This document provides a guide to relocating to the Twin Cities area, including information on neighborhoods, lifestyle, healthcare, culture and education. It highlights 10 great neighborhoods to consider and provides details on things to do in the area like parks, museums, theaters and more. The guide also includes a section on the religious diversity in the Twin Cities and places of worship for various faiths.

1. RELOCATION GUIDE | 2015-2016
10GREAT
Neighborhoods
(plus a few to consider)
PAGE 20
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2. life | health care
68 Twin Cities Living 2015-2016
PROTESTANT
Within Christianity, the range of denominations and church styles
varies, from traditional services and hymns to theater-infused
services with a rock band. There are seemingly never-ending pos-
sibilities. In Eden Prairie, Grace Church stands as one of the largest
non-denominational houses of worship. Zion Lutheran Church is a
smaller congregation in Minneapolis, holding regular services with
a range of musical talent and instruments, from opera singers and
a hand bell choir to a timpani and harp. For services in American
Sign Language, there are churches all over the Twin Cities, while
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, Edina Community
Lutheran Church, Edina’s Good Samartian United Methodist
Church and The House of Hope Presbyterian Church are all
known as “welcoming” (aka LGBTQ friendly) congregations.
Taking their faith with them, people have come to the Twin
Cities from all over the world. Liberians gather in Brooklyn Park
at Ebenezer Community Church. In Oakdale, the First Karen
Baptist Church is home to former refugees from Burma. And in
Maplewood is the country’s largest Hmong Christian church,
St. Paul Hmong Alliance Church.
CATHOLIC
About 26 percent of Minnesotans are Catholic. In Minneapolis, the
Basilica of Saint Mary stands as a landmark and has an active faith
community. On the other side of the river, the Cathedral of Saint
Paul is a national shrine to the Apostle Paul, an architectural beauty
and a house of worship—not just for American Catholics, either.
The Cathedral recently merged with the Saint Vincent de Paul
Church to serve the Hmong community. Language proves no bar-
rier in Minnesota’s Catholic community: Within the Archdiocese of
Saint Paul, there are 23 parishes serving the Latino community.
MUSLIM
There are about 150,000 Muslims in Minnesota and the Twin Cities
is home to more than 30 mosques, including the Islamic Center of
Minnesota, which was established in 1969 and has rapidly grown
PHOTOBYKELLIEWEILAND
since. Services at the Fridley location range from counseling, lan-
guage classes, a food shelf, youth services, a clinic and even financial
assistance, plus Al-Amal, a private Islamic school.
JEWISH
More than 45,000 Jewish people call Minnesota home. Temple
Israel was the first Jewish congregation in Minneapolis and is now
one of the 10 largest in the country. It is a reform synagogue with
a diverse population. Mount Zion Jewish Temple in St. Paul is
another reform congregation offering weekly Shabbat and daily
services, but also a rich community in several other ways. Beth El
Synagogue is a conservative Jewish community in St. Louis Park
that serves more than 1,400 families. Orthodox Jewish congrega-
tions include the Adath Israel Synagogue of St. Paul, Minneapolis’
Chabad Lubavitch and Bais Yisroel in St. Louis Park.
HINDU
In 1978, the Hindu Society of Minnesota was established, and soon
after, an old church in Minneapolis was transformed into Hindu
Mandir, and has since moved to a new location in Maple Grove.
The current Hindu Mandir, or Hindu Temple of Minnesota, sits
on 20 acres with a Prayer Hall and 21 shrines.
BUDDHIST
Buddhism also thrives in the Twin Cities, with more than 30 cen-
ters in the area. Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul welcomes
people of any background to its daily meditations, classes, work-
shops, retreats and Dharma talks via online audio files. There’s
also Minnesota Buddhist Vihara, a Theraveda monastery where
children and adults are welcome to learn about the teachings of
Buddha through cultural and ritual events.
INTERFAITH
Unitarian Universalist churches are for people of all faiths to find
community and celebrate scriptures of the world, and
many of these congregations have homes in our cities and
surrounding suburbs.
One such place is the Minnesota Council of Churches, which
promotes interfaith relations by honoring the beliefs and
traditions of different religions, but is also actively committed to
bringing people together for dialogue, education, meals, services
and prayer. — Amber Newman
The extensive diversity of places to
worship in the Twin Cities ensures that
everyone can find a faith family in their
new home.
