What you doin' up here walking?

Here's a picture of the pedestrian bridge that crosses over 94. With our skyline in the background. I have a problem with I-94. I know it's convenient and easy, but isn't there something a little insane about a freeway in the middle of town? Who's idea was this? Probably the same guy who decided to scrap the street cars. Robert Moses, perhaps? There's a poem by John Ashberry on this bridge, which is a nice (and surprising) touch. But the poem doesn't change the fact that, considering the size and ferocity of the roadway below, the pedestrian bridge seems like an after thought. Instead of the half coherent words of John Ashberry, a message like: "Sucka! What you doin' up here walking for?" would probably be more appropriate. I have a crazy dream. I'd like to see the pedestrian become the basic unit of the Twin Cities and not the automobile.

This Could Be The Middle of Nowhere

This is a signature Minneapolis move. Obviously this used to be a fast food joint. Now it's Uptown's premier breakfast joint. There's a thai place down the street that's done the same thing. It's kind of ridiculous. But I like it. And isn't it cheaper to slap on a new coat of paint, block off the old drive-thru, and stick up a new sign then to tear the whole thing down and start over? Anyway, I'm not complaining. I've decided to appreciate Minneapolis's lack of refinement. It's like admitting that you prefer Aerosmith over the Rolling Stones. You understand that the Roling Stones have put out some rock n' roll masterpieces (every album, really, from '68 to '81), but you just find Permanent Vacation to be a really, really enjoyable record (this isn't a perfect analogy, but I'm going to stick with it). That's how I feel about Minneapolis. It's no masterpiece but I still like it. It's an enjoyable place to be. Right? Also, why aren't there any skyscrapers in Uptown?

Last night I watched a documentary called Word Play, about crossword puzzles and about the man, Will Shortz, who edits them for the NY Times. The guys in the movie could finish a puzzle in two minutes. Of course I couldn't even wait for the movie to finish before I ran to the table in the dinning room where the Sunday Times was scattred, looking for the crossword puzzle. I Couldn't come close to finishing it. I'm not a person who is naturally inclined to do puzzles. I think I lack a certain amount of curiousity. I spent about 45 minutes working on the puzzle today (Monday is the easiest day). I eventually decided that I didn't need to (or, just couldn't) fill in every box. It looked so easy in the movies.

Biking in MPLS

What would happen if MPLS had more official bike lanes? There's the Greenway, which is great as long as you're going East to West. But there aren't very many places that people can bike safely and comfortably. It's asually a harrowing experience. At times, death-defying. The nice thing about bike paths-the Greenway, for instance-is that though you must be aware and attentive, you don't have to be unrelentlessly aggressive. If I rode my bike as casually as the average car driver, I'd be dead by now. This isn't entirely the fault of the driver (except for the fact that he or she chose to take the car). Bikers don't share the road with cars, they bike on the street and hope for the best. There are arrows on Bryant Avenue (that remind me of the speed boosters from the old Nintendo game Excite Bike) and a lame reminder to "share the road with bikes." There's a bike lane downtown along Hennepin Avenue which bizarrely disappears around 12th Street. But no serious, efficient lanes for a person who'd like to use his or her bike as a means of cheap transportation. Holland, of course, is famous for its bikes. There's the sidewalk, there's the street for cars and then there's a separately paved lane for bikes. And the NY Times recently reported on a plan in Paris to reduce car congestion with self-service bicycle docking stations and more cycling paths. Maybe we could take bicycling more seriously in Minneapolis? As stated in the NY Times article, "'This is about revolutionizing urban culture,' said Pierre Aidenbaum, mayor of Paris's trendy third district, which opened 15 docking stations on Sunday. 'For a long time cars were associated with freedom of movement and flexibility. What we want to show people is that in many ways bicycles fulfill this role much more today.'" We don't necessarily have to do anything revolutionary, but Minneapolis is pretty flat, with nice straight roads. Whenever I'm on my bike I think, Minneapolis would be an ideal city for getting around by bike if it weren't for all the cars.

Last day in New York. Yesterday was a busy tourist day for me. So far I've had some lazy days in Brooklyn. Going to the coffee shop downstairs, going to the soccer field for quesadillas, drinking coffee at the soap shop. But yesterday I went into the city and wore myself out. I had a double cheeeseburger and a single scoop of frozen custard at the Shake Shake in Madison Square park for breakfast, I picked up a couple magazines from B & N at Union Square (Zoetrope's All Story and the Atlantic summer fiction issue). Browsed the Virgin Mega store for a while. Then walked down Broadway to Other Music and picked up Jaylib's Sound Champion, the Elvis Perkins record (which I haven't listened to yet) and, for my younger sister, a nine minute ep by Vampire Weekend. I went to see Rescue Dawn, walked around SoHo, drank a cup of coffee in Washington Square Park, and finally ate dinner at a fish and chips place on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. I did a bunch of other stuff, too. At the end of the day, though, I felt like the whole point of the outing was just to look at girls.

Brooklyn By Bus

This vehicle gets you in and out of the neighborhood. Reminds me of Minneapolis. Get your seat by the window, hope no one sits next to you. I took this bus to a donut shop in Greenpoint this morning. The donuts were great (I got 1 honey dip, 1cream filled and 1 glaze donut with chocolate and sprinkles) but the bus ride was even better. I brought along a copy of Saul Bellow's Herzog but just kept it on my lap for the whole ride. Only two dollars for an hour long tour of Brooklyn. No tour guide though, unless you count the driver occasionally calling out the stops.

Abandoned Baby Head in Red Hook

Found this baby head by a pier in Red Hook. Its eyes were milky blue (rheumy?) and the plastic skull was filled with water-which I discovered after I kicked it. According to a recent NY Times article, the average New Yorker throws out several more pounds of garbage per day than the rest of the country. That's because the average New Yorker obviously can't tell the difference between treasure and trash. The baby head ended up stuck on the front of a bike, eyes facing up toward the handle bars, as a practical joke. I don't know how funny it will be to the bike owner, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

In NYC

This is an Uptown Minneapolis blog. But I'm not in Minneapolis right now. I'm in New York City. I don't really know what's going on in Minneapolis. Two nights ago, I saw the free Spoon show at Batter City Park. I knew that Battery Park City was different than the Battery-the tip of Manhattan-but when I met my friend in TriBeCa I expected to hike downtown for the show. Instead we just walked a few blocks west along Chambers street. The Spoon was show good. The band was well rehearsed. They didn't let any of their fans down. I was caught in a down pour before hand and my shoes and socks were soaked. I kind of hoped the show would be cancelled. I've been working/hanging out at a soap shop in Brooklyn. Essentially trying to figure out my life. I left Minneapolis two weeks convinced that I was never going back. Now, I'm starting to miss MPLS. I guess you just get used to a place. When I was in Minneapolis, I focused on all the problems (the car culture, the vacant streets and sidewalks, the early nights, the weird crime problem). I'm excited to return to Minneapolis for another year and make it work. My roommate told me that you either have to accept Minneapolis for what it is, or leave.