A Walker’s Guide to the University of Minnesota
With a few exceptions, the U of MN makes walking around campus a walk-in-the-park
BY MATTHEW ZEICHERT WITH ART BY NATALIE WILLIAMS
For students on college visits to the University of Minnesota, the official tour of campus stresses one thing ad nauseam: the U of MN is walkable. Other transportation options such as bussing or light-rail are mentioned in passing, but the expert tour guides mention walking considerably more.
Truth in advertising? Yes… mostly. Specifically for most first year students living their best dorm life, walking to classes in the beautiful fall/spring weather can be a breeze. A few dorms make walking to class difficult, but that is neither here nor there. Superblock kids are at a particular advantage because they can travel on foot to the student union and many collegiate sports stadiums in (at most) 15 minutes.
A quick word about St. Paul. As much as it pains me to say it, the University of Minnesota has clearly chosen favorites in regards to the St. Paul vs Minneapolis friendly rivalry. The Minneapolis/Minneapolis-adjacent campus has considerably more university buildings than St. Paul, thus making life a little bit harder for the U of MN students of St. Paul. It would be a lie to say that University of Minnesota is a ten on a one-to-ten walkability scale because of this anomaly.
During the winter months, walking above ground is a chore. With bitter wind chills and flurries that seem to last forever, many students take advantage of the tunnel system that connects many school buildings rather than braving the bitter cold.
When the weather is “Minnesota nice”, taking a leisurely stroll to places is an activity unlike any other. Sure, you could zoom by in one of those nifty Lyft or Lime scooters, but doing so makes stopping to smell the metaphorical roses next to impossible. In an exaggerated sense, those who walk around campus are simply more in tune with nature and its beautiful creatures; Most notably the omnipresent squirrels and turkeys.
In regards to grocery shopping on campus, there is a considerable lack of grocery stores that are walking distance from most places of student residence. CVS and Walgreens are great for impulsively buying snacks or a single grocery necessity, but the prices and variety at both Washington Avenue locations are subpar. Most, myself included, take the light-rail to either downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul’s Midway section for grocery needs.
Thankfully, there is no shortage of restaurants and cafes that one can walk to in no time practically anywhere on/near campus. Live in Dinky? Al’s for breakfast, Tony’s for lunch and Wally’s for dinner. Live in Superblock? Bruegger’s for breakfast, Afro Deli for lunch and the Test Kitchen for dinner. Have I mentioned the coffee options? Frankly, it seems like you can’t walk five steps without seeing a Starbucks, Caribou or independent coffee shop. All this and more is simultaneously a blessing and a curse to college students. The aforementioned lack of grocery stores a walking distance from campus can make dining out extremely convenient, but before you know it, you have already spent your entire paycheck on said convenience.
Despite the lack of grocery stores, the University of Minnesota campus has health care services for both Minneapolis and St. Paul students. Boynton offers a variety of services all while Fairview Hospital has emergency care service. If you are gonna break your ankle tripping over your untied shoelaces, you might as well do it on campus.
Which leads this article to its next point: minor inconveniences. It is no fun walking to a class you are already late for only to trip on a gap in your path. Narrowly avoiding being struck by bicyclists, scooter users and motorists is also NOT IDEAL! These accidents hardly ever happen, but every time they do you will be forced to question what in the hell compelled you to walk everywhere in the first place.
When all is said and done, University of Minnesota tour guides are not outright liars when they say the ability to walk around campus is one of the advantages of attending the U. Plenty of students walk everywhere during the school year. The Twin Cities may not be “the walking cities” the way Boston is “the walking city”, but it suffices for avid walkers.