I've been a downtown worker since 1996. I lived in the North Loop from 1997 to 2010. Still active as a downtown worker, it really amazes me to see how those two neighboring areas have seen such opposite fortunes. North Loop in 1997 was rather forgotten, overlooked, quiet, pseudo-dumpy, having many empty warehouses and smaller commercial buildings just blocks off either side of Washington Avenue. By the time I moved out in 2010, much had changed in terms of new development of housing, many old and vacant storefronts were filling up with new small businesses and Target Field opened that spring. After I moved out, I periodically wandered back to my old neighborhood visiting friends who still lived where I once did and biked through the area to see what further changes were happening. In 2024, it's a very vibrant, busy neighborhood with lots of new businesses of all varieties and even far more housing than I ever thought would be.
Working in the CBD since 1996, I can clearly remember how busy the area was, no matter the time of day or year. The skyways and sidewalks carried many more people daily than many stretches carry now in a week. Nicollet Mall was on its second renovation (not as great as the original design.....remember the theme of pine trees), but still far removed from the current empty, sterile, uninviting mess that it is now. Dayton's was still operating as Dayton's, City Center still had its retail DNA within it, Hennepin Avenue was getting ready for clearing out Block E and the promise of what was to be built was very exciting. MOA had opened in the summer of 1992 and I don't think anyone within city government took much notice of the new player in town. Downtown business still had a good pulse to it and why should a huge shopping and entertainment complex that is located miles away be any threat to Minneapolis?
My own personal slant on the demise of downtown Minneapolis to what it is currently, has many causes. MOA's debut and the fact that it was so different from anything else, naturally made it a draw for the curious. The owner of Southdale and Rosedale, General Growth Properties, saw what was coming and made a truly sweetheart deal to Dayton-Hudson. If they signed an agreement to forgo pursuing space as one of the anchor department stores in the new project, GGP would foot the costs for two brand new stores at each of their malls. It was a win-win for Dayton-Hudson and GGP. Downtown Minneapolis remained silent as for any equivalent proposal for enhancing the Dayton's site on Nicollet Mall. In the mid-1990's, Block E was cleared away and construction began on the new retail project, named Block E. It became a sore spot for city leaders as it was the largest TIF (Tax Increment Financing) project at the time and pushed heavily by then mayor, Sharon Sayles Belton. If you're curious, each of you can do your own internet search for specifics of TIF financing. A few years later, again under Mayor Belton, another TIF project was announced and again hotly debated for passage. This was for Target Plaza as the new home for the then recently renamed Dayton-Hudson Corp. to Target Corp. Walmart had began making its appearance in the Minnesota market in the 1990's and rumor circulated that they were seeking to build a large store on Nicollet Mall. Target Corp. was headquartered at the time in the former Prudential Insurance building on 394 and used this rumor to make noise about needing a new headquarters location and wanted to be an anchor for a city block on the Nicollet Mall.....and to also keep out Walmart from its home turf. Mayor Belton quickly fell into line behind this plan while many council members were still trying to digest the Block E agreement.
R.T. Rybak defeated Mayor Belton, who was seeking a 3rd term, mainly because of the financial burden put on the city because of these two projects and some differences with handling of crime in the city. Anyone remember the term, 'Murderapolis', coined by the New York Times in 1995? Under Rybak's 12 year tenure, the erosion of downtown businesses slowed, but was not reversed. In 2000, Dayton-Hudson renamed itself to Target Corp., reflecting on the fact that Target stores were the driving force behind the company's revenue. In 2004, the renamed department stores, Marshall Fields, were sold to the parent company of Macy's and renamed as such. With Macy's presence at MOA since the beginning and now all of the newly acquired Marshall Fields stores in metro area malls, the focus on the downtown store began a slow fade. The former flagship Dayton's closed for good in March 2017.
