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Minnesota Senate primary heats up as ICE backlash boosts Flanagan among DFL delegates

But many insiders say her DFL rival still has a strong path to the primary.

News

Sharp-elbowed attacks over ICE, fraud and electability are flying in the high-stakes U.S. Senate primary between <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Rep. Angie Craig" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/04/29/angie-craig-running-minnesota-senate-2026" data-vars-content-id="9e3101ca-afec-4a8d-a624-410e801bf0ff" data-vars-headline="Minnesota Senate primary heats up as ICE backlash boosts Flanagan among DFL delegates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/04/29/angie-craig-running-minnesota-senate-2026" target="_self">U.S. Rep. Angie Craig</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/02/13/walz-flanagan-us-senate-tina-smith-race-democrats" data-vars-content-id="9e3101ca-afec-4a8d-a624-410e801bf0ff" data-vars-headline="Minnesota Senate primary heats up as ICE backlash boosts Flanagan among DFL delegates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/02/13/walz-flanagan-us-senate-tina-smith-race-democrats" target="_self">Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan</a>.Why it matters: Political fallout over Operation Metro Surge has stoked a race that was already seen as a proxy battle over the future of the Democratic Party.

St. Paul takes center stage in nationwide "No Kings" protests

Bernie Sanders and Bruce Springsteen are set to join crowds as the Twin Cities host a flagship rally.

Tens of thousands of Minnesotans are expected to march to the State Capitol Saturday for a star-studded No Kings rally. The big picture: Progressive political groups, labor unions and human and civil rights organizations expect the nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations to surpass last year&#x27;s No Kings rallies in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="June" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/14/photos-no-kings-protests-downtown-chicago-trump" data-vars-content-id="31898c9e-f969-402c-bf9f-623b8475a9a1" data-vars-headline="St. Paul takes center stage in nationwide &quot;No Kings&quot; protests" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/14/photos-no-kings-protests-downtown-chicago-trump" target="_self">June</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="October" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/18/no-kings-protests-october-18-turnout" data-vars-content-id="31898c9e-f969-402c-bf9f-623b8475a9a1" data-vars-headline="St. Paul takes center stage in nationwide &quot;No Kings&quot; protests" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/18/no-kings-protests-october-18-turnout" target="_self">October</a>.<ul><li>St. Paul will serve as the &quot;flagship&quot; protest, according to organizers, with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen scheduled to attend. </li></ul>

State Rep. Elliott Engen arrested on DWI suspicion

The 27-year-old was booked at 4:42am Friday morning in the Ramsey County jail.

State Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Elliott Engen" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/03/minnesota-republicans-bills-dont-pass" data-vars-content-id="936859ba-4d1e-4a2d-b5be-c73ca7c10308" data-vars-headline="State Rep. Elliott Engen arrested on DWI suspicion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/03/minnesota-republicans-bills-dont-pass" target="_self">Elliott Engen</a>, a GOP candidate for state auditor, was arrested and booked in the Ramsey County jail on suspicion of DWI, according to county records. The 27-year-old from White Bear Township was booked at 4:42am Friday on charges of fourth-degree DWI, according to a news release from the department. He was released less than two hours later.

Survey: Operation Metro Surge agents frequently used force, random stops

At least 1 in 4 Minneapolis residents reported encountering an agent.

One in four Minneapolis residents and one in five St. Paul residents encountered an ICE or Border Patrol agent during <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Operation Metro Surge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/02/26/court-filings-paint-mixed-picture-of-ices-minnesota-drawdown" data-vars-content-id="2766c46f-38b1-4be2-b6cb-c681459b0839" data-vars-headline="Survey: Operation Metro Surge agents frequently used force, random stops" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/02/26/court-filings-paint-mixed-picture-of-ices-minnesota-drawdown" target="_self">Operation Metro Surge</a>, a new survey found.Why it matters: The university-backed poll is a stunning measure of how deeply the immigration enforcement surge <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="disrupted daily life" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/12/16/ice-immigrant-business-minneapolis-metro-surge" data-vars-content-id="2766c46f-38b1-4be2-b6cb-c681459b0839" data-vars-headline="Survey: Operation Metro Surge agents frequently used force, random stops" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/12/16/ice-immigrant-business-minneapolis-metro-surge" target="_self">disrupted daily life</a> in the Twin Cities.

