Knowing great donuts awaited us on the other side was a strong incentive to seek out this “secret” passageway in the Minneapolis North Loop.
Category: Place
Shielding Cyclists from Traffic
Watched this protected bikeway being extended towards our home, still a few blocks away. I appreciate being physically separated from traffic. About 200 miles of on- and off-street bikeways make Minneapolis one of the most bikeable cities in the country.
Retro Building, Retro Recording Format
Spotted this unusual industrial building on my random cycle ride. The curved brick corners suggest that it was built in the 1930s. The name of a company founded in 1931 was displayed above the entrance. Today’s occupant, Noiseland Industries, supplies millions of vinyl records every year, custom-manufactured by a partner in France.
Filling in Time at the House of Balls
Wandered around the outside of the House of Balls behind Cedar Riverside LRT Station, a good place to kill a few minutes with a friend before his train arrived. The artist who works here specializes in found objects.
Welcoming the Class of 2027
Cycled through the University of Minnesota past large groups of impossibly young students here for Welcome Week. Classes start next week.
Apportioning Expenses of a 5-Day Hike
Worked on a spreadsheet to apportion hotel and rail expenses for a five-day hike we’ll do with two friends in the North East of England in September. If we take turns paying for hotels, everything almost balances. I don’t entirely trust my numbers, so I’ll return to this another day.
Northrop Auditorium
Coffee and a pastry with a friend at Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota, East Bank. Then, we walked through the gorgeous entry hall sharing memories of performances we’d seen.
The Power of Soul
Bettye Lavette sold out the Dakota tonight. We’ve been following her for 20 years. Even at 77, she keeps developing her art.
Finding the Buddha
While cycling along a North Minneapolis residential street, I came across a stupa (the bulbous white structure) and the sitting Buddha in the yard of a house. Elsewhere there were dozens of lotus sculptures and prayer flags. Via Google I learned this is a monastery.
Mill Ruins Park
My friend and I walked on elevated boardwalks through Mill Ruins Park, which tells the story of the early days of Minneapolis when wood and flour mills lined the Mississippi River. The bent remains of an iron railroad trestle once supported steam locomotives.