A weekend in Uptown

It takes about 15 minutes for students to get from school to one of the most vibrant and unique parts of the Twin Cities. Uptown Minneapolis, the greater area where Lake Street meets Hennepin and Lyndale Avenue, is an urban district known for its communities of artists and musicians as well as its wide variety of restaurants and vibrant nightlife.

Walking down Lake Street only a few blocks, one passes several independent art galleries, shops and tattoo parlors. It is the perfect place for anyone who enjoys local art and music. Not to mention there are countless great places to eat.

 

Moto-i

2940 Lyndale Ave South

Moto-I is a Japanese-style bar that “incorporates many Asian ethnicities and keeps the focus on street food of the best Asian Hawkers.” The best place to sit and enjoy your meal or snack is on the rooftop patio area, which features an awesome view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline with picnic table seating. One of their signature dishes are their eight-dollar dumplings that come in veggie, pork, or curry chicken, in addition to a daily sushi menu.

 

Sonny’s Ice Cream

3401 Lyndale Avenue South

Sonny’s Ice Cream is a small, Italian-themed café with fresco walls, stained glass windows and a stone fountain inside. Outside is a charming patio that holds about 30 people. The ice cream is hand-made, 5-10 gallons at a time, using cream from Minnesota cows: How it has been made since the café’s inception in 1945. The ice cream more resembles gelato with unique flavors like organic maple syrup, olive oil, pistachio as well as coffee, chocolate extreme, and mint Oreo to name a few. Prices start at $3.75 for a single and $6.75 for a double.

 

Bryant Lake Bowl

810 West Lake Street

Built in the early 1920’s as an auto body shop and converted to a bowling alley in the mid-1930’s, the Bryant Lake Bowl adds an entertaining venue to the Uptown neighborhood. The building was bought in 1993 by current owner, Kim Bartmann, who added a small theater that seats about 75 people. The theater features nightly shows or events like karaoke, live theater and music that are usually around 10 to 15 dollars a show. There are eight bowling lanes that require manual scoring and are two or four dollars a game depending on the time. Bryant Lake Bowl takes great pride in their burgers, which are 100 percent organic, grass-fed beef from Minnesota’s Moon Stone Farm and start at 10 dollars. And if burgers aren’t your thing, they also offer salads, entrees like basmati rice and vegetables, and breakfast until 3 PM daily, in addition to a two-page gluten-free menu.