Since the bridge collapse last week, downtown Minneapolis has felt different. Bethany and I have gone to the Mill City park (just up the river from the bridge) twice since then, once for the farmer's market and the other for a wedding. Our experience there from being in the neighborhood on the weekend previously was that downtown is pretty much a tomb. But this last weekend, with all the gawkers and the (suddenly hot) Twins playing nearby, Minneapolis has almost felt like a city. There are now pedestrians. Granted, most of them are wearing sweatpants or jersey shorts with baggy t-shirts or polos (they are Minnesotans, after all), but we have to take what we can get.
Another difference I've noticed is with the traffic crossing the other bridges downtown. The Twin Cities has always had heavy traffic problems, but for some reason I don't quite understand, it's been limited to pretty much exclusively on the freeways. There is the occasional rush-hour exception on Hennepin and Lyndale or downtown, but even that doesn't last long. Now, there is actually something resembling traffic crossing the Hennepin and Central bridges. It's not really a good thing, and because of the sidewalks it kind of reminds me of the beginning of Office Space with the old man and the walker beating traffic, but even if it isn't ideal, it adds more life and pedestrian safety to St Anthony Main than it used to have with cars speeding by at 45. I kind of enjoy it.
Comments (8)
Excuse the good people of Minneapolis for not dressing to your liking, Urban Czar.
Posted by Ben | August 7, 2007 2:43 PM
Posted on August 7, 2007 14:43
Wow. Did I brought up a sore subject?
Posted by Ryan | August 7, 2007 8:51 PM
Posted on August 7, 2007 20:51
Not a sore subject, it's just that you seem to harbour some sort of scorn for people who dress in a particular manner. I just find it kind of a rediculous judgement.
Posted by Ben | August 8, 2007 9:33 AM
Posted on August 8, 2007 09:33
Don't worry, it's no more ridiculous than calling somebody out for having an opinion on style. Where's the scorn, though?
Posted by Ryan | August 8, 2007 10:22 AM
Posted on August 8, 2007 10:22
Just in the tone. Like the city would be better if people didn't dress in basketball jerseys and polos. As if nobody else in the nation dresses the way we do here.
Posted by Ben | August 8, 2007 11:50 AM
Posted on August 8, 2007 11:50
dude, sorry to break it to you, but I have several times been able to correctly guess that people are Minnesotan by their clothes (working at the airport, this is what we do... try to guess regional fashion trends). mpls definitely has a look.
though it could be worse... Atl seems to be going for the tight white jeans cut off just below the knee lately.
Posted by zakcq | August 8, 2007 2:31 PM
Posted on August 8, 2007 14:31
Oh it could definitely be worse. I bring you four Minnesota mullets on one guy http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/11/2007/08/medium_awesomemulletbusch.jpg
It's not the basketball jerseys, it's the baggy thread-bare Disney World and Tweety Bird shirts. And I can't take anybody in a polo shirt seriously so I threw it in there.
Posted by Ryan | August 8, 2007 10:43 PM
Posted on August 8, 2007 22:43
zakcq, that is hilarious. i want your job
Posted by bethany | August 8, 2007 10:57 PM
Posted on August 8, 2007 22:57