SIMPLY THE BEST

With an impressive list of award-winning cultural destinations, family-friendly activities, lakes and green spaces, sizzling chefs, innovative inventors and practiced practitioners it’s no wonder Minneapolis Saint Paul tops the rankings in almost every barometer of community vitality.

• Monocle magazine named Minneapolis as the 19th most livable city in the world, one of only two American cities to make its list of the top 20 cities
• Forbes named Minneapolis Saint Paul “Most Affordable Place to Live Well” in 2007 based on affordable housing, high quality of life, and access to choice arts, leisure and entertainment offerings
• Minneapolis is one of GQ magazine’s “Seven Best Art Cities (that you've never thought of)”
• Minneapolis is the 10th best mid-sized art city according to rankings performed by AmericanStyle in 2008
• Conde Nast Traveler reported that “a slew of high-profile architectural projects – from Jean Nouvel's stunning Guthrie Theater on the Mississippi to Cesar Pelli's luminous Central Library – have people flocking to the Midwest's cultural capital”
• “The city is an exhilarating place to spend a few days. In addition to a dazzling array of architecture, the city's cultural offerings seem endless.” – Chicago Tribune
• “St. Paul and Minneapolis offer generous helpings of both urban stimulation and recreational relaxation.” – Cookie Magazine
• America’s Promise Alliance named St. Louis Park, Mankato/North Mankato, Saint Paul, Northfield and Landfall the best places for young people
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 4th on CQ Press’ list of most livable cities
• “With the Guthrie and the Mill City Museum providing the anchors of redevelopment, the Riverfront District is burgeoning.” – Columbus Dispatch
• Money magazine named 8 metro Minneapolis Saint Paul communities in the top 100 best places to live in America
• CNBC ranked Minnesota the 5th best state in the nation for quality of life
• CNBC named Minnesota the 8th best state in the nation for transportation
• “Today even flour mills are fascinating, thanks to the Mill City Museum, a modern glass-and-steel structure built inside the jagged ruins of Washburn A Mill.” – Endless Vacation
• Minneapolis is 3rd on Esquire magazine’s list of "Cities that Rock"
• Minnesota has topped Morgan Quitno's list of "most livable states" for more than a decade due to our affordable housing, safe streets, strong education system and excellent health care
• Minneapolis Saint Paul was voted the cleanest city in the country and the 3rd friendliest city in a 2007 CNN survey
• Kiplinger’s ranks Minneapolis Saint Paul 2nd on the list of “50 Smart Places to Live” in 2007

• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 5th best city for young professionals by Forbes in 2008
• MarketWatch named Minneapolis Saint Paul the best metro area for business in 2007
• Working Mother named General Mills among the top 5 best places for multicultural women to work
• Policom announced that the Minneapolis Saint Paul metro area has the 19th strongest economy in the nation
• According to the New York Times, Minneapolis has become a national leader in developing sound governance practices for nonprofit organizations
• Saint Paul-based Ecolab, Golden Valley-based General Mills and Blaine-based Aveda ranked among the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere
• American Electronics Association named the Minneapolis Saint Paul MSA among the nation’s top high-tech employment regions
• Minnesota ranked as the 10th top state for business in America according to CNBC
• Minneapolis (23rd), Rochester (53rd) and St. Cloud (75th) all ranked as cities that combine a great business environment with alluring leisure offerings as decided by Fortune Small Business magazine
• Black Enterprise named General Mills in the top 40 best companies for diversity
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 17th in the nation for best market for young people by BizJournals
• ComputerWorld named 3 Minnesota companies into the top 11 best places to work in IT
• Rochester Medical Corp., IntriCon Corp., WSI Industries Inc., MedTox Scientific Inc. and Nortech Systems were all named in Fortune Small Business magazine’s list of America’s fastest-growing small public companies
• FORTUNE named 8 Minnesota companies in the Global 500 rankings of the world's largest corporations
• A Harris Interactive Reputation Quotientsurvey announced that Minnesota companies General Mills Inc. and 3M Co. are among America's favorite companies
• BizJournals named Minneapolis Saint Paul one of the smartest metros in America
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranks 5th in business climate among large metros by Site Selection magazine
• Minnesota ranked 9th in the number of Fortune 500 Headquarters in 2007 reports Compare Minnesota
• American City Business Journals named Minneapolis Saint Paul among the top 5 best metro areas in the nation for small business in 2007
• Minnesota ranked 10th “Best State for Business” by Forbes in 2007
• Minnesota ranked 3rd in global patents in 2007 according to the Kauffman Foundation
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 5th in new and expanded corporate facilities by Site Selection magazine in May 2008
• MarketWatch reports Minneapolis Saint Paul had the second highest concentration of Fortune 1000 and S&P 500 Companies in 2007

