Category: Our Neighborhood

Frozen Expanse

On my walk, the view upriver from the Franklin Avenue Bridge. At this point, the Mississippi is slow-moving, so it’s frozen from edge to edge. Beyond the Interstate 94 bridge, downtown Minneapolis stretches out to the left, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center is on the right. As I walked, the temperature was slowly rising, bringing snow once I was safely home.

Halfway There

On our Sunday morning walk we noticed that half of Stone Arch Bridge had reopened after months of restoration. This gave us a chance to take in a much-photographed view of Downtown. In the distance, barriers block public access to the rest of the bridge while that half is restored.

Evolution of Grain Elevators

My chilly walk took me past the former Pillsbury A-Mill, now home to artist lofts. Here, I unintentionally caught the evolution of grain elevators in a single photo. Brick was used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, in 1901, Minneapolis made history by constructing the world’s first concrete elevator. They were narrow like the one in the middle. Shortly after, larger-scale concrete elevators, like those on the right, won out.

Urban Prairie

Our Sunday morning walk took us through a meadow of native prairie plants, a trend gaining popularity in the city.

Remains of the Day

Glanced out the window toward Gold Medal Park. Cyclists, out for a group ride, were relaxing in the fading afternoon sun atop the mound with the spiral path. I smile when I think of my nephews running up that hill, then rolling down the spiral path on their scooters, again and again. They were so young then. Now, at 16 and 17, they’d rather drive their cars.

Neighborhood Gems

After school, I enjoyed a delicious, runny fried egg sandwich for lunch at Mill City Museum. In the winter, this lobby of the former 1890s flour mill hosts our local farmers market. Next door, hundreds of school kids poured out of the Guthrie Theater after a special performance of A Christmas Carol. I asked a teacher about it. “It was awesome, awesome!” she exclaimed, her arms raised in a celebratory gesture.

Where the Children Play

Near the end of my bike ride, I passed by Gold Medal Park where school kids on a field trip to the Mill City Museum were letting off steam during their lunch break.

Signs of Fall

It felt brisk this morning as I set off for my walk. Passing the university’s steam plant, I could hear its gentle roar as it warmed much of the Minneapolis campus and generated 20% of its electricity. Changing leaves were another sure sign that fall had arrived.

Day Dream

From the 3rd Avenue Bridge, the Mississippi and the Falls looked rather trippy today. The reflected sunlight was purplish above the Falls and earthy below. Weeks of drought had calmed the water; the whirlpools I’d seen earlier in the summer were gone. I used a slow shutter on my phone and cropped, but no other… Continue reading Day Dream