If you want a real taste of the Twin Cities, take a stroll down Nicollet Avenue South. Nicollet offers the full tour: the office buildings and upscale bars downtown; the old apartments and small shops in Stevens Square; the locally owned restaurants of Eat Street, just south of Franklin Avenue. Eat Street may be the most authentic stretch of pavement in Minneapolis. While so many areas have gone the way of corporate franchises, Eat Street has retained its humble charm, with gems like Pancho Villa, the Bad Waitress, and Spyhouse Coffee. A long walk down Nicollet is proof that Minneapolis is more diverse than most people think.