If you haven’t taken a walk along the trails bordering the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, you might be surprised to learn that the North Loop has been hiding one of it’s best luxury apartment communities from you.
For our money, Vesi might even be one of the 25 Best Luxury Apartments For Rent in all of Minneapolis (click the link to see where we ranked Vesi in our Minneapolis Power Rankings). From the incredible location and relaxing yet inviting style, to having one of the best overall amenity packages of any property in the city, here are all the reasons we love Vesi North Loop Apartments, and why you should, too.
Location
Nestled in the backyard of Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood lays one of the Twin Cities truly unique residential apartment communities. Vesi, a 218-unit luxury apartment community which opened its doors mid-pandemic in July 2020, is situated at a literal – and highly desirable – crossroads along the Mississippi River.
Exiting the property’s front door to the west, you’re just two blocks off of Washington Avenue, giving you quick and convenient access to the abundance of amazing restaurants and bars. Standouts such as Smack Shack, Nolo’s Kitchen, Bar La Brasa, Freehouse, and The Butcher and The Boar jump immediately to mind, just to name a few of the many delicious establishments available on this northern-most section of the North Loop.
Reverse course and exit out the back of Vesi to the east, and you’ll find yourself in the West River Parkway greenspace and Mississippi River Walking Trail. This network of park space and trails is one of the largest in the city, servicing the entirety of downtown Minneapolis from the North Loop through the Mill District and Elliott Park, and further down through the heart of the University of Minnesota campus.
Whether taking the pup for a walk, going for a weekend bike ride along the river, or just clearing your mind between afternoon Zoom meetings to get some steps in, access to this natural greenspace is one of Vesi’s most valuable assets.
And should you be so inclined, exiting Vesi on the north end of the building will put you at the intersection of West River Parkway and Plymouth Avenue, the latter of which will quickly transport you across the river (either by foot on the bridge’s sidewalk, by bike via the dedicated bike lane, or by automobile, depending on your preferences) and place you directly in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.
Once there, you’ll find the likes of Chef Ann Kim’s James Beard Award-winning Young Joni, as well as other local favorites such as Anchor Fish and Chips, Hai Hai, Earl Giles Distillery, and more.
Amenities
Vesi residents have access to one of the Minneapolis market’s best overall amenity packages, one which is full of accessible, useful, and non-gimmicky spaces which appeal to a wide range of residents. The full list of amenity areas at the property includes:
- Club Room
- Den (billiards table, quad television set-up)
- Golf Simulator
- Social Lobby (think: laid back pet-friendly coffee house with free kombucha on tap each week)
- Fitness Center and separate Fitness Studio (both open 24-hours)
- Relaxation Lounge (aromatherapy essential oils)
- Sauna
- Rooftop Bar and Terrace (located on the top floor)
- Private Dining Room and Terrace (also located on the top floor)
- Pool Terrace (heated pool, fire pits, barbeque grills) and Hot Tub (open year-round)
- Entertaining Terrace (fire pit, barbeque grill, bags boards, outdoor games)
- Pet Wash
- Bike Storage Room
While residents do need to pay by the hour for hosting an event in any of the main amenity spaces (between $50-75/hour, as of this article’s publishing), they are otherwise available for residents to utilize for their own individual or small-group needs.
More importantly, the amenity areas are distributed throughout the building in a thoughtful manner, one which matches the way that a majority of potential residents would actually use them.
Want to host a surprise birthday party for your group of a dozen friends? The rooftop bar can easily accommodate your needs. Putting on a networking event and need room to spread out for anywhere from 30 to 60+ folks from your industry? The first floor club room has you covered.
Vesi’s amenities are designed to be used, both in the way that 99% of people who are hosting an event would need them, but also by individuals on a day-to-day basis.
We love that Vesi has bucked the trend seen in some newer luxury apartment communities, where a single amenity floor with a 250-person capacity is partially separated into nooks and flanked by alcoves located all throughout the space. One big open room, an open-concept nightmare for the small group who wants to use the amenity spaces with even a modicum of privacy from other residents and guests.
How often do you – how often does anyone – require the full capacity offered by a gargantuan space like that? If you’re anything like us, we would very much prefer undisturbed privacy to enjoy time with our friends and loved ones, and on this point, Vesi’s amenity layout truly shines.
We felt the Vesi Gym and attached Fitness Studio were worthy of a separate mention. With both areas open 24/7, this provides early morning fitness devotees and night owls alike with plenty of access to break a sweat whenever it best suits their schedule. While a wall-mounted TV is available in the studio space, there are currently no on-demand fitness classes available for residents to log into or use.