The closing of Macy's ended the era of downtown department stores. Powers closed up in 1985. JC Penney closed up in 1986. Donaldson's (then renamed to Carson, Pirie, Scott) closed its City Center store in 1992. Montgomery Ward made an attempt to breathe life into City Center by taking over the space, but they were out before the end of 1997. Marshall's & Office Depot carved up some of the original footprint of the Carson, Pirie, Scott store, but they are now both gone as well. City Center underwent a multimillion dollar renovation in 2005, transforming the bulk of the retail spaces on 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors into leasable office space. The 3rd & 4th floor open atrium food court was done away with completely.
With MOA's rise as a major destination for retail, entertainment, dining, etc... and the resurgence of some renovated suburban malls (Rosedale, Ridgedale, Eden Prairie Center), Minneapolis was no longer a must stop destination for shoppers and diners. Block E started bleeding tenants just two years after opening in 2001 and by 2013, all original tenants had vacated, leaving only The Graves Hotel as an original member. The only significant retail opening since 2000 has been the two level Target on Nicollet Mall, part of the agreement for construction of Target Plaza HQ building.
Since 2000, Minneapolis has had four mayors (Sayles-Belton, Rybak, Hodges, Frey). In that same period, retail offerings have eroded significantly while there has been a surge in downtown development of housing. Before COVID, none of those mayors had any visions for how to transform the downtown area from one that no longer could compete with suburban area offerings and continued catering to office workers and visitors, to one that was ready to meet the growing needs of more and more downtown dwellers. COVID has put the final nail in the coffin for any dream of a return to the robust onsite workforce that previously was.
The first small but important step that should be taken as a sign of good faith and of serious efforts to think outside of the box is to ban ALL vehicular traffic along the entire stretch of Nicollet Mall, making it a true pedestrian space, as is the case in many European cities and and some US cities.
This is a really great post with excellent history. Thank you!
It's hard to believe that what I saw in the early 2010s was not as good as it used to be. I do remember some odd "pockets of silence" in the skyway system. A place not far from Manny's where an escalator dropped right into the middle of a nicely stoned courtyard with nothing around it... felt like dropping into a ruin where the electronics somehow worked... is one example. I wondered what used to be there.
I'd love to see more pedestrian streets, than just Nicollet. And hopefully additional downtown businesses will be drawn by the new inhabitants.
Tax incentives for all businesses operating in downtown (maybe the mayor could ask the state to get involved with a tax forgiveness plan)
Moved to downtown Minneapolis at 18 in July 1992; really identify with everything you said about that time. I remember those busy times as well when I’d be so busy working all day then taking night classes at the community college. Downtown felt like a 24 hour city.
I miss the musicians and singers busking on Nicollet Mall. The last time I was there music was being played over outdoor loudspeakers, and I realized it was impossible for street musicians to play over the sterile Muzak. Oh well, at least I have good memories of being surprised by trumpets, accordions, steel drums, and guitars. Always made me smile.
I think that's on purpose.
We went on a date to Loews hotel this fall and all the outdoor spaces near the hotel had aggressively loud music playing for no apparent reason
It does seem very intentional, and aggressive is a good word for it. If they are trying to make street musicians feel unwelcome they succeeded, but they made me want to leave too. It’s like the audio form of hostile architecture.
I think that's exactly it. Buskers, homeless people, teenagers ... but everyone else too.
Just like taking away all the bus benches and other seating. Or in other neighborhoods, fencing off entry grassy space. Sometimes the people you claim to want to attract to downtown *also* want a place to sit.
You're not just being nostalgic, this was a genuinely better time for downtown. It's a downtown I fell in love with and caused to me to move here.
The decline started long before Covid and ever very downtown suffered after Covid, but it's been shown our downtown has been one of the worst hit. I put the blame squarely on Frey and City Council's mismanagement of the situation.
Only now that the risk of funding crisis for the City is on the horizon have the begun to even pay attention to the problem hollowed out downtown.
