Apple Ponds - Apple Valley, MN

Apple Valley didn't exist prior to 1969; in the previous century, the area was known as Lebanon Township. Settlers from the East Coast built scattered homes and farms in this rich agricultural area and interacted peacefully with Native Americans who traveled through the region on their way to Fort Snelling. The area grew slowly in the 20th century until Minnesota's largest home developer, Orrin Thompson, pinpointed it as the site for his dream development of plentiful and affordable family homes. Apple Valley's rapid and expansive building boom led the growth of the suburbs south of the Minnesota River.

Culture here centers largely on children's activities. The Heartbeat Performing Arts Center offers classes in music, dance and performance and presents several major shows every year. The annual Valley Freedom celebration, every July Fourth, features a parade, fireworks and 2- and 5-mile fun run races.

Vivo Kitchen feels like a high-end urban restaurant, with excellent service and carefully crafted dishes using top-notch, often local and organic ingredients. The menu is unpretentious, focusing on flatbread pizzas, pastas, and burgers. For a special night out, dishes such as the roasted Amish chicken or braised local pork osso buco send customers home feeling deliciously spoiled. The menu spotlights select beers, wines and cocktails but the house specialty is bourbon, whiskey and rye. An $11.95 whiskey tasting night highlights three favorites.

On the entirely casual end of things, the Valley Diner serves a beautiful, buttery traditional breakfast in a fun, mid-century dining room. Breakfast is served all day, and if pancakes for dinner doesn't sound right, huevos rancheros or a big, fluffy three-egg omelet stuffed with Philly steak and Swiss cheese, or broccoli and chicken, should do the trick. There are always the burgers, too.

While many suburbs rely on Minneapolis or St. Paul to provide a nightlife, far-flung Apple Valley makes its own. The Crooked Pint Ale House, Valley Tap House, and Rascals Bar & Grill give locals great options to go out for a drink close to home.

Apple Valley can be a lengthy commute during rush hour. Interstate 35 provides a major artery into the area, but expect to spend 45 minutes or longer getting there from the cities. It's a mere 15 minutes south of the Mall of America and airport area.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority runs local routes to major employers and shopping districts in the southern suburbs, and express buses take riders into Minneapolis and St. Paul. Rush hour fares run $2.25 for local travel, $3 for express travel into the downtowns.

Cabs are widely available at the nearby airport but can't be hailed in Apple Valley. It's always possible to call them or Uber, though.

As is the case with many suburbs of this era, sidewalks are few and far between, and bikes are mainly relegated to vehicle roads, where they may not be expected. The concentrated core business district does have sidewalks and welcomes pedestrians.

Apple Valley grew up around the Minnesota Zoo, an attraction that dates back nearly to the city's founding. Although it opened back in the 1970s, many people still refer to this as the "new zoo," to differentiate it from St. Paul's historic Como Park Zoo. The animal exhibits at the Minnesota Zoo replicate natural habitats, and several large species, including Siberian tigers and moose, live outside in huge, open air exhibits that visitors access via an extensive network of trails. Apple Valley residents use this space as a local park. A popular concert series brings national acts to the zoo's outdoor stage.

Other, less dazzling area parks include Keller Park, which features a free splash pad for kids in the summer, and the Crystal Lake public golf course. Dogs take their people to Burnsville, the suburb next door, to run wild at Alimagnet Dog Park, a seven-acre off-leash area that has a heated shelter and water bowls in the winter.

This solidly middle to upper-middle class suburb enjoys average prices for goods and services. Apartments run about $700 a month for a one bedroom, but the city has few high-density multi-housing buildings. The local pubs charge $3 to $5 a beer. Gas costs about 10 percent less than the national average.

Many people in Apple Valley consider the Mall of America in Bloomington their local shopping place. A quick 15-minute trip on the freeway, the mall offers clothing, books, electronics and gifts, not to mention amusement park rides and great people-watching.

The Paragon Outlet Center, another destination shopping option just across the border in neighboring Eagan, has more than 100 top brand outlet stores.

Cub Foods and a variety of national big box stores provide groceries to Apple Valley residents. Valley Foods, the only natural foods co-op in the south metro area, satisfies appetites from several suburbs in the area and offers a good selection of local, organic and natural groceries. A few minutes away in neighboring Eagan, the Bittersweet Bakery is a Twin Cities destination for gluten-free eaters. In the summer, residents pick up fresh produce at the local farmer's market.

A few quirky local businesses keep things interesting. Kalli's Popcorn Shop sells popcorn straight-up, or with cheese, caramel or gourmet toppings. Candy and ice cream satisfy those other snack cravings.

Get ready to tackle the Twin Cities' famous bike trails at Erik's in Burnsville. This friendly store sells equipment and accessories for biking, snowboarding, skiing and skateboarding. Don't hesitate to ask for recommendations and advice — the staff members often have first-hand experience with the store's products.