Living in the Twin Cities

Outdoors

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are nationally acclaimed for their high quality of life. You may find it difficult to take full advantage of all of the recreational and cultural activities available to you. Lakes, rivers, and parks abound in the Twin Cities and throughout the state, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota which is ideal for fishing, camping, and canoeing.

Cultural life

The Twin Cities are home to some of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the country, including two major orchestras, the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Minneapolis is the site of the Guthrie Theater, the original repertory theater founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1962. Many other professional groups have since emerged, and the area now is extremely competitive on a national level in terms of number of theaters per capita. Two major museums, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center, provide a rich variety of traditional and contemporary art. In addition, downtown St. Paul has added new 100 million dollar science museum and IMAX theatre.

Family

The Twin Cities have a population in excess of 2.5 million and, consequently, provide many employment opportunities for spouses. Incidentally, the Minnesota metro area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. The Twin Cities also have an excellent public educational system as well as a variety of choices of excellent private schools at the primary and secondary level. For younger children, faculty and fellows generally find high quality day care services readily available.

Sports

There are many options available for all sports fans. The University's intercollegiate teams are readily accessible, including the often nationally ranked Gopher football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and track and field programs. Those interested in professional sports can enjoy Vikings football, Timberwolves basketball, Wild hockey, and the Twins and Saint Paul Saints baseball.