David Brauer, father of two under five, sez: We, too, find ourselves going over to St. Paul more for the Sci & Kid's Museum. However, we go Downtown a lot, where it's clear you have to Make Your Own Fun.
What kid doesn't love to go screaming down a skyway, especially one that's not too crowded on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon? (The long skyway/hallway from the Target Store to US Bank Place is a bit hit). Greg Luce says: The Minneapolis Skyway system, from a toddler's point of view and from my point of view, is far superior to St. Paul's. There's the double decker skyway connecting the two wings of Gavidae, the very long one-sided skyway along the Lutheran Brotherhood building, and the incredibly wide skyways connecting the IDS center to the system, plus others. I had not known about the US Bank one connecting Target, so we'll check that out soon--plus it's remarkable to see a toddler yell "Target" when he sees a Target store. And Steve's list of stuff is meaningful--we've taken advantage of the LRT construction and the 5th St. upheaval. On one Sunday not long ago we counted at least a dozen "diggers" along 5th Street, looked into the gaping holes in the ground, and talked to construction folks about their work. I obviously need to check out the kids' section at the downtown library before it's gone--maybe it is already. One thing that is distinctly missing downtown is the ability to go up into one of the "skyscapers" to look out over the city. Mayor Rybak and many others have fondly talked about looking out over the city from the Foshay Tower, but that's dwarfed now and not sure if there is an observation portion open anymore. Anyone know of others? Last time I tried to go up into the IDS there seemed to be a security issue and it was highly discouraged. Hey, how about a TIF district to build a "skyscaper" just for kids? :>) But, I have to tell you, downtown St. Paul has a distinctively more "kid-friendly" feel to it, a fact I noticed even when I did not have a kid. I believe it's generally because there are more kids around with their families, something that is missing in downtown Minneapolis unless there's some event (Blue's Clues Live, Holidazzle). I very much look forward to my little guy's first real Twins season, even though it may be the last. The Wolves, on the other hand, are way too expensive for us for it to be meaningful. Anyway, would love to hear other tips or ideas or even daydreams of what could be done to make downtown a bit more kid-friendly. Exploring with new eyes and loving it, Gregory Luce Project 504/Minneapolis (North Phillips) _______________________________________ 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
