By Bryan Harroun on August 23, 2025 Image Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Association. Only a 30-minute bus ride away from MCAD, the Lake of the Isles makes for the perfect weekend trip for any college student.With decent fishing spots, a walking path around its perimeter, and plenty of benches and open areas to sit, there’s something for everyone. It’s also home to the Lake of the Isles Pencil, a giant sculpture a local family commissioned from Curtis Ingvoldstad. Every year, on the first Saturday of June, the residents hold an Annual Pencil Sharpening, where—you guessed it—they shave the giant pencil.Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Sculpture by Curtis Ingvoldstad The lake also houses many nearby local small businesses, such as Isles Buns and Coffee. Known for their puppy dog tails, small twisted cinnamon rolls. But I can personally vouch for their pecan caramel rolls, as well as their delicious lattes. Also a hop and a skip away from the Lake is Birchbark Books and Native Arts, a small indigenous owned bookstore that hosts a diverse array of books from non-fiction essays to children’s books! Isles Bun and Coffee And if you're more of a beach person, it's lake neighbors, Cedar Lake and Bde Maka Ska are also home to several. Cedar Lake has 3 beaches alone (including a 'secret' in its woods).Lake of the Isles is not only a serene place, but a treasure trove of the best Minneapolis has to offer.