Getaways

>>Ever since Mary Tyler Moore threw her hat in the air, we've been hooked on Minneapolis. Today this green, compact city on the Mississippi River is the epicenter of hip. An explosion of world-class architecture, vibrant, cutting-edge culture, theater and dining, and 22 lakes within city limits for outdoor pursuits make it a sizzling-hot destination. (www.minneapolis.org)

SEE: Hone your art and architecture appreciation chops. In the past two years the city has spent more than $500 million to expand or build five major museums, with important architects giving the already impressive arts scene here global buzz. The top three: Walker Art Center, arguably the best contemporary art museum in the country, has a stunning new futuristic home designed by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron; Frank Gehry's riverside stainless-steel Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum showcases modern art, and Michael Graves' modernist expansion of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts belies the impressive classical collection inside. Check out Cesar Pelli-designed Minneapolis Public Library, the country's fourth-largest. (www.arts.minneapolis.org)

DINE: Stewart Woodman (Five Restaurant & Street Lounge, set in a renovated police station) and Seth Daugherty (Cosmos) have been voted among America's top 10 new chefs for their sophisticated and elegant cooking. Azia and Mission American Kitchen sport gourmet pedigrees in casual chic surroundings, and Solera rates national kudos for tapas and high style. (www.zagat.com)

SHOP: Skip the behemoth Mall of America. Bunches of trendy boutiques can be found in the Warehouse District and 13th Avenue neighborhood (think Greenwich Village). Lovers of chic, affordable style must make a pilgrimage to downtown's Flagship Target Store. This is where it all began, and the mother ship doesn't disappoint. The Nicollet Mall offers shops and nightspots galore. (Do stop to pay homage to the bronze statue of Mary Tyler Moore because . well, just because.)

STAY: Graves 601 Hotel fuses art, technology, great location, a decorated restaurant (Cosmos), the happening Infinity Bar . and it has rooms, too! Sleek and stylish, it's at 601 First Ave. N.; (612) 677-1100. The Chambers Minneapolis will bring Manhattan boutique chic to the historic Hennepin Theatre District-plus a hot new restaurant from famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It opens Sept. 10. (901 Hennepin Ave.; www.chambersminneapolis.com)

INSIDER TIP: Take a seat (Minneapolis has more theater seats per capita than any other U.S. city, save New York) for The Minnesota Fringe Festival, Aug. 3-13, the largest nonjuried performing-arts festival in the country, with 14 venues, 1,000-plus artists and more than 150 theatrical offerings. Architect Jean Nouvel's brand-new riverside home for the renowned Guthrie Theater includes a national center for theater arts and education; the new Children's Theatre Company expansion was designed by Michael Graves. (Both theaters have won the coveted Tony Award.)