good ';neighborhood'; to stay in while in the city?

Hi, all,

we%26#39;re (couple, plus 4 year old who is a good traveller) coming to town soon %26amp; plan to stay in the city (not suburbs). That said, can you recommend any neighborhoods that might have hotels, eating, things to see? Looking online, it looks like straight downtown seems to shut down for the night. We%26#39;re not really too interested in big chain restaurants, stores, etc. I don%26#39;t know if Minneapolis or St. Paul have the type of semi-selfcontained neighborhoods that also offer accomodations, but we%26#39;ll welcome any %26amp; all suggestions. We are trying to stick with a budget, too.

If not a part of downtown or neighborhood, we%26#39;ll also welcome suggestions for hotels in the main downtown area.

Thanks!

good ';neighborhood'; to stay in while in the city?

What activities are you looking for at night? There are a lot of hotels near the nicollet mall downtown. Nicollet mall is a pedestrian mall along Nicollet Ave with many shops and restaurants. If its nice out, I definitley recommend just walking along the road.

You can also drive or take the bus to uptown neighborhood for eating and shopping, but theres not much in terms of hotels in that area.

If you cross the river from downtown you%26#39;re in the ';Northeast'; neighborhood of mpls. Again lots of eating and shops, but I cant think of a hotel nearby off the top of my head.

good ';neighborhood'; to stay in while in the city?

Wow, I%26#39;m shocked to read that downtown shuts down for the night. I think that is false. If you stayed downtown Mpls, there is many, many shops or places to walk to. Maybe look into a B%26amp;B. Also, Uptown neighborhood is a cab ride away, and eclectic is an understatement. Fun shops, coffee houses, great restaurants. Lake Calhoun is a quick jaunt from Uptown offering rental kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats that you can take out on this beautiful lake in the city. There is an outside eatery called The Tin Fish, I believe. Awesome food, and the best part is sitting outside, sipping wine and watching the sail boats. Kids will love it too as there is a beach as well. Welcome to Minneapolis!

If you want any nightlife, along with the rest you mentioned Downtown, or Uptown are goin to be your best bet (not that I can place any Hotels in Uptown....There%26#39;s one by the Global Market on Lake Street, but that%26#39;s not the safest neighborhood).

There%26#39;s also the University area. It%26#39;s probably cheaper than downtown, and there%26#39;s decent bus service, but not much more than you would expect from any large U campus area (besides some particularly nice art venues).

For nightlife you best bet would be to pick a hotel near hennepin avenue.

It is true that a lot of downtown is the central business district - so that does ';shut down';.

That is not true from marquette ave and west.

what type of price points are you hoping to find?

Downtown shuts down for the night??! I live and work downtown Mpls and that can%26#39;t be further from the truth!

In my opinion, you%26#39;re asking for a tall order. The places I%26#39;d most recommend for neat neighborhoods of both Minneapolis and St. Paul lack hotels in their midst-- part of what makes the neighborhoods good.

Thinking as the parent of a 5-year-old, if you want in-city-proper lodging, I%26#39;d consider these:

Minneapolis-- either of the Depot hotels-- Residence Inn Depot (larger room, breakfast incl.) or The Depot Minneapolis. Both are close to the Mississippi and its attractions (Stone Arch bridge, St. Anthony Main/Riverplace, etc.), Metrodome, some of NE Minneapolis, Mill City Museum (great for kids, incl. kitchen/dough play). Definitely city and downtown, but has a lot of options.

St. Paul Best Western Bandana Square. Downside is it%26#39;s in a warehousey/RR track area, with not a lot of visual appeal or any attractions in a short walking distance. But comparatively close is Como Park and zoo (and walking path around lake and lots of Parkland, plus ComoTown amusement rides and carousel), Midway Stadium (minor league Saints baseball is fun), and restaurant possibilites nearby, particularly a choice of two Korean restaurants on Snelling Ave. near Hamline University. You%26#39;re also not far from Har-Mar / Rosedale shopping complexes in Roseville as well as some big-box stores on University Ave., if you%26#39;re in need/want of essentials or familiars.

The aforementioned properties should habe tripadvisor reviews.

Good luck %26amp; hope you have fun while here.

I%26#39;d second the reco to stay at The Depot -- either the Residence Inn or the Renaissance. Close to everything including the river, shopping and dining. Hop on the light rail and you can be at the Mall of America in 30 minutes.

http://www.thedepotminneapolis.com/

yeah - go with one of the Marriotts at the Depot

your 4 year old will enjoy the waterpark

and you%26#39;ll be close to the river and some great walks %26amp; views.

there are plenty of non-chains to eat at

Another vote for the Depot because of the Waterpark and proximity to the light rail. Kids seem to love trains. You could take him to the park at MOA -- whatever they%26#39;re calling it now.

As others have said, the hotels in the city of Mpls are pretty concentrated to downtown, with one in the Seven Corners area and one on Lake Street and one on campus off the top of my head. There are tons of great, varying neighborhoods, but not zoned for hotels.

Good comforters with a gray-blue room