Exploring Linden Hills {Part 1}

How do you find the best places to shop and dine when you visit a new city? I talk to the locals and get the skinny on the neighborhoods they love. Linden Hills, a historic Minneapolis neighborhood nestled between the shores of Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun, is one of those beloved neighborhoods with tree-lined streets, family-friendly shops, and even a bookstore with chickens... More about that later.

Before I moved west to Colorado, I used to live a few blocks away. Almost daily in the summer I'd hop on my bike and ride the path around Lake Harriet to Linden Hills to do some shopping and grab a snack. It's become such a special place in my heart that each time I visit Minneapolis I return with my kids tagging along to shop. AND because no one in my family can resist a great snack, we always end up having some yummy homemade ice cream at Sebastian Joe's too. 

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 Where to shop and dine in Linden Hills:

A) Enjoy a cup of coffee or some of the sweetest homemade ice cream at Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream; B) Find the perfect gift at Bibelot Shops!; C) Shop for great kid toys and crafts at Creative Kidstuff; D) Decorate the home at Twiggs Home & Garden; E) Feel great with breads and more baked goods at the Great Harvest Bread Company; F) Music is the best at Linden Hills House of Music; G) Yum! Zumbro Cafe; H) Get your caffeine fix at Dunn Bros Coffee; I) More delicious treats at Tilia Minneapolis Restaurant; J) Enjoy a meal at The Harriet Brasserie; K) Imagine a bookstore that kids really want to go to first! This bookstore is fun for the whole family. (And don't forget to say hi to the chickens—more on that in a later post.) Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers.

If you want a sweet treat or just a cup of coffee, Sebastian Joe's is the place to visit. The cafe has a couple of locations in the city, but the Linden Hills spot is my fave because it has an lovely sunny cafe space to sit with friends or just your laptop and enjoy their homemade ice cream (and other yummy snacks). 

The Linden Hills neighborhood is very family friendly. The toy shop Creative Kidstuff has almost anything a kid wants—from craft supplies, games, dolls, stuffed animals, books, and more. And the store is very stroller friendly. Kids can test out new toys that usually hide inside packages at other stores.

 

 

Images: Photos and Illustrations featured above by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to pin images on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!