Minneapolis in Mid December

That area is predicted to have a warmer than normal winter but who knows.

It will be cold in mid-December, but no one can predict a month away. Don't go out and buy a big bulky Canada Goose full length parka with a fuzzy collared hood, but bring layers. Yes, some sort of gloves. The truly bitter cold doesn't come until late January thru February.

It's only an 8 minute walk according to Google maps and looks pretty straight forward if you follow your phone. The "keep your head on a swivel" spot is actually the area right out front of the Pantages. There always seems to be a collection of dudes just hanging around at the storefronts to the left and right. It's not the tenderloin area in San Francisco, but the Salvation Army is only a couple of blocks away so they're killing time before the beds are opened.

The skyways mentioned in another post are 2nd floor walkways through office buildings, hotels, and what's left of department stores with enclosed bridges over streets. I don't think the Double Tree connects to one so you would need to find a building that you can get to one which may mean walking a block or two outside out of your way anyway. Then they don't follow the street grid and you need to know what the next building is that you want to connect to. Then every so often one of the buildings gets locked in the late evening so you are probably heading down to the street and outside.