Minnesota earned straight A's in vitality in the 2006 Development Report Card for the States, issued by the Corporation for Enterprise Development
The Twin Cities is the 4th in the nation for small business, according to a study published in January 2006 and conducted by American City Business Journals
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked Minneapolis 2nd in their 2006 list of 50 “Smart Cities,” based on the business industry, affordability and livability
Minneapolis was named 1 of 10 of "America's Smartest Cities" by American Business Journals, Inc. in June 2006
Men's Health magazine
named Minneapolis the smartest city
TECHNOLOGY INFO
Minneapolis tourism site ranked 8th out of 758 North American CVBs by Meetings & Conventions magazine
Popular Science magazine named Minneapolis
the top city for technology in 2005
Intel says Minneapolis is the 9th most
unwired city (2005)
A study in 2005 by Milken Institute’s Life Sciences Index rated the metro
area as the 8th most vibrant life sciences cluster and the leader in
the medical
devises industry
These products were all invented in Minnesota: Post-it
notes, sandpaper, VCRs, synthetic rubber, Thinsulate, Masking Tape,
Scotch Tape, Cream
of Wheat, Wheaties, Cheerios, the pacemaker and Rollerblades
AIRPORT AWARDS
NWA airlines
A
survey in 2005 by travelers from around the world ranked the Minneapolis/St.
Paul International Airport 20th in the world, the highest-ranking
airport in North America
The International Parking Institute awarded Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport the 2005 Award of Excellence for innovation in a parking operation or program
QUALITY OF LIFE DISTINCTIONS
Woman walking around the lakes
Minneapolis was named 1 of 5 up-and-coming destinations in 2006 by Travel + Leisure magazine
Minneapolis was ranked 2nd-best in the nation for recycling in a national survey by BioCycle magazine and Columbia University's Earth Engineering
Minneapolis was ranked 7th most-educated city in the country, based on percentage of population with a college degree, by Encarta online
Men's Health magazine rated Minneapolis the 10th best city for men to live in (2006)
Minneapolis was rated one of the cities with the most courteous drivers in the country in a survey by AutoVantage
Homestore.com named Minneapolis 1 of "The Top 10 Greenest Cities in America," one reason being that 60% of downtown workers get to work some other way than driving alone
Minneapolis took top honors as the best city for sleep in 2005 according to Money Magazine's "Best
Places to Live" expert, Bert Sperling
Kiplinger's personal finance magazine named Minneapolis one of "7 Cool Cities" (2005)
Minneapolis ranked number 1 in 2005 as the "City
That Watches the Least TV," according
to Men's Fitness magazine
Downtown Minneapolis is 1 of 17 business districts in the nation that received the "Best Place for Commuters" Award by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2005
Named 6th smartest state by Morgan Quitno Press (2005-2006)
Central Connecticut State University named Minneapolis number 2 in a 2005 study of "America 's Most Literate Cities”
ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS
The Guthrie Theater
In 2006, AmericanStyle magazine ranked Minneapolis as the 9th mid-size arts destination city
3 Minneapolis theaters have won Tony Awards: Guthrie
Theater, The Children’s
Theatre Company and Theatre de la Jeune Lune
Local theaters called
one of the “most interesting tourist attraction[s]
in America, " according to travel guru Arthur Frommer
More theater
seats per capita than any city other than New York
The Minneapolis
Institute of Arts the 10th best art museum in the U.S. as declared
by MSN & Citysearch (2005)
In 2005, AmericanStyle magazine ranked Minneapolis as the
14th mid-size arts destination city
SHOPPING TIDBITS
Mall of America is the largest enclosed mall in
the U.S.
Southdale was the first enclosed mall in the U.S.
There is no sales
tax on clothes or shoes in Minnesota
RECREATION HONORS
Biking around the Grand Rounds
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak was named one of the fittest mayors in America in 2006 by Men's Fitness magazine
Named "Most Athletic City" by Men's Fitness magazine, 2006
Rated The City Most Motivated to Change by Men's Fitness January 2006 magazine, for resident's adaptability to any weather change
One of the top 5 mid-size walking cities, according to Prevention magazine in 2005
More golfers per capita than any city in the country
More public tennis
courts per capita than any other city in the country
Home to The
Grand Rounds, one of the only national scenic byways located entirely
in an urban area
WEATHER FACTS
Annual precipitation average is 29.4 inches
Average high temperature in
January is 22 ° Fahrenheit
Average high temperature in July is 82° Fahrenheit
“Minneapolis
turned out to be a great location for us. We broke every record
we ever had – from registrations to exhibit booths to fundraising.
And the attendees just seemed so happy.”
Mary Ellen K. Davis
Association of College & Research Libraries
A "Top Destination" 
