Mill City Farmers Market is the favorite farmers market in town, thanks to its variety and great choice of products. Right off the bike trail it has ample bike parking. Be sure to try Salty Tart bakery for a baguette along with other vendors for iced coffee and raspberry limeade. There's cheese, fish, pie, dog treats and many more. It's simple impossible to encompass the assortment!

Hours: Saturday: 8am-1pm

First Bridge Park is locate at the site of the first permanent bridge to span the Mississippi River at any point along its entire length. The park is located under and adjacent to the Hennepin Avenue Bridge between West River Parkway and the Mississippi River in the Central Riverfront Regional Park. Interpretive markers provide historical information and photographs about the site. The park features a river-edge walkway with ornamental railings, lighting and landscaping. A continuous, curving seatwall along the back of the river-edge walkway offers many spots to sit and watch the river flow by. The wall and other features are enhanced by many artist-designed whimsical bronze scultpures of water creatures. A large piece of native limestone quarried near the site has been cut and erected as a monumental art piece.

The Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT) dance company and school in Minneapolis was founded by Loyce Houlton in 1962 as the Contemporary Dance Playhouse. Each holiday season MDT presents the ballet “Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy”, based on Tchaikovsky's “The Nutcracker”. Ballet Arts Minnesota and the company's school joined in 2006 to become The Dance Institute.

The mission of Minnesota Dance Theatre & Dance Institute is to create masterful and provocative dance performances which entertain and inspire audiences, and to foster talent by providing comprehensive classical and contemporary training curriculum, focused on the technical and artistic demands of a professional dance career.

Bernie's Montessori School has a 5 star community rating on GreatSchools and it's no surprise. All of the teachers and aides are accommodating to everything and anything that comes along – showing professionalism and care about each student and family that enters the school. You will love the openness of the classrooms and the emphasis on individual responsibility coupled with team and social awareness. They have the kids doing all sorts of diverse fun activities and field trips.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 6:30am-6pm

New Horizon Academy has been serving families since 1971. Because of their continuing belief and dedication to children, they have flourished and become one of the nation's most successful and respected child care providers. The commitment to excellence the founder, Sue Dunkley, strived for in New Horizon's early beginning, is the foundation that the company is built on and is the cornerstone of all the New Horizon Academy centers.

Classic Cookie Co is the, quoting, “BOMB” among the locals. Here you will be served by the nicest person that has ever stood behind the cash register, and with only $1.50 you can buy happiness that comes shaped as a cookie. In the morning they have lots of muffins, baked with the secret ingredient, which is love. In the afternoon, go for a round of cookies. Delicious, round, chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar, or whatever-your-heart-desires cookies.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 7am-4pm

Snap Fitness is rated the Best Quick Workout of 2009 by City Pages. It is a locally managed and operated fitness center, fitting the tightest of schedules with its 24/7 schedule. They have a state-of-art cardio and strength equipment along with free weights, excellent trainers, and if you're unsure of how to meet your fitness goals, you will receive a free orientation and fitness consultation to get you on your way to success. On their website you can find customized fitness routines, nutrition and much more.

Donghae is located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. They offer authentic Korean and Japanese cuisines, that consist of bold and rich flavors. You can enjoy the large variety of Korean entrees, from hot stone bowl soups, marinated beef short ribs, grilled mackerel and so on. The Japanese cuisine they exploit is concentrated around high quality sushi: they offer a variety of sashimi, nigiri, and rolls, brought to you directly from the sushi bar. Come in for an all-you-can-eat sushi menu and enjoy your meal in a relaxing and friendly environment.

Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 11am-10pm, Friday – Saturday: 11am-11pm, Sunday: 11am-10pm

Origami Restaurant is the best sushi restaurant in town, making great quality sushi. The finesse of the rice, and the expertise of the Origami chefs will speak for itself. The service is quiet, but very effective, you won't even notice how your drinks are getting re-filled. Trust the chefs, and don't miss out the Happy Hour menu. You won't regret eating here.

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:30am-2pm (Lunch), 5pm-9:30pm (Dinner), Friday: 11:30am-2pm (Lunch), 5pm-10:30pm (Dinner), Saturday: 5pm-10:30pm, Sunday: 5pm-9pm; Happy Hour: 5pm-6:30pm

Diane Fitzgerald is a bead collector and jewelry designer who works with a variety of beads, both large and small, old and new. Since 1989, she has taught classes at her shop, called Beautiful Beads, in Minneapolis, across the U.S., and even internationally. As a collector, she focuses mostly on contemporary American art glass beads and European and Japanese vintage beads. She has earned her knowledge and expertise during her travels to South Africa, to study Zulu and Xhosa beadworks, to Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, the UK, and other areas.

Shop hours are by chance and appointment.

Gateway Park extends a welcome greeting to all who visit the City of Lakes. The Gateway Fountain cycles jets of water that are illuminated at night with rotating, flickering, colorful lights. This is just one of several fountains that adds up to the beauty and splendor of the parks of Minneapolis.

