# The North Star State ★ Cities and Towns of Minnesota



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Since I've been posting several individual threads in the Urban Showcase over the past year featuring Minnesota cities and towns, I thought I might as well condense them all into one and continue to update at my pleasure. 

Thanks to everyone for your praise and encouragement as I very slowly photograph every corner of the state.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Hastings, Minnesota*

Today I decided to venture to Hastings, about 20 miles southeast of St. Paul. I was surprised to discover the town was holding a classic car show this afternoon, which gave me some added opportunities for people shots.

*Hastings, Minnesota*
Population: 18, 204
Seat of Dakota County
September 18, 2010


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Stillwater, Minnesota*

*Stillwater, Minnesota*
Population: 18,410
Seat of Washington County
September 26, 2010


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Excelsior, Minnesota*

Yesterday I realized I hadn't been to Excelsior in a (long) while, so I thought I'd head over there for a visit. From what I had remembered it was a pretty bustling, up-scale area. It originally started as a Victorian resort town at the end of a streetcar line, from which you could hop onto a streetcar boat (yes, a streetcar boat which you will see later in this photo thread) and ride it to your home inaccessible by land or to Big Island where there was an amusement park. Early on, it had built its reputation as a relaxing place to escape from the city.

*Excelsior, Minnesota*
Population: 2,393
October 3, 2010


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Northfield, Minnesota*

*Northfield, Minnesota*
Population: 19,657
September 4, 2010


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*New Ulm, Minnesota*

Today I decided I'd enjoy the unseasonably hot weather and take a road trip down to New Ulm, tucked into the Minnesota River Valley in the south central region of the state. 

The town was founded and settled by German immigrants, and today it is one of the most heavily German-American communities in the country. I was interested to discover that the town was destroyed twice in its early history — first in the Sioux Uprising of 1862, and then again in 1881 by a devastating tornado. Despite that, the town came back and became a major brewing center in the Upper Midwest.

New Ulm was packed today with Oktoberfest madness, which seemed completely bizarre in the 85º heat. I also paid the $1.75 admission to climb the Hermann Monument — a German folk hero, and a symbol of the town's German heritage. 

*New Ulm, Minnesota* 
Population: 13,594
Seat of Brown County
October 9, 2010


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Saint Cloud, Minnesota*

I haven't done a photo tour in a couple of months now, so I decided it was time to get back out there and get some wintry shots. 

I headed upriver to Saint Cloud, 70 miles northwest of the Twin Cities and Minnesota's principal city and hub in its central region. It was an unusually warm day and the first time it had been above freezing in over a month, so people were outside enjoying the "balmy" weather. Only in Minnesota will you see people walking around in t-shirts and shorts in the middle of winter.

*Saint Cloud, Minnesota*
Population: 67,136
Seat of Stearns County
December 28, 2010


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Northeast Minneapolis*

I decided to go back out and brave the -5ºF (-20ºC) temperatures to get some shots of the Old Saint Anthony business district. As one can see, the cold does not stop Minnesotans.

*Old Saint Anthony Business District — Northeast Minneapolis*
January 15, 2011


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Downtown Saint Paul*

Since yesterday was such a beautiful winter day, I decided to head over to downtown St. Paul to snap some shots. Much of downtown was torn up to make way for the new Central Corridor LRT project, so it was impossible to avoid the construction. Regardless, I still think of St. Paul as the prettier, more historic of the twins. 

*March 5, 2011*



















































































































































































































































































































*March 19, 2011*


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Waconia, Minnesota*

It's been a few months since I've gone on a phototour, so today I thought I'd explore the town of Waconia. It's a sleepy suburban town about an hour southwest of Minneapolis on Lake Waconia. What a cozy little place! I especially loved the little wooden-framed buildings downtown, which you don't see much of around here.

*Waconia, Minnesota*
Population: 10,697
July 24, 2011


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*White Bear Lake, Minnesota*

Despite the heat and stifling humidity, this afternoon I ventured up to White Bear Lake, an established suburban community 10 miles north of St. Paul. It's history began as a Victorian resort town when it was connected via streetcar to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Today it's a vibrant and upscale area with neatly-manicured homes and fancy shops downtown.

