Minneapolis in June with 9 month old?

February 13, 2019 2:00 PM

I'm going to a conference in Minneapolis this summer and will be taking my spouse and 9 month old. Where is the best place to stay?

I'd like to stay in a neighborhood that is walkable, close to the downtown hotel where the conference is, and in a lodging that is baby friendly (I'm leaning toward AirBnB so we can get a kitchen with fridge to store milk and a crib or Pack n Play.) I'd also like the place we stay to be affordable (<$100 per night) and have parking.

The conference is only 3 days and we'll be there for a whole week.

We'll be renting a car to visit friends outside of the city, so we could potentially stay a bit farther out and I could drive/be driven to the conference. That said, I'm not so thrilled about packing the baby into the car every time we want to do something on days I'm not attending the conference, so bonus points if there are fun things to do in the neighborhood.

I think we can only have one or the other (walkability or cheapness) but maybe I'm missing something?

Also, what are fun things to do with a 9 month old in Minneapolis and the surrounding area?

posted by stripesandplaid to Travel & Transportation around Minneapolis, MN (6 answers total)

You can probably find a good AirBnB in Northeast, which is just across the river from downtown. You'll be able to hop on a bus to your conference and your family can stroll around the neighborhood and even walk over the Stone Arch Bridge to downtown. NE is more likely to have parking than the areas south of downtown, but most of those are fine, too. Staying in Uptown would require a bus or car to get downtown, plus it is getting to be more of a bar scene than a fun neighborhood. However, it is near the Chain of Lakes and walking around them is a required summer activity. Closer back to downtown is Loring Park with a smaller lake for circling.
posted by soelo at 2:12 PM on February 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

Light rail will take you right downtown from anywhere along the corridor into St Paul or south toward Mall of America - which is great for bringing baby in a stroller - but there's not a lot directly along the corridor itself. A few blocks either side of the corridor, yes. I wouldn't rule it out as an alternative.
posted by caution live frogs at 2:40 PM on February 13, 2019

Best answer: Just private messaged you, but for the love of god, don't stay in St. Paul. Or near the Mall of America.
posted by sureshot at 8:12 PM on February 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Minneapolis is very low density, for a city, so doesn't have a ton of walkable neighborhoods. However, you won't struggle to find parking.

My best recommendation is that you stay in Whittier near Nicollet just south of Franklin, where you'll have access to a nice strip of restaurants and cafes - a bustling little commercial area, parks and a museum, and a five-ten minute walk over to Lyndale where there's more of the same. And, it's a very short and easy bus ride (or a twenty minute walk) straight north into downtown.

Staying in Seward is also an option - again, best closer to Franklin Ave. It's a pretty low-density neighborhood and while there's a nice grocery coop, a few cafes/bars/restaurants in the area, it's not like there's a *ton* to do; you can, however, walk over to the river, which is lovely (all of Seward is lovely in June). But check your distances and your needs - it's "walkable" but, like, plenty of areas that are nice to stay are about a 1.5 mile walk to the light rail stop that 'serves' the neighborhood.
posted by entropone at 5:48 AM on February 14, 2019

Another option is near Grand Avenue and Victoria in St. Paul -- several cute shops and restaurants are there, it's easy enough to access major highways, very historic and lovely area. Not a lot of "activities" per se that are in walking distance, but it's good for strolling and eating and maybe some nonspecific shopping (there are various boutiques and such).

I know for a fact there is a great AirBnB very close (we just stayed there a couple months ago) -- memail me if you want me to dig up the information.
posted by Bebo at 12:36 PM on February 14, 2019

There are a few good AirBnBs near Loring Park, which is across the freeway from the sculpture garden. Both fine places to take a kid. Very walkable to downtown.
posted by MrBobinski at 5:34 AM on February 16, 2019