How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here

Get a local to invite you to their cabin. That’s how you know you’ve made it.

Newcomers Guide

As a newcomer to Minnesota, you may have already heard an old joke: If you want to make friends in Minnesota, go to kindergarten.The big picture: You have arrived in a community with a reputation as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a difficult place to make new social connections" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/09/09/making-friends-in-twin-cities-minnesota-hard-survey" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/09/09/making-friends-in-twin-cities-minnesota-hard-survey" target="_self">a difficult place to make new social connections</a> — especially as a transplant.<ul><li>You&#x27;re also taking this leap at a time when health officials worry that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="many young adults" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/05/pandemic-loneliness-crisis-falls" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/05/pandemic-loneliness-crisis-falls" target="_self">many young adults</a> in our society <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="are lonelier than ever" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/03/surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-fights-loneliness" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/03/surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-fights-loneliness" target="_self">are lonelier than ever</a>.</li></ul>Why it matters: We love Minnesota. We want you to love it, too — and for that to happen, it&#x27;s important that you connect with the people here.<ul><li>On top of that, employers want you to stay! There aren&#x27;t enough native Minnesotans to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fill the region&#x27;s jobs" data-vars-click-url="https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/09/19/minnesota-keeps-adding-jobs/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/09/19/minnesota-keeps-adding-jobs/" target="_blank">fill the region&#x27;s jobs</a> and &quot;meet the demand of the economic opportunity that&#x27;s here,&quot; Matt Lewis of the Greater MSP Partnership told Axios.</li></ul>Context: Lewis and Greater MSP, an economic development organization with both public and private backing, have interviewed and surveyed hundreds of newcomers.Reality check: It&#x27;s hard to make friends as an adult in almost any city, but are Minnesotans &quot;uniquely bad at that? I don&#x27;t think so,&quot; said Lewis.<ul><li>Lewis asserted it&#x27;s probably just as hard in the Twin Cities as most other Midwestern cities, which — unlike D.C., New York or Los Angeles — don&#x27;t have as many super-dense transplant populations looking for new connections.</li></ul>&quot;It&#x27;s super awkward,&quot; Lewis said of making friends as an adult. &quot;Like, &#x27;how do I do the playground thing at, like, 27?&#x27;&quot;By the numbers: Overall, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="three out of five transplants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.makeitmsp.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Make-It.-MSP.-Insights.-MSP-Hello-2019.pdf" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.makeitmsp.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Make-It.-MSP.-Insights.-MSP-Hello-2019.pdf" target="_blank">three out of five transplants</a> feel welcome in the Twin Cities, according to a 2019 Greater MSP survey — but specific answers varied.<ul><li>Black respondents were less likely to feel embraced: 28% reported feeling unwelcome.</li><li>Midwesterner transplants were more likely to feel welcome than others, especially newcomers from the Northeast.</li></ul>Between the lines: Lewis said most newcomers decide whether they&#x27;re staying in Minnesota — or leaving for good — after 18-24 months.<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">How one group Break(s) the Bubble</h2><figure><img alt="Two men, one in an unzipped hoodie and green t-shirt, the other in a dark blue hoodie, talk over a picnic table with a sheet of name tags on it and a sign that reads &quot;Break the Bubble.&quot;" height="768" id="6eb27b12-ddcb-4112-ad6d-3f3bca5c3340" src="https://images.axios.com/QsukKRT9vYAauF08NNDV4li8wVs=/2024/05/10/1715356242027.jpg" width="1366"/><figcaption>Jon Slock (left) organizes Break the Bubble events around the Twin Cities. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios</figcaption></figure>About a decade ago, after lamenting the Twin Cities&#x27; social chilliness, two friends decided to organize a mixer: not for dating or networking, but simply for people seeking new friends.Flashback: One simple flyer was all it took to attract 40 people, and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Break the Bubble" data-vars-click-url="https://www.meetup.com/make-new-friends-break-the-bubble-msp/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.meetup.com/make-new-friends-break-the-bubble-msp/" target="_blank">Break the Bubble</a> was born, current coordinator Jon Slock tells Axios.Why it matters: Their experience shows that you, too, can break the ice in Minnesota!State of play: The group now regularly draws at least 100 people to their casual, twice-monthly hangouts for people of all ages, Slock tells Axios.How it works: Break the Bubble attendees come and go as they please — the opposite of &quot;speed friending&quot; events, or even a book club or language class, which require a set time commitment and prep work, Slock said.In his research, Lewis with the Greater MSP Partnership has found newcomers had more success in these unstructured, random-venue events.<ul><li>At big festivals, concerts or events, locals tend to go &quot;with their pocket of friends&quot; and aren&#x27;t looking to mingle.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: The struggle to make friends here is &quot;all real,&quot; said Slock, who was born in Indiana but has lived here more than 20 years.<ul><li>But &quot;it&#x27;s true anywhere as an adult. It&#x27;s tough to meet people after a while.&quot;</li></ul><h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">Friend-ly advice: 7 ways to make new connections</h2>We asked Slock, Lewis and Axios readers for their best advice for Twin Cities newcomers looking to make new friends.Here are their tips — along with a few of our own:🧭 Seek out another newcomer&#x27;s guidance, Lewis said — preferably &quot;somebody who went though the experience you&#x27;re going through within the last few years.&quot; Their advice is more likely to be relevant to you.<ul><li>Even better, find someone similar to you. Newcomers&#x27; experiences tend to vary by age, marital status and identity.</li></ul>🏘 Find a newcomer-rich area. If you can&#x27;t live there, become a regular in the neighborhoods that serve as the Twin Cities&#x27; melting pots.<ul><li>You&#x27;re more likely to run into others looking for new social connections.