The strangest thing about the town in the last several years has been the lake's bizarre and unexplainable water-level drop of more than five feet. Five feet may not seem like much, but you will see in my photos just how low the water has receded, with grass growing on the exposed lakebed and sandbars in the middle of the lake. Even a very, very wet 2011 has not provided a significant water-level rise and it's yet to be determined if there's a solution.

*White Bear Lake, Minnesota*
Population: 23,797
July 31, 2011


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*The Minnesota State Fair*

I haven't been to the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" in a few years, so a friend and I decided the weather was too perfect not to go.

The Minnesota State Fair is located in the suburb of Falcon Heights, which sits just north of St. Paul city limits and is almost exactly halfway between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis. In terms of daily attendance, The state fair is the largest fair or festival in all of North America (although the Texas State Fair wins by annual attendance because it runs twice as long). As this would suggest, the crowds are big, and the streets are jammed cheek-by-jowl with Minnesotans seeking the ever-coveted new fried foods of the year—on a stick—of course.

*The Minnesota State Fair*
September 4, 2011
Falcon Heights, Minnesota


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Lanesboro, Minnesota*

Lanesboro is an isolated river community tucked into the Root River valley in the southeastern corner of Minnesota. In the last 20 years, the town has seen a resurgence in popularity in large part because of its location on the Blufflands State Trail, a 60-mile bicycle trail that winds through the Root River valley. Canoeists and kayakers also have access to the town and can paddle directly up to several restaurants and businesses in the community.

Along with other Southeast Minnesota towns, Lanesboro is home to an Amish community that lives close by, and many sell their products during the tourist season.

*Lanesboro, Minnesota*
Population: 754
October 1, 2011


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Wayzata, Minnesota*

Situated on Wayzata Bay at the northeastern end of Lake Minnetonka, Wayzata (pronounced Why-ZETTA) is a former Victorian-era resort town and today is is an upper-middle class suburban city.

Because of its transformation to a suburban community in the mid-20th century, the city has an odd mixture of architectural styles for a small suburb. Wayzata's "downtown" area stretches in a linear format along the bay shore, and unfortunately the BNSF railway cuts the community off from the lake. Some downtown buildings and parks are directly adjacent the railroad tracks, and during the day when the trains come through, the sound of the horn is almost deafening.

*Wayzata, Minnesota*
Population: 3,688
October 22, 2011


----------



## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

Wow!...beautiful pics...thanks for sharing.:cheers:


----------



## lafreak84 (Oct 26, 2010)

Beautiful! :cheers:


----------



## Expat (May 25, 2005)

After many years of listening to "Prairie Home Companion" on the radio & seeing the movie, I was especially pleased to see Mickey's Diner!

Each location featured in this thread seems to be the ideal place to visit or live. Beautiful pictures!


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone!


----------



## Milan Luka (Oct 10, 2007)

Jennifat said:


> Since I've been posting several individual threads in the Urban Showcase over the past year featuring Minnesota cities and towns, I thought I might as well condense them all into one and continue to update at my pleasure.
> 
> Thanks to everyone for your praise and encouragement as I very slowly photograph every corner of the state.


Excellent idea. Im loving this thread Jennifat. And so nice to see a part of the country that kinda gets overlooked.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Milan Luka said:


> And so nice to see a part of the country that kinda gets overlooked.


Displaying what my little piece of "flyover country" has to offer is one of my goals.


----------



## madridhere (Oct 10, 2005)

Great photos, it seems Nature there is great...


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone!

We just received about 12 inches of snow (31 centimeters) over the weekend here in the Twin Cities, so I hope to get some wintry shots soon.


----------



## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

very nice photos of great places specially Minneapolis.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Thanks, Madonnagirl.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*University of Minnesota — East Bank*

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to brave the cold and get some shots of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities at its main campus in Minneapolis.

My focus for this photo tour is the East Bank, which is a small city unto itself and the largest, oldest portion of the campus. Built in pieces beginning in the late 19th century, nearly every architectural style from every era since the Victorian period can be found here, and many of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Locally called "The U of M" or simply "The U", it is the fourth largest University in the United States with 52,000 students. I was only able to cover about 10% of the grounds, simply because it's so expansive and our short winter daylight ran out on me.

Students are currently on break for the Holidays, so the area was a bit of a ghost town. I didn't get much for people shots this time around, regrettably.

*December 26, 2012*


----------



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Wow! that looks like a fabulous campus. Like you say, a great variety of styles, including contemporary - one of which looks looks like a Frank Gehry?


