Whether you’re coming to Minneapolis for a travel nursing contract, a months-long work project, or a relocation that needs a landing pad while you house-hunt, the same question comes up fast: what do you actually pack for a stay of a month or more? Here’s the honest answer from our furnished studios at Oaklands on 9th: a lot less than you think. Below is what’s already waiting for you at 215 South 9th Street — and the short list that’s truly worth suitcase space.
What your furnished studio already has
Every studio at Oaklands on 9th comes fully furnished with a full kitchen, so you can cook real meals instead of living on takeout for six weeks. WiFi, all utilities, and heat are included, and laundry is free — no quarters, no laundromat runs. Each studio in our restored 1889 brownstone also has its own quiet heating-and-cooling unit, so you control your temperature in every season. (Curious how a 19th-century building got modern comforts? We wrote about it in how an 1889 building gets modern heat, AC, and fast internet.)
There are no contracts, either — stay a night, a week, or month to month, and some studios are pet friendly. That flexibility is exactly why so many of our guests are traveling clinicians; if that’s you, our guide to furnished housing for travel nurses near HCMC and the U covers the hospital-commute details.
The short list worth packing
Clothes that layer. Minnesota weather likes variety — a July week can swing from hot and stormy to cool and breezy, and winter is its own adventure. Check the National Weather Service Twin Cities forecast before you fly and pack layers rather than bulk.
Your work kit. Scrubs or work clothes, laptop and chargers, badges and paperwork. The studio has the desk-friendly space and fast WiFi covered.
Comfortable walking shoes. Downtown Minneapolis is genuinely walkable, and the Minneapolis Skyway System — the largest network of enclosed second-level bridges anywhere — means you can reach groceries, coffee, and most of downtown without a coat even in January.
A few comforts from home. Your favorite mug, the spices you actually cook with, photos for the windowsill. Small things make a furnished studio feel like yours by day two. Bringing a pet? Pack their bed and leash and see our pet-friendly extended stay guide first.
What to leave at home
Furniture, lamps, cookware sets, an air mattress “just in case” — none of it needs to make the trip. Skip the roll of laundry quarters too, since laundry here is free. And depending on your commute, you may even be able to leave the car: between the skyway, walkable blocks, and Metro Transit buses and trains, plenty of our long-stay guests get everywhere they need on foot and a transit pass.
Forgot something? Downtown has you covered
One of the perks of landing at 9th and 2nd is that the essentials are all nearby — Target on Nicollet Mall is a short walk for anything you left behind, and pharmacies and groceries sit right along the skyway. If family comes to visit mid-stay, our sister property 300 Clifton, a historic mansion bed and breakfast near Loring Park, makes a memorable weekend for them. And if Minneapolis is brand new to you, an afternoon with Minneapolis Trolley Tours is the fastest, most fun way to learn your new city.
Ready to travel light? Check dates and book your furnished studio at Oaklands on 9th, or call us at (612) 314-5124 — we’re happy to help you plan a stay of a week, a month, or longer.
Planning a trip around an event? The Minnesota Fringe Festival runs August 6–16, 2026 — eleven days of theater that make a perfect excuse for an extended stay downtown.