The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Hey, just asking because I'm curious and it's been on my mind (don't know why). But would people in Mpls like it if there were more Latin night clubs added in town besides Nuevo Rodeo/Babalu and the the other clubs that offer Latin dance nights? I'm just asking b/c I think it would be great if there were more Latin nightclubs/music venues in town that catered to Latin music everynight. If not a nightclub, but a spanish music venue were live acts could come to play almost everynight. We don't seem to have much around here.

I've always thought of it as south Mpls, with the Wedge being a smaller segment therein. I think people thinking there may be a bad connotation with south Minneapolis I would imagine they're referring to areas more to the east and south...the Phillips neighborhood perhaps. But again, I would refer to Phillips as a smaller segment of south Mpls...just like the Wedge. Either way, this guy needs to accept the fact that he lives in south Mpls (not that there's anything wrong with that).

RE: Neighborhoods. This is interesting. When I wrote about the same item, I called it "Uptown." Yet I've been known to correct people who say they live around there -- "No, you live in the Wedge." And sometimes when someone says that I live in Uptown, I'll correct them and say "Kenwood," but I'm also on the border with Lowry Hill. Also, if you try to write a check at the Lowry Hill Liquor Store, they'll tell you that you must live in "South Minneapolis," which seems to encompass all of the above.

After biking past the media/police circus at the intersection as I biked to work yesterday morning, I went straight to kare11.com and they actually referred to it as "north Minneapolis" when they first ran the story. But that's just plain wrong, and they corrected it right away. Maybe we should just refer to it as "north south Minneapolis."

More reasons not to trust the government! The map (pdf file) doesn't even recognize Uptown as a neighborhood. According to this, if you break down some businesses around Hennepin/Lyndale and Lake, you get this: Calhoun Square is in "Lower Hill East," The Uptown Theater is in "East Isles," Chino Latino is in "Ecco," and Urban Outfitters is in "Carag," The Jungle Theater is in "Whittier," and La Bodega is in "Lyndale."

Look at the directions on the street signs. South Minneapolis is anywhere where the avenues say "S," which is more than half the city south of Glenwood and downtown. In north Minneapolis it's "N," and in Northeast and Southeast it's "NE" and "SE" (they're roughly separated by Central and Broadway). The only exception is downtown, which is just downtown.

Everybody should learn what neighborhood they're in; there are like 82 of 'em. Rex lives in Lowry Hill, not Kenwood. "The Wedge" is the nickname of Lowry Hill East, but the Wedge grocery store is actually in Whittier, which is lost on most residents of both neighborhoods.

Uptown is not a real neighborhood but an imaginary region centered on Lake & Hennepin & Lagoon. I would extend the boundaries of Uptown from 28th to 32nd and from about Dupont to Knox (Lake Calhoun). But when some people say Uptown, they mean what I call "Greater Uptown," which is the whole area from downtown to Lake Harriet where all of the musicians lived before the great decentralization of the '90s.

Uptown is not a real neighborhood but an imaginary region...

Couldn't have said it better myself! ;-)

Uptown is not a real neighborhood but an imaginary region...
I think we have another t-shirt idea.

Wow, it's true.

Wait, where's Midtown?

I read most of a book at the downtown Barnes & Noble on Sunday about the history of Uptown. It was fascinating.

Here it is.

It does discuss the neighboring neighborhoods and why Uptown is called Uptown (to glorify Chicago's Uptown, which I'd never heard of either). It also defines Uptown as those crazy late 19th century folks did. The Uptown theatre was named the Uptown theatre in a deliberate effort to get the city's inhabitants to call the Lake/Hennpin area, all the way west to Lake Calhoun, Uptown.

So I say screw that PDF from the city's website.

Also, ECCO:

E.ast
C.alhoun
C.ommunity
O.rganization

"Look at the directions on the street signs. South Minneapolis is anywhere where the avenues say "S,"...The only exception is downtown, which is just downtown."

I work downtown and our address is Marquette Ave South, but I don't think there is any North on Marquette - It brings up another issue. Living on 3rd Ave S and Franklin (Ave - an intersection of avenues?), people tell me I live downtown all the time, but I crossed over a freeway to get home, so I live in Stevens.

Hi, I believe I am the guy who wrote the email to "anon" who works at a local media outlet whose post started this whole thing. Here are my thoughts.

I live at 26th and Hennepin in Mpls. I have always thought of that area as Uptown. I know, technically Uptown is the immediate area around Lake/Hennepin (Calhoun Square, Lagoon, etc). But no you can't tell me with a straight face that Hennepin Aveneue from around 36th all the way up to Franklin isn't Uptown. I hesitate to consider Lyndale Ave part of Uptown, because the vibe is so different between Lyndale and Hennepin.

Yet, as many point out, officially I live in the Lowry Hill East neighborhood. If I lived across the street, I'd be in East Isles. How stupid is this? I didn't even know there was a Lowry Hill until someone told me and I am most definitely not east of it. And there is certainly a big difference between the housing as you head west from Hennepin down to Lake of the Isles.

Who drew up these maps anyway? Who goes around saying, "Yeah, I live over in the CARAG part of Minneapolis." I've been in Minneapolis for the better part of two years and I am amazed at how much power these neighborhoods have, but in my opinion it is time the city seriously consider redrawing them to fit public perception. Everyone knows Uptown is much larger than a few square blocks (this garbage about it being an idea, not a place is painfully stupid).

Regarding the reason I was so upset about the area where the crime took place, which I think most locals call the Wedge, being called south Minneapolis is that "south Minneapolis" does carry a negative perception, one that I don't think fits the Wedge or Uptown. People think of south Minneapolis as a crime ridden, drug haven where murders take place. Now to be honest, I think the whole idea of south Minneapolis is a bad term because there are lots of areas in geographical south Minneapolis that are very, very nice.

The point I was trying to make to anon's media outlet (which I won't name) was that maybe it should be a little more clear about exactly where these events take place.

People think of south Minneapolis as a crime ridden, drug haven where murders take place.

Do people really think this? If so, where do they live? I wager it's nowhere near south Minneapolis and any distinction between neighborhoods within would be lost on them anyway. Also, how could the city possibly rename areas to adhere to some sort of public perception? This would be impossible to define and remain a moving target at best.

I'd have to agree- I always thought of North Minneapolis as the frightening, don't even walk around in the daytime lest you be shot or mugged, area...I'd never heard South Minneapolis was considered a hot crime spot. So, what we learn is all of Minneapolis is a crime ridden, drug haven?

When I moved to Mpls in early 2004, everyone I know who lives outside the city told me to avoid south Minneapolis at all costs. Even people who don't live in the cities ask me if I ever go on Lake Street or tell me how they got lost once in south Minneapolis and were scared ****less. I think south Minneapolis has a very negative perception.

Phil, Frogtown is the area West of downtown St. Paul, around University/Dale and beyond.

Traditionally Minneapolis is divided in 4 qudrants. If you want to know what quadrant you are in look at the street signs. If the street suffix is S you are in South Mpls. N in North, SE in South East and NE in North East. The Eastern Quadrants are East of the River and the North South Divide is At Hennepin Ave downtown Since Hennepin turns the divide in Brenmar is Cedar Lake Rd I think.