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

openlyJane said:


> Wow! that looks like a fabulous campus. Like you say, a great variety of styles, including contemporary - one of which looks looks like a Frank Gehry?


Yes, indeed! The Weisman Art Museum (the building with the wacky metallic exterior) was designed by Gehry.


----------



## Dazzle (May 29, 2006)

Great photos 

SO weird seeing snow piled up all around the place - hope you are all keeping warm


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Dazzle said:


> Great photos
> 
> SO weird seeing snow piled up all around the place - hope you are all keeping warm


Thanks! All of that snow is what remains of a major snowstorm three weeks ago that dumped 16 inches (41 cm) on the Twin Cities. Last winter we saw next to no snow at all, so it's kind of nice to have a normal winter again. 

I certainly bundled up going out that day — it was a balmy 17ºF (-8ºC).


----------



## Seattlelife (May 15, 2007)

Looks like a pretty cool campus with some interesting architecture. A little barren and cold during the break. Also, kinda funny you got 2 photos of the guy in the beanie in 2 different locations lol.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Seattlelife said:


> Looks like a pretty cool campus with some interesting architecture. A little barren and cold during the break. Also, kinda funny you got 2 photos of the guy in the beanie in 2 different locations lol.


I wish I would have had a bit more sunlight so I could have wandered a bit more – there are a lot of things I didn't get a chance to snap. It was a bit eerie wandering the empty campus, although I certainly didn't mind the quiet. 

You're very observant! Yes, that's the same guy. Not sure where he was going, but I ran into him several times walking the campus.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*University of Minnesota — West Bank (and a bit of Cedar-Riverside)*

To conclude my University of Minnesota series, I decided to head to the West Bank, the much smaller portion of the campus located on the opposite side of the Mississippi River.

Built mostly in the 1960s/early 70s, the West Bank is the youngest area of the campus, and most of the architecture is of the severe, brutalist style characteristic of the period. A few recent additions to the campus have brought contemporary styles, but most of the area remains a vintage-tinged snapshot of Mary Tyler Moore's Minneapolis. 

I also wandered beyond campus and into the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, home to much of Minneapolis' Somali community. In addition to being a center for new immigrants, the neighborhood has an eclectic mix of bars, restaurants, and music venues, often catering to college-aged clientele.

*December 30, 2012*


----------



## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

nice photos, what's with all the sneakers/ shoes hanging on the trees?


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Linguine said:


> nice photos, what's with all the sneakers/ shoes hanging on the trees?


That's an excellent question—I'm not entirely sure! In recent years, this has become a popular phenomenon (around the world, apparently), done for all sorts of reasons.

In this case, I believe it's a way for students to commemorate the end of a school year and/or their graduation. I noticed a few of the shoes were painted in U of M colors with the year painted on the sides.

The "great shoe forest" is actually way bigger than what that photo shows, stretching along the side of the bridge for quite a bit. It's quite a surreal sight! I wonder what kids do when they hurl their shoes and they don't snag in the tree...because it's a long way down the hill through thorny brush if they want to try again. :lol:


----------



## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

First time for me to step in here, and I find U of Minnesota absolutely stunning! Those are really great backdrops for a wintry day in the Twin Cities, and I just really love the M bridge: it really has the school colors in there! 

By the way, on the picture with the Cedar sign in front, what is that multi-colored building? Looks like it's some art studio or something...


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

fieldsofdreams said:


> First time for me to step in here, and I find U of Minnesota absolutely stunning! Those are really great backdrops for a wintry day in the Twin Cities, and I just really love the M bridge: it really has the school colors in there!
> 
> By the way, on the picture with the Cedar sign in front, what is that multi-colored building? Looks like it's some art studio or something...


Thanks for the nice comment! The building you're referring to is called Riverside Plaza; it's a complex of subsidized apartment towers, most of which are occupied by Somali immigrants. It's almost universally hated in the Twin Cities, and most people simply refer to it as "The Crack Stacks" or "The Ghetto in the Sky" due to the crime and poverty that are often found there. 

I personally have an appreciation for the structure; it's so brutalist, severe, and alienating at street level that it's awesome.


----------



## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

^^ Oh my goodness... Really? Sounds like the Section 8 projects I see here in San Francisco. Is that area pretty nasty, especially at night?