FAITH ABOUNDING
life | religion
Zion Lutheran Church

3. www.twincitieslivingmag.com 57
Humanity has served thousands of families
through its various programs, and to date,
more than 1,000 families have purchased
Twin Cities Habitat homes.
On a smaller, but no less important
scale, is Hearts & Hammers-Twin Cities,
whose mission is to provide exterior
home improvement assistance for senior
and disabled homeowners, so that they
may continue living independently.
This is accomplished by organizing
teams of volunteers and providing them
with the necessary leadership, expertise,
resources and materials. A typical Hearts
& Hammers home requires significant
exterior painting, moderate carpentry, and
landscaping to restore the weatherproofing,
security, and overall appearance of the
home. This assistance is provided at no
cost to homeowners and is completed
on Program Days held twice yearly. In a
given year, Hearts & Hammers coordinates
about 1,000 volunteers from more than
40 different organizations to refurbish 40
homes throughout the Twin Cities.
Twin Citians heed the call of bell
ringers every year, and because of that the
local Salvation Army is able to provide
food, shelter, disaster relief and other
critical support for 213,000 people each
year. The organization’s Northern Division
has 28 centers of operation, serving 1,750
hot meals a day and sheltering 700 people
at night. They also provide holiday
assistance, resulting in 60,000 toys
delivered last Christmas.
Perhaps most indicative of our state’s
generosity is the fact that Goodwill
Industries itself was formed in St. Paul
back in 1919, and today after merging with
National Easter Seals Society in 1984, is as
active as ever. The group provides those in
need with employment, skills training and
equipment, loaning wheelchairs, walkers
and more for free to those in need. In 2014
Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota provided
more than 65,000 services to nearly 22,000
individuals so they could reach their goals
of employment and independence. That
same year nearly $85 million was raised in
monetary and goods donations.
A former businessman and entrepreneur,
Fran Heitzman was struck with the idea
for Bridging when he was working as a
custodian at a local church and asked if
he could find a new owner for a used crib.
Now, 28 years later, Bridging, which oper-
ates out of two locations in Bloomington
and Roseville, is the largest furniture
bank in North America, having furnished
more than 70,000 homes for families
transitioning out of homelessness or pov-
erty with donated goods, truly bridging
the gap between those who have and
those who need.
“All people have stuff; give it to some-
body who needs it. That’s what we’re supposed to do, help one another—and we can
do this very easily. This was not a rocket scientist’s idea; it’s common sense.
“I look at the little kids I see every day in our waiting rooms and think, ‘That’s tomor-
row’s society? And we allow them to sleep on their coats on the floor? We have to
do better than that.’ When good people get together, good things happen—and that
happens every day at Bridging.
“I [recently] watched two little kids get off the school bus in north Minneapolis.
They took me by the hand and showed me their new pillows, clean sheets and new
blankets [that had come from Bridging]. They were so proud. When you help Bridging,
I don’t care what capacity it is—money, time or talent—you are standing right in that
bedroom with me. Without our donors and volunteers we couldn’t do that, and those
little girls would still be sleeping in the shelter.
“I’m 90 years old, and I have no money, but I am one of the richest men who has
ever walked the earth. I love what I do.”
— Amber Newman
FRAN HEITZMAN
FOUNDER, BRIDGING
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PORTRAITBYBRIDGING;PHOTOCOURTESYOFTHESALVATIONARMY

4. www.twincitieslivingmag.com 81
moved to its second and current home, a
Jean Nouvel-designed, three-stage archi-
tectural wonder located on the banks of the
Mississippi River. As beautiful as the build-
ing is, the shows on the inside really impress.
World-class productions ranging from new
works to classics are put on, led by a sea-
soned cast of talented performers.
Now in its 50th season, Children’s
Theatre Company is dedicated to enriching
the lives of young ones through its plays.
The acclaimed theater features two distinct
stages: the 747-seat UnitedHealth Group
Main Stage and the Cargill Stage, a 298-seat
flexible staging area. The company takes on
adaptions from great children’s literature,
as well as theater-commissioned plays rang-
ing from interpretations of folk tales from
around the world to plays aimed at issues
concerning today’s kids and teens.
In St. Paul, Ordway Center for the
Performing Arts serves as the place for
Broadway, bringing in old favorites and
new Tony Award-winners each season, in
addition to worldly music and dance perfor-
mances. The Ordway is also home to The
Schubert Club, Minnesota Opera and The
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the nation’s
only full-time professional chamber
orchestra. This year, following renovations,
the Ordway unveiled a new, 1,100-seat
Concert Hall.
