Audio Tour Workshop #1 !!

NOTES FROM THE WORKSHOP:

We had the first workshop for the Audio-Guided Walking Tours on March 3rd. We talked about how we came to NE and what we were excited about for this project. By the end of next weeks workshop (Tues. March 10), we plan on having three themes for the three walks we'll be creating.

Here's a brainstormed list of some of our favorite/fascinating places or things about NE Minneapolis:

*Empty storefronts: lived in, old businesses? What used to be here and how do people use the space now?
*Replaced/converted spaces - ie. the warehouses that are now businesses or art studios. Vacant lots...what used to be here? Is there documentation and photos of the original spaces?
*Architecture - Grain Belt building, oldest houses in the area, churches
*St. Anthony Cemetery on Central Ave.
*Art buildings/warehouses - Casket Arts building - histories of these buildings
*Basin by Edison High School- there used to be homes in this area (spirit/soul of the missing homes, memories of those who lived there...), Used now to play in, show films and concerts in the summer
*Flood story...there was a big flood in this area and we want to know about it
*Churches - one block of Monroe Street has 5 churches: world record for most churches on a block?! Tons of beautiful churches all over NE for many different faiths
*Religions - lots of variety - Holy Cross offers a service in Polish! Tibetan temple in NE.
*Hollywood Theater - how was it when it was operating? What could it be like today?
*Restaurants - variety is amazing. Some are 'institutions', some come and go...
*Holyland
*Indian restaurants on Central
*Trains - sounds, hobos, the spans over the roads and the switching yard by Columbia Golf Course with the great view.
*Julianna Ray, 3x crowned the National Queen of Hobos lives in NE!
*Art-A-Whirl - get to see into artist's studio spaces, eat their snacks, buy their art
*Free crepes on Thursdays (donations appreciated). Yum!...where was this again?
*Bridges - esp. Hennepin Ave. (wonder how aerial photos of NE and the bridges look?)
*Grainbelt Bottlecap sign
*Elsie's Bowling - Supreme Omelet is the best ever! a NE institution
*Nicollet Island - land rights? (are the homes all leased, not owned? How come?)
*Boom Island - is it even an island? Was a RR switching station 40 years ago.
*NE had one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes but the South-side stole it (Sandy Lake)! Some NEasters are still bitter about it. Aarrgh!
*Mayslacks
*B-Sharp (ever resilient)
*RR transfer station in Columbia Heights
*Bike paths - 7 ways to get to one place, short cuts and alleys. Great area to explore on bike and foot
*People just seem to end up here in NE...drawn here
*Howard Street - 1 house wide block- why?
*Zoning histories - streets that were trolley routes, how the blocks were designed, long alleys, residential vs. industrial/business
*Logan Park - history, sports, lots of varied use through the years
*Emily's Lebanese Restaurant
*Small business/shops (ie. a women' salon right next to a men's barber shop...his and hers by Matchbox Coffee).
*Northeast - northeast of where?
*150 years immigration history









We broke into three smaller groups to look over maps and discuss potential tour topics and areas that could become a Walk:

*The river area - bluffs, brewery, flour mills
(maybe incorporating a walk out onto a bridge and back into NE...like towards the Broadway Pizza train)
*Restaurants/business turnover and changes, histories of the businesses and buildings
*Basin (by Edison), the Firehall Museum, story of the flood that happened here
*Ethnic/cultural growth and diversity of NE...seems unique in NE.
*Churches - inroad to cultural influences, Ukranian Orthodox history, architecture.
*Little Italy/Beltrami/Dog Town area - built on a cemetery. Cemetary Street/Oak Cemetery, Delmonico's, RR exchange, Hwy. 35
*Ghost Stories
*Hwy. 35 NE ramp was stopped by big demonstrations and community activism. How has
*Quarry shopping area (built on a quarry? - geological history)
*Mysteries of histories - what we don't know about where we live.
*Churches and Bars - culture that made us have so many churches and bars, regions in NE
*Factories, industrial-ness
*NE from the perspective of neighborhood kids, skateboarding("am i bothering anyone with my skateboarding?"), summers in NE when there's no school...
*Fire in lumberyard
*P.Bottineau (owned tons of properties, library named after him), and other famous/infamous NEasters
*St. Anthony - Norwegian Hill
*1930's Windom Park - people, whole families slept outside in the park in the summer (to stay cool? community activity?). We hear there's a local woman still alive to talk about it?

EXPLORATION for the week:

Look at NE through the eyes of the tour topics ideas - journal about what you see. Share on the blog or wait 'til next week and discuss this with friends (they can also add to the blog).


Thanks for checking out www.artsharewalkingtour.blogspot.com
...please pass this along to family, friends, even 'frienimies' (if they might have something to add)...we hope this can be an open dialogue space for anything about NE and the Audio Walking Tours we are creating.