Essentials

Minnesota Essentials

Uber Minneapolis vs. Cabs

Uber Minneapolis
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Uber crashed (car pun #1) onto the Minneapolis scene, or at least on my radar, a couple years ago. For a few solid months my Facebook newsfeed was inundated with posts from people offering $20 off and “First Ride Free” coupons. I had friends that constantly raved about how great Uber was and I had friends who told me about some of their sketchy experiences, but the one universal seemed to be that everyone was talking about it.

It took me about a year and a handful of rides in ubers that other people ordered, to actually download the app myself. Why waste cell phone data when a perfectly good taxi was hailing distance away?

Presented as a classier cab alternative, Uber does, indeed, have a lot of positives, but is it really better than a cab? Continue reading

Bite Squad

Bite Squad
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Allow me to introduce you to Bite Squad! If you live in the cities and love trying new food from the comfort of your own home, you should know about this service.

Gone are the days of delivery only being Chinese or pizza (and I don’t just mean Burger King), now you can have food delivered from basically any restaurant who offers take-out as long as you live in the one of the following cities: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle, Las Vegas, Miami, or Austin.

*Fun Fact: Minneapolis is the OG of Bite Squad

If you live in NE Minneapolis HERE IS A LIST of all the restaurants that Bite Squad will pick up from. Continue reading

I Like You – Northeast

i like you northeast minneapolis
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“I Like You” is more than just a really cute photo backdrop.  According to their website the “merchandise changes as frequently as [their] artists’ moods,” and it shows. Jam packed with an adorable assortment of locally made Minnesota clothes, decorations, cards, and crafts, I Like You is a really fun way to buy presents and to just spent an hour of your afternoon.

Product:

The shirt section was my favorite, because of how clever they manipulated the state of Minnesota.

I’m in love with this Unicorn t-shirt, because our sorority in Winona, Delta Phi Epsilon, has a unicorn mascot:

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Besides the shirts, the cards were also hilarious and I stocked up on a couple for some upcoming birthdays… Continue reading

Hipster Hack’s Best of 2014

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I’ve tried a bunch of amazing foods, drinks, and places this year, so I wanted to share my Top 6 (I couldn’t make myself limit it to 5!) choices for the Best of 2014!

The Vegas Lounge

6. The Vegas Lounge

It’s probably not fair to call this a best of 2014, because it wasn’t new to me this year, but any Hipster “Best Of” list just feels immoral without the inclusion of this gem. Northeast really does have some of the most amazing places.

Chocolate Milk Stout

5. Dangerous Man – Chocolate Milk Stout

I’ve never had a beer that tasted like childhood before. This beer makes Peter Pan Syndrome acceptable and for that it receives no less than a high5, wink, and awkward two step with a little twist. Continue reading

Happy Christmas – Milani Cosmetics

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I’ve been sporting this smokey eye and red lipped look all Holiday Season and I’m obsessed. It’s taken me a few years to build up the courage to rock a red lip, but now that I’ve gone there, thanks to Milani Cosmetics, I’m never going back.

Eyes:

milani eye makeup

My love affair with Milani started with their Liquid Eye “Liquid-Like” Eye Liner. The reason I love it so much is that it has the same finish and wow factor as a liquid eyeliner, but it’s more controllable, because it’s in a retractable pencil. When the store I bought it at stopped carrying it, I immediately started buying it two at a time, online. Continue reading

Sentyrz Ethnic Market | Northeast Minneapolis

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Sentyrz Ethnic Market has been part of “Nordeast” since 1923. One of the cool things about Northeast is the variety of small markets. Having Sentryz within walking distance from my apartment has saved me quite a few times when I’ve needed a last minute ingredient.

Food:

They have a pretty decent selection for how small the store is. You can easily get the essentials and some junk food.

Negative: don’t have a very big gluten free selection

Positive: The small cooler area dedicated to Annie’s Organic and Nut Thins

The meat counter is also pretty rave-worthy. The meat is cut, smoked, and packaged in house, and they make their own sausage recipes with natural casings. Continue reading

B&G Wine & Liquor | Northeast Minneapolis

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B&G Wine & Liquor is a convenient 3 blocks from my apartment. They’re also open until 10pm…dangerous.

What I like most about this liquor store (besides the obvious convenience) is the staff.

Service:

The employees are not only super friendly, but they’re entertaining. Upon stopping outside the door to make sure it was still open (since it was after 9pm), one of the workers opened up the door and said, “I’ve been waiting for you inside. You’re late. Were you going to stand out here all night?”

I’ve also been told to: “Keep doing what you’re doing,” after it was revealed I was, indeed, over 21 years of age.

However, my favorite encounter was the time my roommate bought a bottle of wine and informed them it was her post 5k run “treat.” When she walked outside the guy turned to me and said I should move out, because “she’s a bad influence on you.” Continue reading

Salvation Army Minneapolis – “Fake Target”

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The Salvation Army in Downtown Minneapolis has what has been deemed “Fake Target” in the basement, due to the fact that Target Corporate, which is located in Downtown, drops off their close outs there…at least that’s the rumor.

After visiting I feel like I can confirm the validity of this rumor, considering almost every article of clothing has a Target brand label and appears to be unworn. Continue reading

Where Do Hipsters Buy Their Glasses?

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Hipster frames are pretty standard for the glasses wearing population of Northeast Minneapolis and ever since finally succumbing to the realization that I can’t drive without wearing them (thank you state of Minnesota), I’ve acquired what I can lovingly call a glasses fetish.

So to change it up a little I thought I’d do a blog review of the three online stores I’ve bought my glasses from: Warby Parker, Coastal, and Zenni Optical. Continue reading