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

fieldsofdreams said:


> ^^ Oh my goodness... Really? Sounds like the Section 8 projects I see here in San Francisco. Is that area pretty nasty, especially at night?


The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood definitely is not dangerous at night—it's actually a nightlife hotspot for the 20-something crowd.

Riverside Plaza (the complex itself) is where there has been a reputation of crime, but that mainly comes from the 1990s when there were several homicides there. Since African immigrants started moving in in the late '90s, it's actually a much more peaceful place to live, although it does still have its problems.


----------



## DWest (Dec 3, 2009)

cool images.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

DWest said:


> cool images.


Thanks, DWest.


----------



## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

the buildings at the university are perfectly built, they are impressive and I like that tree of shoes - it reminds me of a christmas tree of a different kind.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

capricorn2000 said:


> I like that tree of shoes - it reminds me of a christmas tree of a different kind.


It's certainly of a "different kind"; that's for sure. :lol:


----------



## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

^^ The tree of shoes reminds me of people tying their shoes and throwing it on top of a clothes liner or a power wire in Berkeley... And I find it fascinating to just expose the shoes in the open air after hundreds of uses.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Minnehaha Falls Park, Minneapolis*

*June 30, 2013*

Yesterday evening I decided to head over the Minnehaha Falls Park to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather, and get a few photos in (I'm long overdue for another phototour). 

I'm going to leave this post short and sweet; there's a lot more ground to cover that I'll have to snap on another day.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Como Park, Saint Paul*

*July 20, 2013*

Since there seems to be a theme of "parks" for my photo tours this summer, I headed over to Como Park in Saint Paul to snap some shots of the attractions there and enjoy the uncharacteristically beautiful July weather.

Como Park is a sprawling urban park on the north side of Saint Paul, built in the late 19th Century around Como Lake as a leafy retreat just a short streetcar ride from either downtown. In many ways, it's the premier urban park of the Twin Cities, with major attractions like the Como Zoo, The Majorie McNeely Conservatory, An amusement park, a lakeside pavilion, a golf course, a water park, a carousel, among other regular park amenities.

The park is so large that I only had time to check out the Consevatory and the Lake Como Pavilion, which is the focus of this photo tour.


----------



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Como Park looks just fine! It is parks such as these which make cities so liveable.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

^^Thanks for the nice comment, Jane. 

The conservatory at Como Park is my favorite place to go in the winter when snow and bitter cold prevail for months on end. It's quite the relaxing spot.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Linden Hills & Lake Harriet, Minneapolis*

On Sunday, I headed over to Lake Harriet and the adjacent Linden Hills neighborhood for some people-watching. The weather brought all sorts out in droves!

Located in Southwest Minneapolis, Linden Hills has the unique distinction of being the only Twin Cities neighborhood with intact, still-running prewar streetcars. Visitors can hop on a streetcar and ride between Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun if one wishes to get a glimpse of life during the era of Twin Cities Rapid Transit, one of the largest and most extensive streetcar networks in North America in its heyday.

Due to its isolated location wedged between two lakes, the streetcar was central to life in Linden Hills, one of the last municipal stops before exiting Minneapolis city limits and making its way toward Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka.

Today, Linden Hills has evolved into an eclectic, family-friendly neighborhood with cute shops, quaint boutiques, and cozy cafes.

*July 28, 2013 *


----------



## Milan Luka (Oct 10, 2007)

Always enjoy your shots Jennifat. There's a real positivity about them. Especially the people photos. Yours is a style I try to emulate.


----------



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

How utterly charming and delightful - like you say, a great place for families.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Milan Luka said:


> Always enjoy your shots Jennifat. There's a real positivity about them. Especially the people photos. Yours is a style I try to emulate.


That's a huge compliment; I'm glad you enjoy my photo tours.  



openlyJane said:


> How utterly charming and delightful - like you say, a great place for families.


Linden Hills is very charming, yet a lot quieter than most areas of the city. I can certainly see the appeal for those with kids or empty nesters.


----------



## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

I really like this set a lot. It does a good job of highlighting the overwhelming pleasantness of Minneapolis in the summer (when it isn't too hot). 

