Visiting Minneapolis - St. Paul these days (Late 2022)

[SomeOtherGuy]

Looking at doing a family fun and shopping trip to Minneapolis - St. Paul area in the next two months. I used to visit there pre-Floyd riots and know it OK, but not super well. As of November 2022, how much unrest and tension is there in the city and region?

I have heard that Mall of America can be... uh... culturally enriched on weekends. Does this extend to its surrounding areas? If you want mall shopping without tourist stuff, what other malls in the region are good, healthy, and safe? What suburban areas are best for a visitor looking for ordinary stuff and avoiding excessive cultural enrichment?

Can anyone recommend parks - ideally suburban - that have nice smooth trails and amenities without being too far out (I live next to wilderness, can get that any day of the week) and without safety issues?

Many thanks in advance.

[Hank6046]

What are you trying to do? The MOA is okay during the day, and especially in the mornings, just stay off the light rail and don't go downtown Minneapolis. Stick to Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Woodbury

[uffdaphil]

If you plan to stay in a hotel near the MOA steer clear of the crime central cheapos nearby on 494. The smaller Galleria mall in Edina is nice with good eateries. Eden Prairie Mall is safe. Southdale also at least during daytime. Not sure about after dark.

Anywhere from about 2 miles west of the MOA along 494 is safe with restaurants and shopping on the north side of Lyndale avenue, south side of Penn avenue and France avenue north for a mile.

[Hank6046]

If you plan to stay in a hotel near the MOA steer clear of the crime central cheapos nearby on 494. The smaller Galleria mall in Edina is nice with good eateries. Eden Prairie Mall is safe. Southdale also at least during daytime. Not sure about after dark.

Anywhere from about 2 miles west of the MOA along 494 is safe with restaurants and shopping on the north side of Lyndale avenue, south side of Penn avenue and France avenue north for a mile.

Some of the Hotels in Eagan off of Ceder are still decent places, with a short drive over to the MOA, I would also mention if you want to go hiking, Lebanon Hills on the east side of Eagan is great for trails, and scenery

[SomeOtherGuy]

What are you trying to do?

Ordinary shopping (clothing, etc.) and restaurants we don't have at home. We live 16 miles past the end of the world, as the famous sign once said. So ordinary suburban stuff everyone else gets bored with is novel and just once or twice a year for us.

Thanks for both replies!

[Hank6046]

Ordinary shopping (clothing, etc.) and restaurants we don't have at home. We live 16 miles past the end of the world, as the famous sign once said. So ordinary suburban stuff everyone else gets bored with is novel and just once or twice a year for us.

Thanks for both replies!

As @Uffdaphil mentioned, Galleria mall in Edina, there is a Outlet Mall at Ceder (77) and Hwy 13 in Eagan, and then the MOA. Grand Ave has both shops and restaurants in St. Paul (good luck with parking as my wife always ends up with a ticket). Bad Weather Brewing in St. Paul is good, so is Summit brewing for beer. France Ave in Edina has lots of food and shopping. If you are looking for a Juicy Lucy go to the Nook in St. Paul, dive bar in a nicer area and expect a wait, but it made my father in law happy and he insisted we go every time he would come up to visit.