Students might enjoy visiting the uptown area, located off I-94 just west of 35W. Most places of interest are located on Hennepin, Lyndale, and Lake Street. The entire area caters primarily to 20-somethings, with a variety of shops, coffeehouses and restaurants. The new uptown hot spot is Chino Latino, a restaurant on Hennepin Avenue South. Its cuisine ranges from Asian to Brazilian to Jamaican. Students can make reservations, dress up a bit and go as a large group.
Prices are slightly high, but most dishes are designed to share.
The atmosphere is trendy and energetic. Unfortunately, the Twin Cities' music scene is largely for ages 21 and over. First Ave and The Quest are the best bets for all-ages shows. 7th Street Entry hosts a New Band Night every Tuesday, free for students, but limited to ages 21 and up. Dinkytown is a popular area for University of Minnesota students.