The facilities themselves provide some selectorized weight machines (e.g. cable crossover, leg press, etc.), but the sheer amount of free weights available for residents to use was more than most anywhere else we’ve seen in the market.
Dumbbells ranging from 5 to 75 pounds, Alchemy 365 torpedo-style dumbbells, medicine balls ranging from 4 to 20 pounds, and an actual squat rack and Olympic-style barbell, complete with rubber bumper plates for Olympic lifting, put this space a cut above the rest. The only notable oversight we spotted was their modest selection of kettlebells.
The Relaxation Lounge, complete with complementary tea, an electric kettle, an aromatherapy diffuser with selection of essential scented oils, and an adjacent cedar-clad Sauna, is located just beyond the Fitness Studio. The fact that this secluded lounge space has an on-demand gas fireplace (with real fire and real heat) almost transports you to a modern Aspen ski resort, especially on gloomier and less sunny days.
Vesi’s outdoor Hot Tub – which is open 365 days a year, even in the most frigid of Minnesota winter temperatures – is located immediately outside of the Relaxation Lounge, providing a convenient staging area for personal belongings when the weather outside is less than ideal.
Apartment Style
Living Room and Kitchen
Vesi’s design team opted for a classic yet modern interior design plan. Light- to medium-toned wood-look luxury vinyl plank (LVP) hard flooring runs through the bulk of each apartment, with the only departure being a light grey, low pile carpeting in the bedroom areas.
We really loved the style of the kitchens at Vesi. Whether your interior design preferences are midcentury modern or the most cottage of cottagecore, Vesi’s classic shaker-style cabinets – finished in a light grey with an ever-so-subtle blue tint – will provide a base that goes with pretty much any personal style.
Try as we might, we couldn’t quite put our finger on exactly why we loved the cabinet hardware that Vesi chose for their kitchens and bathrooms. But love them we do, just as we love the 5-burner gas range and soft-close cabinet doors and drawers which comes standard in each and every apartment.
Bedrooms
That same attention to detail carries through to other aspects of the apartments’ design. The bedroom closets have upgraded white and chrome shelving, a noticeable improvement over the standard K-mart wire racks that so many “luxury” properties opt to install for the sake of cost savings.
A front-loading washer and dryer comes with each and every apartment to meet your in-unit laundry needs as well. Many of Vesi’s unit floorplans have the in-unit washer and dryer located directly in the bedroom’s closet, or right nearby in the bathroom, meaning there is no need to take your laundry any further than absolutely necessary.
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows anchor every apartment, making all but one of the apartments we toured feel almost effortlessly bright and spacious, a feat even more impressive given how overcast it was on the day of our visit to the property.
Light grey translucent roller shades are provided on every window as well, though they offer much more privacy than they do light-blocking power. Those who prefer more cave-like sleeping arrangements will definitely want to opt for installing your own room darkening blackout curtains.
Bathrooms
In the bathrooms, the same door and drawer pulls from the kitchen (have we mentioned how much we love the cabinet hardware yet?) are used on the vanities, many of which are oversized and provide a good bit of storage.
Tubs and showers come with a clean white subway surround, laid in a staggered pattern. Shower stalls vary between having just glass doors, or also having half-wall partitions (as seen in the image above) in some of the larger 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom floorplans.
While tubs are available in most Alcove and a decent amount of 1-bedroom floorplans, there are several 2-bedroom layouts at Vesi which do not have any tubs at all. If having a bathtub for yourself or your pet(s) is high on your priority list, make sure to doublecheck with the Vesi leasing team to ensure your chosen apartment meets your needs on this front.
Outdoor Patios and Balconies
One other noteworthy item: 211 out of the 218 total apartments at Vesi have some sort of attached outdoor space in the form of either a walk-out patio or attached balcony. The only 7 exceptions in the entire building are their five rentable Shore 2 Studio floorplans, their lone Lagoon 12 1-Bedroom floorplan, and their furnished Guest Suite (a ground-floor Studio with full kitchenette, reservable by residents for between $175-250/night).
We did notice a difference in the amount of natural light between apartments which had fully overhanging balconies and those which had balconies recessed back into the building. If you are looking to maximize your natural light, you’ll want to opt for one with an overhanging balcony instead of the recessed version. For those wondering, there is a negligible size difference between these two balcony types.
Parking
On-Site Resident Parking
The only on-site parking for Vesi residents is in their 2-level underground garage. As of this review, garage parking rates start at $175/month for a compact stall, $185/month for a standard-sized stall (most of which are able to fit an average-sized pick-up truck), and $250/month for an EV-charger-compatible standard stall.
Speaking of electric vehicles, Vesi has approximately 20 underground garage stalls with 220-volt outlets for dedicated EV charging. While there is a premium to rent these spots ($250/month as of this review), this monthly price includes 100% of your electricity usage via the 220-volt charger.
