The larger of Minnesota's Twin Cities, Minneapolis has long enjoyed a reputation as a progressive, arts-driven city with a vibrant lesbian and gay community, a wealth of museums, a first-rate theater scene, and an abundance of hip restaurants, cafes, and - increasingly - swank hotels. A series of beautiful lakes and parks extends south from bustling downtown, which also fringes a scenic stretch of the Mississippi River. Here's a visual tour of this friendly, GLBT-popular city.
Warehouse District, looking north from downtown | Brass Rail Lounge, a long-running gay club on downtown's Hennepin Avenue | Spoonriver Restaurant, in the renovated Mill District by the Guthrie Theater | Guthrie Theater, the city's premier performance space, in the Mill District |
Le Meridien Chambers Hotel, a swank design hotel on Hennepin Avenue | Bolt Bar and Eagle, a compound of gay men's nightclubs downtown near the river | Aloft Minneapolis, a hip but moderately priced hotel in the hip Mill District | Bryant-Lake Bowl, a LGBT-favored arts space, bowling alley, and cafe-bar |
Gay 90's Club and Cabaret, the largest GLBT club in the Twin Cities | Endless Bridge at Guthrie Theater, viewed from across Mississippi River | Gorilla Bar, the hip outdoor lounge and ice bar at Le Meridien Chambers Hotel | The Saloon, a large gay entertainment complex and hotel downtown on Hennepin Ave |