Uptown Minneapolis occupies the southwest corner of the city roughly bounded by Lake Bde Maka Ska to the west, Franklin Avenue to the north, and Interstate 35W to the east. It has been the city’s counterculture and arts hub since the 1970s, drawing residents and visitors with its walkable grid, independent retail, and immediate lake access. The intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street serves as the neighborhood’s commercial and cultural crossroads.
What is Uptown Minneapolis known for?
Uptown is known as Minneapolis’s most walkable urban village, combining direct access to Lake Bde Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles with a dense corridor of independent shops, restaurants, and music venues concentrated along Hennepin Avenue and Lyndale Avenue South. The neighborhood hosts the annual Uptown Art Fair each August, one of the largest juried outdoor art festivals in the Midwest, drawing hundreds of artists to the streets around Lake Street. It also served as a filming location and cultural touchstone connected to Prince, who grew up and worked extensively in the Twin Cities.
Best things to do in Uptown Minneapolis
The single best use of a day in Uptown is to combine a full loop of Lake Bde Maka Ska—a 3.2-mile paved trail used by cyclists, runners, and inline skaters—with browsing the independent boutiques and record stores along Hennepin Avenue between Lake Street and 31st Street. Key activities include renting a kayak or paddleboard from the beach concession stands on Bde Maka Ska, exploring the connected Chain of Lakes trail system toward Lake of the Isles, and catching a live show at First Avenue’s Uptown venue or the Lagoon Cinema, an arthouse theater on Lagoon Avenue that has operated since 1914.
- Paddle or swim at Bde Maka Ska’s public beaches
- Bike the Chain of Lakes regional trail connecting multiple lakes
- Attend a film at the Lagoon Cinema on Lagoon Avenue
- Browse vinyl and used books along Hennepin Avenue
- Walk or skate the Midtown Greenway, a rail-trail cutting through the neighborhood
Where to eat in Uptown Minneapolis
Uptown’s dining scene is concentrated on Hennepin Avenue, Lyndale Avenue South, and Lake Street, offering everything from longstanding neighborhood institutions to newer fast-casual spots, with a strong emphasis on locally owned restaurants. Barbette on West Lake Street is a long-running French bistro and brunch destination with a seasonal patio. Chino Latino on Hennepin Avenue serves street food from hot regions around the world and is a neighborhood anchor for late-night dining. The area also supports strong Ethiopian and Vietnamese options along adjacent corridors reflecting Minneapolis’s broader immigrant communities.
- Barbette: French bistro on West Lake Street, known for brunch and moules frites
- Chino Latino: global street-food menu on Hennepin Avenue, lively late-night scene
- Lucia’s Restaurant: long-running farm-to-table spot on West 31st Street
- Multiple Ethiopian restaurants along the Franklin and Lyndale corridors
How to get to Uptown Minneapolis
Uptown is most directly reached by Metro Transit bus routes running along Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, with the Route 6 bus on Hennepin Avenue providing frequent service from downtown Minneapolis. The Midtown Greenway trail offers a protected bike commute from downtown and east Minneapolis directly into the heart of Uptown. Street parking exists on residential blocks but is limited on Hennepin Avenue commercial strips; a park-and-ride approach using the Bde Maka Ska parking lots is practical for visitors arriving by car.
- Metro Transit Route 6 on Hennepin Avenue from downtown
- Metro Transit Route 21 along Lake Street for east-west access
- Midtown Greenway protected bike trail into neighborhood core
- Nice Ride Minnesota bike-share stations at multiple Uptown corners
Where to walk in Uptown Minneapolis
The essential Uptown walk follows Lake Street west from Hennepin Avenue to the eastern shore of Bde Maka Ska, then traces the paved lakeshore path north to the isthmus connecting to Lake of the Isles, returning through the residential streets lined with early-twentieth-century craftsman bungalows and Tudor revival homes. Dean Parkway and the William Berry Parkway offer shaded sidewalks flanking the lakes with consistent views of the water and downtown skyline to the northeast.
Best time to visit Uptown Minneapolis
Late June through August is the peak season for Uptown, when the lakes are fully open for swimming and paddling, restaurant patios operate at full capacity, and the Uptown Art Fair in early August brings the neighborhood’s street life to its highest energy. The Chain of Lakes trail system draws heavy recreational use on weekends from May through October; visiting on a weekday morning avoids crowds at the beaches and on the paths. Winter transforms the neighborhood into a quieter but still active destination, with snowshoers and cross-country skiers on groomed lake trails and cozy bar and restaurant scenes on Hennepin Avenue.
