Is Uptown really dead?

Plus: The latest on Walz [Plus: The latest on Walz] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Today's edition is brought to you by two of your friendly neighborhood newsletter writers 👨🏽👩🏾 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano [Zoë Jackson] By Zoë Jackson TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Tim Walz admitted to drunken driving in 1995. But his 2006 congressional campaign claimed he didn’t.]( - [The five State Fair dishes our food writers can’t miss]( - [The eagle isn’t actually the national bird, but an effort launched in Wabasha may change that]( - [Minneapolis chamber faces $500K shortfall; CEO left after internal financial investigation]( - [The pandemic is over, but Minnesota school nurses are still under pressure](   Is it true? Is Uptown really dead? Alex Kormann/Star Tribune The reports of Uptown's death have been greatly exaggerated. The trendy Minneapolis neighborhood may not be as bustling as it was pre-pandemic, but residents, visitors and business owners see bright days ahead for this slice of the city. That's not to say the blocks just east of Bde Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles don't face their fair share of challenges. The pandemic upended life for its residents and many businesses — both longstanding neighborhood institutions and corporate forays into the area. [image] Alex Kormann/Star Tribune Riots sparked by the murder of George Floyd and similar unrest after the fatal police shooting of Winston Smith tore through much of Uptown. But the city is also investing in the neighborhood. Portions of Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue have been torn up in service of a massive overhaul of the neighborhood's roadways. Several new businesses, including a Black-owned roller-skating rink, have sprouted in once-vacant storefronts. My Today Desk colleague and fellow Essential Minnesota author Zoë Jackson and I both live near Uptown and frequent the area. She teamed up with a few other folks from around the newsroom to survey business owners, city leaders, visitors and Uptown residents to take the pulse of the once-vibrant, slowly revitalizing neighborhood. Here's a snippet of a conversation Zoë and I had over Slack about the project. Scroll to the end for links to the series on Uptown's fortunes. Eder Campuzano: We ran into each other while you were reporting this story! I was showing a friend from Oregon around Bde Maka Ska. She loved it — admitted she's a Lake Girl™ despite living in a state where rivers reign supreme. What did you hear from other folks while you were down there? What did they have to say about Uptown? Zoë Jackson: I loved running into you! I was really looking for that whimsy, you know? People were definitely in the best of spirits at the lake. They seemed hopeful for the area overall and felt that spot was like a piece of what it could be. I also heard, of course, some concern about construction and small business survival. EC: What was it about the lake area that felt different from the rest of Uptown? How did it spark hope in people you spoke with? ZJ: It was busy enough that it instantly made you feel like you were a part of something. People were heartened by how many others were enjoying the new Pimento on the Lake and trying out the new tap wall. It felt like we were all within a post-2020 Uptown experiment, if that makes any sense. It proved that if you put something worth going to in the neighborhood, you'll forget about all the headaches. EC: What do you hope readers take away from your Uptown story? ZJ: Honestly, I hope people hold back on some of the negativity. If you still think it's that bad, I encourage folks to go check it out themselves — because that foot traffic and activity is the only thing that's going to get us more cool small businesses and things to do in Uptown. EC: I know you and I both kind of bristle at the thought of a neighborhood truly dying, especially when it seems like people who don't live in it are the loudest voices making the claim. You and I both live around Uptown. What do you usually do when you're in the neighborhood? ZJ: Honestly, not much! Doing this project made me realize I mostly patronize Lyn-Lake, which is just steps away from Uptown. In Uptown proper, my more typical spots are Barbette and Magers & Quinn, as well as an occasional show at the Lagoon. EC: OK, did you also learn that some of the places you thought were in Uptown are actually ... not? This was a major takeaway for me reading your story and scoping the map. (I swore Up-Down and Bryant Lake Bowl were part of the neighborhood.) ZJ: Yes! I thought Lyn-Lake was in Uptown — like that it encompassed it. It's a bit smaller and a bit more boring than I expected. It was fun to try some new-to-me spots, like Mesa Pizza and Pimento on the Lake. Read the stories in our Uptown series, plus a couple of contextual pieces, below: - [Uptown is down for now. These business owners are holding out hope.]( - [We spent eight hours in Uptown. Is there anything to do?]( - [Hennepin Avenue in Uptown is a mess. What’s happening, and why now?]( - [Curious Minnesota: Why is Uptown south of downtown Minneapolis?](     GOING OUT - [10 Minnesota public outdoor artworks worth the road trip]( - [Minneapolis neighborhood restaurant Heather’s expanding to the suburbs]( [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. The latest on Walz's record and the presidential race There are 80 days left until the election. And this week Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hit the campaign trail solo for the first time since Vice President Kamala Harris tapped him as her running mate. He rallied union members and defended his military service record as Sen. JD Vance of Ohio accused him of stolen valor. As one of our stories at the top of this newsletter also found, Walz's 2006 congressional campaign misled voters about a drunken driving charge he faced in the '90s. Read more about the governor's record and its impact on the presidential campaign below, courtesy of the Star Tribune's politics team. - [A chameleon or pragmatist? Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s political evolution in the spotlight in VP race]( - [Minnesota’s ‘Miracle 2.0′ legislative session is getting a new spotlight in the presidential race]( Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Camp Ripley’s expanded deer hunt is one of the changes ahead for Minnesota hunters, trappers]( - [P.J. Fleck’s Gophers are landing more top in-state recruits, including some who transfer home]( - [Minnesota Aurora FC pull out of the running for 2026 NWSL expansion franchise]( - [How real estate agents get paid changes Saturday]( CURIOUS MINNESOTA Hennepin County Library We're taking a trip to the past for this week's edition of the Star Tribune's reader-powered reporting project. "What did Block E look like in the '70s and '80s?" one of our fair readers asked recently. That particular slice of downtown Minneapolis previously housed all sorts of watering holes and other establishments. It was known as the city's “center of sin.” These days, Block E is home to Mayo Clinic Square, which contains facilities where the Timberwolves and Lynx practice. Take a journey through time, courtesy of intern Ellie Lin, and [learn more about what Block E looked like back in the day here](. IN OTHER NEWS - [IndiaFest, Afrocentric music festival and Japanese Obon light up Twin Cities]( - Sahan Journal - [Duluth’s iconic Chester Bowl on cusp of expanding its historic ski chalet]( - MPR News - [What extreme heat will do to Minnesota]( - Racket     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE PHmoney04 via Reddit I'm a sucker for tilt-shift photography, and this shot of downtown Duluth that looks like a miniature set from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" stopped me right in my tracks as I was scrolling the other day. Reddit user PHmoney04 is the talent behind the lens, and the approach tugs my love for both this image style and for understated urban streetscapes. This slice of Duluth could be mistaken for nearly any other small city in the U.S. The subtle peek at the skyway and Aerial Lift Bridge, once you see them, inspires that little jolt of excitement that screams, "I know that place!" (Or is that just me?) A minor programming note: This newsletter will look a little ... different on Monday. We'll talk about it a bit then. In the meantime, maybe I'll catch you at Uptown Porchfest tomorrow? Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.