The Twin Cities didn't suffer as intense a roller-coaster ride from early-twentieth-century prosperity to mid-century decline and late-century struggle-to-recover as many former heavy-industrial cities, mostly thanks to the diversity of our economic base, the health of the major companies that make their homes here, and an entrepreneurial brio that has kept new companies coming. But there have been major ups and downs, including the Great Recession, and there are still areas in our towns that don't share in the general prosperity. Luckily, our governmental bodies, colleges, and think tanks teem with experts in keeping local economies strong, and our neighborhood consciousness emphasizes the local--all of which helps make sure that for every chain store that opens in a mall, a handful of small, promising hyperlocal businesses sprout as well.