There are no other common or public charging areas on site for EV owners to use; you’ll either need to request an EV-specific stall in Vesi’s underground garage, or you’ll need to meet you charging needs elsewhere.
Guest Parking
What’s the point of living in an amazing amenity-driven community like Vesi if you can’t have friends and family members come over to visit? 12 dedicated curbside guest parking spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis along the private drive outside of the building. Usage of the guest parking is monitored by a web app, and visitors need to register their vehicles on this app upon arrival.
Potential Drawbacks
Vesi doesn’t leave a lot to be desired for those in the market for a new luxury apartment. Because of this, we really needed to dive deep out in order to locate a few of the more notable drawbacks for anyone who is potentially looking to call Vesi their home.
The North Loop's Achilles Heel
First, for as dynamic and refined as Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood is, it’s Achilles heel for years has been the lack of a proper grocery store within its bounds. Residents anywhere in the Warehouse District’s boundaries will find themselves needing to travel right up to the North Loop-Downtown West border in order to shop at Whole Foods, located at the intersection of Washington and Hennepin Avenues.
The next closest – and really only other legitimate – grocery options are the Lunds and Byerly’s across the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis, or further down Washington Avenue to the Trader Joe’s in Downtown East. In any of these cases, Vesi is as far away as the North Loop can get from all three of these grocery providers, and therefore will likely require the use of a vehicle to meet your basic grocery needs.
Penthouse Upgrades
Second, while the property’s standard apartments offer a fantastic mix of design, color, and aesthetic which will work with a wide array of personal style palettes, its penthouse upgrades leave much to be desired. The following list of features sets their penthouse units apart from the standard offerings:
- Penthouse units are all on the top (sixth) floor, so you remove the possibility of having anyone above you who could potentially generate noise in your apartment;
- Penthouse units, like the first floor apartments, all have 10-foot ceilings (versus 9 ½-foot ceilings on floors 2-5);
- Penthouse units have an upgraded 45-degree herringbone-style white tile kitchen backsplash (versus standard units with simple white horizontal subway tiles).
And that’s it. That’s the entire list of penthouse upgrades.
Yes, Vesi’s penthouses do provide their occupants with generally larger footprints, with 2-bedroom options ranging between 1,200 square feet all the way up towards 1,700 square feet at the very top end.
Some Penthouses even have quite remarkable views of either the park space to the southeast, the Mississippi River to the east, or the downtown Minneapolis skyline to the southwest, though due to the orientation of the building, any Penthouse apartment will only have, at most, two of these three views available.
With this in mind, those seeking the newest upgrades and best of the best in Minneapolis’ penthouse apartment market will potentially want to start their search elsewhere.
Pricing
Disclaimer: exact apartment pricing is subject to a number of factors, and can change weekly or daily. As such, we always like to preface this section by reminding you that any specific pricing mentioned in this article was pulled as of the date the article was written. While we do periodically update the prices to reflect the current market rates, you should always go directly to the property’s website for the most up-to-date pricing and availability information.
Vesi offers Studios, Alcoves, 1-Bedrooms, 1-Bedrooms + Den, 2-Bedrooms, and a handful of Penthouse 2-Bedrooms + Den.
- Studios (starting at $1,450/mo)
- Alcoves (starting at $1,850/mo)
- 1-Bedroom (starting at $1,980/mo)
- 2-Bedrooms (starting at $3,310/mo)
Price vs Square Footage
Across the board, and especially noticeable on the non-penthouse offerings, most of Vesi’s units will be notably larger than a majority of newer properties in the area which have been built within the last few years. You won’t find any sub-700sqft 2-bedroom apartments at Vesi. The same applies for its Alcove floorplans, which are all in the 550-625sqft range.
Somewhat contradicting, there are very few “large” 1-Bedroom layouts, with most falling in the 675-750sqft range. At a modest 814sqft, the Lagoon 19 floorplan is the upper limit of square footage for non-penthouse 1-Bedrooms at Vesi.
However, even on the smaller end of this square footage range, we still felt that most of the apartments themselves were extremely spacious. We would encourage you to let go of any hard square footage requirements, as most 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom layouts will surprise you by the difference in how large they feel versus how large they actually are.
Automated Pricing
Vesi utilizes an automated pricing system, meaning that prices can and do change on a daily basis. The exact price you will pay for an apartment is determined by your selected move-in date, and your specific lease length, with 3-15 month leases available at the time of this review.
Why You Should Live at Vesi
Nature Meets Urban
This full combination of access to the natural, urban, and cultural sides of the city simply hasn’t existed up to this point in the development of the North Loop, and due to a lack of available park- and river-adjacent land, is unlikely to be replicated any time in the near future.
