Uptown

Uptown is Minneapolis's famous lakes-adjacent commercial district — and it's honestly mid-comeback, not back. Pandemic-era closures emptied storefronts, but Bde Maka Ska's beaches and trails never stopped being great, the new E Line bus (December 2025) made it easy to reach, and new small businesses are steadily filling in. Come for the lake; treat the retail strip as a bonus.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

What is Bde Maka Ska and how do I pronounce it?

It's the lake formerly called Lake Calhoun, restored to its Dakota name — roughly buh-DAY mah-KAH skah, meaning White Earth Lake. Rent kayaks or paddleboards in summer, walk or bike the loop, or just claim a patch of beach.

Is there still nightlife in Uptown?

Some, and growing again — bars and music venues along Hennepin and Lagoon, including the restored Uptown Theater as a concert hall. It's quieter than its heyday; Lyn-Lake, the district's eastern edge at Lyndale and Lake, currently has some of the better energy.

Can I swim in Bde Maka Ska?

Yes — there are designated beaches (Thomas Beach on the south end is the favorite) with summer lifeguard hours. Water quality is tested regularly; the Park Board posts closures on the rare bad week.

What happened to Uptown?

A rough stack of years: chain retailers and the mall-anchor stores left, pandemic and 2020-21 unrest hit hard, and long road construction on Hennepin didn't help. The city and developers are now leaning in — the former Calhoun Square site is being rebuilt as Seven Points with 228 apartments, due around fall 2027.

Is Uptown safe?

It's a busy urban district by day and around the lake, fine with normal awareness. Late nights on the emptier stretches of the commercial strip warrant the usual big-city judgment. The lake paths are heavily used well into the evening in summer.

Is Uptown Minneapolis still worth visiting?

Yes, with adjusted expectations. Bde Maka Ska — beaches, sailboats, a 3-mile paved loop — is as good as urban lakefront gets, and it's free. The Hennepin/Lagoon commercial core lost a lot of tenants after 2020 and is rebuilding block by block; a renaissance of small businesses is real but early.

How do I get to Uptown without a car?

The new E Line bus rapid transit (opened December 6, 2025) runs down Hennepin from downtown and the U of M — frequent, $2, with heated station shelters. It replaced the old Route 6 and it's genuinely quick.

Where should I eat in Uptown?

The scene is in flux, which cuts both ways: closures, but also new openings taking over good spaces every season. Check what's current before you go rather than trusting old listicles — and know that neighboring Lyn-Lake and Whittier's Eat Street are a short hop for deeper benches.

Nearby in Ask Minneapolis

• Volstead's EmporiumBar0.76 km · 9 min walk
• Milkjam Creamery CafeCafé0.92 km · 11 min walk
• Chain of Lakes (Lake Calhoun / Bde Maka Ska & Lake Harriet)Attraction1.1 km · 14 min walk
• Bde Maka SkaPark1.23 km · 15 min walk
• Sebastian Joe's Ice CreamCafé1.59 km · 20 min walk