</li></ul><div><figure><div id="av-hermesv2/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with-J7TJA" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-hermesv2/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with-J7TJA" data-vars-iframe-src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with/index.html" class="gtmView"><img alt="A bar chart visualizes U.S. Census estimates from 2018-2022, showing the share of newcomer residents in various neighborhoods in various Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods. The highest percentage is in neighborhoods near the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis at 46.87%, followed by Downtown St. Paul at 33.29%." class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with/fallbacks/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with-fallback.png" width="1200" height="1322"/><img alt="A bar chart visualizes U.S. Census estimates from 2018-2022, showing the share of newcomer residents in various neighborhoods in various Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods. The highest percentage is in neighborhoods near the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis at 46.87%, followed by Downtown St. Paul at 33.29%." class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with/fallbacks/2024-05-09-1011-10-neighborhoods-with-apple.png" width="750" height="1356"/></div><figcaption>Data: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="MN Compass" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mncompass.org/profiles/neighborhoods/minneapolis-saint-paul" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mncompass.org/profiles/neighborhoods/minneapolis-saint-paul" target="_blank">MN Compass</a> analysis; Note: Chart only includes Minneapolis and St. Paul, not metro suburbs; Chart: Axios Visuals</figcaption></figure></div>📲 Social networking platforms like Meetup — where <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Break the Bubble" data-vars-click-url="https://www.meetup.com/make-new-friends-break-the-bubble-msp/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.meetup.com/make-new-friends-break-the-bubble-msp/" target="_blank">Break the Bubble</a> lists events — are good places to peruse.<ul><li>Axios reader JoAnn H. also recommends joining Facebook groups to &quot;meet like-minded folks.&quot;.</li></ul>⛹️ Join a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rec sports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities-events/sports_leagues/adult_sports_leagues/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities-events/sports_leagues/adult_sports_leagues/" target="_blank">rec sports</a><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" league" data-vars-click-url="https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/athletics/adult-athletics" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/athletics/adult-athletics" target="_blank"> league</a>. Reader Robert F. picked kickball: &quot;Lots of sitting-around time and then mandatory bar trips afterwards. All abilities were welcome (and we were all terrible).&quot;💪 Get active. If sports aren&#x27;t your thing, reader Madelyn S. recommends <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="City Girls Who Walk" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/citygirlswhowalkmpls" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/citygirlswhowalkmpls" target="_blank">City Girls Who Walk</a>. There are also <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="running groups" data-vars-click-url="https://www.run-minnesota.org/find-club/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.run-minnesota.org/find-club/" target="_blank">running groups</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bicycle clubs" data-vars-click-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20230924163028/https://www.ourstreetsmpls.org/bike_clubs_2022" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230924163028/https://www.ourstreetsmpls.org/bike_clubs_2022" target="_blank">bicycle clubs</a> all over the metro.<ul><li>The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tapestry Folk Dance Center" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tapestryfolkdance.org/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tapestryfolkdance.org/" target="_blank">Tapestry Folk Dance Center</a> offers &quot;a welcoming community&quot; and &quot;an organic place for all people to meet and develop friendships,&quot; says reader Rebecca H.</li><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Going curling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/02/11/curling-clubs-filling-olympics-ice-time-minnesota" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/02/11/curling-clubs-filling-olympics-ice-time-minnesota" target="_self">Going curling</a> can burnish your Minnesotan credentials. It&#x27;s actually good curling etiquette to socialize after the game.</li></ul>👷 Volunteer! Slock has met &quot;tons of friends&quot; while donating his time to<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Habitat for Humanity" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tchabitat.org/" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tchabitat.org/" target="_blank"> Habitat for Humanity</a>.<ul><li>Reader Nick H. recommends the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jaycees" data-vars-click-url="https://www.jcimn.org/aboutus" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.jcimn.org/aboutus" target="_blank">Jaycees</a>.</li></ul>💭 Kyle&#x27;s thought bubble: Set your long-term plan aside. At 27, I moved to (yet another) new city. For one year after my arrival, I made a policy to say &quot;yes&quot; to as many new experiences as I could.<ul><li>For 365 whole days, I forbade myself from pondering whether I was living in the right city. Instead, I lived in the moment. I put myself out there. I embraced awkward situations.</li><li>After those 365 days is when you can decide whether the place is right for you.</li></ul>The bottom line: You&#x27;ve got this.Go deeper with the rest of Axios Twin Cities&#x27; guides for newcomers:<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Places to eat and drink" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/04/21/a-newcomers-guide-to-eating-and-drinking-like-a-minnesotan" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/04/21/a-newcomers-guide-to-eating-and-drinking-like-a-minnesotan" target="_self">Places to eat and drink</a></li><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Picking a neighborhood" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/04/28/best-neighborhood-how-to-pick-home" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/04/28/best-neighborhood-how-to-pick-home" target="_self">Picking a neighborhood</a></li><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fun things to do" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/05/05/guide-things-to-do-minnesota-twin-cities-newcomers" data-vars-content-id="ffa0f2eb-5aaf-4408-8e55-24239bc3d540" data-vars-headline="How to make friends in Minnesota if you didn’t go to kindergarten here" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/05/05/guide-things-to-do-minnesota-twin-cities-newcomers" target="_self">Fun things to do</a></li></ul>

