When I think of Minnesota and the best places that a Minnesotan could live, the first thing that comes to mind is where my in-laws go most weekends, "up to da lake."

With all land-locked aquatic activities cast aside, Niche.com did a study on the best places to live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Not only did they narrow it down to the best towns and cities, but even the specific neighborhoods in those cities.

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While they got very specific on the locations, the survey lacked geographical diversity. All 20 of their "best" neighborhoods or cities were all in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

The top 20 goes to:

 

#1 Mac-Groveland in St. Paul, #47 nationally
#2 St. Anthony Park in St. Paul, #146 nationally
#3 Falcon Heights, #197 nationally
#4 Eden Prairie, #220 nationally
#5 Summit Hill in St. Paul, #297 nationally
#6 Lauderdale, #373 nationally
#7 Union Park in St. Paul, #374 nationally
#8 Highland in St. Paul, #418 nationally
#9 Edina, #423 nationally
#10 Como in St. Paul, #475 nationally
#11 Shoreview, #522 nationally
#12 Hamline-Midway in St. Paul, #581 nationally
#13 Fulton in Minneapolis, #668 nationally
#14 Linden Hills in Minneapolis, #688 nationally
#15 Kingfield in Minneapolis, #697 nationally
#16 Plymouth, #782 nationally
#17 Mendota Heights, #822 nationally
#18 Chanhassen, #879 nationally
#19 downtown St. Paul, #892 nationally
#20 Page in Minneapolis, #934 nationally

To achieve the list of rankings, Niche graded cities on 15 different factors with varying weights. The most heavily weighted characteristics were cost of living, higher education rate, housing grade, public schools grade, and diversity grade.

Other factors that played a lesser role in the rankings included the overall score given by Niche user reviews, crime and safety, families, health and fitness, jobs, nightlife, outdoor activities, walkability, weather, and short commutes.

Ten Most Disappointing Minnesota Sports Seasons

The 2021 Minnesota Twins entered the season with high expectations, but unfortunately, they've made the list of most disappointing Minnesota teams of all time.

Disappointment is a common feeling for Minnesota sports fans as the years continue. Following the NBA Championship win for Milwaukee, SportsCenter was quick to point out that Minnesota has the current longest streak of seasons without a championship appearance in the four major sports (MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL). The Minnesota Lynx also chimed in on the stat after claiming four championships since 2011.

The ten teams that are on this list all follow a similar pattern. The year prior was either a great season with a playoff run or one that featured a strong core of players that appeared to have taken the next step. Offseason/preseason expectations were high with even Las Vegas oddsmakers believing in a deep run. Unfortunately, those preseason expectations fell short for the following teams. None of the teams listed below made the playoffs.


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