Northeast, Minneapolis: neighborhood guide

Northeast, locally called Nordeast, sits across the Mississippi from Downtown. It was a working-class district of Eastern European immigrants, and the old commercial buildings, churches and brewery blocks are still the frame around a newer crowd of artists, brewers and young professionals.

The district is bigger than it looks on a map. Its de facto centre is the Old St Anthony triangle where Hennepin Ave, University Ave and Central Ave meet, plus St Anthony Main along the river. From there Central Avenue runs northeast through an industrial stretch, then a busy commercial strip from about 18th Avenue with Indian groceries around 19th Avenue and Middle Eastern and Latin American restaurants near Lowry Avenue.

The city-designated Arts District covers the area bounded by Lowry Avenue, Central Avenue and Broadway. Studio buildings here open to the public during Art-a-Whirl in May. A smaller gallery-and-bar cluster sits on 13th Avenue NE between 2nd and 4th Street NE.

Choose Northeast if your trip is about eating and drinking, live music, breweries and river walks, and you want to pay less than Downtown for the same city. It also suits travellers with a car, since parking is easier and I-35W is close.

Look elsewhere if you plan to walk to Downtown museums, sports venues and the convention centre every day, or if you are in Minneapolis for one night without a car. In that case the Downtown neighborhood is simpler. The Southwest neighborhood suits museum-and-lake days, and the South neighborhood suits a calmer, more residential base.

Within Northeast, the Old St Anthony and St Anthony Main edge is the most walkable and the liveliest on warm summer nights; it can feel empty in winter. Central Avenue near Lowry Avenue is better for cheap, varied food and everyday errands than for sightseeing.

Northeast is one of the better food districts in the city for range at mid prices. The Old St Anthony and St Anthony Main strip along the river has sit-down restaurants, bars and a cinema, and is busiest on warm evenings. Central Avenue is the everyday eating street: Indian groceries and restaurants around 19th Avenue, then Middle Eastern and Latin American places near Lowry Avenue.

Breweries and taprooms cluster in the old industrial buildings, often with food trucks outside rather than full kitchens. Check individual hours before you go, since many taprooms close early on weekdays and some kitchens shut by 21:00.

For a cheap meal, aim for lunch specials on Central Avenue; for a longer dinner with drinks, stay near the river. Tipping is expected in the US: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants and US$1–2 a drink at bars.

From Downtown, cross the Hennepin Ave bridge or the 3rd Ave bridge and you are in the Old St Anthony triangle. By car from the freeway system, use I-35W. Walking from Downtown over the Hennepin Ave bridge to St Anthony Main takes roughly 20–30 minutes.

Metro Transit buses do the heavy lifting. Route 10 runs north-south along Central Avenue with frequent weekday service; Route 11 crosses the Arts District on 2nd Street NE; Route 4 uses Johnson Street; Route 17 zig-zags on Monroe and Washington Streets; Route 30 runs east-west on Broadway and Route 32 on Lowry Avenue. Frequencies and hours change, so check current schedules before relying on a late trip.

Street numbering flips at the river: Plymouth Ave on the north side becomes NE 8th Ave, Lowry Ave becomes about NE 25th Ave, and N 42nd Ave crosses the Camden Bridge as NE 37th Ave. North-south streets are named after US presidents in order heading east. Near Downtown the grid bends to follow the river, so use a map app for the first few trips.