10Best's Minneapolis Shopping
-- Kim Goodin, 10Best Travel Editor
While Mall of America garners much of the attention (and traffic) when it comes to shopping in either of the Twin Cities, there is still plenty else to explore. That's not to say you should avoid the enormous, four million square-foot MoA – after all, where else can you find a Nickelodeon Universe® theme park, LEGO Imagination Center, wedding chapel, a stadium seat torched by a Killebrew deep ball, and Macy's all under one roof? Once you've had your fill of the indoors, though, do make an effort to check out some of the area's open air shopping areas. In the Warehouse District, just north of downtown, once-abandoned industrial buildings were transformed into a vibrant collection of galleries, shops, bars, and restaurants. Less than a mile away is the Nicollet Mall, made famous by the opening credits of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, where shoppers find a sculpted pedestrian-friendly zone that features Crate & Barrel and other popular retailers. Across the river, the area nicknamed the "Nordeast" is also worth exploration. Especially along Hennepin Avenue, you'll find tons of great shops and restaurants, and encouraging developments like Saint Anthony Main seek to capitalize on the century-old charm of the riverside storefronts along Main Street.