Parking Meters: I'll Take My Chance
When it comes to the new parking meters near Hennepin, I’m willing to roll the dice.
From living in other big cities, I know these meters aren’t meant to rake in money but are a retail-friendly way to encourage quick stops and frequent turnover.
So I plan to zip in and out without paying. I've yet to be fined in other cities for parking on an errand, and I doubt enforcement will be any more severe here in Uptown.
That's the spirit of these meters. Keep it moving! If I need to linger, free parking is a block away.
Sean Murphy | East Isles | (License plate withheld)
Uptown: Let's Move On
Regarding the headline of the front page article from February: “City Decisions Force Change,” [about the Uptown Art Fair moving to Bachman's], wouldn’t it be nice if it were so simple?
The “blame” finger you point is unfair. Things changed since 1963. No profit in five years, declining residential support in over a decade and a plea for the taxpayer to fund an out-of-date venue for a quarter of a million dollars.
I’ve attended this fair for over forty years. It died a long time ago. It’s a hangout for teenagers, and I don’t see many qualified customers.
We, as a community, have to move beyond the Hennepin Avenue construction whining.
I’ve traveled the Douglas Avenue to Lake Street corridor for fifty years. It was old and ratty as long as I can remember. You can’t steer a ship that isn’t moving.
In a few years, if the bus or bike lanes need amending, we’ll address that. If we need to take down a few decrepit empty buildings to make safe parking ramps, we’ll do that.
I moved back into this neighbor hood and I’ve attended several Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association meetings. The loud voices come from preservationists.
Take a view from 20,000 feet. It ain’t so pretty, so I’ll embrace doing something. And that something was carefully crafted by professionals doing their best. Not old fuddy-duddy whiners. The neighborhood changed and it will be re-purposed. Let’s move on.
David Larson | Lowry Hill
Thank You Elizabeth Shaffer
A farewell to our Parks Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer. I enjoyed the summary in the last edition.
If you have not had the opportunity to deal with Commissioner Shaffer, you missed a bright spot in our neighborhood. A fierce advocate for the residents and unafraid to put a blow horn behind their small voices. An inquisitive person who listened and learned.
Thank you Commissioner. Good luck on your next self-inflicted challenge.
David Larson | Lowry Hill
Every few years I pen a defense of Uptown.
In the February issue, Ms. Lenfestey is the most recent to prematurely announce the demise of Uptown.
In the same issue of Hill & Lake Press were other reports on the challenges of downtown revitalization, “The Myth of Placemaking,” by David Feehan, and by Terry White, “The Uptown Vacancy Tour."
I appreciate the organizational effort of Andrea Corbin and the cooperation of the mayor in attending the walking tour, and I second the recommendations by Mr. Feehan for “place management.”
The walking tour area, a two-block circumference circle, is not large enough to encompass many of the businesses that operate here. These years of road construction have been hard on businesses on both Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue.
Some shops were small operations hanging on when I moved here three years ago.
They closed or moved rather than trying to survive the construction. The YWCA decided to close their building and move farther east to serve families there and offer childcare. The decision was unfortunate for those who used it and for nearby businesses.
The Uptown Hennepin corridor still offers some unique retail and services, if not in that two-block circle. Sebastian Joe's, a Frattalone hardware store, a UPS store, Magers and Quinn, the Walker Library (an important anchor), Black Walnut Bakery.
We have the choice of several excellent restaurants in Brim, Barbette, Lake & Irving, and Pinoli, and some new ones along west Lake Street, Waterbury and Chilango. I hope readers will discover or rediscover these. The theater is offering live music performances.
As authors Dave Feehan and Terry White understand, Uptown is not moribund, but it does need professional downtown revitalization leadership. Often state and city grants have been made available for coordinating downtown management, marketing, facade improvement, and new businesses recruitment.
I hope the Minneapolis Development Department can do a better job with these programs, perhaps establishing an officer for neighborhood redevelopment. It is not in the City’s interest to let neighborhoods and business centers like Uptown weaken. The choice not to help the Uptown Art Fair after 60 years, is a missed opportunity. The Art Fair brought in people from a wider area than Uptown. The city could have listened to input from the Art Fair Director on support the city could provide, whether security support or street design considerations that could have strengthened Uptown.
On a positive note, the February 2025 paper announced the return of a Farmers’ Market on the Mall. I love walking along the mall and stopping at the booths for berries, vegetables and baked items. If you would like to support that plan you can email them info@eastisles.org.
Laura Haule | Cedar - Isles - Dean
