L.A. NIK'S "BLACK FRIDAY"

NICKI MINAJ MOCKERY

Black Friday is a crazy shop-o-thon that I don't understand.  For those of you that endure this day like its an olympic sport.. more power to you.  I do like the name .. I think more Fridays should be black !  For those of you that get me, you'll understand the humor in the photo above; specifically if you're a fan of rap music.  Having graduated from the school of hard knocks with advanced degrees, rock is in my blood; it is my religion. I bow to one God only.  God of Thunder.

I do have some Black Friday advise though !  Being an ambassador of all things "Downtown", I will encourage you to avoid lines at Best Buy for 24 hours plus in the freezing cold.  Stop supporting major malls opening at midnight or even earlier.  Those people can't have a holiday anymore !

In the words of Petula Clark..
Downtown, things will be great when you're
Downtown, don't wait one minute more
Downtown, everything's waiting for you.
Downtown

L.A. NIK'S BLACK FRIDAY TOP 5 !!


1. SKY WAY Walking Downtown Minneapolis

There are miles and miles of indoor walking all through-out downtown.  If you stick to downtown proper in the business district, you never have to leave the 70 degree temperatures of the skyway.  You can view the map of the skyway and even filter the types of businesses you're looking for by visiting Skyway Myway.





























2. HEATED PARKING RAMPS

Man, this goes without saying.  Being from Los Angeles most of my life, I've found every way to not be cold during Minnesota winter time.  This seems like a no-brainer to me.. You could park your car in a massive outside parking lot and stand in lines in the dark for loss-leader deals you could find all year round at www.Tigerdirect.com or www.Amazon.com OR you could park in the heated, protected parking ramps in downtown Minneapolis at a reasonable hour, and guess what ???  They get you right in to the Skyway! Complete comfort.

I heard reports of lines of people standing outside Best Buy in Edina before midnight November 23rd... Its not even Thanksgiving yet !!  Why would you give up your family / friends / or personal time to stand in a line in cold weather from more than 24 hours just to save a few dollars ?!?!  Somethings wrong here - enjoy the culture that truly is Minneapolis and come DOWNTOWN !!  Get some sleep the night before.

Are you in this photo..?

3. NICOLLET MALL.

This brings me to the number 3 reason you should come DOWNTOWN Minneapolis on Black Friday.
Culture!  The Target Holidazzle Parade starts at 6:30pm on black friday.  This is one thing I really love about downtown Minneapolis that makes the cold air a little more tolerable.   Wouldn't you rather spend your time with your kids or family doing this ???

                                 

Nicollet Mall is the life blood of downtown Minneapolis.  Along this exact street you'll find coffee shops, mom & pop shops, watering holes and food - The Local, Brits Pub, Vincent, Newsroom, McCormick & Schmick's, Barrio, & Zelo just to name a few !

4. MAJOR DEPARTMENT STORES

If you have to get some holiday shopping out of the way for other people on your list, then you've also got major department stores downtown to.  Come support downtown and buy your gifts in Minneapolis at  Saks off Fifth, Neiman Marcus, Banana Republic, GAP, Allen Edmond, Brooks Brothers, Len Druskin, Cole Hann & Macy's.

Macy's also carries on the Dayton's old tradition of the 8th floor Holiday display.  What a better way to end your black friday than enjoying the spirit of the the holidays.

Even if you'd like hair, nails and personal services on black friday, you can visit Rocco Altobelli in the IDS Center.  Find Jessica or Sara at the front desk and tell them L.A. Nik sent you !  They'll be open all day.

5. DOWNTOWN PROMOTIONS

Lastly, to help you enjoy family fun, comfortable shopping and great holiday celebration, take advantage of the specials that downtown businesses are running just to help you enjoy your stay!  Meet Minneapolis is the group of people that strive to make sure your stay in downtown runs as smooth as possible.  They work real hard behind the scenes to make sure you enjoy Minneapolis, along side the Minneapolis DID.  I can sum up my feelings for downtown Minneapolis by quoting them..

"There's no place quite like Minneapolis. It's a city of amazing contrasts and combinations. Where down home people meet uptown style. Where below zero temperature meets above average intelligence. Where modern glass architecture meets outdoor green adventure. Where every season, every art and every type meet in every possible way. We want everyone to Meet Minneapolis, and see firsthand what an amazing place this is".


Visit this page of the Meet Minneapolis website to discover holiday specials from hotels, restaurants, local shops, theater and more to make your stay memorable.  All at a fraction of the hassle of parking at the mall....


If you need help outside the immediate downtown area but still like to support local store owners, then check out these two links.  Local companies helping local companies..


1. http://minneapolis.cities2night.com/read/3567/save-green-on-black-friday


2. http://lepetitconnaisseurdelamode.blogspot.com/2011/11/black-friday-local-shopping-roundup.html

LASTLY !!!!

Don't forget if you're DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS, and you see me.. pull out your camera and Snap a Pic of L.A. Nik.  You might just win $1,000 CASH to cover your holiday spending spree downtown.
Only 5 Days Left !!!

Submit your photos on www.RockinThisTown.com

DOING YOUR "BIZZNESS" DOWNTOWN

L.A. NIK'S TOP 5 PLACES TO DO YOUR BIZZNESS DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS.

Face it. If you work downtown, then you can't deny that a trip to the office restroom is not your shining moment - for fear of the location, the unknown outcome and the potential onlookers. When you have to take care of bizzness after a morning of high octane coffee and work stress, the office lieu is not the place you want to land. What if your visit leaves less than desirable results for the rest of the office OR God forbid, for the person waiting just outside the door ! They know it was you !!

