Secrets of the City

Which mnspeaker got Minneapolined? I can’t tell who it is.

It’s ranty. She’s in the first picture.

“ Why else would they steal three stripper-scented air fresheners and leave things like my underwear?“

“Stripper-scented”? I’ve represented more than a few strippers. I cannot imagine the type of person who would willingly hang air “fresheners” in their car that smell like those women smelled.

Sort of picking up on a few of these posts, has anybody been to the new (and unfortunately monikered) Water Power Park by St. Anthony Main yet? Every time I’ve been down there, it’s already been locked up for the night.

The first pic is ranty? Really?

Oh. My.

hai everybuddy!

Sort of picking up on a few of these posts, has anybody been to the new (and unfortunately monikered) Water Power Park by St. Anthony Main yet? Every time I’ve been down there, it’s already been locked up for the night.

yes I have. I was down in there before it was finished, but I’m happy to report there’s an easy way in after it’s locked up. I can spill some deets if you want to know more, but not on something so public. it’s really really easy if you take a long hard look at the fence, though.

Trekked through the Water Power Park a couple weeks ago. Can’t give you much of a review. It’s just a walk out into the river a little. Some signs give the history of the place and how moving water is converted to energy.

Nice, I guess.

also does it make me a hipster if I browsed around minneapoline and recognized people other than ranty? moreso if I was at one of the studio parties pictures were taken at?

I don’t feel that cool, though.

Bobby, you can check out my site for pics of her on the 4th. She’s georgeous…bitch…haha!

After perusing, I think it’s clear we need a “Ladies of MNSpeak” 12 month calendar. Profits go to purchasing the MNSpeak pub/gun range.

Preserve Minneapolis, who put on some really nice events, are having a tour and cocktails at Water Power Park on July 25 at 5:30.

hey nate can some of the profits go to making up for my dismal salary so I’ll post less and quit annoying anonymous trolls?

Ok, so that wall that needs a mural … pisses me off. I hate the awful condo developments there and how shortsighted they were. The townhouses are tossed down haphazardly with little-to-no relationship to the street (some of them are isolated behind fences with parking spots in front of their front door and their sides turned to the street… what?). The tower is hideous and the units that face main street have that awful retaining wall and no relationship to the street below (or connection to Central right beside them). It’s the most anti-social turn-your-back-on-the-neighbourhood design anyone could have possibly plunked down there and as everything else in the area improves it’s like a sore thumb. I hate it that much more because back in the day the beautiful exposition hall building used to sit there, which was a far better use of the land.

Bonus historical factoid: the exposition hall was where the last republican convention in town was held!

wayne –
if you stopped annoying trolls, i think many of us would stop coming to MNSpeak.

and doesn’t “annoying trolls” have a very D&D sound to it? How many sides do the dice have in your gaming?

nate,

I roll my D12 for a save, but them trolls got mad dexterity points, yo.

I don’t think the mural would help, though. They fade, get nasty looking, defaced and the residents get tired of the damn thing. It’s like having the same wallpaper year after year.

I think you would have fewer people liking the mural than there are intensely disliking a brick wall.

It’s just a brick wall. It’s nothing to hate on.

Wayne: “Bonus historical factoid: the exposition hall was where the last republican convention in town was held!”

There’s your mural topic right there. It could be done in the style of Hieronymus Bosch or Goya after some particularly bad ergot-riddled bread.

ahahaha

somehow the fact that they were horrified at how uncouth the city was and ended the convention early to get out of town should be worked in as well.

the rat, yes it is. since main street is one-sided because of the river, it’s a huge interruption to the flow of the place. it isolates one side from the other and combined with the dead space the central ave bridge creates it’s like the two areas aren’t really related. I rarely find myself caring about the west end of main street, and I live right there.

But I’d agree with the Rat that a mural really won’t solve the problem, and like them or not, the condos there aren’t going away, so what is a good answer to the problem? The sidewalk is pretty wide right there, so maybe there’s some sort of active use that could be provided.

