On a move from St. Paul to Minneapolis
Moving provides a moment to reflect. In transitioning from one place to another, it’s always exciting to relearn the quirks of a neighborhood, or the restaurants to frequent, or the place to — in the case of Minnesota — grab a Hamm’s and enjoy a summer evening.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about these little things as I reflect on a recent move from St. Paul to Minneapolis. This spring, along with thousands of other students from Minnesota colleges, graduated from school and soft-launched an adult life.
As a Maine native, St. Paul — specifically the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood — was my only touchpoint in the Twin Cities up till then. Everything I experienced in the Twin Cities started and ended there, with my daily life mostly spent within those few blocks.
Around the time of this move, an article appeared in the New York Times calling Minneapolis the best city in the U.S. for recent college graduates, based on various economic, social and employment opportunities. As both a recent grad and the sole Minnesotan many of my out-of-state relatives know, they eagerly shared this article with me.
While, obviously, this Times article was not the reason I moved to Minneapolis, many of these factors fit into my decision. Transit, (relatively) affordable rent, access to amenities like bars and restaurants, parks and concert venues, and even being able to walk to the grocery store all make my new neighborhood (Uptown/Whittier) appealing to me, and to many other young adults.
While St. Paul will always hold a special place in my heart, I’m excited to embrace the unique charm and opportunities that Minneapolis has to offer. It’s not about which city ranks higher on a list, but about finding a place where you can thrive and, in my case, start an adult life.
Here’s What Else I’m Reading This Month
Urban Nature: Discovering the Idiosyncratic Greenery of Downtown Minneapolis
Bryan Formhals, a photographer who moved to downtown Minneapolis in 2023, documents the urban greenery and “idiosyncratic green spaces” in the city’s core through a series of photographs and observations. His project highlights the limited tree canopy in downtown Minneapolis and the various forms of nature integrated into the urban landscape, from prominent parks to overlooked patches of greenery. Together, this offers a unique perspective on the city’s relationship with nature in its most densely developed area amid post-COVID discussions about the Twin Cities’ downtowns.
Gold Medal Park: Defining Good Design in Urban Spaces
Han Zhang’s piece on Gold Medal Park in Minneapolis, awarded the GOOD DESIGN® Award in 2024, was an engaging read for the urban design curious. A landscape architect, Zhang concludes that the park exemplifies excellent urban design through its innovative use of space, environmental consciousness and community impact. The park’s central mound, art installations and intentional design elements have transformed the Mill District, catalyzing residential development and creating a vibrant public space that enhances urban life.
Particularly interesting were the maps of the Mill District comparing 2003 and 2024, showing the power of converting parking lots into places for people, housing and green space.
With Another Name Change, Our Streets (Minneapolis) Continues to Evolve
Bill Lindeke’s piece, originally appearing in his Cityscape column in MinnPost, interviewed Our Streets executive director and Streets.mn board member José Antonio Zayas Cabán on Our Streets’ rise. The organization has broadened its focus to include redesigning urban highways and collaborating with diverse communities on neighborhood revitalization and infrastructure improvements across the metro area and state. Given that I work as the transportation policy and GIS coordinator at Our Streets, I have felt from the inside the same growth Bill that described, where our culture and work put communities first and momentum continues to grow. Come by this month’s Imagine Cedarfest event to learn more!
On the Streets.mn Podcast
Host Ian R Buck drops a podcast on (or around) the 1st and 15th of each month. Ian and his team went local this month with two recent episodes that highlighted two creative approaches to get Minneapolitans biking: Elementary School Bike Busses and Bike Commute Coaches.
And As the State Fair Is Upon Us . . .
Here’s a classic article by Tim Brackett on a day in the life of a car-free state fair employee from the suburbs. What better way to prime you for an ear of corn, pickle lemonade, Sweet Martha’s Cookies, and this year’s obsession, deep fried ranch!
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Photo credits (in order of appearance): Joe Harrington, Bryan Formhals, Lane Pelovsk, Bump Opera LLC and Tim Brackett.
A note from Joe: News and Views is Streets.mn’s newsletter, sharing exciting stories, updates and events from around the Twin Cities with the Streets.mn community! You can expect this newsletter at the end of each month.