World City Guide

Nightlife

Minneapolis and St Paul enjoy a lively nightlife scene, with plenty of live music. The Twin Cities are on the touring circuit for many big-name bands and solo artists and several local musicians have risen to fame, most notably The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. Blues and jazz are particularly big here but everything from rock to reggae can be found most nights of the week and cover charges for music venues are often free or inexpensive.

Downtown Minneapolis is a centre for nightlife, although popular bars and music clubs are located throughout the metropolitan area. The legal drinking age is 21 years old. Bars must stop serving alcohol at 0100 but are allowed to remain open until 0300. The average price of a drink while out and about in Minneapolis is between US$4 and US$8.

Entertainment and nightlife listings appear in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St Paul Pioneer Press and the weekly free tabloid, City Pages.

Bars: Sports bars with numerous TV monitors for watching sporting events are hot in the Twin Cities and some of the biggest and most popular include America’s Original Sports Bar, located in the Mall of America, Bloomington, and Champp’s, 100 North Sixth Street, Minneapolis, as well as six other locations. Another is Loon Café, 500 First Avenue North, Minneapolis, with large windows that are great for surveying the Downtown scene. Popular watering holes in Downtown Minneapolis’ Warehouse District include Rosen’s Bar and Grill, 430 First Avenue North, and Runyan’s, 107 Washington Avenue North. More upmarket Minneapolis watering holes include The Loring Bar, 1624 Harmon Place, overlooking Loring Park, The Lounge, 411 Second Avenue North, and City Billiards, 25 North Fourth Street, a smart billiards hall. Gluek’s Bar, 16 North Sixth Street, Minneapolis, and William’s Uptown Pub & Peanut Bar, 2911 Hennepin Avenue, are among the local favourites for knocking back a beer or two. Lucia’s Wine Bar, 1432 West 31st Street, is an intimate Uptown spot, with one of the best wine lists in the city.

Casinos: Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel, 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard, Prior Lake (website: www.mysticlake.com), is the closest casino to the Twin Cities, with 2800 slot machines, 100 blackjack tables and high stakes bingo. Treasure Island Resort & Casino, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Red Wing (tel: (800) 867 7829), is situated approximately 35 minutes from the airport. They are both open daily 24 hours. There is no dress code but visitors must be 18 years of age and have a government-issued photo ID showing the date of birth, such as a passport or driving licence.

Clubs: Tropix Beach Club, 400 Third Avenue North, Minneapolis, has a large dancefloor complete with a sea cruiser boat, while Gay 90s, 408 Hennepin Avenue, is a massive multi-room mixed and gay club, popular for its great house music, piano bar and drag shows. The Quest, 110 North Fifth Street, and South Beach, 325 First Avenue, dance clubs, both in Minneapolis’ Warehouse District, stay open until 0300, while Conga Latin Bistro, 501 Hennepin Avenue East, is a hotbed of Latin pop.

Comedy: Knuckleheads, a large venue located at the Mall of America, hosts national comedy acts, as does the venerable Acme Comedy Company, 708 North First Street, Minneapolis, which also offers dinner packages. Brave New Workshop, 2605 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis (website: www.bravenewworkshop.com), is the country’s longest running satirical comedy theatre and also holds improvisation nights.

Live music: Made famous in the film Purple Rain, First Avenue, 701 First Avenue, Minneapolis, is the city’s largest live music venue, booking top touring bands and artists. Another top venue, The Cabooze, 917 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, has a huge dancefloor and a nightly double bill of blues, rock and reggae artists. Bunkers, 716 North Washington Avenue, pulls in the crowds for live blues and R&B, while the 400 Club, 400 Cedar Avenue, at Cedar and Riverside, is a popular hangout near the university, showcasing local and national bands. The Dakota, 1021 East Bandana Boulevard, St Paul, is the leading jazz club in the Twin Cities, where local and national artists perform in a renovated railroad building. Hot on its heels is Jazzmines, 123 North Third Street, the latest spot for live jazz in the Warehouse District. An all-round favourite is Fine Line Music Café, 318 First Avenue North, Minnepolis, featuring blues, jazz, folk, rock and gospel music. Drop in to the Red Sea, 320 Cedar Avenue South, for world music from international musicians.