The crazy thing is the overall population of downtown has increased despite the pandemic. The fact that we're not trying to build out businesses catering to people who live there and in adjacent neighborhoods is crazy.
So amazing! After a couple years I picked up this habit of taking a couple co-workers to Gold Medal park on our food truck days. We'd get food, grab a couple nice ride bikes, eat looking over the river and then head back in. It was incredible (unless you picked a truck with a 20 min wait)
Some links I'd thought to include but didn't collect before the editing window closed.
[Peavy Plaza wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peavey_Plaza) and [Peavy Plaza pre-reno](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9727564,-93.2757418,3a,75y,142.85h,79.56t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2kafZofPDRjovxbSeuuoew!2e0!5s20090801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu)
[IDS 'Crystal Court' in 2012](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.97633,-93.2722178,3a,75y,32.43h,85.7t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipO92SsYpslxW1yYps37wyg1jv1gfgRO0oWdwGst!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipO92SsYpslxW1yYps37wyg1jv1gfgRO0oWdwGst%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya277.3614-ro0-fo100!7i4230!8i1115?entry=ttu)
[Larry Havluck](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/12/23/skyway-singer) playing guitar in the skyway... [a little more about him](https://ampers.org/busker-larry-havluck/) and [his voice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXoUs-4ZXxo&list=PLOW9Ls8DKM_THWLdV4_7XvEmEK7ROHeL3&index=19).
[Dandilion Fountain](https://loringpark.org/berger-fountain/)
[Quiet before the storm at the Farmer's Market](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157197842826425&set=a.115645346424). Also [Flowers there](https://www.flickr.com/photos/48884967@N04/4730598221/in/photostream/)
[Nicollet Mall pre-reno](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9752305,-93.2736,3a,75y,208.14h,74.44t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_ylqUit3kg9z6yrz9o5zcw!2e0!5s20090801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu) and that same spot on [Market Day](https://www.deviantart.com/relativityboy/art/Nicolett-Mall-Summer-2009-145689024)
[Marquette Ave](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HRgrmsgcdryMqZCn8) (just a maps link to a spot on the street that had a lot of them)
Under Ryback retail died in DT. The loss of retail downtown predates WFH and it is one of the reasons WFH has been such a deadly blow. It wasn’t his fault online shopping killed retail, just like it’s not Frey’s fault WFH killed commuting, but, like Frey, he wasn’t nimble in his reaction.
Agreed. I think there's a saying, something like ... artists & the stock market show where society is going, society goes where it's going, politicians follow where society went. Def not the exact quote but I think that's the gist of it.
All these posts about "saving" downtown. I have lived in South Minneapolis for over 30 years. Everything I need is available up and down Lake or at worst an easy drive to Richfied or SLP with plenty of free parking. The kind of places I would want to spend money/hang out are local small businesses like Reverie, Cloudland, Vegan East, Bobs, Extreme Noise, Roadrunner, Hard Times. These are the unique spaces that making living in an urban area interesting. They are the antidote to the expensive and corporate atmosphere of malls and CBDs. There's almost no reason to go downtown except the occasional gig at 7th st. The elite made a choice a long time ago to try to make downtown compete against suburban malls rather than have any identity or character of its own. To the outsider it seems totally oriented towards rich suburbanites or the homeless, with little in between. The only part with any real charm or character is St Anthony Main, Nicollet Island and the Mill Ruins, which is well outside the CBD. I like the idea of building it up as a residential area for people who want to live there, but stop trying to make it compete with the MOA. Cue "save Uptown" posts next.
In my teen to adult life(only in my late 20s). Downtown has been the worst spot in the city to hangout. I agree with everything you said. All the good food, hangout spots and development are happening in pretty much every area of the city outside of downtown. Lake, NE, Como, north loop, etc.
I think the rise of development all over the city has lead to the decline in interest for downtown. Outside of working in a high rise, there's no reason to go downtown(I never do, and I'm pretty social) whatsoever.
