

biscuitsmom

Veteran

I'm a lifelong Mpls resident, and am so glad you'll have the chance to come here, hope you have a great time I really like MOA better than area malls (Galleria is quieter, definitely) but has mostly high-end shops, and being plus-size w/ a small budget, doesn't work well for me, but is a good place to window-shop, but that's about all I can do there, lol. I'm enclosing a link from Bloomington, where MOA is that has some good info http://www.bloomingtonmn.org/p.....yIZ3_9OWvE The Underwater world (or whatever it's currently called) is *awesome*. As far as St.Paul itself, I'm really not familiar w/it (most people tend to stick to either Mpls or St. Paul, lol) I would say one of the *very best* shopping areas outside of the mega-mall is the 50th and France Ave South in Mpls, many great, small stores (some unique/some big name) lots of restaraunts, etc. Nordeast is good, but mostly small restaraunts and honestly, I've had better food at some of the local chains, imo. Just *please* stay away from the area 'just' south of downtown Mpls as well as the Near North/North Mpls areas... they are some of the roughest in the city. This coming from someone who spent most of her life on the Northside. Uptown area has several small shops,(including a Fleuvog shop and oh, SO yummy Famous Dave's BBQ, available many places) but not as good clothing options as 50th or MOA, imo. A really good, regular mall is Rosedale, if you're so inclined. The weather will be cool, lots of ice patches, many, many potholes and slippery sidewalks, so be careful!

Nebraskim

Veteran

Agree on 50th and France area. I like that area.

biscuitsmom

Veteran

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that about the local Nordeast restaraunts, I haven't tried all those listed, just had a not very good time at Nye's, but know it does get good reviews. Must've been a off day there. Nordie's at MOA is awesome, 3 levels and full of goodies. Hope you have a great trip here.....

Gigi

Veteran

There's an Anthropologie at 50th and France, if that's a shop you'd like to visit. My recollection is that they have mostly lower-end stuff at that store. But they do have a couple of sale racks, so you can bargain-hunt!

Jeanie

Veteran

I was in Minneapolis last summer and had an amazing time. I learned that the area had amazing theaters. I really enjoyed the modern architecture of The Guthrie theatre. It has a cantilever balcony that overlooks the river (if it's not too cold to venture out). The food was too die for and I am ready to go back just thinking of it. We like mom and pop places as well though my favorite dining experience was Barbette. It is French but you wouldn't know it. It is very casual and the food was so fresh and not pretentious. Best fries ever! Give it a Google.

I could not resist going to the MOA and I am glad I saw it. I focused on checking out the stores we don't have in our area. They have a Tucci Benucch in the mall. It's a good Italian restaurant. Spaghetti is my favorite there. We put a reservation in early and then shopped for hours and then didn't have to worry about finding dinner. Check out the architecture in The Radisson Blu Hotel attached to the mall. Stunning!

Have a good time! I am ready to go again!

Laurinda

Veteran

Horses for courses Biscuitsmom ;-)! Many people enjoy shopping malls and chain restaurants, and avoid kielbasa and kolachi.

For a new visitor to MSP I wanted to recommend a quick tour that gave some sense of Minneapolis' unique history: how the settlement began at the Falls of St. Anthony, its history of grain milling, and Eastern European immigration in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

This site has some good suggested walking tours in Mpls. and St. Paul.

For someone staying in downtown Mpls I'd recommend the Riverfront Walking Tour (Northeast Mpls) or the Loring Park Tour just south of downtown including the Mpls. Sculpture Garden, Walker Art Center (Modern Art, fun gift shop, cafe with great city views the top floor), and as Gigi mentioned, the Basilica of St. Mary. Or the Downtown Mpls tour, including the Mary Richards hat-toss statue.

1) Stone Arch Bridge over Mississippi River

2) Cherry & Spoon at Mpls. Sculpture Garden

3) Walker Art Center
4) The hat toss from the opening scene of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Typical native reaction from Hazel in the background.

[Good tours, but that site needs to be edited by a native:
MSP = Minneapolis/St.Paul
Mpls = Minneapolis
N-I-C-O-L-L-E-T Mall... ]

I'm keeping this handy for my next visit: 18 Essential Mpls. Restaurants

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Sarah A

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I grew up in Minneapolis and my family still lives there. As for shopping I used to really like the 50 & France area (although it is totally different now, I still think I would like it...) and Linden Hills is nice (not so much for clothes though as some great bread and toys for all the kiddos on your shopping lists) which is nearby about 42nd & Sheridan or so. Walker Art Center is a fav for more modern art and I really recommend the American Swedish Institute on Park or Portland and about 26th? (maybe). Fantastic mosaic tile firepaces and such. Minneapolis Art Institute frequently has special traveling exhibits that we dont get "here" (I live in NC now) and so I also enjoy those occasionally when visiting. The St Paul Science Museum and IMAX theatre is fun if you are into science and natural history. The lock and dam downtown are cool too to get a sense on the history and how the milling operations really formed the cities. Enjoy your trip!

rebekahphoto

Veteran

We just had a layover at the airport recently, and discovered they have remodeled the airport & the dining is getting raves. So if you have some time to kill, the eating options are very good. The redo is from OTG (they have done several airports) complete with hundreds of Ipad stations, self order at the restaurants, and free wi-fi. pretty fancy

we had amazing fresh noodles and sushi at Shoyu and great drinks from Mimosa

http://minneapolis.eater.com/a.....rport-msp-