Apartments in Uptown Minneapolis Apartments

“Everybody’s going uptown,” Prince sang in 1980, and he was right: In the last 36 years, Uptown Minneapolis has gone from bohemian hotspot to gentrified shopping district.

The recent construction of new Uptown apartments and condos, though met with some community backlash, means that there’s plenty of housing in this desirable, active neighborhood. The newer Uptown apartments are packed with luxury and modern finishes, which appeal to an older renting crowd, but there are also older buildings for those who want to live in the neighborhood on a tight budget.

Renting an Uptown apartment puts you just a few minutes southwest of Downtown West and about 15 minutes from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, which lies on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. Miles of greenway and trails connect Uptown to beaches, parks, and the nearby Lake of the Isles Dog Park.

Uptown offers a convenient trip to downtown and gorgeous Lake Calhoun, Cedar Lake, and Lake of the Isles, and if it’s not quite the no-holds-barred artistic melting pot it once was, it’s still a great place to enjoy diverse craft cocktails and varied food. The Soviet-themed Hammer & Sickle, for example, is known for the vodka cocktails and specializes in Eastern European fare, while the Barbette bistro instead offers French food, usually served with a side of live music. If you’re just out for a burger and a beer, Up-Down Minneapolis is likely more your style, plus you can spend some time reminiscing with old-school video games.

Choosing to rent an Uptown apartment also means you’ll be living in the heart of a thriving artistic community, which is celebrated annually at the late-summer Uptown Art Festival. For more than five decades, this festival has united Minneapolis residents around local talent, showcasing hundreds of artists, dozens of food and drink vendors (including a culinary competition), and musicians.

But you can also find the influence of the arts any day of the year. Uptown Theatre specializes in indie films, enjoyed with a full bar, and there are small art galleries littering the area. The bar scene is hopping, and the artistic, youthful vibe of the area makes it an ideal neighborhood for young professionals, downsizing older couples, and young families.