Let me help you. This is a list of the top 5 bathrooms in the downtown business area of Minneapolis. Like most people I strive for privacy and cleanliness.. these TOP 5 are the best hidden gems for your 15 minute "bizzness break" to have 5 star cleanliness but most of all... anonymity.

No. 1 The Westin
I've reviewed this space before for their outstanding service and great happy hour pricing at BANK. Westin makes the TOP 5 once again with their facilities. This place is a luxury environment, clean as a whistle and empty most of the time. If you're in the skyway during lunch hour then go find this gem !

Clean, empty, and very comforting spaces !

Conveniently located at 88 6th Street South - Right downtown.

Stop at the BANK bar, have a cocktail and dinner during happy hour and tell em L.A. Nik sent you.

No. 2 The Government Center Ramp


Lets take it from the street level. This is your view from the entrance side...

Here's the hallway view on your way to this tucked away, quiet space.

Small but often empty and its heated ! You'll enjoy peace and quiet in this one and its off the beaten track.

415 South 5th Street in the east business district area next to the armory building.
If you work right in this area and need to be left alone to do bizzness.. this is the place.

No. 3 Mission at IDS Center

Mission is on the ground floor of IDS Center just behind the escalator.

The restroom is immediately to your right as you enter the restaurant. At this point, you've not walked through the restaurant at all - its a completely unseen venture. This is one of the nicest facilities that has anonymous entry. The thick terry cloths are a very nice touch too.

Venture further to their bar for a great clientele and ambience. Tell em L.A. Nik sent you.

IDS Center is located at 80 South 8th street and a central hub to the skyway system in downtown Minneapolis. Crystal Court is referred to as the "Downtown Cross-roads"

Enjoy many other businesses while in there and see my earlier post - "Gittelson Jewelers: Hidden skyway Gem"

No. 4 Accenture Tower

Accenture Tower is home to many businesses and stands about 30 stories tall. The inside of the building is lined with marble as you can see in this photo. Just the lobby space itself is pretty rockin!



The restrooms them selves are also very nice and warming. This is a sweet space because its joined by both the building and the Black Bamboo Asian Bistro.

If you work at Accenture Tower and you are visiting your regular office space for a post coffee hiatus.. travel downstairs. You owe it to your co-workers and you'll maintain your dignity while you're at it.

Accenture is located at 333 South 7th street.

Stop there Monday - Friday for drink and food specials at Black Bamboo Asian Bistro.

Meet the owner, Stanley and tell him L.A. Nik sent you.

No. 5 The Hotel Minneapolis


Hotel Minneapolis is a Boutique Hotel and I've reviewed them in past in other blog posts and have also mentioned them in interviews.  I am Hotel Minneapolis's longest standing guest at nearly 13 months.


In my opinion, this the nicest restroom in all of Minneapolis. Not only are you in a luxury environment but it is easily accessible, completely anonymous and hands down - the cleanest bathroom in the city. Every day.

There are multiple stalls with stainless steel amenities, beautiful sinks, and nice decor. Im not a fan of totally automatic faucets because you have no control over hot and cold but its still very nice.

This place of "Bizzness" is really sanitary focused though, from the auto faucets to toilet seat tissues to hand towels - you've really got a rockin' experience here.

   
Even the chrome is polished at this place all day long.  C'mon !!!  You can't lose here.

For those that aren't big hand washers, Hotel Minneapolis has even got you covered. As you exit, right before grabbing the door handle, you'll find hand sanitizer. Take a hit and roll out - doesn't get any better than this...

If you decide to patronize the establishment for providing such rockin facilities, then stop into Restaurant Max, have a cocktail and tell em L.A. Nik sent you !

The only downfall to this place of "Bizzness" is that its located at 215 4th street. There are plenty of business's in this area and if I worked in any of those offices I would be taking my personal time in this sweet spot.

Now
Let me steer you clear of one spot in Minneapolis that will leave you disturbed and worried.

This spot resides at 900 Nicollet Mall. That's right.. Target. Though I like the company and they are a Minneapolis Icon, I have to give this restroom a rating of unacceptable and a shocking field trip to the average person. I do not recommend this restroom even if you're a customer and have the urge...


This facility is immediately to your left as you enter Target from Nicollet Mall, just below the registers along the wall.  I've been in this restroom many times and every single time I am left speechless upon entering.  Often I've walked into 1 or more persons taking full baths in the sink areas, amongst other things..  This time to snap this photo, I was greeted by two thieves stuffing packing in the trash can.  Neither of them were concerned with my presence at all.  To boot, the one guy had stole Crest teeth whitening strips and was applying them before leaving !!!

Shock factor is high in this one.  This restroom needs to be under lock and key or have an attendant that works them all day long.  Even if you're in a bind, just cross the street and your bizzness trip will be quite good.



This is L.A. Nik's TOP 5 best places to "Do Bizzness" in Minneapolis and one word of advise. Find these rockin restrooms, enjoy your quiet time and make sure you patronize the businesses that surround them.

For those that may be traveling through this area or do "bizzness" outside of the downtown area, you can check out this resource for accessible restroom spaces. You can even search by zip code and the type of space. Here's 20 results under gender neutral - one person hideaways.

http://safe2pee.org/new/list.php?l=55403&t=1&Submit=Go