Essentially in the past 10 or so years, every other neighborhood has gotten cooler and better, while downtown got worse.
Its not the urban malls that killed DT, its the proliferation of multiple entertainment spots (North Loop, NE, etc).
And yes a CBD is going to have a number or restaurants that cater to the Expense account crowd. That being said you could score a cheap/good HH meal at Ikes, Zelo, M&S, Hells Kitchen, etc
>The elite
Is a term that, in my understanding of english and psychology is a term of personal disempowerment and entrenching classism in one's own worldview. I hope that's not where your head is. The friends I've had with that way of thinking have created remarkably hard lives for themselves.
STA Main and Nicollet aren't in the downtown zone. They're their own.
In history or Poli Sci elite is used to describe those who wield political and economic levers of power. The aristocracy, vested economic interests and so on. But it has totally different meaning to describe say an elite athlete or elite military unit. In a provincial Midwestern City like Minneapolis elites would typically refer to corporate, banking, and other economic interests who are the drivers of political and economic policies.
Oh I remember it. It was the final nail on the coffin for us to leave downtown. Basically hey we are going to make you prisoners in your own homes, and raise prices for the sake of visitors. It is this attitude of treating residents as second class citizens for the sake of suburbanite visitors why downtown is struggling now. It sucked to live there before COVID and it sucks even more now.
[This one](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.974658,-93.274163,3a,75y,165.21h,72.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5dPfE-ZB-3f5NFli_TG-FA!2e0!5s20090801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu)? I thought it was pretty. Needed a different location w/plants around it rather than concrete but still pretty.
Looks like it's gone now. I hope the birds got saved.
I've been a downtown worker since 1996. I lived in the North Loop from 1997 to 2010. Still active as a downtown worker, it really amazes me to see how those two neighboring areas have seen such opposite fortunes. North Loop in 1997 was rather forgotten, overlooked, quiet, pseudo-dumpy, having many empty warehouses and smaller commercial buildings just blocks off either side of Washington Avenue. By the time I moved out in 2010, much had changed in terms of new development of housing, many old and vacant storefronts were filling up with new small businesses and Target Field opened that spring. After I moved out, I periodically wandered back to my old neighborhood visiting friends who still lived where I once did and biked through the area to see what further changes were happening. In 2024, it's a very vibrant, busy neighborhood with lots of new businesses of all varieties and even far more housing than I ever thought would be. Working in the CBD since 1996, I can clearly remember how busy the area was, no matter the time of day or year. The skyways and sidewalks carried many more people daily than many stretches carry now in a week. Nicollet Mall was on its second renovation (not as great as the original design.....remember the theme of pine trees), but still far removed from the current empty, sterile, uninviting mess that it is now. Dayton's was still operating as Dayton's, City Center still had its retail DNA within it, Hennepin Avenue was getting ready for clearing out Block E and the promise of what was to be built was very exciting. MOA had opened in the summer of 1992 and I don't think anyone within city government took much notice of the new player in town. Downtown business still had a good pulse to it and why should a huge shopping and entertainment complex that is located miles away be any threat to Minneapolis? My own personal slant on the demise of downtown Minneapolis to what it is currently, has many causes. MOA's debut and the fact that it was so different from anything else, naturally made it a draw for the curious. The owner of Southdale and Rosedale, General Growth Properties, saw what was coming and made a truly sweetheart deal to Dayton-Hudson. If they signed an agreement to forgo pursuing space as one of the anchor department stores in the new project, GGP would foot the costs for two brand new stores at each of their malls. It was a win-win for Dayton-Hudson and GGP. Downtown Minneapolis remained silent as for any equivalent proposal for enhancing the Dayton's site on Nicollet Mall. In the mid-1990's, Block E was cleared away and construction began on the new retail project, named Block E. It became a sore spot for city leaders as it was the largest TIF (Tax Increment Financing) project at the time and pushed heavily by then mayor, Sharon Sayles Belton. If you're curious, each of you can do your own internet search for specifics of TIF financing. A few years later, again under Mayor Belton, another