For this reason, Vesi has quickly established itself as a nearly inimitable offering in the neighborhood, and would be a likely top choice for those who place value on quick and easy access to nature (runners, bikers, walkers/hikers, and dog owners), as well as having the ability to exercise their more social and/or foodie tendencies along Washington Avenue.
Easy Commute In Every Direction
Those that have repeat commutes away from the North Loop or Downtown areas will appreciate the simple and consistent access from the North Loop to any of the main highways (eastbound I-94, westbound I-394, or north/southbound I-35).
Access to areas such as the West End in St. Louis Park is an 11-minute drive under normal traffic conditions, and MSP international airport being only 21-23 minutes away, depending on your preferred airline and its corresponding terminal.
Building Amenities Which Feel Like Home
Vesi has a top-notch amenity package compared to most of the Twin Cities market, and doesn’t miss a beat for residents who place a premium on having a multitude of spaces available to them outside of their own dwelling unit in the building.
Perhaps more importantly though, whether using a table in the main Club Room to work from home, or having a night cap up in the Rooftop Bar, each of the many amenity spaces at Vesi feels like an extension of your own apartment.
A Few More Things To Ponder...
Internet
As a resident at Vesi, you’ll have multiple different options for internet service providers. Three companies – Comcast, CenturyLink, and US Internet – all have gigabyte fiber service available in the building, with Comcast and CenturyLink also providing pre-installed routers in every apartment.
For these two providers, this allows any incoming resident to take the code on their apartment’s router, plug it into the corresponding company’s website, selecting their internet speed/plan, and 10 minutes later, they’ll have functional high-speed wifi in their unit – no other installation appointments, technician visits, or getting equipment mailed to you.
Utilities
Every apartment is individually metered for electricity, natural gas, and water service, meaning you will pay for exactly what energy you use each month for each of these core utilities. If you are the type of person who is conscious of their energy consumption, this puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to your monthly utility bills. Trash and recycling is a flat $10/month as well.
Secure Bike Storage
A separate secure bike storage room is available for residents to utilize in the underground garage. This fully-enclosed and fob-access-only room is about as secure as any bike storage area we’ve encountered.
Front Entry Callbox System
A standard voice-only callbox is available for incoming guests to be able to call any resident in their building and be let buzzed in.
Upon being buzzed in by a resident, the elevator and first-floor residential hallway access door (both of which are otherwise locked and only accessible by a resident’s key fob) will unlock for 60 seconds. This allows the visitor to be able to get to the resident’s apartment without needing a fob, and without requiring the resident to come all the way down to the main entrance lobby to retrieve their guest.
Management Office Hours and Concierge
The on-site management office is open and staffed during normal business hours 7 days a week. There is no evening or overnight concierge, and no overnight security.
Guest Suite
A Guest Suite is available for residents to rent by the night, at a flat rate of $175/night Sunday through Thursday nights, and $200/night for Friday-Saturday nights.
Comparing this cost to local Airbnb rentals or hotels, this single flat nightly rate is more than reasonable in most situations, and also provides your guests with the ability to utilize all of Vesi’s amenity areas.
Resident Storage Lockers
Storage lockers are available throughout the building for residents to rent on a monthly basis. Each locker is roughly 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet deep, and starts at $40/month. A second locker of the same size can be rented for an additional $30/month.
All of the available lockers are located internally throughout the property in climate-controlled rooms. There are no garage-based or over-the-parking-stall lockers, and storage of personal items in or around garage stalls is not allowed.
Corporate and Short-Term Rentals
As of this review, Vesi has maintained a strict “no short-term rentals” policy within the building. This means that you won’t have any third-party operators who are operating Airbnb or VRBO-style short-term rentals out of Vesi. Every rented apartment at Vesi is occupied by a long-term tenant.
Unit Transfers Available Upon Request
Vesi’s management team does allow for residents to transfer from one apartment to another during the lease term. While there are multiple stipulations on the actual mechanics and logistics of the process (for example, if you received a promotion or incentive at the beginning of your current lease term, you would need to pay that back in order for your transfer request to be approved), the important thing to know is that transfers are allowed, and according to the management team, quite common.
Final Thoughts
Vesi is easily one of the top apartment communities in the Twin Cities luxury rental market. While other properties can feel stale or outdated after just a few years of operation, Vesi has a truly timeless quality to its design and finishes, and doesn’t show any signs of aging.
For those with a medium- to higher-end budget that care most about being in a prime river- and park-adjacent location in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood, as well as those that will get use out of any of the myriad amenity spaces the building has to offer, this may just be the perfect place to call home.
