Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam Tour - Fun, Free, Informative

Remember the dog in the animated movie "Up" that was immediately and frequently distracted by "Squirrel!"?  Well, that's how I react to "Tour!" 

I've wanted to tour the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam since moving to the Mill District two years ago, but our work schedules and packed weekends always seemed to take precedent over making time for the tour.  So, when Mill City Commons organized a private tour for members earlier this month, I signed us up right away. 

What a great way to spend an hour on a beautiful afternoon.  From the vantage point of the Lock and Damn facility, we gained a whole new perspective of the river, falls, bridges and riverbanks.  Our tour guide, Josh, provided a wealth of information, and we were able to get up close and personal with some of the powerful mechanics.  

In addition to the history, facts and figures discussed during the tour, the US Army Corps of Engineers has a variety printed materials available to take home.  Tours run through September, so if you haven't had a chance to enjoy one yet, there's still time this season.

Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos Postcards on Display at the Open Book

Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) sponsored a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) postcard competition, and the 253 entries are now on display in the Open Book Lobby Gallery until November 6.  The 4"x6" postcards incorporate a number of artistic methods, including collage, paint, drawing, printing, sewing, photography and digital imagery.  

The below slide show will give you an idea of how diverse the entries are, but we strongly recommend you stop in (1011 Washington Avenue South) to appreciate this creative collection in person.  It's wild!

The Great Minnesota Pet Together Seeks Volunteers for October 1 Adoption Event

Although this event isn't in our neighborhood (it's at the MN Fair Grounds), we know there are a lot of pet lovers here who might want to do a few hours of volunteer service at this October 1 adoption event.

Download Great Minnesota Pet Together

View more documents from Mill City Times

Week 20 at the Mill City Farmers Market

With just four Saturdays remaining in the 2011 Mill City Farmers Market season, it's time to get serious with our shopping lists.  The Market is a great place to pick up unique gifts - house warming, birthdays, hostess gifts, and of course Christmas.

Monster Halloween Store Opens on Washington Avenue South - Mill City Times Exclusive

It's never too early to start working on your perfect Halloween costume or party, and the Monster Halloween store is now open and ready to help.   They're located at 1211 Washington Avenue South (next to Bobby & Steve's Auto World) and will be open daily 10:00am-10:00pm until November 7th.

The store features two levels stocked with decorations, makeup, accessories, props and costumes for both kids and adults.  

Manager Hunter Duncan has plans to offer artist services for customers who want professionally applied makeup to complete their costume.  We'll post a follow up article when the details are available.

Check out some of the cool items and large selection you'll find at Monster Halloween:

There are separate changing rooms for men and women, so you can make sure the outfit that looks great on the hanger also looks great on you.   The "Ladies Boodoir" is located on the upper level, and has 8 dressing rooms.

Reach them at 612-338-5161, or email info@gosota.com with any questions.

Mill City Farmers Market September 11 Harvest Moon Dinner

Neighbors and friends of the Mill City Farmers Market filled the train shed Sunday night for the Harvest Moon Dinner.  Attendees enjoyed a feast prepared by Chefs Heather Hartman and Nick Schneider, Cajun music, a colorful live auction, silent auction, raffle, and guest speaker Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. 

Can't think of a better way to transition into the Fall season.

Runners Get in the Spirit of the 2011 Mill City Suds Run

Creative runners turned out in full force for the September 10 Mill City Suds Run (formerly known as the Blubber Run).

 

Here's a slide show with a more expansive group of pictures:

Dessert at the Aster Cafe - Perfect+

While meandering around this past Friday night we noticed the dessert menu posted outside the Aster Cafe.   The brownie ala mode (with ganache AND caramel, of course) and lemon pie drew us in.

The place was hoppin', but General Manager Rick Oknick was kind enough to secure a table for us on the patio.  Our desserts did not disappoint.  The lemon pie was very similar to a key lime (my fave).  And the brownie?  Well, the brownie was perfect all by itself, but adding the other three components kicked it up to perfect+.

Check out Aster Cafe on their website and Facebook.  In addition to good food, they have live music, open mic nights, host the Books & Barsseries and more.  Look for an Oktoberfest celebration next weekend.

Breakfast at the Newly Opened Crooked Pint Ale House

The Crooked Pint Ale House, 501 Washington Avenue South, opened at 7am Saturday, September 10.   We dropped in for breakfast before heading off to the Mill City Farmers Market.  

I opted for the caramel apple walnut french toast (above), which had a nice apple/sauce/walnut ratio.

They did a beautiful job renovating the former 501 Club space.  Removing the wall between the two levels really opened it up, and the new stage area is a huge improvement - both in size and location.

We spoke with Manager Matt Saffert, who filled us in on some of the upcoming and ongoing events and activities. Check out the schedule online.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Crooked Pint Ale House, and thank you for bringing us early morning weekend breakfast option!

Week 19 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Only five more Saturdays to take advantage of all the wonderful food, education, arts and entertainment the Mill City Farmers Market has to offer.

