Neighborhood Series RSS Feed

Last month we covered Como Park in Saint Paul, and now we’re hitting the nearby neighborhood of Como in Minneapolis. Its boundaries are East Hennepin Avenue to the north, 33rd Avenue Southeast (the eastern city limit) to the east, the Southeast Industrial Area to the south, and Interstate 35W to the west. This area is also home to numerous spots and creative studios. Check out some highlights of Como below.

Gem Salon 

A cherished neighbor of our VIBE office, Gem Salon recently relocated to Como in Minneapolis! Help them feel welcome in their new digs and check them out in their new industrial space in the FISK Building. They offer modern and cutting-edge hair services, and never disappoint with their client experience.
gemsalonspa.com

…

In honor of the Great Minnesota Get Together (The Minnesota State fair coming up!), we’ve highlighted the nearby area of the Como neighborhood. Located in the Northwestern area of Saint Paul, is best known for Como Park Zoo, the Conservatory and beautiful Como Lake. If you’re looking for a recreational haven in the midst of the city, Como Park won’t disappoint. There are a wide variety of free or reasonably priced activities, services and educational opportunities for residents in the neighborhood and park visitors. Enjoy boat rentals, a golf course, bike paths, picnic areas, sports fields, and pavilions. This area is also home to numerous restaurants where you can kick back, listen to live music, and enjoy your surroundings. Check out some highlights of…

Robbinsdale is just Northwest of Minneapolis and a part of Hennepin County. With a suburban feel, yet close enough to all that Minneapolis has to offer — this area has a good amount of single family homes, and is made up of parks, lakes, restaurants, and a historic downtown. Check out our curated Robbinsdale spots below.

Travail Kitchen and Amusements 

A must-go-to spot, Travail is located in downtown Robbinsdale and offers experiential dining with some awesome new concepts (and parking lot parties with live music!) They serve new American food and rotate signature dining experiences along with an interactive brunch. We’re talkin’ food stations, meat carving, build-your-own omelets, raw bar and more. Their chef’s tasting menu features seasonal…

Uptown is centered at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street and has long been a hip neighborhood of Minneapolis. A staple area for decades, it was famously written about by Prince. It has traditionally spanned the corners of four neighborhoods, Lowry Hill East, East Bde Maka Ska, South Uptown and East Isles neighborhoods, which are all within the Calhoun Isles community. Throughout the many changes over time, this area is still full of buzzy gastropubs, bistros, stores and boutiques. Known for its classic Uptown Theater on Hennepin and being near walking and cycling paths encircling Lake Bde Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles, this area has plenty to do.

Sookie & Mimi

One of the most recent additions to Uptown, Sookie & Mimi is an…

North Saint Paul is a distinct area (considered more of its own city than a neighborhood) located Northeast of downtown Saint Paul, and has great historical context and charm. The structures are older, including a downtown stretch of storefront with a six block long Main Street. Silver Lake and Casey Lake are the area’s largest bodies of water and both have adjacent parks great for a weekend stroll. Being a historical spot, North Saint Paul boasts the oldest continuously operating bar in Minnesota, Neumann's Bar, highlighted below. Check out other known local spots and hole-in the-wall gems on our compiled list.

Neumann’s Bar

Head to Neumann’s bar for a blast to the past, located in the historic downtown area. They opened for business in…

A Minneapolis favorite for most, St. Anthony Main is located on the Mississippi River with some the best views of downtown. It’s a pocket of Northeast Minneapolis that is definitely worth exploring. This gem is characterized by its cobblestone road lined with a historic theater, bustling restaurants and popular patios. It’s also the oldest portion of the city, but has kept it’s character intact. Take a walk through and you’ll see for yourself! Below are some recommended places to explore in the neighborhood.

Minneapolis Cider Company

Who doesn’t love a good cider? This hangout has cool industrial vibes offering ciders, handcrafted food, cocktails, and pickleball. Yes, you can book a court for pickleball. Run, don’t walk.
minneapoliscider.co/

…

Not to be confused with West Side Saint Paul, the city of West Saint Paul actually looks pretty south when viewing it on a map, but hey, it’s a worthy area to cover none-the-less. The city's misleading name comes in part from the fact that it lies on the west bank of the predominantly north-to-south Mississippi River. Robert Street is the main drag in this area with some great spots to check out. And you know, since we’re covering it on our neighborhood series, we’ve compiled a list below. 

Crumbl Cookies

If you haven’t had a Crumbl cookie yet, are you really living? These giant freshly baked cookies are the bee’s knees. The best part? They rotate between super creative flavors every week so you never get tired of them. Yeah, it’s dangerous. And…

We’re excited to begin covering suburbs in our neighborhood series! First on the list — St. Louis Park. This neighboring suburb just minutes west of downtown Minneapolis offers a convenient location and small-town charm. It’s the perfect setting for experiencing the metro region without all the hustle and bustle. With no shortages of places to eat or things to do, we’ve covered some of the best of St. Louis Park below.

Punch Bowl Social

You won’t find a more entertaining spot than Punch Bowl Social. Introducing an excellent line-up of activities from bowling, karaoke, bonzini, foosball, giant Scrabble and Jenga, ping pong, or vintage arcade games — this spot quite literally has it all. Their menu isn’t lacking either. Grab some classic breakfast…

This month our neighborhood spotlight is focusing on an entirely new neighborhood that is being constructed in Saint Paul! The Highland Bridge project spans over 100 acres just south of Highland Park, in the area that was formerly home to Ford Motor Company’s Twin Cities assembly plant.

With construction well underway, you can head to their website to really dig into all the planning, their project partners, and an interactive aerial map of the area: highlandbridge.com/explore.

Highland Bridge will consist of a multitude of structures and properties, from condos, custom homes, affordable housing (a minimum of 20% of properties will be affordable housing), senior living, and rowhomes, people will have access to a variety of residential options if…

Perhaps one of the most known neighborhoods in Saint Paul (are we too bold to say in the Twin Cities?) Summit Hill is a truly classic neighborhood famous for its regal Summit Avenue, a boulevard boasting the best preserved collection of Victorian mansions in the country, yes, country. With such historical and impressive mansions, are we wrong to assume that some might even be...haunted? (Check out the Summit Ave Haunted Walking Tour section below.) From the opulent Governor's Residence to the prior home of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Summit Hill is a prized jewel. Just one block over, you’ll find miles of great shops and local restaurants lining Grand Avenue. We’ve noted a few worth checking out below.

Summit Ave Haunted Walking Tours in October

Feeling…