Since 2017, Discover St. Louis Park has served as the destination marketing organization for St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, two suburbs just west of Minneapolis. In October, the organization rebranded itself as Westopolis, a moniker Becky Bakken, CEO of Westopolis, says seems only natural. “We have been referring to ourselves as ‘just west of Minneapolis’ since the beginnings of our organization,” she says. “Our role is to cut through the clutter and to stand out in the fray. The mashup of the words ‘west’ and ‘Minneapolis’ gives us an edge to do that.” A big selling feature for planners considering the Westopolis area is The Shops at West End in St. Louis Park, a vast, vibrant, walkable shopping and entertainment district with major hotels, free parking, and excellent restaurants.
Vibe: “When we survey visitors who have spent some time here, they say it has this energy and this feel that they don’t always associate with a suburb,” says Bakken, highlighting the area’s cosmopolitan vibe. “We are the closest neighbor to Minneapolis. We’re closer to downtown than parts of Minneapolis.”
Transportation: All major airlines serve Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and it is a hub for Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines. The airport is about 15 miles from both St. Louis Park and Golden Valley via major freeways. Several of the Westopolis hotels have airport shuttles, and there are also private shuttles available, as well as Uber, Lyft, and taxis. Multiple car rental companies serve the airport.
Hotels: Nine hotels are within walking distance of The Shops at West End, with 1,500 total guest rooms between them. The DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis–Park Place and the Minneapolis Marriott West have the largest event spaces, both with capacity for up to 500. The AC Hotel Minneapolis West End, SpringHill Suites Minneapolis West/St. Louis Park, and Homewood Suites by Hilton Minneapolis–Saint Louis Park at West End have smaller conference rooms.
Venues:The Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom in Golden Valley is Westopolis’ largest event space, with room for up to 1,000 attendees. D’Amico Catering operates the venue. The eclectic Warehouse Winery in St. Louis Park holds 200 standing, and the West End Conference Center—also in St. Louis Park—is a bright, airy space for groups of up to 75.
Restaurants: Bunny’s Bar & Grill—a St. Louis Park favorite—serves pan-fried walleye and deep-fried cheese curds. Golden Valley’s Schuller’s Tavern favors burgers, wings, and salads, and offers catering. Park Tavern in St. Louis Park plates everything from deep-fried dill pickle chips to ribs, with space for 200—plus 20 bowling lanes.
Must-Sees & -Dos: Golden Valley’s modern Brookview Golf & Lawn Bowling’s Bassett Creek Room seats 250 theater-style, and Brookview offers golfing in the warmer months and cross-country skiing in winter. Theodore Wirth Regional Park—75% of which is in Golden Valley—also has miles of trails for outdoor pursuits. The Shops at West End is convenient for group dinners, high-end retail therapy, and taking attendees to the movies.
