apple juice

We are interviewing candidates for a position – an interesting cultural experience in and of itself – but during the interviews, it inevitably comes up, “so why do you want to come to Minnesota?”

Just found this blog post for all the Minnesotans who want Minnesota Nice to mean that we’re actually, you know, genuinely nice to people.

The tendency to keep one’s reserve, not make a scene, and remain unflappably friendly at all times is known round these parts as “Minnesota nice.” I’m sure you’ve heard about it before.

Let me go out on a limb and say that it’s a problem.

Say Goodbye to Minnesota Nice

Agreed.

Offspring, anyone?

Segregated bike lanes the way of the future

“A main theme that emerged was the need for cities to create a network of separated bicycle lanes, said Jamie Stuckless, an active transportation planner who works with Green Communities Canada in Ottawa.

‘The first one that I heard repeated over and over again was the need to create a network of segregated bike lanes that actually get people where they want to go,’ Stuckless said.

Stuckless said she was surprised by the number of city officials from around the world who spoke to say that painted bike lanes are a thing of the past and they are no longer investing money in that type of infrastructure.“

Emphasis mine

(Via The Case for Separated Bike Lanes – Commute – The Atlantic Cities.)

I would argue that it’s all good, bike lanes and separated bikeways. It all adds raising the profile of the biker as part of the transportation mix of a city. Locally, the bike boulevard on Bryant ave is a step in the right direction, but the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Trail are the gold standard. Imagine a network of Midtown Greenway-esque extending 10 miles out in downtown minneapolis in hub and spoke fashion. Would make it pretty nice to commute by bike without mixing it up with the cars. Closing Bryant ave. to all cars except local traffic might be interesting…

I did not!

Installed in September of 2009, the green roof is nearing the end of its second full summer. So far so good, says Tom Reller, senior director of operations for the Target Center. “The city wanted to make a sustainable choice with this roof and except for one little bad spot that had to be fixed, everything has been going really well up here.”

From The Line

I love these types of things…

I had a great feeling of civic pride watching the video found here: Minneapolis named America’s best city for biking

My favorite day of the entire year this year was our bike to school day a few weeks ago. All the bike racks were full and we rode in with a bike group of kids from all over the city. Awesome.

Finally, I had no idea about this website, Mpls Bike Love, but I’ll be frequenting it now!

i think minnesotans love being on lists because we feel both proud of our city and generally inadequate next to our big city brothers and sisters like chicago, new york, san francisco, etc.

well, the American Planning Association named the Minneapolis Grand Rounds as one of the Top 10 public spaces in the country.

The Grand Rounds is the nation’s only urban-based National Scenic Byway. It is part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s 6,400 acres of trails, lakes, parks, and recreation facilities. The parkways and paths are divided into seven segments and together form a nearly complete loop through Minneapolis as they connect 14 natural lakes, three creeks, two waterfalls, and the Mississippi River. Because of careful planning and strategic land acquisitions, all waterfront and rights-of-way around the lakes, creeks and river segments are in public ownership.

Take that Lincoln Park!

the sea of heads quickly turns and bends towards the foul ball. the wave retreats towards the pitcher’s mound with a sound of water rushing over rocks. for a moment, i am dizzy with the feeling of floating in the ocean as the heads bob in unison.

later, the first notes of “Don’t Stop Believing” sound over the pa. the vocal chords of 54,000 are exercised, at uncomfortable decibels, while we hope to inspire the home team to a win.

later still, after a stunning win, the masses spill onto the still-wet streets of minneapolis, whooping and hollering, honking car horns and slapping street signs as they walk off into the night, into their cars.

that night, it’s hard to unwind from the feeling that was shared with so many of your fellow citizens.

all because of a silly game.