• FitPregnancy magazine deemed Minneapolis the 2nd best city to have a baby in March 2008
• According to Child magazine, Minneapolis is the 3rd best city for families
• USA Today called Minneapolis the 5th best “City for Children” in June 2004
• Kiplinger's named Minneapolis Saint Paul among “Most Family-Friendly Cities” in 2007
• Kiplinger’s chose Minneapolis as the best city for every stage of your life in June 2007
• Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America was named the largest indoor amusement park in the country in 2008
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked among Lucky magazine’s best new cities to shop in January 2008
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette named Minneapolis Saint Paul the 2nd best city for having a baby in January 2008
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance named Minneapolis Saint Paul as one of the top 5 cities to be married with kids
• “When the acquisition bug hits, serious shoppers head to Nicollet Avenue, particularly the 12-block section known as Nicollet Mall, with its concentration of designer shops.” – Elle Décor
• “With more than 520 stores, an aquarium, a Lego Imagination Center, a flight simulator, an entire indoor amusement park, and more than 60 restaurants, your family might not be able to pass up a trip to the country's largest mall.” – Cookie Magazine
• In February 2008, BusinessWeek stated that the David Rockwell-designed Chambers Hotel puts as much emphasis on design as it does on art and food

• According to a ranking of “America's Most Literate Cities,” Minneapolis and Saint Paul rank number 1 and 3, respectively, as most literate cities in the country
• The Chamber of Commerce’s State-by-State Report Card ranks Minnesota 2nd nationwide in academic effectiveness
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 6th most educated city in the nation in 2007 by Encarta Online
• Minneapolis Saint Paul was named “America’s Smartest City” by Men’s Health magazine in 2005
• BizJournals chose Minneapolis Saint Paul as one of the top 10 smartest metros in America
• Minnesota ranks 9th in the nation in education by CNBC

• Forbes Traveler ranked Walker Art Center’s 20.21 among the top museum restaurants
• Bon Appetite named Chambers Kitchen a “Top Table”
• Mill City Farmer's Market was named in Food & Wine’s “100 Tastes to Try” in 2007
• Cooking Light named Minneapolis Saint Paul the 4th best city for eating smart, being fit and living well

• Minnesota was named the “Nation’s Most Healthy State” and 4th most livable state by CQ Press in 2008
• In a study conducted by the American Heart Association in 2008, Minnesotans were found to have the healthiest hearts in America
• BizJournals ranks Minneapolis Saint Paul low on 2008 National Stress Rankings, recognizing our clean air, safe surroundings, low unemployment, affordable mortgages, short commutes and healthy lifestyles
• Runner's World magazine named Minneapolis the 2nd best city in the country for running
• According toPBS, Minneapolis Saint Paul is the 3rd most walkable community
• Minneapolis Saint Paul was named “Most Athletic City” by Men’s Fitness in 2006
• Minneapolis ranked number 2 in the nation on Men’s Fitness’ list of Fittest Cities in America in 2008
• Men's Health reported in February 2008, that Minneapolis residents participate in sports much more than average – 36 percent more than average, in fact
• On a per capita basis, Minneapolis has 130 percent more gyms and health clubs than average according to Men’s Health in 2008
• Men’s Health reported that approximately 22 percent of Minneapolis residents play golf – that's 113 percent more than average
• According to US News & World Report, Minnesota's children's hospitals are among the best
• CQ Press named Minnesota the nation’s healthiest state
• Elle Décor reported in June 2008 that there is a plethora of blue-ribbon golf courses across Minnesota
• Due to the numerous recreation centers, parks, tennis courts and golf courses, Trust for Public Land ranked Minneapolis as one of the top cities in the nation for number of recreational settings across the city
• AARP Magazine named Minneapolis Saint Paul the 8th healthiest hometown in its September/October 2008 issue

• Minneapolis landed 7th on Forbes’ 2008 list of “Best Cities for the Outdoors,” giving it top marks for having 5,400 acres of city land devoted to parks
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked among the top 10 greenest cities in America in 2007 by Earth Day Network
• Minneapolis was ranked 2nd best in the nation for recycling by BioCycle magazine
• Minnesota ranks 3rd in the nation in 2008 for wind-energy production
• Forbes named Minneapolis the 7th best city for the outdoors in 2008
• Loring Park ranked among the top 10 best leafy getaways tucked away in the big city by USA Today in April 2008
• Elle Décor called the Minneapolis Riverfront “a center of enlightened gentrification”
• “The unassuming City of Lakes has been making a name for itself as a green heavy weight by steadily lightening its environment footprint.” – MSN City Guides
• “Minneapolis began to rediscover its riverfront in the early 1990s, and the resuscitation of the region is an urban success story of profound proportions.” – Columbus Dispatch
• Popular Science named Minneapolis the 11th greenest city in the nation

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