|
Intercontinental Video has been my source for rare and esoteric titles since I first took a film history class in college. A friend of mine introduced me to the dark, disgusting underbelly of this...
Intercontinental Video has been my source for rare and esoteric titles since I first took a film history class in college. A friend of mine introduced me to the dark, disgusting underbelly of this shop's collection a few years later. I don't think I will ever be the same after watching some of their Italian zombie flicks, or that timeless German classic "Necromancer II".
On the lighter side, they have just about everything by Nicolas Roeg, and just about every other European director of note.
Hide
|
|
This place is amazing. Vend-A-Wash should be on some sort of tour, maybe part of a "Mega Mall- World's Largest Ball of Twine-World's Biggest Hockey Stick" junket.
Basically, the laundromat is...
This place is amazing. Vend-A-Wash should be on some sort of tour, maybe part of a "Mega Mall- World's Largest Ball of Twine-World's Biggest Hockey Stick" junket.
Basically, the laundromat is huge, the machines are sparkling clean and never broken down (and even if one did break down-there would be a hundred more to choose from), and there are literally dozens of different types of laundry cleaning, water extracting, and drying machines to choose from.
Best of all, they have machines big enough to wash a couple of huge comforters or even a 6' x 9' heavy rag cotton rug--without the slightest whimper, groan, or flickering of an "unbalanced load" light.
Hide
|
|
Zipps has (and probably has always had) the lowest prices on kegs of beer. Like forever. There is not a single member of a greek organization on the U of MN campus whose life has not been deeply and...
Zipps has (and probably has always had) the lowest prices on kegs of beer. Like forever. There is not a single member of a greek organization on the U of MN campus whose life has not been deeply and profoundly touched by the Bountiful Keg God that is Zipps.
It's a bright, friendly shop with a bright, friendly sign out front. It used to be a much smaller shop, but they renovated a while back, and (thankfully) kept the 50's era retro-modern neon sign.
Hide
|
|
Bayberry Floral is a very cute boutique floral shop housed in a turn of the century brick building on Lyndale avenue. Although they have small gifts items up front , and do offer fresh...
Bayberry Floral is a very cute boutique floral shop housed in a turn of the century brick building on Lyndale avenue. Although they have small gifts items up front , and do offer fresh flowers/bouquets for sale-- it is very obvious from the moment you step in the door that custom work is their bread and butter (which it should be-given the scant foot traffic on that part of Lyndale). Part upscale floral design, part shabby chic, they are fully capable of taking care of the flowers for your wedding or any other special event.
Hide
|
|
Cheapo is a huge music store with tons of cds, albums, etc. However, you have to wade through a ton of chaff to get to anything good. Their collections by individual artist are not comprehensive,...
Cheapo is a huge music store with tons of cds, albums, etc. However, you have to wade through a ton of chaff to get to anything good. Their collections by individual artist are not comprehensive, and their dance music selections for anything a half-way decent (or better) dj would want to spin, are decidedly weak.
Want to sell your music here? Be prepared to get ripped off. You'd get a lot more for your music on Amazon or Half.com.
Hide
|
|
Several members of the Uptown neighborhood fought the creation of Calhoun Square in the early 80's, fearing it would alter the primarily residential quality of their neighborhood. Well they were...
Several members of the Uptown neighborhood fought the creation of Calhoun Square in the early 80's, fearing it would alter the primarily residential quality of their neighborhood. Well they were correct-Calhoun Square did drastically change the face of the Uptown area. But two decades later, the jury is still out on whether this was a positive or negative change.
Calhoun Square's popularity has waxed and waned over the past two decades-most noticeably with regards to the second floor. In the early 90's, virtually every second floor retail space was filled. Today, nearly all of those spaces are empty, with the exception of a few restaurants.
Fortunately for Calhoun Square management, the first floor has fared much better. Figlios restaurant has been there since the late 80's, and Borders books, the Kitchen Window and other, smaller first floor shops have done quite well also.
