My Ultimate Sales Pitch to Move to My Neighborhood

I was raised to harbor a stoic personality; I tend to be happy with whatever I can get/have. When we were looking to move to Minneapolis, I based where we were living off of Internet suggestions to avoid anything that started with Brooklyn and my need to live as cheaply as possible. We looked around the south side of Minneapolis and visited 5 different complexes. We lucked out in location and wound up in a great neighborhood. Our apartment is on the east side of the Whittier neighborhood which is also called the "International Neighborhood." My neighborhood is artsy with great restaurants and affordable living. It's the trifecta of urban life.

My apartment is less than a block from MIA, MCAD, Fallout Arts Initiative and the Children's Theatre Company. This means not only can I see art for free any time I feel the itch, there are also great murals and little artsy bits around the neighborhood. (Below are a few murals and whatnot from the neighborhood. There are a lot more.)

There is also a fantastic pizza place called Slice of New York just a few blocks away. You can get a huge, face-sized slice and a chunk of baklava for around $6.00 (depending on what type of pizza). I like the guy who works behind the counter too. He talks to you like he knows you, which is refreshing. A lot of people in food services seem to hate people.

There is also Hibachi Buffet down the street, but they already got a full post out of me.

I'm a huge fan of Jabbok Family Services, where I volunteer. Jabbok offers daycare, an after school program, and a summer program to neighborhood families at ridiculously reasonable prices. (It costs $0.50 an hour per family for daycare.) Jabbok has a small full-time staff and a few part-timers. The program has a large volunteer base of people passionate about people.

There are wonderful shopping opportunities in The Whittier Neighborhood. Buffalo Exchange is a nation-wide thrift store that carries a large range of brandname clothing. (I purchased True Religion jeans for $20.00.) Blacklist Vintage is closer to a specialty store. They carry vintage clothing sorted by waist size. It makes finding interesting clothing a little bit easier, because you aren't forced to juggle sizes. Lost and Found is another thrift store off of Nicollet. They carry both vintage pieces as well as modern pieces. Lost and Found is worth a visit just to check out the interior mural by a local artist.

Whittier is home to several great parks. I especially like Whittier Park and Clinton Field for child-friendly parks. Whittier Park has a wading pool which is great for kids who are not strong swimmers.

Music stores in my neighborhood include the Electric Fetus, Treehouse Records. Electric Fetus has a full-sized store front that is very organized. There is a gift shop with clothing, jewelry, gifts and music paraphernalia. Treehouse Records is a smaller store that is owner operated. It has better prices on older records, but you better be in the mood to dig.

Here are more photos of my neighborhood: