Audio Tour Workshop #2-Developing Tour Topics and Routes!

It was exciting to meet again and share views and ideas about Northeast and this project. We discovered that the beginning stages of the collaborative process can be difficult. Big progress was made however, as we found our way to establish the 3 Walking Tour groups. The 3 groups discussed their selected topics and places and began to map out their tour.

The evening's happenings and progress...

Jennifer started our workshop with a brief talk about the collaborative process. She reminded us of issues like gaining trust, the strength of the entire group, individual strengths, the development of each person's role, patience, engagement, etc.

Some of our group discussion meanderings:

-History and Now: "new, cool and interesting now in NE", "now is gone", "3 weeks from now is history".
-What really stays here in NE? What moves on? How do we hold onto history and memories?
-Nobody knows about "Now" in NE...it is always now: changing and being created as we go.
-An objective of the tours is to engage people...

We reviewed the week's Exploration* and shared our thoughts, ideas and additional tour topics/places.
*look at NE through the 'eyes' of the potential Tour topics - journal about what you see. You can share on the blog, discuss with friends, or bring it to next week's meeting.

Additional Places, Concepts and Tour Topics we brainstormed:

-Edgewater Inn (by Super America on Marshall) - a hotbed of NE culture 'back in the day'...now gone. - There was a group of musicians/dancers called the Edgewater Eight. Maybe we could get some of the music for a tour (there's some available on YouTube). Kirstin's mom was in the group.
-Scandals of Northeast- the underbelly
-Central Avenue Tour- Start on Broadway/Central intersection by the International Symbols. Could include industrial history, art buildings, warehouses, etc.
-13th Avenue Tour- Art, Ritz Theater, churches - Architecture- Include the history of the late 1800's homes (Victorian Style with maroon and gold trim).
-What is new and cool? Interesting now? Stella Salon on Lowry near University Avenue. This is another old building that has turned over many businesses through the years. Why do some businesses make it? What does this say about NEasters and the culture here?
-Tattoo Shop on Lowry near Central Avenue-This is a new business that replaced, most recently, the Aardvark Record Store. Will it still be there when we go on the Tour? Is it ok if it is gone? This highlights questions about business turnover in NE. We discussed the concept of history and talked about how history is now, that this project is history in the making. We also noted that it is interesting to combine history with what is happening now in northeast.
-Small Business Tour - How history and Now intersect.
-Shopping Tour

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We established 3 groups who shared similar interests and met at tables with large maps, markers and our notes of tour topics and locations.




Group #1:
Broadway/Central intersection N. to 18th (& possibly further up). Going E. and W. off Central to include areas of interest (such as, possibly, view of Beltrami Park and the old cemetery there (Ghost Story possibilities), Train under/over-passes, the old cobblestone road of Quincy St. by Architectural Antiques, Industrial areas historically vs. now? ala' the Thorpe Building (Diamond's Coffee Shop, etc.), Aaron Carlson, General Mills, etc.
-Ideal Diner (and tons of other small, local businesses along Central Ave. corridor).
-The 'Eccentric NE' Tour
-Immigration/multi-cultural issues can be accessed many ways inc. through the international symbols art project (Central/Broadway intersection).

Group #2:
West Coast Area-roughly in between 2nd St. NE and the river- from 13th Ave. NE to Lowry Ave.
-Big sculptures by Zoran (metal and stone) by river
-Hobos and trains-interview Jewel (3-time National Queen of the Hobos who lives in this area).
-Grumpys and Senterz Grocery & Liquor (uniquely grandfathered-in to combine liquor sales in a grocery store).
-strong Somali-presence in this neighborhood
-Buddhist Temple-used to be Knewski's
-Eastside Neighborhood Services
-Skateboard Park
-'Asbestos' Park
-House boats on river
-Edgewater Inn (no longer there)
-Lowry bridge- still closed...
-Jax and Gasthaus

Group #3:
13th Avenue Tour- roughly from Monroe St. NE to the river.
-Churches, Art, Street-Car trolley route, historically and currently vibrant area.
- 4-5 churches on Monroe St., Holy Cross, Mosque, St. Cyril, Meditation Center
-Great area to demonstrate the variety of churches and diversity in NE.
-Catholic history...
-Large and thriving representation of the arts and small business on 13th
-small business turnover...

Exploration for next workshop:
What do others in the community know about the sites on the walk? Does a plain street have a story we didn't know? What are you curious about?

Apologies if these notes have neglected or misrepresented anything.
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