At Global Alliance, we take the “Worldwide” in our company name very seriously. We pride ourselves in offering premium limousine services to our clientele not only in our home base of Toronto but around the globe. Through our sophisticated network of trusted worldwide affiliates, Global Alliance can provide professional chauffeured services in hundreds of international cities. We will discuss many of the major worldwide destinations served via our affiliate network on this blog. Today’s location is Minnesota’s largest metropolitan area, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Nestled along the northern reach of the Mississippi River near the eastern border of the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul are, respectively, the largest and second-largest cities in the state. Minneapolis proper is in the top 50 largest U.S. cities by population and Saint Paul is the Minnesota state capital. Together, the Twin Cities form the second-largest metropolitan area in the Midwest after Chicago and rank in the top 20 largest metro areas in the United States with a combined population of over 3.5 million people.

Originally part of the lands controlled by the Sioux tribe, what is now the Twin Cities began its life as a European settlement with the erection of the U.S. Army base Fort Snelling in the early 19th Century. After Sioux lands were ceded to the United States by treaty in 1837, Minneapolis began to develop into an important centre for the lumber industry while quieter Saint Paul attracted many Catholic French-Canadian settlers, hence its biblical name. Scandinavian settlers were also a very important part of Minnesota’s settlement, and Scandinavian culture and cuisine are a visible part of the fabric of the state and the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Territory officially became a state in 1858 with Saint Paul as its capital, though the city retained that status only through the machinations of one legislator who swiped the manuscript of a bill that would have moved the capital to Saint Peter and went into hiding, thus preventing its signing.

Milling and later grain-based flour and foodstuffs industries keyed the growth of the Twin Cities, with major American corporate brands such as General Mills and Pillsbury getting their start in the region. As the economy of the Twin Cities expanded and diversified over the 20th Century (the retail giant Target has its headquarters in Minneapolis, for example), it became an important centre for labour unions as well as the founding place of the American Indian Movement.

Many of the landmarks in and around the Twin Cities are natural, including Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Falls. Both Minneapolis and Saint Paul have built-up modern downtown areas with multiple skyscrapers, although Saint Paul is known for its self-contained and distinct neighbourhoods, Late Victorian architecture, and inviting parks. Both cities boast many cultural institutions and museums, including the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Museum of Art in Minneapolis and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul. Minneapolis, as home to the nationally-renowned University of Minnesota, is an unexpected cultural hotbed, with the nation’s most active theater market outside of New York and Chicago, as well as a vibrant music scene which gave a start to global stars like Prince and Bob Dylan as well as a bevy of acclaimed alternative rock acts.

The Twin Cities share a number of professional sports teams. The NFL’s Minnesota Vikings play at US Bank Stadium is the east part of downtown Minneapolis, while the Target Center elsewhere downtown is home to pro basketball teams the Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) and Minnesota Lynx (WNBA). Major League Baseball club the Minnesota Twins play home games at downtown’s Target Field. With hockey being a popular sport in the state’s wintry climes, Saint Paul is home the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, who play at the Xcel Energy Center, as well as Minnesota United FC, who will join Major League Soccer, the top tier of American pro soccer, in 2017. The Twin Cities’ main air transport hub is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

Please feel free to contact Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services for all of your transportation needs in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota.