With an external sidewalk and trail system linking the town's neighborhoods, community areas, and employment centers, Hopkins is a highly pedestrian-friendly locale. Perhaps the most walkable of Hopkins neighborhoods is the charming downtown district, which is within walking distance from many nearby amenities including grocery stores, banks, shops, restaurants, coffee shops, a post office, bars, a movie theater, and even a performing arts theater.

It depends. Although most people travel by car in Hopkins, public transportation is available. Metro Transit serves the Hopkins area with bus service; the schedule can be found on the Metro Transit website: www.metrotransit.org. Taxis, while difficult to hail from the street, will come if called. Alternatively, since Hopkins is only about four square miles in size, one could potentially walk or bike to many places in town.

The school system in Hopkins is excellent. The city of Hopkins is served by Hopkins Public School District, which provides public education to about 8,000 students. This district consists of five elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one senior high school. Rated as better than 87.5 percent of school districts in Minnesota and 87.8 percent of school districts in the US, Hopkins schools have received high marks across the board.

With a population of nearly 18,000, Hopkins is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Hopkins is a great place for families with school-age children because Hopkins Public School District, which provides public education to Hopkins students, was rated better than 87.5 percent of school districts in Minnesota and 87.8 percent of school districts in the country. The cost of living in Hopkins is average, meaning its neither more nor less expensive than the cost of living in the rest of the United States. With ample lakes and parks in the area, Hopkins is also a great place for those who enjoy the outdoors. Given the fact that there are multiple courses in the vicinity, Hopkins is especially ideal for golfers.

The climate of Hopkins, Minnesota features warm summers, extremely cold, snowy winters, and relatively mild springs and autumns. Summer temperatures tend to be in the 70s and winter temperatures tend to be in the teens. The average high temperature in July, the warmest month of the year, is 86 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average low temperature in January, the coldest month of the year, is 3 degrees Fahrenheit. On average Hopkins receives 30 inches of precipitation annually. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, although August tends to be the wettest month.

There are many good places for dining out in Hopkins. Most of them, however, fall along the town's main thoroughfare: Mainstreet. Options include Mainstreet Bar and Grill, Big 10 Restaurant and Bar, Samba Taste of Brazil, Munkabeans and Sunshine Cafe, Boston Garden Restaurant, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Curry n Noodles, KFC, and Jasmine Gardens. There are also a few more eateries near the Knollwood Mall, including Lindee's Saloon and Eatery.