What do Australians and New Zealanders think of Minneapolis?

Is it a well-known North American city, or is it more obscure, in the shadow of more prominent cities? Do Australians/New Zealanders hold the same stereotypes about Minneapolis as Americans do? Cold and barren six months of the year?

Is this a familiar skyline?

http://img32.echo.cx/img32/9144/over62and559009sx.jpg
http://twincityscape.com/m2.jpg
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/5skylinepan.jpg

Not really! Definately know the name but couldnt recognise the skyline.

It's a familiar skyline for those of us who frequent this site and have an interest but in terms of the whole population, less than 1% of people would pick it.

Everyone has heard of Minneapolis but the majority would know absolutely nothing about it.

Im not from NZ/Aus, but i know Minneapolis, mainly from the film 'Fargo' which talks about it, esp when Steve Buscemi says about the IDS building.

That building with the crown (South Sixth or something) is very cool, and the stepped one, lit up in yellow at night (think its Wells Fargo).

have heard of it but wouldnt know that skyline, and nah it doesnt have a reputation in Australia for anything :)

Im not from NZ/Aus, but i know Minneapolis, mainly from the film 'Fargo' which talks about it, esp when Steve Buscemi says about the IDS building.

That building with the crown (South Sixth or something) is very cool, and the stepped one, lit up in yellow at night (think its Wells Fargo).

Wow, I was skimming through the Australia & NZ forum and came across this thread! Took me by surprise.

Yes, you're exactly right. The round building with the crown is 225 South Sixth, the stepped-back, Rockefeller Center-style building is the Wells Fargo Tower.

And good god, the movie "Fargo" is definitely one locals hate to be known for; the accents portrayed in the film are wildly exaggerated and absolutely absurd. Quite an unfair and mocking portrayal of the state of Minnesota and its people, I must say.

All the Mighty Ducks movies are set there I think. Plus it's with St Paul its called the Twin Cities.

All the Mighty Ducks movies are set there I think. Plus it's with St Paul its called the Twin Cities.

Yep, you're right! I love the Mighty Ducks films. I guess there's a 12-year-old inside all of us.

Minneapolis & Saint Paul together form the Twin Cities; their downtowns (or central business districts as you guys would call them) are only 13 kilometers apart, both straddling the Mississippi River.

Off topic, but out of curiosity, has anyone seen Muriel's Wedding? It's one of my favorite Australian films.

And good god, the movie "Fargo" is definitely one locals hate to be known for; the accents portrayed in the film are wildly exaggerated and absolutely absurd. Quite an unfair and mocking portrayal of the state of Minnesota and its people, I must say.

Indeed! I'm originally from eastern North Dakota...

i only knew the name of this place :)
very nicew skyline ;)

Everyone seems to have heard of it, but the skyline is not that recognisable and really on skyscraper enthusiasts etc. would know info about the place.

Basically it's probably all been said- people on a forum like this would know about Minneapolis more than anyone off the streets. My first knowledge of Minneapolis was that it was twin with the state capitol St Paul, then that it had the Mall of America, and I realised how big it was when I bought a Rand McNally North American road atlas when I was 14 or so. The skyline is cool, and it would probably take me a couple of guesses to pick it correctly.

My mother used to live in Minneapolis in the late 70s (before I was born). It also happens to be where Prince comes from. *And* the company which I work for has its global HQ in Minneapolis as well. So I have more links to the place than I first thought :).

The skyline looks nice though ;)

most ppl know the name Minneapolis, but thats where it ends. i only recognise the skyline due to this forum. the only link i have to Minneapolis is that my best friend moved there when i was 12.

I have been to Minneapolis and I found it to be one of the nicest cities I visited whilst in the US. I loved how St Paul contrasted with modern Minneapolis. The parliament house and the cathedral were simply stunning. If I had to live in the US and if it wasn't for the very cold weather, Minneapolis would be the city I would choose. Also, for it's size Minneapolis probably has one of the best skylines in the US.

