Don't Pull the Soul of Uptown

When I left Minneapolis in 2001, ultimately to come back, the things I missed the most were Uptown and the lakes. I still love Uptown and still feel the most at home there, and additions are nice. But there is such a thing as taking away its soul when too many "usual" places are added and too many of the landmarks are leveled.

Calhoun Square only has a couple of unique places left. It used to be there were some very quirky shops that you couldn't find other places. Those have slowly disappeared. There are only a couple left and they are pricey.

Now they are talking about taking away the Uptown Bar. Is it super classy? Not really. But that's not the point - and it is a landmark. According to the Star Tribune:

"Hopes of saving the Uptown Bar & Cafe at its present location dimmed Monday as the Minneapolis Planning Commission unanimously approved a development plan to level the long-beloved rock club and brunch spot in favor of a new, three-story retail space."

When they built the ridiculous condo development on Calhoun Parkway and Lake Street that absorbed the Uptown Theater sign that you could always see from across the lake, well, that was somewhat tolerable. Adding cool restaurants and shops - also tolerable. But, don't continue to take away the things that are landmarks and really make it a unique place to go. Uptown is the closest thing to the Village in New York that we have here. It isn't supposed to be the regular stuff that you can get everywhere else.

For those of us who like to hang in Uptown, it is the unconventional people, landscape, and places that make it so....well, unconventional. It is already bad enough when suburbanites flow into the scene with their big SUV's and act like the own the place.

Try to remember what Uptown stands for and leave some things as they are. It is, after all, what makes it Uptown and what gives it its very original heartbeat. I guess as things continue to change, there is some comfort in what is left. If not, at least we'll still have Magers & Quinn.

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune