In last Sunday (11/11)'s New York Times magazine, Colson Whitehead wrote:
"No matter how long you have been here, you are a New Yorker the first time you say, 'That used to be Munsey's' or 'That used to be the Tic Toc Lounge.' That before the Internet cafe plugged itself in, you got your shoes resoled in the mom-and-pop operation that used to be there. You are a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now.'' I imagine folks in New York right now are more than wistful about what's missing. But the thought ties nicely with this discussion. Frankly I wish I'd written it about Minneapolis. But I didn't, so now I think I'll argue with it. There are many things I wish I'd been here to see (I've only been here off and on for 20 years) * Memorial Stadium, the rope swing on the creek at Bloomington Av. (though I recall spotting one shortly after I moved here right along Cedar Lake Parkway and thinking you'd never find such a thing in Chicago, where I grew up), and maybe even the Weatherball. Maybe. There are some things I experienced and miss, too (listed below, where this wind dies down). But many of the things I found so appealing about the Twin Cities when I first moved here * outdoor movies in the parks, the seclusions along Minnehaha Creek and at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, the range of dining choices, the network of bike paths and, above all, skating on the lakes and at Peavey Plaza __ are not only still here but have been improved on or duplicated. And things that weren't here (best examples: housing in former industrial buildings, and coffee shops) have simply added depth and quality to life here. There have been some trades that may not have been entirely beneficial (Griffith for Pohlad, prosperity for traffic congestion). And there are some things I'd like to see that are sort of prospectively missing * live-in houseboats docked on Nicollet Island, bike-drawn jitneys downtown and along the river and what the hell I'll say it a subway). Things often look good in the past, and having a historical sense of geography is a measure of a healthy personal root system. But I believe that when most of the calculations are done, this has become a better place to live than it used to be. OK, my nominations for what's missing (and I haven't read all previous entries, so pardon duplications): *The once-secret, revolving gate entrance on the east side of the Roberts Bird Sanctuary at Lake Harriet. *The Coffeehouse Extempore. *The Artists' Quarter at 26th and Nicollet. *Pam Sherman's restaurant at Hennepin and Lake. *The second-chance, across-the-median entrance to 94 West from 35W south, right at about Park Av., removed about five years ago. *The Minneapolis Star (and the St. Paul Dispatch, for that matter). _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
