Student Community

Bob Dylan and Prince, Husker Dü and The Replacements, Soul Asylum and Semisonic, Atmosphere and The Bad Plus; First Avenue, the Triple Rock, Myth, and the Dakota; Xcel Energy Center, the Metrodome, and Target Center; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Weisman Art Museum, and American Museum of Art; Guthrie Theater, Theatre de la June Lune, and Minneapolis Children’s Theater.

A “City that Rocks” –as dubbed by Rolling Stone and Esquire—the Twin Cities is the cultural center of the Upper Midwest.  Surrounded by a fertile cultural community with world-renowned theaters, museums, and music venues, the area attracts artists from all disciplines because of its rich culture and support for the arts. 

Hailed by the Urban Institute as the number one metropolitan area in the nation for quality of life, the Twin Cities is a great place to be.  Four distinct seasons provide endless options for entertainment and relaxation to break from college activities.  Recreational pursuits include an extensive trail system for biking, running, in-line skating, and walking.  Numerous lakes offer swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and sailing.  In addition, a wide variety of ethnic restaurants, eclectic bookstores, farmers’ markets, art galleries, vintage clothing shops, coffeehouses, dance clubs, movie theaters, and a full compliment of professional sports teams are but some of the hundreds of places to see and be seen.

Most students live near the McNally Smith campus, in the heart of downtown Saint Paul. Situated along the Mississippi River and surrounded by well-maintained city parks, National Geographic ranked Saint Paul as the 4th Greenest City in the US.  Evenings, McNally Smith students are often found jamming at the French Press and Artists’ Quarter, enjoying coffee at the Black Dog or catching a show at the 7th Street Station, the Ordway theater, just blocks away.  Saint Paul’s famous Mickey’s Diner is a must for burgers and shakes. The headquarters of Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media are around the corner, offering convenient internship opportunities and a parade of indoor and outdoor concerts and lecture events.  Garrison Keilor’s "A Prairie Home Companion" broadcasts live to millions of radio listeners several weeks a year from the world-famous Fitzgerald Theater just across the street from the college.

McNally Smith alumni often choose to start their careers in the Twin Cities, a comfortable and accessible alternative to Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville.  A music and video distribution hub, the Twin Cities hosts the world headquarters of entertainment retail giants Target and Best Buy.  Every major label distribution arm maintains offices here, and a number of independent distributors and record labels are based in the metro area.  Prince’s Paisley Park studios may be the most famous, but a long list of hit songs have been recorded at a variety of Twin Cities studios.  Advertising agencies and production houses are another major source of creative activity in the area, with international houses like Fallon Worldwide, Carmichael Lynch, and Campbell Mithun located here.  There are many opportunities for the working musician in the Twin Cities.  Alums form bands or fill in for each other, trading gigs, licks, and tricks as they navigate the challenges and rewards of a career in music.