Hiawatha - Minneapolis, MN

The hero of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Poem, "The Song of Hiawatha," is the namesake of the neighborhood. Like other neighborhoods in the Longfellow area, immigrants flooded Hiawatha in the 1920s. Leaving crowded downtown living spaces, they purchased their first homes in the more spacious suburbs. These "catalog" houses, ordered from Sears, Roebuck & Co., still line many of Hiawatha's streets.

Sensory talents are highlighted in the Hiawatha Avenue Mural. Ponder the giant vertical painting, which depicts the neighborhood's progress through the decades. The Ballare Teatro Performing Arts Center offers recreational and professional dance courses and programs. If traditional styles of art aren't appealing, the Riverview Theater shows second-time-around films for cheap and serves the best popcorn in town.

In the evening, activity drifts away from Minnehaha Park and toward Hiawatha and Minnehaha Avenues. Here, you'll find substantial meat-and-potato fare at pubs and grills. Let other parts of the city brag of boisterous clubs, while you choose more casual forms of entertainment, like swing dancing or a movie.

Leather booths and a wall of Scotch and whiskey bottles add to the Irish environment at Merlin's Rest. Expect the usual pub fare with quality ingredients, such as grass-fed beef and Guinness. Voted "Best Neighborhood Bar" by City Pages, Merlin's reputation keeps it busy. Get in early for the pub quiz on Wednesday or develop your palate at the single malt tastings held the first Thursday of every month.

During summer months, be sure to try the Sea Salt Eatery. A menu full of seafood dishes, including fish tacos, walleye sandwiches and seafood gumbo, along with a limited selection of craft beers, provides a main dining option to visitors in Minnehaha Park. Like all popular places in Hiawatha, expect to wait for tables and food.

Before catching a show at the Riverview Theater, pop into the Riverview Wine Bar, located across the street. Live jazz and open mic nights attract customers, while a seasonal menu and 100-plus wine labels hold them captive for hours. Riverview does not take reservations, so come early for a table.

Residents can venture north into Longfellow's other neighborhoods for a more active nightlife scene. Seward, to the north, is scene to a handful of happily-unpretentious dive bars, like Hexagon Bar and Schooner Tavern. Head east, across Hiawatha Avenue, to Matt's Bar, where you can sample the renowned "Jucy Lucy" burger.

The Metro Blue Line of the light rail runs along Hiawatha Avenue, linking the neighborhood with Minneapolis city center in the north to the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport and Bloomington's Mall of America in the south. Stops include 46th Street and 50th Street/Minnehaha Park.

Parking is mostly residential and free. There's also a Park & Ride station along the Blue Line, just above Hiawatha at the Lake Street/Midtown Station.

Hiawatha Avenue becomes Highway 55, running from east to west and intersecting with Crosstown Highway 62. These two major roadways allow you to reach downtown or the suburbs in approximately 20 minutes.

It's safe to walk through the neighborhood, as long as the usual safety precautions are taken at night. If you prefer a taxi to your destination, book a cab with Seward's Rainbow Taxi Corporation. Uber, the ride sharing company, also operates around Minneapolis, and the service's convenient app allows you to access potential lifts around the city from your phone.

Nearly one-third of the Hiawatha neighborhood is parkland, where oak, elm, cottonwood and silver maple stand sentinel over the bordering Mississippi. Bike, walk, picnic or play with your dog in this tamed wilderness.

Minnehaha Park is one of the city's oldest, and its towering limestone cliffs draw 850,000 visitors a year. Minnehaha means "rapid waters," and this English translation is the name of the park's 53-foot waterfall. In winter, marvel at ice climbers inching up the frozen liquid. Dogs are allowed to wander off-leash in certain areas. Because it showcases Minnesota's natural beauty, tourists overwhelm the park on weekends. Avoid parking fees by leaving your car on a free space across from the parking meters.

A series of events brings the community together in the natural arena of Minnehaha Park. You can run a half-marathon or join in a Pride parade. During Labor Day weekend, jam to banjo at the free Laughing Waters Blues Festival. The park has even hosted presidential visits in the past.

Alongside the park, at Lock and Dam No. 1, you can explore the river in a boat or wet your toes on its shore. This is a popular fishing area, with sheep head, pike and bass chomping at your hooks. The bike path along River Road provides for scenic exercise, but for a more challenging route, try the Winchell Trail.

Hiawatha is an affordable choice for residents. The percentage of wages that residents spend on home ownership is below the city average, and rent rates fell below the city average in the 2000s.

With few apartment buildings in the neighborhood, renting options are limited, but leasing a house or renting a room in a shared house with other tenants may be possible. Start your search for an apartment in the blocks near Hiawatha and Minnehaha Avenues, where a one-bedroom unit will rent for $900-$1700.

Gas prices in the area sit around 3-5 percent lower than the national average.

In Hiawatha, locally-owned specialty shops and vintage boutiques draw more customers than chain locations like Target. Shops cluster along Minnehaha Avenue and the blocks north of 35th Street.

Your inner bargain hunter will fall in love at Junket: Tossed And Found and E's Emporium. Holding a jumble of old furniture, reusable sewing supplies and Minnesota-themed knickknacks, enter these stores with a ready wallet.

Hiawatha residents can purchase groceries at the Longfellow Market on 38th Street. This local store sells basic food and operates a hot lunch stand with classics, like fried chicken and Chinese dishes. Items in the bulk aisle offer bigger quantity for better prices. For a wider selection of goods, visit the Walgreens and Cubs branches in the northern neighborhood of Howe.

Shoppers who prefer purchasing goods from farmers markets can travel a few miles away to the Minneapolis Farmers Market located on East Lyndale Avenue.