Featured Stories

Smart Transportation Tools: How Metro Transit Uses Technology to Ensure a Smooth Ride

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Finding new ways to provide riders with information is ongoing at Metro Transit. Now that more people are carrying smart phones, and using them to pay for life’s essentials, Metro Transit has been innovating ways to meet riders’ needs.

Central Corridor, Creative Leadership, Design, Nightlife, Shopping, Transportation

Downtown

December Arts & Culture: Last-minute maker markets and holiday antidotes

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, December 06, 2016

To rephrase a popular aphorism, it's all stars and snowflakes until someone gets hurt...meaning, amid last-minute maker markets and star gazing this holiday month there's a "House of Cards" style production at the Guthrie to clear the senses and a concert to ground our sensibilities.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Shopping, Strong Local Economy

Riverfront/Mill District, Como Park, University, Saint Anthony Park, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

November Arts and Culture: Holiday Markets (and Makers) Galore

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, November 08, 2016

For MSP makers, this month is among the busiest of the year as they sell their wares at holiday markets, boutiques and pop-ups happening at a crazy pace. But you can also tour a renovated machine shed and enjoy open art studios before the big freeze.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Strong Local Economy

Riverfront/Mill District, Midway, Downtown, Saint Anthony Park, Lake Street, Southwest, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Northeast

September Arts and Culture: Grand Openings, Helmet Art and Community Gardens

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, September 13, 2016

A new independent bookstore! A second ReStore store! Plus a community garden celebration and an art exhibit and fashion show featuring motorcycle helmets highlight September arts and culture.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Shopping

Riverfront/Mill District, Downtown/Lowertown, Powderhorn, Northeast

Four Craft Coffee Roasters Building Buzz in MSP

Brian Martucci Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Who are the local players behind MSP’s craft coffee scene? These four local roasters are undeniably at the movement’s fore, sparking a revolution in how we talk about roasting and experience tasting.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Sustainability

Midway, Saint Anthony Park, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Highland Park, Northeast

July Arts and Culture: Floating, Reading, Feasting and Exploration

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Farm-fresh produce, handmade books on a floating library, historic walking tours along the Green Line and feasting locally are our top picks for July arts and culture in MSP.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Shopping, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development

Midway, Saint Anthony Park, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Payne - Phalen, Powderhorn

Forging an Arts Tradition: Metalsmithing in MSP

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, June 21, 2016

MSP boasts a cultural milieu in which diverse art forms, architecture and design take root and flourish. Metalsmithing, which includes jewelry design, is an integral part of the culture.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Shopping

Southwest, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Calhoun - Isles, Summit Hill and Crocus Hill, Northeast

Hmong American Farmers Association Cultivates Profits, Productivity, Community

Amy Goetzman Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Since they began farming in Vermillion Township in 2014, HAFA's members have introduced Minnesotan palates to new flavors, seen production and profits increase exponentially, and cultivated a greater sense of community.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Green Jobs, Shopping, Sustainability

May Arts and Culture: MSP Makers

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Makers—the artists, entrepreneurs, innovators (aren’t they all the same?) who brighten lives with their joy of creativity and aesthetic panache—highlight May’s selections. Art-A-Whirl, of course. But the MSP Maker Faire is big news, too.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Emerging Technologies, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, Shopping

Como Park, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Nokomis, Northeast

Cohorts, Capacity Building, Creative Communities: The Evolution of Artspace's Geographic Approach

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, March 22, 2016

The arts real-estate nonprofit Artspace is re-scaling its work to take a more geographic approach that includes consulting with a cohort of art organizations in Detroit and developing creative districts in rural Colorado.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Philanthropy, Regionalism, Shopping, Transit Oriented Development

Where To Take Winter Visitors in MSP: 14 Time-Tested Activities

Brian Martucci Tuesday, February 09, 2016

As anyone who’s spent a winter in MSP knows, the pace of life here doesn’t drop with the temperature or the snow. Show your visitors a great time this month with these classic MSP winter activities.

Arts and Culture, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Shopping, Transit Oriented Development

Riverfront/Mill District, Como Park, Downtown, North Side, Uptown/Lyn Lake, West Seventh, Calhoun - Isles, Downtown/Lowertown, Summit - University

10 Redevelopment Projects Transforming MSP in 2016

Amy Goetzman Tuesday, January 12, 2016

MSP is in the midst of a redevelopment boom that has touched nearly every part of the Twin Cities. Here are 10 projects opening in 2016 that will further transform our neighborhoods and communities.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Reuse / Rebuild, Shopping, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, Greater East Side, Dayton's Bluff, Downtown, North Side, West Seventh, Downtown/Lowertown, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

Is Affordable Artist Live/Work Housing the New Normal?

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Since Artspace pioneered affordable artist live/work housing in the 1990s, disrupting the SoHo Effect in communities across the U.S., demand for such projects has grown. Which begs the question: Is affordable artist live/work housing becoming the new normal?

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Reuse / Rebuild, Shopping, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development

Riverfront/Mill District, West Seventh, Downtown/Lowertown, Northeast

Make the Switch from Car to Bike Commute This Winter: Here's How

Brian Martucci Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Imagine a day in a bike commuter’s boots. How does he or she prepare before walking out the door? How do they stay comfortable behind Arctic fronts and snow curtains — even the dreaded polar vortex. Here's how.

Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Sustainability, Transportation

Holiday Shopping on the Green Line: A Selection of Locally Owned Shops by Stop

Brian Martucci Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Now that the holiday shopping season is upon us, Metro Transit riders in search of the perfect gifts can ride the 11-mile-long Green Line for an adventurous day that includes stops at dozens of locally owned stores. Here's a guide to get you started.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Creative Economy, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Shopping, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Midway, Saint Anthony Park, West Seventh, Downtown/Lowertown, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Warehouse/North Loop