My preferred idea is to actually occupy the big bridge piers underneath the 3rd Avenue Bridge. Build in an ice cream stand or something.

I hear mural and I think of the Otter. Yech.

Yepnope, if you’re bad-mouthing the U-Otter mural, I must rise to its defense. There’s nothing that can’t be improved by anthropomorphic marine mammals.

“It’s the most anti-social turn-your-back-on-the-neighbourhood design anyone could have possibly plunked down there.“

Problem is, many of the people taking part in this back-to-city-life renaissance are just trendy fools who don’t actually want to feel like they’re living in a (ugh!) dirty, smelly, crowded city full of those types, and so many of the condos are designed to insulate the inhabitants from the environment, rather than making them part of it.

“They fade, get nasty looking, defaced and the residents get tired of the damn thing.“

Barbara Carlson’s running again?

I stand by my yech. That thing creeps me out. The human faces on the Town Hall mural are somehow even creepier.

As pertains to the 12 month calendar — Amber is way ahead of you.

Barbara Carlson’s running again?

Oh no you di’nt!

By the way, is there a commonly accepted spelling of “di’nt”?

Munsing: I’ve been down to the park: here’s a few pictures of it. It was packed during the Stone Arch Art Festival. I think the view from the park is spectacular. It’d be a nice place to sit on a bench and eat a sandwich.

Here’s a better link to those photos.

Wait a second — those are mostly pictures of Seth! What sort of trickery are you trying to pull here?

I actually left him down at the park a couple weeks ago– so he’s now part of the exhibit. These days you largely have to look in the background of my photos to see anything other than the boy. And only 3 of 5 have him in it. So there’s something. Here’s all the public flickr photos with Water Power Park tags.

Murals often look creepy. Almost always, in fact.

We just got sethroll’d.

I like how it is under the 3rd Ave Bridge–those arches and columns are stark and beautiful, and it feels kind of like magic space. Like Ron Perlman could emerge any moment from a concealed door leading into secret tunnels where I could hang out with the rest of the misfits.

Besides, that’s where the old folks practice their Segways.

hey nate can some of the profits go to making up for my dismal salary so I’ll post less and quit annoying anonymous trolls?

I feel dirty just thinking about it.

Besides, that’s where the old folks practice their Segways.

H8!

No reason to hate on the Segway users, Wayne. Their dorky appearance is punishment enough.

I like how it is under the 3rd Ave Bridge–those arches and columns are stark and beautiful, and it feels kind of like magic space.

I also think that’s a pretty spectacular space, Tib, I just think that there are some cooler things that could be happening there. Some sort of clever intervention that gets people to realize how funky that found space is, and gets people out into/onto the bridge piers.

Also, I’m always looking for a good place to get ice cream.

I hate the segways being on the bike path mostly. Moreso because the people are just learning how to use them and can’t steer for crap.

but then there’s all the walkers and joggers and strollers and whatnot on the bike path by the river there too, because no one seems to understand that the (poorly) paved path is for bikes and the bricked path is for notbikes.

Here’s a mural for your wall, wayne.

That’s borderline pornographic, Bob…

I don’t know that that is true, Wayne. There’s no signage on that side of the river to indicate that bikes belong on the asphalt and people belong on the bricks. It seems to just intermingle to me.

Is is so hard just to steer clear of the Segways? Take the street.

oh dear, bob. oh dear.

and there’s a sign where the bridge to nicollet island is, I believe. They need to throw up a few more further down the river, though.

anyway, you try riding on a street paved with brick. I just hope you’re not a fan of working testicles.

Like you need them anyway.

moreso than you, sir!

“I just hope you’re not a fan of working testicles.“

I hate that these threads always end up with someone pushing their favorite metal band.

I just hope you’re not a fan of working testicles.”

Have you stopped to consider what all this bicycle riding is doing to you, Wayne?

I hate that these threads always end up with someone pushing their favorite metal band

Yeah, but you gotta admit, “The Working Testicles: Live from Madison Square Gardens” was a hell of an album.