A newcomers' guide to the Twin Cities and Minnesota

Museums, music venues, mall sand more things to do in Minnesota

If you&#x27;re new to Minnesota, here are a few good ways to get to know the people, spirit and landscape of the state:

A newcomers' guide to picking a neighborhood in the Twin Cities

As is often the case in life, the best advice for figuring out where to live should be obvious: Stop scrolling.Why it matters: All the Google searches, listing descriptions and neighborhood scores in the world can&#x27;t substitute for getting a feel for a place IRL.

A newcomers' guide to eating and drinking like a Minnesotan

A starter pack of food and drink places and experiences for Twin Cities newcomers.

Food and Drink

If you are among the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="thousands" data-vars-click-url="https://mn.gov/admin/assets/Migration%20Report_FINAL_tcm36-620018.pdf" data-vars-content-id="85ed4e24-c7d7-49f8-9aea-d787cf601569" data-vars-headline="A newcomers&#x27; guide to eating and drinking like a Minnesotan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mn.gov/admin/assets/Migration%20Report_FINAL_tcm36-620018.pdf" target="_blank">thousands</a> of people who move to Minnesota each year: Welcome! Now, it&#x27;s time to learn to eat like a Minnesotan.We made a starter pack of food and drink places and experiences for Twin Cities newcomers to check out, picked with the help of Axios readers.