Twin Cities
Twin Cities
William Mitchell is ideally located in St. Paul, a short drive from the capitol and downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Twin Cities metro area is a thriving center of finance, industry, trade and transportation for the Upper Midwest. It is the home of 15 Fortune 500 companies, more per capita than any other U.S. city. General Mills, Medtronic Inc., Northwest Airlines, 3M, and Target Corp. are among companies with headquarters here. The economies of the metro area and region have been healthy and expanding in recent years, offering opportunities for full- and part-time employment during law school and attorney or law-related jobs after graduation. The Twin Cities is also a major governmental and educational center.
Minnesota and the Twin Cities are widely regarded as one of the most livable, and friendly areas in the United States. In fact, in 2003, Morgan Quitno Press, which annually ranks cities and states, named Minnesota the nation’s "most livable state" for the sixth year in a row. The Twin Cities have been frequently cited as among the top 10 places to live in America and ranked as a national leader in live theater and per capita ticket purchases. The Chronicle of Philanthropy said Minneapolis was the nation’s "most generous" city in per capita charitable giving in 1994.
A leader in the arts, the Twin Cities have hundreds of theaters and museums, including the Guthrie Theater, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Walker Art Center, Minnesota Children's Museum, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Students find a variety of musical offerings: the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and many jazz, rock, and folk concerts.
The giant Mall of America, with more than 400 stores, an indoor amusement park, theatres, and restaurants, draws shoppers and tourists not only from the region but from Japan, Europe, and other parts of the world.
Outdoor recreational opportunities abound in the Twin Cities and the region. Minnesota’s many lakes—one for every six residents, according to Awesome Almanac!—make for easy access to all kinds of water activities including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Students can cheer for the NFL Minnesota Vikings (football) and the Minnesota Twins (baseball). Students also can enjoy WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx (basketball), NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves (basketball), an array of the University of Minnesota's Big Ten Gopher teams, and NHL hockey’s new Minnesota Wild.