I know the name, But i dont know the skyline.

I would say in confidence that most people would have heard of it (People who arent dense morons lol)

I've heard of it and I knew there was a big arse mall there. After reading this thread I now realise I'm familar with 225 South Sixth I just didn't remember it was in Minneapolis. It's one of my favourite skyscrapers in the world. No wonder it's coming 2nd in the ROT 101-200 section.

ROT thread>http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=3244
http://www.stevendahlman.com/photo/project/photo/225sosix03.jpg

Im not from NZ/Aus, but i know Minneapolis, mainly from the film 'Fargo' which talks about it, esp when Steve Buscemi says about the IDS building.


"... Look at that. Twin Cities. IDS Building, the big glass one. Tallest skyscraper in the Midwest. After the Sears, uh, Chicago...You never been to Minneapolis?"

I only found out about Minneapolis when looking up buildings in the top 100 tallest list years ago.

Oriolus, im the same.

I recognise the skyline once i see it (in these pics) but I couldnt have put it to Minneapolis off the top of my head.

And i dont hold the stereotype "Cold and barren 6 months of the year"
I dont even know where it is , within the USA.

reminds me abit like Singapore, the 3 buildings which stands out

Oriolus, im the same.

I recognise the skyline once i see it (in these pics) but I couldnt have put it to Minneapolis off the top of my head.

And i dont hold the stereotype "Cold and barren 6 months of the year"
I dont even know where it is , within the USA.

Minneapolis/St Paul are in red font towards the upper middle section of the country, due west of Lake Michigan. If you look at the "US" part of "Major US Cities" at the top of the map, and then go straight south of that, you'll find Minneapolis/St Paul. It does get pretty damn cold there during the winter months, but they are absolutely beautiful cities with plenty of things to do and an affluent, white collar economy (home of American Express). If I were you I wouldn't base my opinion of it too much on the movie Fargo, else you're bound to be dissapointed if you ever visit! Like most Hollywood movies, Fargo exagerates regional dialects and cultures to make for better entertainment for the ignorant masses. :)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/cities/colormap.GIF

I've always known about Minneapolis-St.Paul but have yet to visit! We have close family friends that live there (in Wayzata - what's that area like?), as well as former neighbours who used to live across the street from me here in suburban Sydney, and moved to Minneapolis last year.

The skyline is fantastic! I have a cool little tourist book that our friends sent me with pics similar to those shown in this thread.

This time last year I was on a flight from Vancouver to Chicago and we flew right over downtown Minneapolis! Was very exciting and the closest I've come to visiting the city. :)

anyone of you know if minneapolis is a high tech city....???

wow, theres so many city's on that map you showed skyhigh :P And to think that Australia really only has 4 - 5 major city's makes me think how small we really are

anyone of you know if minneapolis is a high tech city....???
I'm not an expert on Minneapolis, but since noone else answered you I'll give my take, which is that it has a young, tech savvy population.... but I think its economy is more financial based than tech based, I could be wrong though. It's not a Silicon Valley, Austin, or Research Triangle.

wow, theres so many city's on that map you showed skyhigh :P And to think that Australia really only has 4 - 5 major city's makes me think how small we really are
There are a lot, but I still don't understand why they included some and left out others... like, included Jacksonville, Florida but left out Orlando, Florida???????

Is St.Paul a part of Minneapolis metro?

Or is Minneapolis a part of St.Paul metro?

And good god, the movie "Fargo" is definitely one locals hate to be known for; the accents portrayed in the film are wildly exaggerated and absolutely absurd. Quite an unfair and mocking portrayal of the state of Minnesota and its people, I must say.


Australians feel your pain.
http://www.lemure.net/~chuck/pics/croc_hunter.jpg
http://www.texasbesthomes.com/pix/daily/crocodile_dundee.jpg

Prince comes from there, doesn't he?
The band Everything But The Girl also wrote a song about the twin cities. :)

I know it from Fargo and Mighty ducks. Thats about it.

I know it's really cold up there. I also know it from the Mary Tyler Moore Show and, as already mentioned, Fargo. I love the Wells Fargo there too, one of the best PoMo buildings in the world, imo.

I first heard of MSP as a kid with the series ''One day at a time'' in the 1970s.
In the BHills 90210 series Brendan and Brenda came from MSP.
It also has one of the largest freeway networks for a metro of 3-4 million in the US (MEL & SYD have nothing on MSP for freeway kms).
MSP is also (together with Detroit) the main Northwest Airlines hub. Am not 100% sure but MSP might also be Northwests home base.

Is St.Paul a part of Minneapolis metro?

Or is Minneapolis a part of St.Paul metro?

Minneapolis is the larger and more important of the two, however, they are usually defined as one metro, Minneapolis-St Paul. It was home to the largest mall in the world (Mall of America - with an indoor theme park and everything), I'm not sure if it still holds that title, though it is still the largest in the USA.

And though it has one of the coldest winters in the US, MSP does have a noticeable summer that can get fairly hot and muggy.

Whatever. Fargo was great. I'm from Minneapolis and almost everyone I know loved that movie, and the Cohen brothers, (who are native Minnesotans), in general. And you DO find plenty of areas where the accents are that thick. Not so much in Minneapolis or St. Paul themselves, but I've seen plenty of it in the smaller communities and out in the suburbs.

Whatever. Fargo was great. I'm from Minneapolis and almost everyone I know loved that movie, and the Cohen brothers, (who are native Minnesotans), in general. And you DO find plenty of areas where the accents are that thick. Not so much in Minneapolis or St. Paul themselves, but I've seen plenty of it in the smaller communities and out in the suburbs.

Of course the accents exist, but the movie is hardly an accurate portrayal of what Minneapolis realy is today. Hollywood loves stereotypes! Fargo was a good movie, but if sick psycho murder movies is what you want, nothing compares to The Silence of the Lambs! :)

Fargo was a murder mystery, but it wasn't intended to be a "sick, psycho, murder mystery". If that's what you were looking for, then it's no wonder you didn't like it. It was supposed to be a black comedy, about how things can go terribly wrong, no matter how meticulously they were planned.

anyone of you know if minneapolis is a high tech city....???


Yes, it is a high tech city. You should read this article explaining why its the top tech city in the US.

Top Tech City: Minneapolis (http://www.popsci.com/popsci/generaltech/article/0,20967,1027220,00.html)

Fargo was a murder mystery, but it wasn't intended to be a "sick, psycho, murder mystery". If that's what you were looking for, then it's no wonder you didn't like it. It was supposed to be a black comedy, about how things can go terribly wrong, no matter how meticulously they were planned.
Actually, I liked it, but it has been a looong time since I've seen it, maybe my memory is a little fuzzy on it.

Yes, it is a high tech city. You should read this article explaining why its the top tech city in the US.

Top Tech City: Minneapolis (http://www.popsci.com/popsci/generaltech/article/0,20967,1027220,00.html)
Interesting article, I had no idea Minneapolis had all those high tech offerings. Atlanta is getting a similar traffic management system, it already has Navigator Traffic (http://www.georgia-navigator.com), and will soon be getting the onramp lights that Minn has. I read about Minneapolis' system in an article in the AJC when they first announced the new system. Do you like them? I heard they are controversial because it can sometimes back cars up on the onramps too much. Well, props to Minn for its ranking.

I know Minneapollis but most Austrailans wouldn't. As I've an interest in skylines and such I do recognize it right away - as most of us would.

When I think of Minneapolis these things spring to mind right away.

Fargo - the movie (one of my all time favorites)
IDS Building - once tallest west of the Mississippi I believe.
Mall of America - biggest shopping centre
St Paul - twin city
Eden Prarie - LOL (from the movie Fargo)

There you go.

Oh and those accents - don't be ashamed as its a beautiful accent and sets the region apart from the rest of America. I'm sure the accent can be traced back to the strong Scandinavian heritage of the region.