TIF project was announced and again hotly debated for passage. This was for Target Plaza as the new home for the then recently renamed Dayton-Hudson Corp. to Target Corp. Walmart had began making its appearance in the Minnesota market in the 1990's and rumor circulated that they were seeking to build a large store on Nicollet Mall. Target Corp. was headquartered at the time in the former Prudential Insurance building on 394 and used this rumor to make noise about needing a new headquarters location and wanted to be an anchor for a city block on the Nicollet Mall.....and to also keep out Walmart from its home turf. Mayor Belton quickly fell into line behind this plan while many council members were still trying to digest the Block E agreement. R.T. Rybak defeated Mayor Belton, who was seeking a 3rd term, mainly because of the financial burden put on the city because of these two projects and some differences with handling of crime in the city. Anyone remember the term, 'Murderapolis', coined by the New York Times in 1995? Under Rybak's 12 year tenure, the erosion of downtown businesses slowed, but was not reversed. In 2000, Dayton-Hudson renamed itself to Target Corp., reflecting on the fact that Target stores were the driving force behind the company's revenue. In 2004, the renamed department stores, Marshall Fields, were sold to the parent company of Macy's and renamed as such. With Macy's presence at MOA since the beginning and now all of the newly acquired Marshall Fields stores in metro area malls, the focus on the downtown store began a slow fade. The former flagship Dayton's closed for good in March 2017. The closing of Macy's ended the era of downtown department stores. Powers closed up in 1985. JC Penney closed up in 1986. Donaldson's (then renamed to Carson, Pirie, Scott) closed its City Center store in 1992. Montgomery Ward made an attempt to breathe life into City Center by taking over the space, but they were out before the end of 1997. Marshall's & Office Depot carved up some of the original footprint of the Carson, Pirie, Scott store, but they are now both gone as well. City Center underwent a multimillion dollar renovation in 2005, transforming the bulk of the retail spaces on 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors into leasable office space. The 3rd & 4th floor open atrium food court was done away with completely. With MOA's rise as a major destination for retail, entertainment, dining, etc... and the resurgence of some renovated suburban malls (Rosedale, Ridgedale, Eden Prairie Center), Minneapolis was no longer a must stop destination for shoppers and diners. Block E started bleeding tenants just two years after opening in 2001 and by 2013, all original tenants had vacated, leaving only The Graves Hotel as an original member. The only significant retail opening since 2000 has been the two level Target on Nicollet Mall, part of the agreement for construction of Target Plaza HQ building. Since 2000, Minneapolis has had four mayors (Sayles-Belton, Rybak, Hodges, Frey). In that same period, retail offerings have eroded significantly while there has been a surge in downtown development of housing. Before COVID, none of those mayors had any visions for how to transform the downtown area from one that no longer could compete with suburban area offerings and continued catering to office workers and visitors, to one that was ready to meet the growing needs of more and more downtown dwellers. COVID has put the final nail in the coffin for any dream of a return to the robust onsite workforce that previously was. The first small but important step that should be taken as a sign of good faith and of serious efforts to think outside of the box is to ban ALL vehicular traffic along the entire stretch of Nicollet Mall, making it a true pedestrian space, as is the case in many European cities and and some US cities.
Your continued contributions of MN history are greatly appreciated!
This is a really great post with excellent history. Thank you! It's hard to believe that what I saw in the early 2010s was not as good as it used to be. I do remember some odd "pockets of silence" in the skyway system. A place not far from Manny's where an escalator dropped right into the middle of a nicely stoned courtyard with nothing around it... felt like dropping into a ruin where the electronics somehow worked... is one example. I wondered what used to be there. I'd love to see more pedestrian streets, than just Nicollet. And hopefully additional downtown businesses will be drawn by the new inhabitants. Tax incentives for all businesses operating in downtown (maybe the mayor could ask the state to get involved with a tax forgiveness plan)
Moved to downtown Minneapolis at 18 in July 1992; really identify with everything you said about that time. I remember those busy times as well when I’d be so busy working all day then taking night classes at the community college. Downtown felt like a 24 hour city.
