KFC

 

The first KFC in Minnesota at 2500 Hennepin Avenue. (photo 1978)

Remembering the Old Neighborhood

 Saturday, September 21, 2024

Took a walk around my old neighborhood where I grew up. Got some coffee at Starbucks which is in the old Salk Drugstore building. The church we belonged to growing up and one of the elementary schools I attended are just across from the coffee shop.

Next took my coffee and drove to Stevens Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway which is just a couple of blocks from the house I lived in growning up. We were down at Minnehaha Creek a lot when I was a kid. It was a great place to walk and ride bikes. I clomped around for a bit heading west toward the Nicollet Avenue bridge. 

We drive by this area so much but I haven't been on foot here for quite a while. In the above photo you can barely see the creek through all the growth on the creek bank. Like I said, I haven't been on foot here for a while so I could here the sound of the water moving which brought back auditory memories to go along with the visual ones. 

I headed back to where I had parked near the bridge pictured above and decided to continue my walk heading east and take the route I took to my other elementary school which was just a few blocks away. I walked under the 35W bridge and arrived at 2nd Avenue and "The Hill." 

The Hill was much steeper just beyond what is shown in these photos.  We walked over what was actually the top of The Hill, a lovely level wooded area that was the about the size of 6-8 city lots. There's now a retaining wall where our walk across it began.

What you see in the lower center of the above photo is where The Hill started to slope down to another large leveled area. The residence you see is where the playground began. The school was just beyond that. 

My best friend in elementary school, Josh, lived in the middle house shown above. This was the block just south of the school. 

The Guthrie Theatre's Endless Bridge

On Saturday, June 29, Dale and I saw Little Shop of Horrors at the Guthrie Theater. 

After visiting Gold Medal Park we still had so time before the performance to step out onto the Endless Bridge which is more of a huge balcony extending out from the threater. 

The views of the city and the river are spectacular. 

From the Guthrie's website: "The Endless Bridge, one of the Guthrie’s most noteworthy features, is a cantilever that extends 178 feet from the face of the building and hovers 55 feet above the parkway." (photo: Guthrie website)

Gold Medal Park

Monday, July 8, 2024

On Saturday, June 29, Dale and I went to see Little Shop of Horrors at the Guthrie Theatre. 

We got downtown a little early so as to be sure we found parking. This allowed us to take a walk around Gold Medal Park which is on the Mississippi River. 

I believe this sculpture used to be at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden which is next to where the old Guthrie used to been near Hennepin and Lyndale. 

                     

Gold Medal Park is expansive and creates an idyllic urban green space.

Minneapolis from the Air

Returned from Phoenix recently. Got some cool shots as the plane was coming in for a landing. Downtown is in the distance. Cedar Lake is center left, Isles is center, and Bde Maka Ska to the right. 

Bde Maka Ska

Lake Harriet

Washburn High School  & Justice Page Middle School (formerly Ramsey)

Lake Nokomis

Coming in for a landing. 

Nicollet Mall 1970s

Nicollet Mall 1000 block north across 9th Street. (1970s)

From minneapolis.history on Instagram. 

Downtown Walk

Took a walk downtown after church this past Sunday. Gorgeous afternoon and I can't believe how much snow we've melted since the blizzard just the week before.  Took some great photos if I do say so myself.

After my walk, Dale and I headed to the Red Stag Supperclub in Nordeast for brunch.