Minneapolis Named One Of 15 'Happiest Places To Live In US'

We're sure there will be no disagreement from Minnesotans.

Minneapolis is one of the 15 "happiest places to live in the United States."

That's according to Outside magazine, whose researchers pored through a multitude of "facts and figures" to land on 15 towns and cities nationally, with a testimonial sought from residents in each selected city.

Minneapolis was among the cities selected, with the city scoring highly for its "ample green space" – which "goes a long way toward healing and happiness" – its extensive bike network, its history of being welcoming to immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, its "excellent hospitals, esteemed performing arts, and fantastic food."

Among the businesses and locations getting shoutouts in the article is the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Owamni and the Minneapolis Farmers Market.

Earlier this year, the wider state of Minnesota was ranked as the 4th best state to live and work in an annual CNBC ranking, with the state vaulting up the list due to its efforts to protect access to reproductive healthcare amid restrictions in other states, as well as protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Outside acknowledges challenges facing the city too, however, namely the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the subsequent riots that followed, with state and federal investigations subsequently uncovering evidence of discrimination and unlawful conduct within MPD over at least a decade.

The debate over policing in the city – amid efforts to reform the department and the challenge presented by the spike in crime since the start of the COVID pandemic – remains ongoing.

SOURCE: Bring Me The News