Anyone remember little house on the prarie?

whenever i hear minneapolis i think of a pic i saw on here of a like ancient plane flying infront of the skyline :)

I love that Minneapolis accent. Frances McDormand's accent on Fargo was great. I wish I could talk like that.

Interesting article, I had no idea Minneapolis had all those high tech offerings. Atlanta is getting a similar traffic management system, it already has Navigator Traffic (http://www.georgia-navigator.com), and will soon be getting the onramp lights that Minn has. I read about Minneapolis' system in an article in the AJC when they first announced the new system. Do you like them? I heard they are controversial because it can sometimes back cars up on the onramps too much. Well, props to Minn for its ranking.

It was controversial and people were protesting it. So they shut off the ramp meters for a month in 2000 i think to conduct a study.

this link addresses FAQs on ramp meters:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/rampmeterstudy/faqs1010.html

this link displays the results of the one month study:
results of study (http://www.benefitcost.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/0/2882f88ac5d7f36a85256ba0005065dc?OpenDocument)

Overall i think they are beneficial in terms of congestion and accidents. I personally don't mind them but I can see how they would frustrate people traveling only a short disatnce on the freeways. I'm not sure about the traffic in ATL but it should have a positive outcome, then again, we don't have 14-lane highways like you do.

Minneapolis is a bit like Liverpool or Birmingham in England. People know its a city in the USA but dont really know anything more about it.
Its probably better known around the world than Perth or Brisbane or Adelaide though !

So what creates a Known city that people can relate too? I would say ether a mojor event or film making?

Yep, you're right! I love the Mighty Ducks films. I guess there's a 12-year-old inside all of us.

Minneapolis & Saint Paul together form the Twin Cities; their downtowns (or central business districts as you guys would call them) are only 13 kilometers apart, both straddling the Mississippi River.

Off topic, but out of curiosity, has anyone seen Muriel's Wedding? It's one of my favorite Australian films.

Muriel's Wedding is a great film! I am spreading teh word on it as I traverse the earth on my vacation :cool: I already have people watchign it in 3 US states :D

MG2

Well anyone who is a fan of Prince (like myself) knows that Rock & Roll is alive, and it lives in Minneapolis!

Never got a good look at the skyline before coming to this site though.

A few things your average Australian might know about Minneapolis:

The Setting for THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW
The Film PURPLE RAIN
The Film DROP DEAD GORGEOUS
The Mall of America

But all in all doesn't get the exposure of the 3 biggies, DC, San Fran, Seattle or Miami

hmm let me think....

1) Minnesota Timberwolves
2) Mall of America
3) Twin City w/ St. Paul (isn't it?)

.... that's all. I guess you would consider yourself lucky for the Average Joe (world citizen) to be able to name even these...

I love the skyline of Minneapolis. I went there last yearThere are so many lakes, too! The people are very friendly!

"Why don't you purify yourself in waters of Lake Minnetonka!" - Chappelle's Show last monday on SBS!

Looks like Perth, but Perth is much more beautiful ;)

Pretty much everyone in Australia has heard of Minneapolis, but most would only know that it is a city in the US - and that's it. Some would also know that it's in Minnesota, that it's the home of Prince, or from the movie Fargo. The only other info I personally know is that it's a twin city to St Paul, that it's on the Mississippi River and that it gets very cold in winter. I'm not sure of the population, but I would have thought it to be several million. That skyline is completely unknown to me (though very impressive!) and I would say over 99% of Australians would be unable to identify it. In short, the name is well-known, but the city itself is not.

Ditto the list:

1) Mall of America
2) Mighty Ducks connection
3) Unusual accents
4) 'Twin Cities'

I also know it's the last big city on the Mississippi going upstream. Also, am I correct in thinking it's one of the more liberal cities in the Midwest? (along with Chicago)

Yes, I also had the impression that it was somehwat more liberal than the US Midwest usually is. And yes, I am aware of Mall of America too.