A Personal Update

For the past six years, I’ve called Downtown West neighborhood my home away from home. In 2006, I joined Capella University and spent Monday through Friday in the Campbell Mithun building at 9th Street & 3rd Avenue S. A couple of years later, my team moved to 225 S. 6th Street which was named Capella Tower in March 2009.

As of Friday, February 10, I will no longer work in downtown Minneapolis. I wanted to bid farewell to this wonderful neighborhood where 160,000 people work and 35,000 live. I will miss this neighborhood greatly and look forward to an official Minneapolis 81 tour within its bounds. If you’d like to show me your version of living or working in Downtown West, please complete the tour guide form.

Note: The following photos are a random collection of photos I’ve taken over the years. I love much more about Downtown West than what is represented visually.

Architecture

I love the buildings and architectural details of downtown Minneapolis. I highly recommend taking a look at them at all times of day and night and varying times of the year. You’ll notice different features.

Art

Minneapolis is full of public art and there are many installations in Downtown West. It is worth walking through the accessible parts of private buildings for a look at art such as the Chihuly glass in the Capella Tower. Start Seeing Art is a guide to public art in the Twin Cities.

Rockman is the name of several sculptures by Tom Otterness, installed in the plaza of the U.S. Courthouse.

An organization that works hard to create a healthy and vibrant downtown is the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District. Their seasonal planters add a lot to the beauty of the city.

I’ll go ahead and classify holiday decor as art. Downtown Minneapolis is a great place to experience the wonder of the season.

I will miss easy access to the box offices of the Hennepin Theater Trust theaters. I often purchased tickets in person during my lunch breaks.

Skyways

The skyways of Minneapolis have been featured in a number of articles and blog posts recently, pointing out the pros and cons of this notable feature. Love them or hate them, they are a major part of working life downtown. Nearly every day, I took a walk with one or more co-workers through the skyways to keep myself from going crazy in my cubical. Being able to get moving no matter the weather outside was a huge benefit. Don’t worry, my love of fresh air, food trucks (documented below) and public art motivated me to get outside as much as possible!

Food & Drink

There are so many great dining options in Downtown West. It makes brown bagging it a challenge for me but I’m happy I experienced as many great restaurants as I did while I was there. A regret is never helping Lazy Lightning with a lunchtime restaurant review but I will return so he can show me how to be a food critic who actually critiques (I’m too nice!).

This photo does not do justice for the wonderfulness of the Patteen scone. Unlike most scones, these are soft on the inside and more moist than dry. They are made fresh every morning and come in a variety of sweet and savory flavors. Patteen recently made the City Pages list of top coffee shops in Minneapolis.

This is a random photo to represent one of my favorite skyway lunch spots in Downtown West, Allie’s Deli & Catering. They offer breakfast and lunch daily Monday through Friday. My favorite is a cup of tomato dill soup with a half of Allie’s chicken salad sandwich. Delicious desserts stare up at you while you pay, making it a challenge to stick to those New Years resolutions. My co-workers and I have been known to turn around and give into temptation for a Rice Krispies bar.

I could make a lunch out of Asian Max’s spicy green beans. With two skyway locations, they are a big hit for the lunch crowd.

My co-workers and I occasionally enjoyed Happy Hour and working in Downtown West made it easy to grab a drink and still have time to catch the Express bus home. We said good-bye last year to one of our favorite happy hours locations – Palomino which was replaced by Crave.

Food Trucks

I will make special trips back to Downtown West for the fantastic food trucks. If you haven’t tried a food truck, add it to your 2012 to-do list. I will continue to follow the MSP Street Food Twitter List by @sloped for the latest food truck locations and tweets. Most food trucks are closed for the season so I’m hoping my favorites will be returning.

A favorite lunch of mine is World Street Kitchen’s Curry Chicken Bahn Mi. A bonus is talking with the owner and cooks as they are all up for some banter.

Another food truck favorite, Dandelion Kitchen.

In addition to loving their food, Hola Arepa will always have a special place in my heart. Early in the days of Minneapolis 81, I found myself standing next to Mayor RT Rybak in line. Though feeling a bit bashful, I knew I’d kick myself if I didn’t take advantage to the proximity. I greeted the Mayor and told him of my blog and my love for Minneapolis. He took my card and introduced me to his Chief of Staff, Jeremy Hanson Wills. Of course, I immediately documented the event with a tweet. I dream that one day Mayor Rybak will guide me through his neighborhood!

People

I will miss seeing people from all walks of life and from all age groups. Downtown Minneapolis is a great place for people watching and appreciating.

The morning of the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, Brit’s Pub had a party and Minneapolis residents did their best to wear hats with the flair of our friends across the pond. I will miss running into these random events on the streets.

I am not a huge sports fan but even I believe that you really can’t beat the vibe that downtown Minneapolis gets on a game day. Walking to Target Field on days when there was an afternoon game was a great break in the work day.

Last year, I took a few photos of the Skyway Open and hope to do the same this year. I will really miss the easy access to events like this one after I leave.

Another reason to return to Downtown West on a regular basis is for my stylist, Zoe. I will miss the convenience of walking to Juut Salonspa during my lunch break but the special trip back will be worth it for Zoe and Amy, my two favorite Juut professionals!

My new work neighborhood

I am returning to the University of Minnesota and since I’ll be working on the East Bank, my new work neighborhood is called University. I will be within walking distance of Cedar-Riverside and Marcy-Holmes. Even though I worked at the U of M from 2002 until 2006, I was new to the Twin Cities and because I didn’t know anyone, I was focused on developing relationships with people instead of places. Also, I know that the U of M and its surrounding areas have changed a lot in the six years I’ve been gone. So, I look forward to your suggestions so I won’t be too homesick during my transition.

Share with friends and leave a comment!

Twitter and Facebook buttons below allow you to easily share this blog post with your friends. While you’re at it, like Minneapolis 81 on Facebook and follow on Twitter!

Do you work in Downtown West? Do you live there? What are your favorite aspects of  the neighborhood? Have you lived or worked in the University neighborhood? What should be tops on my list of things to do/see/eat/drink?