The city of Minneapolis grew up around the flour mills powered by St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. Other industries overtook milling by the middle of the 20th century, but the west bank of the river remained the commercial center of the city. Now office buildings and skyscrapers dominate downtown Minneapolis, together with modern apartment blocks, shopping centers, theaters, restaurants and all kinds of entertainment. Today, Downtown Minneapolis is one of the major commercial and finance centers in the Midwest. About 40,000 people, mostly young urban professionals, live in Downtown Minneapolis.
Downtown is a district in Minneapolis and is divided into two official neighborhoods: Downtown East and Downtown West. Downtown West has the skyscrapers, Nicollet Mall, and the Warehouse District. Downtown East has the historic mill district, the Metrodome, and a mix of residential and commercial buildings. The general use of "Downtown Minneapolis" usually means all of Downtown West, and the western half of Downtown East. It is sprinkled with architecturally interesting skyscrapers, most of which are interconnected, mainly on the second level above the street level, by a growing web of Skyways, now approaching eight miles in total length. Downtown Minneapolis is quite compact, and the skyway system connects many major buildings and attractions. Nicollet Mall is the main semi-pedestrianized shopping street in downtown Minneapolis and is considered to be car-free.
There are many attractive places to walk in Downtown Minneapolis. The Mill District, the Historic Theatre District, along the banks of the Mississippi and across the Stone Arch Bridge are all interesting places for a stroll. A former railroad bridge of the Great Northern Railway spanning the Mississippi River, the Stone Arch Bridge sat idle until it was repaired and adapted for pedestrian and bicycle use in the early 1990s. The Stone Arch is now famous for its graceful arches and breathtaking views overlooking the Saint Anthony Falls.
Theater and performing arts abound in the Downtown Minneapolis district. The Orpheum Theatre, State Theater, Pantages Theatre, the Guthrie Theater and several new theaters offer diverse and bountiful productions. The Minnesota Orchestra and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra are established participants of the arts. The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra puts on the annual Sommerfest every summer.
Minneapolis museums include: the Foshay Museum, the Mill City Museum, and the Walker Art Center. Each is unique in display from the deco tower of the Foshay Museum to the modern art of the Walker Art Center.
Minneapolis is a major sports town. Target Field, is home of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins, Target Center is home of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA Minnesota Lynx basketball teams and the Herbert H. Humphrey Metrodome* is home of the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team.
In the winter, ice skaters can use the historic Depot's enclosed ice rink.
* U.S. Bank Stadium is a new stadium under construction for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) in Minneapolis. Located on the site of their former home, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Downtown East, the stadium will be their third permanent home. It will be the first new fixed roof stadium in the NFL since Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, opened in 2002. As of March 2015, the overall budget is estimated to be $1.061 billion, of which $348 million is coming from the state of Minnesota, $150 million from the city of Minneapolis, and $551 million coming from the team and private contributions. U.S. Bank Stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018 and the 2019 NCAA basketball men's Final Four. On June 15, 2015 it was officially announced that U.S. Bank had acquired the naming rights to the stadium. The naming deal is reportedly worth $220 million over 25 years.
