EAT. PLAY. STAY. DOWNTOWN.
I'll say it again and again. Downtown Minneapolis is a great place to be - one of the coolest cities I've had the pleasure of living in. But, like all cities, it has its challenges and problems.
People are what make a city great, and I've met some amazing people in Minneapolis. But people also make a city a scary place for some. After voicing my opinion for several years on end about crime downtown, actions taken by the city, allocation of resources and simple daily observation in patterns and habitual behavior - I've decided to help. Help for downtown residents, help for travelers, and help for suburbanites.
I didn't earn the title "Mayor of Minneapolis After Dark" for nothing.. I'm out late. Often. And when I walk the streets, I watch and observe and I see things. I've seen muggings, knifings, violent flash mobs, and straight harassment. The issues are centralized in certain spots and spotted throughout some others.
Minneapolis provides public data about crime in Minneapolis. One of the resources that may be alarming to many is the Minneapolis Shot Spotter. Visit this page HERE and click on each week. You'll notice that North Minneapolis has consistent issues with shots fired, and actual shootings. But you'll also notice that Hennepin ave and the downtown proper area have their issues and reported shootings just this past week. This does NOT include, knifings, harassment, beatings, gang violence or domestic abuse - only shots fired.
In order to help those navigating the city on their own or for the first time (or even those that are oblivious), the Downtown Business Coalition, which consists of local businesses, people and ideals, has released a map. The map is for the sole purpose of staying safe in our great city. It's meant to be a guide, and enhancement to your other resources.
However, its focus is on Hennepin ave, Nicollet Ave and a small section of 1st Avenue as these are the most heavily trafficked areas. You can view the map below.
Landmine Map Tri-fold Front
Landmine Map Tri-fold Inside
The Downtown Minneapolis Landmine Map is a useful guide that will serve as an amendment to other maps. The map reveals three different zones to be aware of after 8pm in the evening.
* High Danger Zones are signified by the landmine icon.
* Medium Risk zones are orange.
* Safe Zones are marked in green.
The key education points on the Downtown Minneapolis Landmine Map are meant to focus the public on safety and serve as a reminder to be educated and safe while enjoying downtown.
The Downtown Minneapolis Landmine Map is a product of www.meetMYminneapolis.com and funded by the Downtown Business Coalition. The map will be downloadable, sharable and printable. The map will also be available at participating downtown businesses, primarily in the “safe zones.” Maps will be available for local businesses upon request at no charge.
Download the map HERE.
Tell em' L.A. Nik sent you..
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");