Here's how I see the regions of the Twin Cities metro. Write-up of each region coming up later:
Alright here goes. For the record for simplicity's sake, all the non-Twin Cities regions consist of only whole cities, though some kind of straddle regions. This is also because I'm not familiar with all the suburbs to know where each precinct goes, and some precincts straddle regions too.
Blue: This is the ultra-liberal heart of the cities. It's the artsy/hipster place, full of indie movie theaters, art galleries, organic food stores, the record stores that still exist, coffee shops, lots of clubs and odder and less mainstream things like New Age-y religious sects, an occultic accessories store, and even an anarchist bookstore for awhile (closed last year.) Great place to be car-free and just bike everywhere if you don't have to leave the city (alas I do.) 78% White VAP (higher in actual voters due to the minorities often not being eligible) and over 85% Obama. Similar vote against the marriage amendment.
Green: These are the more standard middle class to upper middle class urban liberal areas. Not really hipsters, hippies and New Agers (though don't get me wrong, they're still there.) I also included the University of Minnesota. What really separates this from the blue is that some Republicans actually do exist in a non-neglible number, overall this was around 71% for Obama. Downtown Minneapolis has more Republicans than you'd expect, though they obviously aren't typical ones, in one downtown precinct Romney got over 30% and the marriage amendment barely broke 10%. Downtown St. Paul is different as the most DFL white part of the city, since the people living there are mostly state employees (while in Minneapolis it probably includes a lot of bankers, lawyers and executives.)
Purple: These are the minorities areas. A wide variety, northwest Minneapolis is black, that area near the center is mixed black and Hispanic (with even a Native enclave thrown in) and that area in St. Paul is a hodgepodge of blacks, Hispanics and Asians. Voting patterns are obvious. The strongest part of the inner Cities for the marriage amendment, though still failing.
Red: I thought of these as the "ethnic" neighborhoods, but that's kind of not all that accurate today. They're largely gentrified and were never all that "ethnic" in many cases. Northeast Minneapolis is nicknamed "Nordeast" because of all the very Scandinavian names you used to find there. There's still a lot of Eastern European communities, there used to be a joke the bridge on Broadway street was the longest bridge in the world, extending from Africa to Poland, though only olds still say that since the Polish area has been diluted and doesn't really exist anymore. However they are notable in that they consist of more working class people who have likely lived there a long time, and the area in Southwest St. Paul is still pretty Irish (often in that obnoxious way I can't stand.) Plus this is where you will find basically all the Eastern Orthodox churches in the Twin Cities. More R than the rest of the Cities, but still overwhelmingly D, and not all that strong for the marriage amendment either, but please remember these areas still have lots of youngs attracted by cheap housing. I should probably note that while you could go car free in these areas, it's a bit tricky unless you also work in the region, as they are isolated from the main public transit routes.
Yellow: The inner ring suburbs. In these areas they tend to be fairly working class, some affluent areas like St. Louis Park (also heavily Jewish with both there and Southwest Minneapolis), generally pretty strong D. Over 60% for Obama and even higher against the marriage amendment. Republicans aren't a novelty here, but they still can't win elections, even in 2010.
Teal: This is what I thought of as the "rich belt". Of course if I was willing to split municipalities I'd clip off some parts of Edina to the Yellow one and include West Bloomington (Bloomington is very split East/West, might as well be two separate cities.) The area voted narrowly for Obama but has an R voting average and is mostly R on the lower levels, though it looks like the ship has finally sailed in Edina, which now has an all DFL delegation in the legislature (including the best looking member of the State Senate.) Even Eden Prairie is showing cracks, having voted for Obama narrowly both times and having a DFL Representative in the northern part (even if that required the Minnetonka precincts.) Marriage amendment got clobbered (not even 40%).
Gray: These are the more standard middle class suburbs. And of course the big swing region of the state. Most of these voted Obama both times, but pretty big in 2008, and only narrowly in 2012, voted DFL legislators in 2006 and 2008, then voted in Republicans in 2010, only to oust a lot of them in 2012. Has a generic R voting average. The marriage amendment uniformly failed though. If you want to live without a car here, it's possible, but not all that easy or convenient.
Lighter Purple: Lake Minnetonka area. Similar to the "rich belt" in affluence (even moreso uniformly, since Edina isn't so overwhelmingly rich anymore and even Eden Prairie has some cheap apartments in the north) and kind of thought of as a weekend getaway for many because of the lake. Some areas still have kind of a rural flavor and there are still some farms. The area is quite Republican and gave Romney a double digit win with McCain getting a much narrower one, though the marriage amendment also failed, though not as badly as in the "rich belt".
Cyan: This is basically everything else in Hennepin County. Standard exurban type places, lots of farms and rural roads, but also a big ugly subdivison likely to be found amongst all that as well. Kind of detached from the rest of Hennepin County and not really thinking of itself as part of it or even in the Minneapolis area. Extremely Republican, McCain and Romney both broke 60%, but the marriage amendment only pulled slightly over 50% yes.
Hot Pink: Outer suburbs. Actual suburbs that are developed, but still quite sprawly and full of strip malls, chain stores, McMansions, the works. Pretty uniformly Republican, voted 55% McCain and more for Romney. The marriage amendment didn't do as well though, even places like Lakeville and Prior Lake voted against it, though the more northern side ones gave it higher numbers. Living without a car here just isn't going to work, there probably isn't anything in walking distance of a residential area besides maybe a gas station/convenience store and fast food joint.
Light Green: And the rest of the region. Exurban and still rural areas. Very Republican, but not as much as some of the ones listed before, voted about 57% for McCain in total. Some still DFL pockets exist in the more rural areas. Marriage amendment definitely passed here though and elects an essentially all Republican legislative delegation.
