Featured Stories

Revisiting the Central Corridor's Funky Treasures: A SLide Show

Bill Kelley, Jon Spayde Wednesday, February 01, 2012

In one magical zone in the Twin Cities, there's a loon made of junk, a chimney covered in shattered glass and ceramic shards, and a place to buy tarantulas. It's called the Central Corridor. Here's a second look at what photographer Bill Kelley and managing editor Jon Spayde picked out last year as they traveled down University Avenue and Washington Avenue, seeking out their favorite offbeat, oddball, one-of-a-kind things.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Creative Economy, Design, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

University, Saint Anthony Park, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Summit - University

Verdict: The "Buy Local" Campaign Helped Central Corridor Businesses Stay Healthy

Dan Heilman Wednesday, February 01, 2012

An aggressive, and unconventional, marketing campaign to keep people coming to Central Corridor businesses during light rail construction in 2011 appears to have paid off in less business decline than expected--and a mood of cautious optimism about the future.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Design, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Midway, Downtown, Saint Anthony Park, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Summit - University

A Line or Two: Back to Filfillah

Jon Spayde Wednesday, February 01, 2012

In A Line or Two, I'll be sharing some of my discoveries as I make my way around the Twin Cities--an intriguing upcoming event, a great restaurant meal, a new art gallery, a conversation with a forward thinker, or a web site you should know about. Call it an editor's-note-as-blog-entry. (And I take the photos--Bill Kelley is guiltless.) This time: a return to the marvelous, and still undiscovered, restaurant Filfillah, where you get the lunch your mom made for you if you grew up in Ankara.

Arts and Culture, diversity, Entrepreneurship

The Bike Boom by the Numbers

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Thanks to Bike Walk Twin Cities' intrepid bicycle and pedestrian observers, says urbanist Jay Walljasper, we now have a good idea just how big a deal two-wheeled transit is in our towns. And would you believe Minneapolis is in the top ten of walkable cities nationwide?

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Transportation

Winter? Schminter! Here's How to Keep on Biking

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, January 25, 2012

You can keep two-wheeling all winter long if you take a few simple precautions. Jay Walljasper, a veteran winter biker (and bike advocate) shows the way.

Sustainability, Transportation

Big Table's Big Ideas

Camille LeFevre Wednesday, January 18, 2012

It's a hip hybrid of retail poster shop, design studio, and coworking space where some of Saint Paul's most entrepreneurial artists gather around--yes!--a big table. And it's a bold move to help build up downtown, too.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Entrepreneurship

Downtown

Revisiting Lunalux: Where fine printing is hip, funny, and fashionable

Jon Spayde Wednesday, January 18, 2012

One of the major influences on Big Table Studio (see feature above) has been Jenni Undis' Lunalux print shop and paper-goods store in Minneapolis. So we thought it would be opportune to re-run our Lunalux feature from 2011, in which we describe how Undis combines charm and cool, tradition and innovation. (By the way, the other major influence on Big Table is the CoCo coworking space--check out our Big Picture feature below for more on that.)

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Design, Entrepreneurship, Shopping

Downtown/Lowertown

The Big Picture 11: Jeff Heegaard on the Next Economy

Jon Spayde Wednesday, January 11, 2012

In a season of economic gloom and doom, the veteran business developer and partner in the CoCo coworking spaces sees a hopeful future in the bright eyes and collaborative ethics of young entrepreneurs.

Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy

Downtown, Downtown/Lowertown

The Musical, Multitasking Microbrewers

Julie Kendrick Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Qiuxia and Kevin Welch are professional musicians, playing the French horn in many major local ensembles. Qiuxia teaches the Chinese language and Chinese cooking. Kevin is a certified tungsten inert gas welder. So why not become microbrewers too, bringing authentic Belgian-style beer to thirsty locals?

Arts and Culture, Entrepreneurship

Warehouse/North Loop

2011: The year of "coopetition"

Jon Spayde Wednesday, December 21, 2011

"Coopetition"--cooperation among competitors or potential competitors--was a force to be reckoned with in the Twin Cities during 2011. Our politics may be gridlocked in partisanship, but the smartest entrepreneurs and civic officials locally are embracing a wider vision than the zero-sum game.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Regionalism

Editor's Note: A look back, a look ahead, a holiday break

Jon Spayde Wednesday, December 21, 2011

In our pre-holiday-hiatus issue, all three editors take a look back over the passing year and make some hopeful predictions about 2012. We'll be taking a break over the holidays and return on January 11 with a look at a musician/microbrewer from China, a conversation with CoCo's Jeff Heegaard, and a new Face of Leadership. See you then.

Kindred Kitchen serves up entrepreneurship in north minneapolis

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, December 14, 2011

For hopeful food entrepreneurs, it can be a long, hard road from cooking a tasty treat to creating a viable business around it. That's where the North Side's innovative food-business incubator comes in.

Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

North Side

Revisiting Holidazzle: Making a holiday tradition happen

Susan Klemond Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Downtown Minneapolis' Holidazzle parade runs for its final four nights starting this Thursday, and as a reminder not to miss what is now a twenty-year-old holiday tradition, we're re-running Susan Klemond's behind-the-scenes look at the parade from last year--with updated schedule information.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership

Downtown

I'll drink to that: the making of the twin cities microbrew revolution

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Changing regulations and evolving tastes are sparking a craft-beer and microbrewing revolution across the country, and nowhere is the quirky, über-entrepreneurial, nouveau-beer buzz louder than in the Twin Cities. Are you ready for Angry Planet Pale Ale and Masala Mama IPA?

Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

Downtown, Southwest, Longfellow, Downtown/Lowertown, Summit Hill and Crocus Hill, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

Microbrewing Revealed: A slide show

Bill Kelley Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Managing Photographer Bill Kelley--a knowledgeable home-brewer himself--explored some of our local microbrew establishments to see just how these alchemists turn grain into drinkable gold. Here's his visual record of the process.

Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

West Seventh, Warehouse/North Loop