Wow. What a name. The Mall of America.

I’d heard about it. I’d heard that it was enormous, that it had an amusement park and a water park and a Ritz-Carlton, and a subway system, and a 10-story roller coaster, and that you could get lost for days in there.

The truth is, I was expecting to be awed. I expected a jaw-dropping display of American conspicuous construction. In reality, MOA doesn’t look like much from the outside, but once inside, I found a large and extremely well design shopping mall. Its genius is both in not being too big, and in not feeling as big as it is.

MOA is basically 4 normal malls arranged with an amusement park in the center.

Keys to Success:

1. You never, ever feel overwhelmed.
   Your vision is always limited. There are always walls in your peripheral vision. The entire experience is paced, logical. You don’t need to think about where to go, you just keep going. You never realize how far you are walking, and because you don’t really care how much is ahead, you don’t feel the need to “save” your spending.
2. Natural light penetrates almost everywhere.
   Sunlight makes people happy. It also makes them comfortable and don’t feel like they “need to go outside” for some air.
3. Stores are billboards for other stores.
   Because MOA is so large, brands can sub-divide their across multiple stores, or have multiple locations, creating brand impressions, and awareness of other lines. Fossil has three stores in MOA. I never knew they made clothes, but there was a whole store of only women’s clothing and accessories. Likewise, I counted three Auntie Anne’s Pretzels (although the directory only lists two…)

I have to say, MOA knows what it is doing.
MOA made me want to spend money.

“The quickest way to take the pulse of a town is in the asphalt arteries of its roads.”

Whenever I’m in a new city, I like to go for a run as soon as possible. I feel like it grounds me in the place and teaches me something new. I think I’ve learned alot about this town so far.

Minneapolis cares about aesthetics.
It is so apparent that art, design, and architecture are appreciated in this town. I will have another post on just this subject (probably many). In short, Minneapolis realizes that people that are surrounded by beauty and inspiration will work better and live happier lives. Whenever there is something to do, they don’t ask how they can do it cheaper, they ask how they can do it better. They invest in people with every brick they lay, and every poster they print.

People here are genuinely friendly.
On the street, a car will always slow down for you, and not in that San Francisco/Los Angeles “how-close-can-I-skid-to-the-pedestrian” kind of way. While it causes traffic to be unpredictable at times, and cross-walks appear to operate merely as suggestions, no on really seems to mind.

In the shops, not only were the sales-people cheerful, when I told them I was new to town they all went out of their way to make sure I knew where to go for everything I needed. While retail folks generally have at least an easily scratched veneer of civility, every single person I’ve met has been genuinely friendly and seemingly happy. I suspect its a combination of Midwestern hospitality and the universal enjoyment I see of the wonderful weather here so far.