In preparation for Thanksgiving, my son’s first grade class constructed three villages to compare and contrast the ways of life of three peoples: The Wampanoag Indians, 17th century Plymouth Plantation, and the Modern Suburb. First, the handout. This came home in his backpack, conveniently labeled with his specific assignment: Initial reaction: “He has to build […]
[This is part of streets.mn’s “transpo convo” series, which aims to be an oral history of getting around the Twin Cities, one person at a time.] “I’m just out grocery shopping,” says Francine as she is walking down University Avenue, pushing her daughter in a stroller. It is a warm 56 degree fall afternoon and […]
The Mall of America (MOA) is one of the largest indoor shopping malls in the United States, and it’s getting larger. Currently the MOA boasts 4.87 million square feet of building area, making it one sizable chunk of property. Access to the MOA is typically by auto, mass transit, or tour bus, although a few […]
Earlier this week a “Chart of the Day” post by Matt Steele about the always debated SWLRT project sparked 47(!) comments at the time of this writing. Part of the discussion in the comment thread touched on the idea of “The American Dream” incarnated as suburban living. The argument that people in the U.S. want […]
Yesterday’s 5×8 NewsCut blog by Bob Collins mentions that the FAA has recently grounded a Minnesota business’s innovative use of drones to deliver beer to ice fishing houses on Lake Mille Lacs. It’s unlikely the FAA can keep them all at arm’s length, try as it might. But, theNPR reports, the agency has put the kibosh […]
A late Thanksgiving, along with a few days dedicated to digging out of snowstorms, has left many holiday shoppers in the northland short on time to gather their gifts. Luckily, Duluthians have Canal Park with its diverse collection of homegrown shops. Whether you are looking for time tested camping gear, locally handcrafted art, or anything […]
Today, Streets.MN’s very own William Lindeke — board member, writer-wrangler, and geographer — was featured on MPR’s Morning Circuit to discuss the future of Block E and the new vision for its use. His appearance is summed up on the MPR site. But Bill’s had a lot to say about Block E right here on […]
I often ride my bike to Paninos, Taste of Scandinavia, or other places along Hiway 96 in Shoreview for lunch. Good food, nice outdoor seating, and I often see a neighbor or two. Besides neighbors, the tables around me are usually filled with people from businesses along Lexington Ave such as Land O’ Lakes, Boston […]
Almost fifty years ago, the City of Minneapolis actually did something for its residents who use transit. It created an exclusive guideway for buses down the center of the main shopping street Downtown, reducing buses’ exposure to congestion and (probably) speeding up trips (a little, sort of). Since there private cars are not allowed on […]
50th and France is a small shopping district on the border of Minneapolis and Edina. It is characterized by two-story buildings with ground-floor retail. The retail is a mix of local-serving shops, restaurants, and movie theaters and more regional destinations like Sur-La-Table. It was a Streetcar stop back in the day, and has long been […]