The Twin Cities: A Mid-Sized Melting Pot of the Midwest
Our city and the diamonds that came to be
By: Anthony Vystoropski
Americans think Minnesota is simply a flyover state, and might not know all that Minnesota has to offer. The Twin Cities are far from being so concrete and dense as New York City, and compared to giant cities like New York or Los Angeles, we’re clearly smaller, but we are not as small as the cities like Grand Forks, North Dakota. Instead, we fall in the middle and are termed a mid-sized city.
What does being a mid-sized city mean? Well after living my whole life in Minnesota, I would say it means we get the best of two types of cities. Divided by the Mississippi River, St. Paul and Minneapolis form two unique halves of the whole known as the “Twin Cities.” One saying I have heard is “you date Minneapolis and marry St. Paul.'' Minneapolis is where work, an active nightlife scene, and activities are held such as football in the U.S. Bank stadium, and the famous concert venues of First Avenue, 7th Street Entry, and the Armory. The marrying aspect of St. Paul is to bring up the point of moving to a more relaxed and not as bustling atmosphere compared to Minneapolis. In the literal sense, marry, settle down in the suburbs, and have kids while appreciating the calmer, more beautiful scenery.
The key difference between a mid-sized city such as the Twin Cities and New York or Los Angeles is the fact that we do not have the direct globalization that comes with the coasts. New York has been an established business and fashion capital for a long time, and Los Angeles is a leader in technology with Silicon Valley. Both larger cities have the easiest points of access into the United States being on both coasts, which brings with it a slew of foreign interests, cultures, and perspectives. This does not mean that the Twin Cities is not diverse; take into account the large populations of Hmong and Somali people.
Although we might not have direct port access to the coasts and the same scale of globalization, the Twin Cities certainly makes up for it through having incredible reputations and connections in the Midwest with many ideas and brands that have originated in Minnesota. Take 3M for example: it is headquartered in St. Paul and has a vast array of products from duct tape to supplying various mask types during the pandemic. U.S. Bank is also headquartered in Minneapolis, alongside Best Buy, Target, and Allina Health, all proving Minnesota is a great starting place for companies. The Twin Cities and Minnesota in general are where many musicians got their start such as Prince, Bob Dylan, Hippo Campus, The Replacements and Lizzo. Although Lizzo was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Houston, Texas, she considers and shouts herself out as a Minnesotan after living roughly five year here in Minnesota.
Our own college and university campuses are also a sight to behold such as the University of Minnesota Law School, which is ranked 22nd in the nation (according to usnews.com) and the Carlson School of Management, which is ranked 28th in the nation for best business schools (also according to usnews.com), and according to U.S. News & World Report is 10th for part-time MBAs and 19th for best undergraduate business programs. The same can be said about our high schools: Minnesota is ranked 7th nationally in 2022 for best public schools, and Minnesota students have the second highest math scores in the United States (based on the world population review). What makes us different is that we are neatly tucked away between farms, cows and corn, giving us the ability to escape from the city life if need be. An escape into nature might include the land of 10,000 lakes or the prestigious boundary waters. Mid-sized is the best size because we are connected, close to either type of city, and get to experience the melting pot of experiences, life, and culture that is the Twin Cities.