Shopping

 • Mall of America, 60 East Broadway, Bloomington, 952 883-8800. Common thought is that it is in Minneapolis, but it is actually roughly southeast of the city, although not far. A dizzying shopping experience, and also technically the 4th largest "city" in the state. It has hundreds of stores and an IKEA nearby it. You can get there by Light Rail or bus.

Clothes
 • Lava Lounge for fashion wear, it's located by Lyn-Lake. The clothes are fitted and range from hip hop to techno-industrial wear.
 • Ragstock is a local chain of used clothing stores.

Bookstores
The Twin Cities are a hotbed of independent presses and bookstores.

 • Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction, 2864 Chicago Ave S, at Lake Street, 612 824-6347, fax 612 827-6394 - M-F 10a-8p, Sat 10a-6p, Sun Noon-5p. Sharing the same building with Uncle Edgar's Mystery. A treasure trove of used and new Science Fiction and Fantasy books. It is the oldest SF/fantasy book store in North America, and has a well-earned national reputation for its vast selection.
 • Uncle Edgar's Mystery, 2864 Chicago Ave S, at Lake Street, 612 824-9984, fax 612 827-6394. M-F 10a-8p, Sat 10a-6p, Sun Noon-5p. Sharing the same building with Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction. Specializing in used and new mystery books.

 • The prices are reasonable and you can get an extra 10% off all purchases by buying a $4 discount card. If you're buying more than $40 worth of books, it pays for itself with the first purchase. It is located in a shady part of town, so it's best to arrive with plenty of daylight left.

 • Dreamhaven Books and Comics, 912 West Lake Street, 612 823-6161, fax 612 823-6062 - M-F 11a-8p, Sat 11a-6p, Sun Noon-6p. New and used Science Fiction, Fantasy, horror, film and art books, comics, an adults-only room. Mail order and in-store readings.

 • Orr Books & Cards, 3045 Hennepin Ave at Lake, 612 823-2408. Regional and national poetry, journals, arts, cookbooks, and course reading lists for local small graduate institutes. Splendid little bookstore in Uptown.

 • College of Comic Book Knowledge, 3151 Hennepin Ave S, 612 822-2309 - Shares the building with Nostalgia Zone. Great for newer and more mainstream comics.
 • Nostalgia Zone, 3151 Hennepin Ave S, 612 822-2806. Shares the building with College of Comic Book Knowledge. Best for hard to find old comics and independents.

 • You can also sell comics here, and the dealers are great. The establishment is over 30 years old.

 • Amazon Book Store, 4755 Chicago Ave, 612 821-9630 - Founded in 1970, well before the online book retailer of the same name. Boasts the title of the oldest independent feminist book store in North America. The store is practically a Minneapolis institution.

Record Stores
 • Roadrunner Records, 4304 Nicollet Ave S, 612 822 0613 - Has a great selection of independent LP's, CD's and DVD's. Known for their international music section. Punk and alt-country genres don't suffer. A great independent record store with lots of local and independently produced product.

 • Extreme Noise Records, 407 West Lake St - Specializes in all punk and subgenres therein. A cooperative run for over ten years by local punks. Amazing selection of punk 'zines, CD's, LP's and 7-inches. The place in town for finding hard-to-find punk records, trading punk records, finding other punks, seeking out that basement show, etc. Don't let the punk rock moniker scare the less-than punk away. If you want to see what a truly independent local scene can produce and meet some of the most earnest members of said scene, you must check out Extreme Noise.

 • Electric Fetus, 2000 4th Ave. S, (on the corner of Franklin Ave and 4th Ave, near 35W) - Possibly the most complete selection of CD's in town across all genres. Hold on tight to your wallet when you walk in here. If there's an obscure CD you've been looking for, this place is likely to have it. Listening stations are posted throughout the store enticing all who enter to try out some new music. It's the place you would go if you had unlimited resources for buying new music. Be prepared to pay full price, although new releases are frequently on sale. Buy four CD's and get a discount. Tickets for local venues are on sale here too.