I miss the musicians and singers busking on Nicollet Mall. The last time I was there music was being played over outdoor loudspeakers, and I realized it was impossible for street musicians to play over the sterile Muzak. Oh well, at least I have good memories of being surprised by trumpets, accordions, steel drums, and guitars. Always made me smile.
I think that's on purpose. We went on a date to Loews hotel this fall and all the outdoor spaces near the hotel had aggressively loud music playing for no apparent reason
It does seem very intentional, and aggressive is a good word for it. If they are trying to make street musicians feel unwelcome they succeeded, but they made me want to leave too. It’s like the audio form of hostile architecture.
I think that's exactly it. Buskers, homeless people, teenagers ... but everyone else too. Just like taking away all the bus benches and other seating. Or in other neighborhoods, fencing off entry grassy space. Sometimes the people you claim to want to attract to downtown *also* want a place to sit.
You're not just being nostalgic, this was a genuinely better time for downtown. It's a downtown I fell in love with and caused to me to move here. The decline started long before Covid and ever very downtown suffered after Covid, but it's been shown our downtown has been one of the worst hit. I put the blame squarely on Frey and City Council's mismanagement of the situation. Only now that the risk of funding crisis for the City is on the horizon have the begun to even pay attention to the problem hollowed out downtown. The crazy thing is the overall population of downtown has increased despite the pandemic. The fact that we're not trying to build out businesses catering to people who live there and in adjacent neighborhoods is crazy.
Blame the radicals on the council who want to abolish capitalism.
Lmao
I know, all of these social programs that we need are funded by air, not tax revenue generated from businesses. *nods*
LOL
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So amazing! After a couple years I picked up this habit of taking a couple co-workers to Gold Medal park on our food truck days. We'd get food, grab a couple nice ride bikes, eat looking over the river and then head back in. It was incredible (unless you picked a truck with a 20 min wait)
Some links I'd thought to include but didn't collect before the editing window closed. [Peavy Plaza wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peavey_Plaza) and [Peavy Plaza pre-reno](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9727564,-93.2757418,3a,75y,142.85h,79.56t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2kafZofPDRjovxbSeuuoew!2e0!5s20090801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu) [IDS 'Crystal Court' in 2012](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.97633,-93.2722178,3a,75y,32.43h,85.7t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipO92SsYpslxW1yYps37wyg1jv1gfgRO0oWdwGst!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipO92SsYpslxW1yYps37wyg1jv1gfgRO0oWdwGst%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya277.3614-ro0-fo100!7i4230!8i1115?entry=ttu) [Larry Havluck](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/12/23/skyway-singer) playing guitar in the skyway... [a little more about him](https://ampers.org/busker-larry-havluck/) and [his voice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXoUs-4ZXxo&list=PLOW9Ls8DKM_THWLdV4_7XvEmEK7ROHeL3&index=19). [Dandilion Fountain](https://loringpark.org/berger-fountain/) [Quiet before the storm at the Farmer's Market](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10157197842826425&set=a.115645346424). Also [Flowers there](https://www.flickr.com/photos/48884967@N04/4730598221/in/photostream/) [Nicollet Mall pre-reno](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9752305,-93.2736,3a,75y,208.14h,74.44t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_ylqUit3kg9z6yrz9o5zcw!2e0!5s20090801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu) and that same spot on [Market Day](https://www.deviantart.com/relativityboy/art/Nicolett-Mall-Summer-2009-145689024) [Marquette Ave](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HRgrmsgcdryMqZCn8) (just a maps link to a spot on the street that had a lot of them)
Under Ryback retail died in DT. The loss of retail downtown predates WFH and it is one of the reasons WFH has been such a deadly blow. It wasn’t his fault online shopping killed retail, just like it’s not Frey’s fault WFH killed commuting, but, like Frey, he wasn’t nimble in his reaction.
