Not because Minneapolis is some huge, world-famous city with a checklist of things you’re supposed to see. It’s more that everyday life here is just really good.

The parks are a big part of why we love it here. Plus there are lakes all over the city, and they actually feel like they belong to everyone. They’re right in the middle of neighborhoods, easy to get to, and open for people to enjoy however they want. Since June 2026, we’ve been regularly sailing on Bde Mka Ska, just a 10 minute bike ride from our apartment.

We also love that being outside here isn’t just a summer thing. Minneapolis really embraces winter instead of treating it as a season to get through. People keep using the parks, lakes, trails, and city all year, just in different ways. We’ve come to really appreciate that attitude toward winter — it makes the city feel alive even when it’s freezing, which it often is

Getting around is its own part of why the city works so well for us. We bike places because it’s often genuinely the easiest way to get there, and between biking, walking, and transit, we can get to a lot of what we need without driving. After living here for a while, we ended up getting rid of our car altogether.

Saint Paul is right next door, too. It has its own neighborhoods, restaurants, architecture, parks, and personality, but it’s easy to move between the two cities by bike or transit. We really do enjoy both cities (even though Minneapolis is definitely better).

We’ve had so much fun exploring the food here. The Twin Cities are home to communities from all over the world, and that shows up in restaurants and dishes shaped by Hmong, Indigenous, Vietnamese, Mexican, East African, Scandinavian, and so many other cultures. There is always something new for us to try, and discovering all of it has been a really fun part of getting to know this place.

Most of all we’ve been impressed by the kindness, courage, and resilience we’ve seen here.