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FeedCity Unlimited
By Chris Lee
Stroll along stands of fresh fruits and vegetables, sample melon as ripe and sweet as the summer sun, and soak in the music and the energy of the crowd. Browse stalls selling funky jewelry, organic honey, and miscellaneous oddities. Barter with the sellers for a sack of tomatoes or a handmade pottery bowl. I love this place. It’s the kind of market I seek out when I visit other towns and other countries, but I didn’t have to fly to this one. It’s right here.
City living isn’t what it used to be in the Twin Cities. In the past few years, we’ve transformed: In Minneapolis alone, downtown residents increased by one-third, the riverfront revitalized, light rail took off, the new Guthrie debuted, and a new public library opened its doors. Now if we can just keep them open while new sports facilities get underway, this twenty-first century renaissance will be in full swing.
In this issue, join us for a closer look at downtown Minneapolis. In “Persistence of Memory” (page 50), we take you inside a thoroughly modern loft that inherited its spare and sophisticated aesthetic directly from the British owner’s first flat in London’s Barbican. Next, check out Minneapolis’s shifting urban scene in “Making a Neighborhood” (page 58). A wave of businesses have followed loft and condo residents into downtown, eager to provide them with everything from groceries to car-sharing services.
Of course, urban living extends beyond the city core. We travel from downtown Minneapolis to Prospect Park, a small enclave tucked away between University Avenue and the Mississippi. That’s where Linda Schulte-Sasse found her perfect empty-nester home—the same duplex she lived in as a child. In “Coming Home in Style” (page 60), see how she updated and refined architect Robert Cerny’s original design to make this mid-century modern her own. From there, come along to St. Paul’s Irvine Park and join the Dantumas for their restoration adventure in “Urban Resuscitation” (page 64).
We go farther afield to take in “Napa Valley View” (page 70), where a Minnesota native imbued her estate with design and materials from her home state. Relax by the infinity pool and soak up the California sun.
It is February, after all. We deserve the warm up.
Chris Lee, Editor
clee@mhmag.com
11 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
