Commonly known as the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St Paul form
a sprawling metropolis on either side of the Mississippi River.The older city, St Paul, is the state capital, smaller, quieter
and more reserved than its modern sibling across the river. The
capital has a compact downtown area sporting a variety of restored
Victorian architecture among its glass skyscrapers. It is also the
cultural centre with universities, museums and theatres.
Minneapolis, founded on money made by the hundreds of saw and
flourmills along the Mississippi has many contemporary buildings in
a slick new downtown area with a lively, arty character and a
vibrant nightlife.Both cities are hubs for the Mississippi riverboat traffic that
call from as far away as the river's mouth at New Orleans. The very
existence of the Twin Cities is due to the only waterfall on the
Mississippi, St Anthony Falls, whose hydroelectric power fuelled
numerous flour and timber mills along the river, and today the
Riverfront district in Minneapolis is a scenic stretch lined with
old warehouses, mills and historical walking trails.With hundreds of lakes lying within the Twin Cities area, there
are endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, with miles of
trails surrounding the lakes. Residents of the Twin Cities pride
themselves on a high quality of life that includes sport and
outdoor activities as well as top priorities such as a good
education, a clean environment, excellent health care and a low
crime rate. They boast a rich arts and cultural entertainment scene
with more concert venues per person than any other city in the
country, except New York. And the southern suburb of Bloomington is
home to the largest shopping centre in the US that includes an
aquarium and amusement park under the same roof as hundreds of
shops, restaurants, bars and theatres.
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