Finding Friends and Fun in Minneapolis: How?

[beamjockey]

Two Chicago physicists in love are moving to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

Mary writes a fine blog, A View from the Corner, and she's wondering what life will be like in the Twin Cities:

I'm a science fiction fan -- where can I meet and hang out with other fans in the Twin Cities? How about writers groups?

What are the fun parts of downtown, for when you just want a day of pizza, beer, window-shopping and people watching, amateur photography, maybe a free concert or festival in the summer? Ken and I used to take the train to downtown Chicago or Lincoln Park for days like that, but I wasn't so impressed with Nicolet Mall. There must be a park people gather in, no?

For that matter, where is the good pizza? So far as Chicagoans we've been very disappointed.

I'm looking for things to be excited about, in other words. So far we're most excited about the five drive-in theaters in a reasonable radius, but they obviously aren't open this time of year. What else is there?

And if anyone mentions ice-fishing, by the way, they will get a withering glare. I don't ice-fish. (I was pretty sure, until I started going to Minnesota, that nobody did. I interpreted the first couple of suggestions as sarcasm.)

(Summer camping recommendations are welcome, though.)

A number of Minnesotans, and others with firm opinions about Minnesota, may read this posting.

Can you offer advice? I'll pass it along to Mary. (I did tell her how to find Minn-STF and a few SF conventions.)

Comments

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, how could I forget? We don't have the Lake, but all our little lakes mean that wildlife is everywhere. The other day G and I were in South Minneapolis and looked up to see a bald eagle skim the treetops above us. On any summer day I can hope to look up and see an egret, like an angel bearing hope in its shining wings. Chicago can't do *that*!