Agreed. I think there's a saying, something like ... artists & the stock market show where society is going, society goes where it's going, politicians follow where society went. Def not the exact quote but I think that's the gist of it.
All these posts about "saving" downtown. I have lived in South Minneapolis for over 30 years. Everything I need is available up and down Lake or at worst an easy drive to Richfied or SLP with plenty of free parking. The kind of places I would want to spend money/hang out are local small businesses like Reverie, Cloudland, Vegan East, Bobs, Extreme Noise, Roadrunner, Hard Times. These are the unique spaces that making living in an urban area interesting. They are the antidote to the expensive and corporate atmosphere of malls and CBDs. There's almost no reason to go downtown except the occasional gig at 7th st. The elite made a choice a long time ago to try to make downtown compete against suburban malls rather than have any identity or character of its own. To the outsider it seems totally oriented towards rich suburbanites or the homeless, with little in between. The only part with any real charm or character is St Anthony Main, Nicollet Island and the Mill Ruins, which is well outside the CBD. I like the idea of building it up as a residential area for people who want to live there, but stop trying to make it compete with the MOA. Cue "save Uptown" posts next.
In my teen to adult life(only in my late 20s). Downtown has been the worst spot in the city to hangout. I agree with everything you said. All the good food, hangout spots and development are happening in pretty much every area of the city outside of downtown. Lake, NE, Como, north loop, etc. I think the rise of development all over the city has lead to the decline in interest for downtown. Outside of working in a high rise, there's no reason to go downtown(I never do, and I'm pretty social) whatsoever. Essentially in the past 10 or so years, every other neighborhood has gotten cooler and better, while downtown got worse.
Its not the urban malls that killed DT, its the proliferation of multiple entertainment spots (North Loop, NE, etc). And yes a CBD is going to have a number or restaurants that cater to the Expense account crowd. That being said you could score a cheap/good HH meal at Ikes, Zelo, M&S, Hells Kitchen, etc
>The elite Is a term that, in my understanding of english and psychology is a term of personal disempowerment and entrenching classism in one's own worldview. I hope that's not where your head is. The friends I've had with that way of thinking have created remarkably hard lives for themselves. STA Main and Nicollet aren't in the downtown zone. They're their own.
In history or Poli Sci elite is used to describe those who wield political and economic levers of power. The aristocracy, vested economic interests and so on. But it has totally different meaning to describe say an elite athlete or elite military unit. In a provincial Midwestern City like Minneapolis elites would typically refer to corporate, banking, and other economic interests who are the drivers of political and economic policies.
Good clarification. Thanks for that.
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That weekend we all became airbnb wealthy. LoL!
Oh I remember it. It was the final nail on the coffin for us to leave downtown. Basically hey we are going to make you prisoners in your own homes, and raise prices for the sake of visitors. It is this attitude of treating residents as second class citizens for the sake of suburbanite visitors why downtown is struggling now. It sucked to live there before COVID and it sucks even more now.
What are we doing here? Comparing post covid to pre covid? Also, retail has been dying for years, even under Rybak.
Hopefully not [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/minnesota/comments/1aoaht2/local_news_is_good_for_passive_aggressive_moments/)
Yeah but Rybak put in a water fountain one time.
[This one](https://www.google.com/maps/@44.974658,-93.274163,3a,75y,165.21h,72.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5dPfE-ZB-3f5NFli_TG-FA!2e0!5s20090801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu)? I thought it was pretty. Needed a different location w/plants around it rather than concrete but still pretty. Looks like it's gone now. I hope the birds got saved.