At Dagwood's Inc you have the best sandwiches in the Twin Cities. You will love everything about these sandwiches, especially because they come with chips. But that's not all. The sandwiches are made with a tasty combination of bread, meat, cheese, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise and oil. You simply have to have them all. The cheese is melted on the meat and served on a toasted roll. Everything comes together so perfectly, that it is hard to point out a single aspect that makes these sandwiches superior to the others you have ever tried.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 10:30am-2:30pm

The Depot Skating Rink was named one of the top places in North America to ice skate, by Today.com, Fodor's Travel, USA Today and MSNBC. A fun, cozy, romantic place, the Depot Rink is a historic Downtown Minneapolis train station that now houses a modern and trendy indoor skating rink with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, offering you a spectacular view of the city skyline. It is the favorite winter gathering spot for birthday parties, family outings and reunions, school field trips, holiday parties, romantic dates, wedding proposals, team building and employee appreciation parties. They also offer public skating or private rink rental, a full catering menu and group party packages.

Hanger Clinic is the world leader of orthotic and prosthetic solutions. It has more than 150 years of experience, the clinic is proud to bring you the best in limb loss and bracing and support care. Their clinicians' dedication and expertise can help you regain your independence and pursue your activities that you love. They bring the latest in innovative orthotic and prosthetic technologies, specialized training and superior care. You can also take advantage of a free evaluation at their clinic locations.

Hours: Monday – Friday: 8am-5pm, 24/7 on-call emergency support

The MacPhail Center for Music is a non-profit music education center in Minneapolis. It was established in 1907 by its founder, William S. MacPhail, as MacPhail School of Violin in Minneapolis. But the school expanded its offerings and became the MacPhail School of Music and Dramatic Art. Only in 2003 it changed its name to the MacPhail Center of Music. MacPhail currently serves over 10,200 music students and music therapy clients ranging in age from 6 weeks to over 100 years old. It offers the following programs: Individual Lessons (ages 5 – adult), Early Childhood Music (students ages 6 weeks – 8 years), Suzuki Talent Education (ages 3 – 18), Classes (ages 5 – adult), Ensembles (ages 5 – adult), Music Therapy (all ages), Online Lessons (ages 5 – adult), Summer camps (ages 5 – adult)

Mill Ruins Park is located on the West bank of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. Being the centerpiece of the revitalization of Minneapolis's historic West Side Milling District, this park combines an exploration of the city's history with present day activities for all ages. In its 19th century heyday, this area of mills, canals, tailraces and other historic resources comprised the largest direct-drive water-powered facility in the world and was the leading international producer of flour, which was shipped not only nationwide, but worldwide as well. Mill Ruins Park is directly adjacent to the 1883 Stone Arch Bridge, a National Historic Engineering Landmark constructed to connect Midwestern farmers and their crop of wheat to the booming flour production mills. The park tells this story through the now exposed walls and waterpower features buried beneath many feet of sand and gravel. With the reopening of the historic tailrace canal, which carried water from the mill turbines back to the river, visitors have the opportunity to witness a truly exciting water feature.

The first Dunn Bros Coffee shop was opened on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1987. Four years later, they opened the second location on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Ed and Dan Dunn wanted to set a new standard for coffee: fanatic about freshness, of highest quality and rooted in community, using their coffee to foster connection with their customer. When you enter their shop you are greeted by the fresh aroma of coffee and by the spirit of the community. This two-story coffee shop roasts its own beans, has massive mugs, free Wi-Fi and jazz music, and you will definitely want to stop by again and again.

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 6am-9pm, Friday: 6am-10pm, Saturday: 6:30am-10pm, Sunday: 6:30am-8pm

Walden University is a private for-profit institution of higher education. It offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Business and Public Administration, Master of Public Health, Ed.S. (Education Specialist), Ed.D. (Doctor of Education), D.B.A. (Doctor of Business Administration), and PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees in a number of academic fields. It is a part of a network of campus and online-based for-profit universities owned by Laureate Education Inc. Walden consists of five colleges: Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, College of Management and Technology, College of Health Sciences, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Undergraduate Studies.

Whole Foods Market is a dynamic leader in the quality food business, selling the highest quality natural and organic products available, satisfying and delighting the customers, meeting and exceeding expectation on every shopping tour you make, not to mention the great service, the competitive prices and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle in the community.

Hours: Monday – Sunday: 7am-10pm

Minneapolis Central Library, located in downtown Minneapolis, is the largest library of the Hennepin County Library public library system. It bills itself as having the third largest per capita public library collection of any major city in America with a collection of more than 2.4 million items – including books, DVDs, music, and government documents. It has over 300 free Internet computers for use by the public, an 8,140 square-foot atrium, an 18,560 square-foot “green” roof planted with low-growing ground cover designed to “be sun- and drought- resistant”, and a host of energy-efficiency measures.

Marquette Plaza is a highrise in downtown Minneapolis, once home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It was designed much like a suspension bridge, most of the original floors are supported by two sets of catenary cables. There was originally a gap between the lobby and the rest of the aboveground structure to emphasize the construction method. Marquette Plaza re-established its iconic status in 2011 as it became the first downtown Minneapolis building to earn LEED Platinum Certification, the most prestigious and challenging level of LEED certification to achieve, which illustrates the building's transformation and leadership in the greening of downtown.

Marquette Plaza is also home to the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park, the only public park in downtown Minneapolis. The 1.5 acre public park is a functional green roof for the parking structure below, and a gateway to the property, offering beautiful native landscaping, which makes it the best place for a relaxed gathering. The park features a 104 foot horizontal granite water fountain, a Cancer Survivor Sculpture and many seating areas in the park's flourishing greenery.