Minneapolis is surrounded by many lakes and the banks of the Mississippi river. The city’s Nice Ride bike program offers more than 60 kiosks dedicated to bicycle sharing and the Chain of Lakes is connected by 34 miles of dedicated bike lanes, providing ample biking, running and walking paths.

Minneapolis is known as a highly livable city, with great access to nature. The city sits on the banks of the Mississippi and the region is dotted with green spaces, lakes, and parks and 34 miles of bike lanes. In the winter, there’s nearby cross country skiing, pond hockey, and ice skating, in summer, there’s biking and boating and miles of great walking trails. The city is surrounded by the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, a connecting series of parks and lakes that show off the city’s natural beauty.

The “Twin Cities” of Minneapolis and St. Paul make up Minnesota’s largest metropolitan area. Target, Best Buy, and Land o’Lakes (it’s Minnesota, there’s dairy!) have their corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. Minneapolis is home to the Vikings football team, the Minnesota Twins baseball team, and the Minnesota Wild hockey franchise.

The city has thriving arts scene. The Walker Art Center houses a renowned contemporary arts collection. There’s also the Guthrie Theater, a science museum, and a lively gallery and nightlife scene. Minneapolis has a reputation as a smart city – it jostles with Seattle for the top slot on annual “most literate city” lists. It’s not just talk about brains, though – there are multiple universities, private research centers, medical trial and energy conservation programs, and its home to a highly educated population.

Minneapolis prides itself on diversity. It hosts one of the largest GLBT Pride celebrations in the United States. But it’s home to ethnic diversity too – there are large Somali, Hmong, Vietnamese, and Ethiopian populations here.