Minneapolis, USA information | Minneapolis travel guides

As with any major American city, keep your eyes open and your wits about you. Crime is relatively low in most parts of Minneapolis that you're likely to visit, but is not unknown.

Be wary of the Near North, Camden, and Phillips communities, particularly at night. Violent crimes can occur and unfortunately have occurred in all parts of the city.

As in all other cities these crimes receive a disproportionate amount of attention from local media. These tragic events, however, are typically not random so they will probably not impact your visit. You are more likely to be a victim of crimes of opportunity.

When traveling, do not leave any items that can be quickly converted to cash in plain view in cars or unattended at restaurants and other public areas. These crimes can and do occur in all areas, especially where you would have your guard down.

When you take in the great park system or travel to the unique urban shopping destinations ensure that all valuables remain with you or are secured out-of-view in your vehicle.

Also if you are going to secure your valuables in a vehicle, make sure you store them prior to arriving at you destination. Thieves are experts at watching people store valuables in the trunk and then striking when they leave.

internet

Internet cafes are nonexistent in Minneapolis. Many coffeeshops offer free wifi, but very few will have computer terminals.

The Hennepin County Library (http://www.hclib.org) has computer workstations with internet access at all of their locations. Access to a computer is on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations can only be made in person. Out-of-town visitors will need to obtain a temporary internet pass from a librarian. The library also offers unlimited wireless internet access no pass needed. See district articles for specific locations.

The city of Minneapolis maintains a number of free wifi hotspots throughout the city (http://www.ci.minneapolis...).

newspapers

Star Tribune

(http://www.startribune.com). Minneapolis' daily newspaper. $0.75 daily, $1.75 Sunday.

Pioneer Press

(http://www.twincities.com). Daily newspaper based across the river in Saint Paul, but still available in Minneapolis and around the Twin Cities. $0.50 daily, $1 Sunday.

City Pages

(http://www.citypages.com). Alternative weekly that comes out every Wednesday with theatre and music listings, and an annual "best of" issue well worth checking out.

The Onion

(http://www.theonion.com). The local edition of this satirical newspaper comes out every Thursday, and also features theater and music listings.

telephones

Minneapolis, along with the airport, the suburbs of Richfield and St. Anthony, and the entire University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus is in the 612 area code. From 612, it is not necessary to dial a 1 before the area code when calling numbers in the 651 Saint Paul and east suburbs, 763 northwest suburbs, or 952 southwest suburbs area codes.