The community is a mix of agri-industrial properties along the old Northern Pacific Railway, expansive parkland surrounding the famous Minnehaha Falls, and smaller residential areas.

The renowned American poet incorporated elements into his poem The Song of Hiawatha from Henry Schoolcraft's accounts of native Dakota lore in Minnesota which included Minnehaha Falls in Longfellow's southern tip.

A local businessman, Robert Fremont "Fish" Jones, commissioned the 2/3 scale replica of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's original home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

For a short period it was a Minneapolis public library serving the community until it was moved and restored by the Park Board in 1994 to its current location near Minnehaha Falls.

[7] The community was the center of widespread civil unrest during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in May 2020, with the Minneapolis Police Department's third precinct station and many local businesses among those destroyed by arson.

Along the northern edge runs the Midtown Greenway trail and the vibrant East Lake business district, which is home to many restaurants.

1 is located on the southern edge of the neighborhood and offers a bird's-eye view of the locking procedure and other topics ranging from barge traffic in the transportation network to the Corps 9-foot channel project.

Founded in 2014, the studio has hosted such artists as Charlie Parr, Chris Mulkey, Communist Daughter, Prof, Krizz Kaliko, Human Impact, Ecid, and Brian Ritchie.

[14] Minnehaha Mile is a street containing nine antique, vintage, retro, and secondhand shops, more than any other commercial corridor in the state of Minnesota.

East Lake Street is a commercial corridor that hosts a collection of restaurants that serve foods from around the world and unique shopping & business venues.