Orchestra Hall also recently renovated,
expanding its lobby, creating better seating,
a more direct entrance and evolved spaces
for performers, among other elements.
The Minnesota Orchestra performs here,
and it’s no slouch—the group has earned
two Grammy Awards, and a critic from
The New Yorker once called it “the greatest
orchestra in the world.” Under the direction
of the renowned Osmo Vänskä, the orches-
tra plays from its classic repertoire, as well as
the occasional night of film music or other
popular offerings.
Theatergoers here are lucky to have
such an array of options, from theater that
entertains to shows that educate. There’s
Fitzgerald Theater, the oldest active the-
ater in St. Paul and the home of A Prairie
Home Companion, and Chanhassen Dinner
Theatres, the largest dinner theater in
PHOTOBYBRIANNAROYLEKOPKA
1.Nickelodeon Universe
(Bloomington): Located
inside Mall of America, this seven-
acre theme park provides fun
for thrill seekers in training. With
nearly 30 rides and attractions fit
for family members of all ages, you
can scream, smile and laugh your
way through the day alongside
cartoon favorites like SpongeBob
SquarePants, Dora the Explorer
and the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles.
2.SEA LIFE Minnesota
Aquarium (Bloomington):
Also inside Mall of America, under-
water adventure awaits here. Step
inside a 300-foot underground
ocean tunnel and marvel at more
than 10,000 sea creatures, then
touch and feed Stingrays, have an
up-close encounter at the Pacific
Northwest coast touchpool, or
venture through a giant ship com-
plete with a schooling fish exhibit.
3.Como Town (St. Paul): Full
of variety for ages two to 12;
this mini theme park is a destina-
tion for summer fun. Spin on the
teacups, ride a rollercoaster or hop
on the Como Town train. Plus it’s
located next to Como Zoo and
Conservatory, if you want to make
a whole day out of it.
4.Minnesota Zoo (Apple
Valley): Visit more than
4,700 animals across nearly 500
acres, including exhibits such as
Russia’s Grizzly Coast and African
Penguins. The zoo is home to
seven themed areas, stretching
from the vast safaris of Africa to
the hot spots of the tropics, plus
an interactive, nature-themed play
area, Woodland Adventures.
5.Three Rivers Park District
(Regional): Minnesotans love
the outdoors and make it acces-
sible as possible with more than 20
parks across the region set aside
for recreation. Choose to enroll in
camps or classes, or go fishing,
swimming, hiking, sledding or ski-
ing on your own.
FIVE KID (AND ADULT)
FAVORITES
Spotlight
In 1976, Sarah Bellamy’s father, Lou
Bellamy, founded one of the nation’s only
African American theaters, Penumbra
Theatre Company, in St. Paul. Being raised
amongst a myriad of influential perform-
ing artists—and becoming an educator,
director and playwright herself along the
way—Bellamy now has the opportunity to
work side by side with her father, eventu-
ally transitioning into the role she watched
him cultivate over so many years.
“[Growing up in Penumbra] was magi-
cal. For any child to grow up inside of a
theater company, where make believe
seems real, is just amazing. To add to that,
I had a whole company of extended fam-
ily members who looked out for me and
helped shape my perspective on the world.
[Working with my father is] a gift. My
father is a fun, smart, really talented man.
Our relationship has evolved so much over
the last 10 years, and I credit our closeness
to working together every day on a shared
vision. You get to know a side of a parent
that you may never see otherwise.
“I think the strong philanthropic sector
in Minnesota has been key to Penumbra’s
survival, among many other theater com-
panies. I think the fact that our work is so
unique and unlike anything else in the Twin
Cities is also crucial. People know that
when they come to Penumbra they have
the opportunity for a kind of depth, hon-
esty, authenticity and rigor that is hard to
come by. The historic Rondo neighborhood
was the seat of black political power, and I
think that spirit is still here even though the
neighborhood was split by Interstate 94 in
the 1960s—maybe it’s in the soil.
“I’d like to see Penumbra thrive for
another 40 years. I hope that we can con-
tinue to provide brave, relevant, socially
responsible programming that ignites a
passion in theatergoers and artists to work
toward social justice and equity. I hope
we’ll be able to draw on partners from vari-
ous sectors of society to be of service to
our community, to Minnesota, and to the
national theater landscape.” — Amber Newman
SARAH BELLAMY
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
PENUMBRA THEATRE COMPANY
MyTake