You took a picture of a good friend of mine in this shot, he used to be my sous chef and now owns Harriet Brassarie (the restaurant in the photo):


----------



## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

Even though I'm gay, I've always noticed that a lot of Minnesotan girls are very pretty. At least the ones I've met.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Somnifor said:


> I really like this set a lot. It does a good job of highlighting the overwhelming pleasantness of Minneapolis in the summer (when it isn't too hot).
> 
> You took a picture of a good friend of mine in this shot, he used to be my sous chef and now owns Harriet Brassarie (the restaurant in the photo):


That's the perfect word to describe the Twin Cities in the summer (and all of Minnesota, for that matter): pleasant. Of course, it's easy to say that this year, with such blissfully cool weather. Hard to imagine the snow will be howling down streets in just three months.

Seems I get all sorts of your friends in my shots! How is it I haven't run into you yet?



musiccity said:


> Even though I'm gay, I've always noticed that a lot of Minnesotan girls are very pretty. At least the ones I've met.


You don't have to be straight to recognize a cute girl (or vice versa) when you see one.


----------



## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

Jennifat said:


> Seems I get all sorts of your friends in my shots! How is it I haven't run into you yet?


It is probably only a matter of time. I've been photographing a lot in parks lately too. Anyway, you have only photographed two of my friends.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

*Downtown Saint Paul 3*

I haven't been to downtown St. Paul with a wide-angle lens yet, so I thought it would be a good time to get some shots I wasn't able to capture with a standard 55mm. 

The wonderful thing about Saint Paul not being the core business center of the Twin Cities is the fact that the "urban renewal" of the 1950s and 60s that devastated downtown Minneapolis was much kinder to Saint Paul. One will see much more prewar architecture in its CBD, including some of the finest examples of Art Deco anywhere in the state.

*August 10, 2013*


----------



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

The quality of the light, in these shots, is wonderful.

St Paul's looks very clean; like there is a lot of civic pride.


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Thanks, Jane!

People often make the comment that the Twin Cities are very, very clean when they visit. I never realized how true that is until I started doing my own traveling!

I think we accumulate most of our garbage in plowed snow. You should see the sides of the freeways after it melts in March. :lol:


----------



## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

Nice shots, I love downtown St Paul. It will be interesting to see what happens once the Green Line is done. I wouldn't be surprised if it experienced healthy growth as a dense residential area, the Lund's will help with that. I think it's ultimate future is residential and nightlife. It will never again be able to compete with Downtown Minneapolis as an office center but it is beautiful which makes it the sort of place people would want to live or hang out.


----------



## jayme.mendonca (Dec 29, 2007)

I am deeply in love with this state!


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Somnifor said:


> Nice shots, I love downtown St Paul. It will be interesting to see what happens once the Green Line is done. I wouldn't be surprised if it experienced healthy growth as a dense residential area, the Lund's will help with that. I think it's ultimate future is residential and nightlife. It will never again be able to compete with Downtown Minneapolis as an office center but it is beautiful which makes it the sort of place people would want to live or hang out.


I completely agree! I would kill to live in downtown Saint Paul. For all of the charm downtown Minneapolis lacks, Saint Paul makes up for it. Now with a brand new light rail line, a reopened Union Depot, and a new ballpark...it will be hard to argue that there's "nothing going on" at this end of town.


----------



## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

This is probably the 5th or 6th time I've gone through this thread. I really like Minnesota! I can almost smell the fresh, Northern air through these photos. 

Jennifat please do an update when the weather is nice! I would like to see towns and landscapes of the Western Minnesota prairie and towns/landscapes of the North Woods and Arrowhead region!


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

musiccity said:


> This is probably the 5th or 6th time I've gone through this thread. I really like Minnesota! I can almost smell the fresh, Northern air through these photos.
> 
> Jennifat please do an update when the weather is nice! I would like to see towns and landscapes of the Western Minnesota prairie and towns/landscapes of the North Woods and Arrowhead region!


Sorry Musiccity, didn't see your post until just now. Thanks for taking a look, and glad you've enjoyed my thread!

I'm definitely planning on doing some more updates soon now that spring is upon us. Can't say I'll ever make it out to Western MN, but will probably be making my way up to the northern parts of the state this summer as my family has a lake home up there.


----------



## dreamyguy (Apr 30, 2015)

*Beautiful Pics!*

Loved the pics!


----------



## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Deleted due to theft of my intellectual property. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to delete my Flickr account. Sorry, everyone.


----------



## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Very effective. Wistful, romantic and a little haunting. Colour plays such a role in how we view and experience things.


----------

