Minneapolis, MN
These Minneapolis buildings resonate with baby boomers but baffle Gen Z
If it seems as if commercial architecture has been stagnant for a while, you might be right. For most of the 20th century, styles changed every 10 years or so, rolling through the big cities first, ending up on main street later.
The baby boomer generation saw the biggest changes. In the immediate postwar era, downtowns were characterized by old brick buildings with some classical details, but from the 1950s onward, everything built was modern and simplified. The boomers also were familiar with the exuberant kitsch and button-down corporate modernism of the 1950s and ’60s, the mirrored glass facades of the 1970s and the post-modern classical shapes of the 1980s.
The zoomers — a generation born between 1997 to 2012 — grew up with those styles, as well, but they weren’t there to see them new. They were the existing order, a fait accompli, just like the prewar buildings had been for the boomers. It was someone else’s streetscape. Of course, they know what the IDS Center is, but they have no memory of the sunset poking through the girders while it was under construction, or watching the excavation for the Metrodome.
So it goes with every generational shift. Nothing new there. What makes the boomers different is that the smaller details, the interesting characters, the ordinary commercial architecture of their era, are vanishing rapidly, and they’re the only ones who remember them.
Here’s a sampling of familiar streetscape characters that boomers might recall, while zoomers might find them utterly baffling.
Fotomats promised one-day service on developing film and also sold film rolls. (Star Tribune)
Ask a boomer what they were, and you’ll have a prompt answer. The outdoor kiosks were the little yellow huts, the size of toll booths, usually found in parking lots. One could drop film to be processed into photos there, and pick up the prints later. Fotomats started to appear in the late 1960s, and disappeared in the late ’80s — competition from in-store labs and the rise of digital film did them in. The buildings with oversized roofs stuck around for years, and repurposed, until the lot was reused for housing. That was the fate of the Fotomat in Dinkytown at 4th Street and 15th Avenue SE. Some were just removed because they were empty and impeded traffic.
Ask a zoomer about one, and you’ll get blank looks and shrugs.
The Weatherball issued forecasts from atop the Northwestern National Bank building and was a prominent fixture on the Minneapolis skyline. It was erected in 1949 and came down in 1982. (Randy Salas/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The entire baby boomer generation will have to pass from this Earth before people stop lamenting the loss of the Weatherball. It stood atop the Northwestern National Bank Building from 1949 until it was toppled by fire in the great Thanksgiving Day blaze in 1982. Today, it has been gone longer than it was around.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis salon is turning heads by mixing rock and roll with haircuts, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers.
A salon where music and haircuts go hand in hand
What we know:
HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music.
“I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon.
Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time.
The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.”
He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment.
“I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city,” said Clifford.
The shop is filled with memorabilia from music legends like Elvis, David Bowie and The Monkees. There’s even a wall dedicated to Minnesota’s local music scene.
Clifford said, “We’ve got Bobby V who I think never gets enough credit for his contributions to music in Minnesota.”
Clifford’s journey from punk haircuts to community hub
Why you should care:
Clifford started cutting hair in the early 1980s because he and his friends in southwest Minneapolis couldn’t afford the punk haircuts they wanted.
Now, he not only looks the part—”Ronny Wood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, I’m always like old Keith Richards or young Keith Richards”—but he helps others feel like rock stars too.
“People are like make me look like a rock star and that is sort of a universal term right. Everyone wants to look like a rock star,” said Clifford.
His goal is simple:
“If I can make a living and raise my family, pay my bills, have a business and be a part of a community, that is important to me. I win. That’s everything,” said Clifford.
He is passionate about giving a boost to local musicians, saying, “I think they need it more. I love Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, but they are doing fine. Our local people haven’t made it national yet. They could use a voice. They could use a boost, and they need to be heard.”
The salon’s rhythm is all about joy, music and community, and Clifford plans to keep it going.
“Til I kick over. I’ll probably be back standing behind the chair. And someone will complain I didn’t finish their haircut,” said Clifford.
HiFi Hair and Records continues to be a place where music and style meet, giving Minnesota’s music scene a little extra volume.
EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) – A deadly shooting in Edina sparked a massive police response and forced a lockdown at nearby businesses at Southdale Mall on Wednesday as police are searching for the suspects.
Deadly Edina shooting
What we know:
Edina police responded around 12:30 p.m. to the report of a shooting along West 66th Street near Southdale Mall.
At the scene, officers found one victim with a gunshot wound. Officers tried to revive the victim but say they ultimately died from their wounds.
Local perspective:
Police say the suspects ran from the scene. As a precaution, they advised nearby businesses to go into lockdown. FOX 9 learned that MHealth Fairview also went into lockdown procedures as a precaution.
Aerial video from the scene showed the investigation appeared to be focused around an apartment building across from the mall. Police say the apartment building is described as a transitional housing.
Avoid the area
Big picture view:
Police are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation is underway. Officers have blocked off West 66th for the time being.
Police say they are looking for more than one suspect involved in the shooting.
What we don’t know:
Police say some people were taken into custody at the scene but it’s unclear what their role was in relation to the shooting.
Law enforcement near the 3300 block of W. 66th Street in Edina. (FOX 9)
Minneapolis, MN
Ellison, Minneapolis, St. Paul update lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge with new data
(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis and Saint Paul updated their lawsuit over Operation Metro Surge with new survey data on economic harm.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted two surveys tied to the amended lawsuit. The lawsuit says the federal operation violated the Constitution and caused lasting economic damage.
The first survey was done between February and March and included nearly 1,400 residents. It found workers lost more than $240 million in wages during the operation.
A separate newly released survey of about 900 businesses found more than $600 million in lost revenue. The updated lawsuit from Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul adds that new data to its claims.
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