This Uptown "mini-mall" has only gone through a few slight modifications since its intial construction--most noticeably in the recent addition of garish, Block-E style signage on the rooftop. But drastic new changes are coming. The plans call for expanding the mall across the entire city block (and, unfortunately, taking out several successful shops such as Orr Books, and red lure red with it), and the addtion of three or four floors of upper story condos.
While increased housing density in urban areas is almost always good in my opinion (the condos), I worry that the new Calhoun Square will further destroy boutique shopping opportunities in the area-with the addition of big, national retailers in the mall, and a diminished number of storefront shops (with the removal of Orr books, etc) along Hennepin Avenue.
Hide
|
|
The Metro Inn, and its sister (??) motel Aqua City next door are complete anomolies in their well maintained residential/suburban neighborhood. Their heyday was obviously the 1950's, when...
The Metro Inn, and its sister (??) motel Aqua City next door are complete anomolies in their well maintained residential/suburban neighborhood. Their heyday was obviously the 1950's, when transcontinental travel by car was king. Now, both are rundown, seedy, residential style inns. The mint green painted pool at Aqua City (thus the name) hasn't seen water in years, and the Metro Inn often has shady looking characters lying around on the front lawn.
Which is really a shame. Both motels sport a lot in the way of 1950's retro modern architecture, and should be preserved in some fashion. If they were in a more urban area, perhaps they could be converted into a sort of hipster, rockstar hangout, like the Phoenix in San Francisco.
Hide
|
|
Frank Gehry designed this stainless steel wonder back in '92. It was to become the first of many similar projects he created around the world, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa,...
Frank Gehry designed this stainless steel wonder back in '92. It was to become the first of many similar projects he created around the world, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain.
People seem to either love it or hate it, I and I have to say I'm in the first camp. It helped set a trend on the U of MN campus towards more fluid, modern buildings, and away from the ugly International Style meets "riot-proof building" design that had been hallmark of much of the U of MN's new building construction in the past 50 years.
As for the people that gripe that the beautiful sometimes light filled Weisman's Gallery spaces are not appropriate for displaying the works: 1) Craming a lot of work into endless catacombs of gallery space does not necessarily make a great exhibition 2) Visit the Guggenheim in NY., where less is definitely more.
Hide
|
|
Como Park
Category:
Playgrounds Parks & Trails
1432 Lexington Pkwy N
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103
(651) 488-9679
Como Park is a Midwestern version of what large urban parks, such as Golden Gate Park, or Central Park, tend to offer. Large expanses of grass (to picnic, play, or sleep on), a zoo, ball parks,...
Como Park is a Midwestern version of what large urban parks, such as Golden Gate Park, or Central Park, tend to offer. Large expanses of grass (to picnic, play, or sleep on), a zoo, ball parks, rides (usually just a carousel-but Como offers more), a small lake with paddle boat rentals, a glass conservatory and flower gardens. Quaint amusements that were the highlight of turn of the century living. Fortunately, these attractions are still a hit with families and individuals today.
The conservatory is an especially welcome respite in the middle of a cold Minnesota winter--when you just want to see something, anything green. It also makes a beautiful backdrop for weddings, particularly near the large reflection pool.
Hide
|
|
Boasting one of the best Modern Art Collections anywhere in the world, the Walker has been on the leading edge of Modern Art curatorship for much of the last 50 years.
Some highlights of the...
Boasting one of the best Modern Art Collections anywhere in the world, the Walker has been on the leading edge of Modern Art curatorship for much of the last 50 years.
Some highlights of the permanent collection include: Chuck Close self-portraits, George Segal figurative sculpture works, and the entire Cremaster cycle of video work (only one of 5 sets in existence) by Matthew Barney.
As for the current Museum structure--while I like the new expansion-I wish they would have done more to integrate the older building into the style of the newer one. And the footbridge that connects Loring Park to the Sculpture Garden has always grated on my nerves with its "Miami Vice" pastel colors-a completely inappropriate way to frame in the Minneapolis skyline.
Hide
|