DMNA Neighborhoods

The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association represents people who live, work, or own property in the Downtown East and Downtown West neighborhoods.

Downtown East is bound in the north by the Mississippi River, in the west by Portland Avenue South, in the east by Interstate 35W and in the south by Fifth Street South. The Downtown East neighborhood is home to the Mill City Museum, which opened in 2003; the Guthrie Theater, which opened in 2006; and MacPhail Center for Music, which opened in 2008. Within the Downtown East neighborhood is the Mill District, which contains a number of former industrial properties leftover from the days when Minneapolis was the flour milling capital of the world. Many old mills and factories have been converted to housing, bringing a residential population to a neighborhood that beforehand didn’t have many residents.

Downtown West is bound by 12th Street to the southwest, 3rd Avenue North, Washington Avenue North, and Hennepin Avenue to the northwest, the Mississippi River to the northeast, and Portland Avenue, 5th Street South, and 5th Avenue South to the southeast. Downtown West is the business hub of Minneapolis. It is packed with theaters and entertainment venues like Orchestra Hall and the Target Center arena. It is also the location of Minnesota’s main street, the Nicollet Mall. The Minneapolis Skyway system connects corporate offices, bars, restaurants, bakeries, hotels, government services, retail, gyms, grocery stores, liquor stores, banks, doctors, dentists, masseurs, pharmacies, hair and nail salons, dry cleaners, live theaters, three pro sports facilities, a church, art exhibits, and residential buildings.

The Mill District is a subset neighborhood of Downtown East, and the Gateway District is a subset neighborhood of Downtown West. If you see these banners hanging on an ornamental light pole, you will know where you are!