Basically, what are the best ways to find things around Minneapolis when you've just moved there? (Nicollet: live, estate)

[jazzymentality]

How do you find your way around the city the first few weeks? Also, is it difficult to find exits and interstate openings in this city? Here is a video that shows people driving into and out of downtown Minneapolis. Tell me what you think of the traffic.


YouTube - Freeway Timelapse: Minneapolis

[Haver]

Hey, welcome back :-)

Have not seen you post for a bit, was starting to wonder if you'd given up on us.

I know when I got my job a few years back in a part of the city I wasn't used to, I pretty much just stuck to a fixed commuting route for a bit and then just started exploring. For the interstates, I'd recommend sticking to side streets until you've built up your confidence and "mental map" a bit, and hop onto them Sunday mornings when there's not a lot of traffic. You'll get a feel for the local road network soon enough, and you can use that as a base to work out of. Google maps has been pretty useful when I need to scope out an area I'm not fully up on.

[whatever]

A road map and my Garmin got me through, especially during summer road work. It gave me the confidence to explore without fear of getting lost.
That and some quality time with Google Maps

[jazzymentality]

Originally Posted by Haver

Hey, welcome back :-)

Have not seen you post for a bit, was starting to wonder if you'd given up on us.

I know when I got my job a few years back in a part of the city I wasn't used to, I pretty much just stuck to a fixed commuting route for a bit and then just started exploring. For the interstates, I'd recommend sticking to side streets until you've built up your confidence and "mental map" a bit, and hop onto them Sunday mornings when there's not a lot of traffic. You'll get a feel for the local road network soon enough, and you can use that as a base to work out of. Google maps has been pretty useful when I need to scope out an area I'm not fully up on.

Thanks. It's good to be back...

Ok, please be more specific when you say "side streets". Is that part of the interestate? Just please be more specific when you say things. Remember, I don't live there, you do.

[Minnehahapolitan]

He means the surface, city streets. Driving the length of Nicollet Avenue, for instance, would give you better bearings if you will frequent 35W.

[rodhaenke]

I'd recommend getting on a bike and getting to know the area geographically...

[jazzymentality]

Originally Posted by rodhaenke

I'd recommend getting on a bike and getting to know the area geographically...

You've got to be kidding me right now.

[Thegonagle]

Originally Posted by jazzymentality

You've got to be kidding me right now.

I don't think so. A lot of people around here bike everywhere. You become very familiar with your surroundings on a bicycle, much more so compared to simply driving a car. (Plus, we have a ton of recreational bike paths that thousands of people use daily for fun and exercise.)

But other than that, hey, I took some time to give you (and anyone else viewing city-data) a lot of advice the last time you asked a similar question. However, it involves a step I get the feeling you haven't taken yet, and it would ease your mind a lot if you try: look at some maps.

Google is pretty accurate. You can choose a plain map, a satellite image with a map overlaid on every street, and you can even "drive" the streets with street-view, an extensive database of images taken from a car with a 360-degree camera mounted on its roof.

(You can even see the POS rusty old 35W bridge that fell on street-view, as seen from W. River Parkway, 2nd Street SE, the 10th Ave bridge, and 35W itself--kind of eerie.)

P.S. I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I'm really trying to help you, and welcome you to our beautiful city. It's not that confusing, but you should be able to read a map if you want to navigate without fear.

P.P.S. If you happen to use Verizon Wireless, they have a mapping program that you can download to your phone called VZNavigator that uses the 911-locator built into your phone to pinpoint your exact location on an onscreen map, and even function like a rudimentary Garmin-style GPS device. It adds $10 per month to your bill, but you can delete it after a few months once you figure out where your highway enterances are.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Thegonagle

I don't think so. A lot of people around here bike everywhere. You become very familiar with your surroundings on a bicycle, much more so compared to simply driving a car. (Plus, we have a ton of recreational bike paths that thousands of people use daily for fun and exercise.)

But other than that, hey, I took some time to give you (and anyone else viewing city-data) a lot of advice the last time you asked a similar question. However, it involves a step I get the feeling you haven't taken yet, and it would ease your mind a lot if you try: look at some maps.

Google is pretty accurate. You can choose a plain map, a satellite image with a map overlaid on every street, and you can even "drive" the streets with street-view, an extensive database of images taken from a car with a 360-degree camera mounted on its roof.

(You can even see the POS rusty old 35W bridge that fell on street-view, as seen from W. River Parkway, 2nd Street SE, the 10th Ave bridge, and 35W itself--kind of eerie.)

P.S. I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I'm really trying to help you, and welcome you to our beautiful city. It's not that confusing, but you should be able to read a map if you want to navigate without fear.

P.P.S. If you happen to use Verizon Wireless, they have a mapping program that you can download to your phone called VZNavigator that uses the 911-locator built into your phone to pinpoint your exact location on an onscreen map, and even function like a rudimentary Garmin-style GPS device. It adds $10 per month to your bill, but you can delete it after a few months once you figure out where your highway enterances are.

Not to hijack the thread but -do you use the Verizon GPS? How is it? User friendly? Does it give voice directions? Thanks. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by jazzymentality

You've got to be kidding me right now.

A bike is the best way to find out about the city. You see things through a windshield that you normally miss.