Lake Street is proud to have an extraordinary collection of restaurants that serve foods from around the world and unique shopping & business venues spread over several commercial areas: Uptown, Lyn-Lake, Midtown, and Longfellow.

Despite the unique experience that each area offers, you will soon discover what is common to all – it is the special intimacy that each store/business offers to you. Stroll around and find your favorite! To make it easy, the commercial area is walkable and easily accessible by light rail, bus, and the Midtown Greenway. We hope you visit our commercial areas and experience our unique Lake Street flavor.

A trip to Lake Street should be an essential part of your Minneapolis experience! Here is just a sample of what you can expect on your visit:

In Uptown, be sure to check out the Lagoon and Uptown Theaters (1320 Lagoon Avenue and 2906 Hennepin Avenue). They offer some of the finest movie-going experiences in the area and show a variety of first-run independent and foreign films. While you're in the area, head over to Calhoun Square (3001 Hennepin Avenue) and check out their variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment venues.

Calhoun Square in Uptown

The Lyn-Lake area (at Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street, just east of Uptown) contains many unique diverse dining options, as well as a large collection of art and theater options. Be it at Jungle Theater (2951 Lyndale Ave.),  Bryant Lake Bowl (810 West Lake St.), Intermedia Arts (2822 Lyndale Ave.) or Pangea World Theater (711 West Lake St.), you're sure to find a performance to enjoy. Before or after the show, stop by one of the many unique restaurants at the corner of Lyndale & Lake, like Fuji Ya, It's Greek To Me, and La Bodega. Bryant Lake Bowl has a restaurant of its own as well! 

In the Midtown area at the center of Lake Street, the Midtown Global Market at 920 East Lake Street is a must-see. Formerly a large Sears retail store, the building is now host to a variety of diverse and independent restaurants, cafes, and specialty grocers. You can't miss it: the building continues to tower over the landscape, with a large sign saying MIDTOWN on the top to show you the way!

The Global Market is on the
first floor of the Midtown Exchange

From there, pay a visit to the Mercado Central (1515 East Lake St.) for authentic Mexican shopping and dining, Lake Plaza (301 East Lake St.) to experience the Somali flavor of the area, and Ingebretsen's (1601 East Lake St.) for the Scandinavian in all of us.

Head a bit further east and you're into the Longfellow area. Be sure to make a stop at the 27th and Lake intersection for great restaurant options like Town Talk Diner - a classic American diner with a twist, Calypso Cafe for the chef's new take on Greek food, and Midori's Floating World Cafe for great Japanese and a wide selection of teas. Then head on over to Patrick's Cabaret to see one of the many unique shows that they put on most weekends.

After you've hit 27th Avenue, check out East Lake's premier fine dining spot, The Craftsman (4300 East Lake St.), and enjoy a meal on the patio of the Longfellow Grill (2990 West River Parkway), with a great view overlooking the Mississippi River.

Now when you ride the bus on Lake Street, you save! The 21 Hop + Shop program is named after Route 21, the bus that travels down Lake Street from Uptown in the west to the Mississippi River in the east. Now, when you show your bus pass or transfer to any one of the over 80 participating businesses, you save money! From dinner to shopping, from plays to pedicures, you can find a discount on all that Lake Street has to offer.

To see all the participating businesses, what they are offering, and how you can get there, visit Metro Transit's 21 Hop + Shop website and interactive map.

To find out more about Lake Street, including all the current community events and to find even more great places to visit, check out the website of the Lake Street Council. Serving the Lake Street business community for over 40 years.