 

Grumpy's Offers Evening Food Delivery

From the September 9 Secrets of the City e-news:

Grumpy's Partners with MPLS Courier for Downtown Delivery

You can now get a Grumpy Burger and a beer brought to your house, if you live in downtown anyway. Grumpy’s Bar & Grillin downtown Minneapolis tells us last night was the first night the resto started offering a new (and FREE) bike delivery service through MPLS Courier. From 5 to 10 p.m., the folks at MPLS Courier will deliver from the full menu at Grumpy’s to 7 corners, Loring Park, and beyond and will even make a stop at Sorella Wines & Spirits to round out your evening noshing. Eventually Grumpy’s may expand to offering delivery during lunch, but for now they’re just gauging interest in this new service.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) part of Minneapolis Museum Day, September 24

From the September 9 Secrets of the City e-news:

Mpls Museum Day Set for September 24th

Has there been a “museum crawl” around Minneapolis or St. Paul yet? If not, September 24th would be a great day to start one. The Smithsonian will be bring their 7th Annual Museum Day to Minneapolis; the event will be “a day of knowledge and tradition” that follows the format of Smithsonian Magazine‘s nationwide Museum Day, a full, and free, “celebration of education and culture.” Participating Minneapolis museums include the Hennepin History Museum and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and you can get free entry to the museums with a downloadable Museum Day Ticket from Smithsonian Magazine‘s website. For more information, visit Smithsonian Magazine‘s Museum Day website.

New Website for Twin Cities' Bikers: Cyclopath

Per a September 7 notification from Secrets of the City, the U of M released a new open source site that shares information about bike routes around the Twin Cities called Cyclopath. The site uses info from MnDOT, The Met Council, and the United States Geological Survey for its data source.  According to the notice, the creators also hope to use the site’s interactivity to build a community to share their bike route tips and tricks.

Central Library is Seeking 'Homework Hub' Volunteers

Central Library, along with several other Hennepin County Libraries, is recruiting Homework Hub volunteers to work with youth after school on literacy and homework related projects - reading, math, history, language arts and more.

Volunteers must have some experience with school age children and commit to working once a week, for as little as 3 hours, at a Homework Hub location for a semester. This is a great opportunity to make a huge difference in a child's life.

Training is provided. A criminal background check is required. You can apply online at the Library website. Additional volunteer opportunities can be viewed on the Library's volunteer page.

Slide Show from the August 21 Homegrown Experience on Nicollet Island

The second Homegrown Experience, organized by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board(MPRB), took place August 21 on Nicollet Island.   This slide show is condensed down from the 1,000+ pictures we captured that afternoon.   Beautiful day, great food and drink!

Week 18 at the Mill City Farmers Market

Happy Labor Day weekend - already??  Summer is coming to end, and if you haven't visited the Mill City Farmers Market yet, you only have six more opportunities this season.

Below, a peach tomato from Prairie Hollow Farm.  Although you can't really tell from the picture, the skin has a faint fuzz on it. 

Seems like every week we run into someone we haven't seen for a while.  This morning it was Paulette Salo, who you may recognize as a vendor from last year's Market.  Paulette painted some gorgeous vegetable and fruit pictures for our kitchen and dining areas last summer.

Mill District Home Featured in Twin Cities Metro Magazine

I can't count the number of times we walked by 247 10th Avenue South, always confounded as to what the building could possibly be.  It wasn't until this summer that we learned it was a private residence, and by chance we recently met the owner, Jeff Arundel, who mentioned his home was recently featured in Twin Cities Metro Magazine.   How cool is that?  Just another example of the gems that fill our neighborhood.

First Mill City Museum Minneapolis History Pub Crawl

The Mill City Museum added a Minneapolis History Pub Crawl to the tour offerings this year. Unfortunately, the State shut down forced them to cancel two of the three scheduled tours.  We were fortunate enough to join the only tour available on Tuesday, August 30.

The trolley departed from the Museum and took us over the Stone Arch Bridge and along Washington Avenue, with a few stops and jogs along the way. Our guides, Rod and Dave, presented a wealth of history and provided each of us with a Washington Avenue Photo Guide inclusive of pictures ranging from 1860 to the mid 1960's, along with a list of references and links for further research at our leisure.

We stopped for a drink at the Milwaukee Road Depot and The Loop, allowing enough time for attendees to get to know each other and discuss the sites and info in more detail.

Hopefully they'll bring this tour back next summer - it was both fun and informative.  The Mill City Museum has a very talented and engaging staff, and we highly recommend all of the tours and special events they offer.

Sanctuary Celebrates 4 Year Anniversary with Neighborhood Party [Video]

Normally closed on Sundays, Sanctuary welcomed friends and neighbors on August 28 to celebrate 4 years at the 903 Washington location.

Chef Patrick Atanalian served up a fantastic feast, and along with Naomi, Roger, Michael and staff, made sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  DJ Shannon Blowtorch outdid herself with the music.

OMG, I think we broke the Fun-O-Meter, check out the video:

Best viewed in full screen mode

Central Corridor Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project Update

Click here for an update on the Light Rail progress on the Minneapolis side.

About the Central Corridor Project

The Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project will link downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis along Washington and University avenues via the state Capitol and the University of Minnesota.

Construction began in late summer 2010 on the planned 11-mile Central Corridor line. Service will begin in 2014. The line will connect with the Hiawatha LRT line at the Metrodome station in Minneapolis and the Northstar commuter rail line at the Target Field Station.

The Metropolitan Council is the grantee of federal funds. The regional government agency is charged with building the line in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation.  The Central Corridor Management Committee, which includes commissioners from Ramsey and Hennepin counties, the mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota, provides advice and oversight.

Funding is provided by the Federal Transit Administration, Counties Transit Improvement Board, state of Minnesota, Ramsey and Hennepin counties' regional railroad authorities, city of St. Paul, Metropolitan Council and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative.

Click here for more information.