Minneapolis

Beer and Live Music at the '612 Brew Fest'

Who doesn't love beer and live music? Well, if you don't, then this event is not for you -- but if you are in the category of loving beer and music, 612 Brew Art Music and Beer Festival has got a weekend of fun for you. This event is in conjunction of the Art-A-Whirl festivities that same weekend. Oh, the best part? The event is open to the public and free to all. 

On May 15th and 16th, Northeast Minneapolis will be lively with many live concerts, an open studio to check out talented local artists, and of course, beer from 612 Brewery. The brewery will be serving its five top selling beers during the event. 

Friday night will play host to five bands and Saturday will showcase eight bands -- the headline acts include: Ash St. John, Nathan Miller, Loons in the Attic,...

Revered Hollywood Director Christopher Nolan Set to Visit the Walker

The Walker Art Center will play host to one of Hollywood’s biggest directors on May 5th. The Dark Knight and Inception director Christopher Nolan will be visiting Minneapolis to have an open discussion about film with Variety movie critic Scott Foundas.

The London filmmaker has a huge following, so this event is sure to be in front of a packed house. Over the past 25 years, the Walker Art Center has had many acclaimed filmmakers for their Dialogues & Film Retrospectives program. The series has hosted Clint Eastwood, The Coen Brothers, Tom Hanks, Jodie Foster and many more.

Each of Nolan’s films will screen...

22 High Performing Schools Recognized by Minnesota Department of Education

22 local schools have been recognized as "Celebration Schools," an honor bestowed upon schools serving poor students who demonstrate good achievement. 

The "Celebration" portion of the award is in part to Minnesota's new school accountability system. This monitors schools that receive federal poverty aid and gives them designations that correlate with how they fare academically. The "Celebration" designation is one of the highest commendations meant for the top 25% of schools receiving Title I money. 

“I want to congratulate these schools for this incredible accomplishment,” said Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. “Minnesotans should be proud of the work going on in our schools."

The full spread of schools is listed below -- congrats to all the "Celebration Schools" for their hard work...

Mall of America Getting 'Super' for 2018

With the 2018 Super Bowl calling the Twin Cities home, it comes as little surprise that the state is looking to make itself as attractive as possible to a world audience. With the Vikings getting a new stadium and the addition of more light rail, the state is quickly looking to ready itself for the worldwide event.

Though unrelated to the Super Bowl taking place in Minneapolis, the Mall of America is also expanding, by a whole lot. If you thought the MOA was huge before, can you imagine it being twice as big? The next ten years will make that a reality. Yes, that’s right, the MOA will be double its current size in just over ten years.

The MOA is planning on expanding the mall in phases, with the first phase adding another hotel, another sizable atrium, more dining options...

Linden Hills & Fulton Neighborhoods of Minneapolis

The Linden Hills and Fulton neighborhoods are two of the best locations to live in all the Twin Cities. Aside from only being minutes away from both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, the area sits in close proximity to the international airport and the Mall of America – and because the neighborhood is on the west side of the metro, it’s only a short drive to the scenic Lake Minnetonka. And on that note, the area itself has plenty of outdoor space that feels anything but urban.

Image Credit: Joe Bielawa

Near the Linden Hills and Fulton neighborhoods sit plenty of bodies of water worth spending time around – Minnehaha...

Home Building Activity Ticks Up in the Twin Cities

As consumer confidence and incomes rise, home building activity in the Twin Cities metro area continues to rebound. According to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), housing construction so far this year is up 23 percent from the same period in 2012, putting builders on a track for their best year since 2007.

During June alone, 496 permits were issued to build 912 units. Minneapolis led the top five cities permitting 380 units. Brooklyn Park and Woodbury were in the second position with 31 units, followed by Ramsey with 29. Construction of new homes in Blaine MN, Chanhassen MN and Lakeville MN tied for fifth place with 23 units permitted each.

So far this year, builders were issued 2,379 permits...

Minneapolis and the Twin Cities Rank No. 1 for Parks

The Trust for Public Land declared Minneapolis and the Twin Cities the nation’s best big city for public parks, followed by New York, Boston and Sacramento, Calif.

Minneapolis parks

Jayne Miller, superintendent for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said the work the board has done over the years earned the award.

“The city was built around the park system, not the other way around,” she said. “We are unique from the standpoint that the park system was built as an economic driver for the city.”

Recent Minneapolis parks projects include the East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center and new synthetic turf fields; a new beach, boardwalk playground and picnic area at Theodore Wirth Park; and the Phillips Community Center renovation.

“This is an honor not for...

What $175,000 Buys in Victory Neighborhood of Minneapolis

Here is MLS # 4369047. This charming Craftsman home is located at 4007 Russell Avenue N in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

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It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 1,355-square-feet of space. The house is in the Victory Neighborhood in  the Camden Community of Minneapolis.

 

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Built in 1925, this home features hardwood floors throughout most of...

Twin Cities Parade of Homes, Spring 2013

parade_of_homes_2000Spring hasn’t yet sprung, but the spring Parade of Homes is in full swing right now! This annual event, sponsored by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), opened on March 2 for its three-week run. It doesn’t end until March 24, so you still have two weekends left to check it out!

This year, there are 374 new Twin Cities homes on the Parade of Homes tour. That’s a 22 percent increase from last year. Homes on the tour range in price from $139,999 for a two-bedroom condo in New Brighton to just under $3 million for a luxurious home on a lake in Maple Grove.

Like to homegaze? Though there are plenty of reasonably priced Twin Cities homes for average home buyers on the Parade of Homes, the tour includes more than...

Twin Cities Real Estate a Good Bet in 2013

minneapolis real estateMinneapolis real estate and other Twin Cities area communities had a good year in 2012 and it is expected that the trend will continue in 2013 for home sellers.

 

A few things are working in our favor here in Minnesota, as far as real estate sales are concerned.

First, Minnesota has a low unemployment rate. And we don’t just mean “relatively low,” as it’s hovering just above 5 percent right now.

Second, Minnesota, and in particular the Twin Cities area, has an ...