The greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul area is home to roughly 3.3 million people, and on the rise, even if slower than many other metropolitan areas. Every single resident of the area has a variety of reasons they love where they live. Minneapolis and Saint Paul are both incredible cities and there’s a lot we should be grateful for. Here are 12 reasons why people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul should be proud of their city:

1. Minneapolis is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the entire world.
Flickr/Tony Webster
That's right. Minneapolitans are known to be an active bunch. Minneapolis summers are the most preferable for biking, but any true-blooded Minnesotan will also be seen riding a bike in the dead of winter. Nothing can stop us!
2. Our skylines are to die for.
Flickr/Ryan Desridio
Flickr/Tony Webster
We know we tend to throw our love towards Minneapolis more often than Saint Paul, but let's not forget how pretty our capitol city is as well!
3. Our Senator, Al Franken was one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live.
Flickr/Randy Stern
There's nothing like a Minnesotan who can master the comedy world as well as the political.
4. On the topic of politics, Minneapolis and Saint Paul both boast high-voter turnouts.
Flickr/Keith Ivy
We take our civil liberties seriously. In the 2016 general election, the state of Minnesota had the highest voter turnout in the country with 75% of the eligible voting population turning out to the polls. The North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis had the highest turnout of any neighborhood in the city!
5. We are the creators of the Juicy Lucy and many variations of the mouthwatering burger.
Flickr/jpgellen
The Saint Paul founded Blue Door Pub even has their own take on it, called "The Blucy."

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6. We are tough and can handle whatever Minnesota winters throw at us.
Flicker/MPLS55408
The streets haven't been plowed and our car has been completely covered in snow? No problem. We'll still make it to work.
7. We have more theater seats per capita than any other city in the country.
Flickr/Jerimiah Peterson
Google it. That's a true fact. Catch a show at The State Theater, The Orpheum, The Guthrie, The Ordway... the list goes on and on.
8. Sure, Minneapolis and Saint Paul residents might be some of the most active and healthy people in the state, but that doesn't stop us from calling anything with Jell-O, marshmallows, or pudding a "salad."
Flickr/Michael Newman
You'll find a Jell-O salad, a cookie salad, or a Snicker's salad at basically any potluck within the city and within the state. Don't get us started on the abomination of the "grape salad" that the New York Times cited falsely as an iconic Minnesotan dish in 2014.
9. Prince.
Flickr/jpgellen
We are the home of Purple Rain, of Paisley Park, of all things Prince. Since the Purple One's passing, tours have been set up within the city so you can walk in his footsteps.
10. The Minnesota State Fair.
Flickr/Drew Gereats
For the last two weeks of August every year, Minnesotans flock to the Minnesota State Fair Grounds in Saint Paul to eat deep fried candy bars, giant hunks of bacon, watch butter sculpture contests, and marvel at the state's largest livestock. The only state fair in the country bigger than ours? Texas. Three whole Minnesotas could fit inside the state of Texas, but here we are giving them a run for their money in the state fair. According to the Star Tribune, 1,943,719 people attended the Great Minnesota Get Together in 2016, breaking all other previous attendance records.
11. We have an abundance of vintage shops.
Yelp/Via's Vintage Wear For Men and Women
The Twin Cities encourage everyone's creative flair, and what better way to do that than incorporate unique vintage pieces into your everyday wardrobe? Via's Vintage in Uptown is one of the most popular shops in Minneapolis, but there are many more.
12. Reporters in 1885 once insulted Saint Paul winters, so the city created a winter festival.
Flickr/Richard Yuan
The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is the best comeback to an insult for referring to the state's capitol as "another Siberia" and utterly unlivable. Since 1946 the carnival has been an official annual tradition, featuring ice sculpted palaces, intense winter sports, and wonderful food to enjoy while being frostbitten outdoors. Don't mess with Minnesota pride. We'll always find a way to prove you wrong.

These are just a few reasons to be proud of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We know there are millions more. What makes you proud of the Twin Cities? Let us know in the comments below!

Minnesota weird has been around since before Austin, Texas Weird. How can we prove it? Read 21 Ways Minnesota Is America’s Black Sheep… And We Love It That Way.

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