The Line buzzed in 2013 with articles—many of them among the top 10 most-read of the year—on topics starting with a “b”: beer and architect-designed breweries, beekeeping and bike entrepreneurs to name a few. But beer ruled. Even our top neighborhood stories and developer profile could be construed as beer-related. We have detected a trend. We are wondering about a bubble. So much so that, in the coming weeks, you’ll be reading about the 14-plus microbreweries that exploded on the scene in 2013, and what that growth means for the creative economy of and creative placemaking in the Twin Cities.

There’s so much more to come in 2014. Our goal is to capture compelling stories about the innovators and artists, makers and recyclers, initiatives and technologies, entrepreneurs and communities that are bringing Minneapolis and Saint Paul to national attention, and making our cities so livable. Let us know if you have a topic (beer-related or otherwise) you’d like us investigate. Keep sharing the articles you’ve enjoyed on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Whether you’re expanding The Line’s visibility, or that of amazing people and places we cover, we like the buzz.

Thanks so much for subscribing to and reading The Line. Enjoy our top 10 stories of 2013 one more time.

1. Our next hot neighborhood? Put your money on Payne Avenue
Anna Pratt, The Line's Development News Editor, took an in-depth look at the Payne-Phalen area on Saint Paul’s East Side. She focused on the popular new restaurant Ward 6, which serves up local brews, and developers’ and community activists’ enthusiasm for the neighborhood’s resurgence. Look for an update on this story in 2014.

2. Brewers and architects spark the next brewpub boom—along the Green Line
Architect-designed microbreweries started popping up along the Central Corridor’s new light-rail line in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Since the article was published, Bang Brewing has opened, Urban Growler’s secured its funding, and Surly’s started construction on its new complex. We’ll let you know what happens next.

3. The new North Loop: Both cool and comfortable
Forbes chose Minneapolis’ North Loop for its inaugural list of America's Best Hipster Neighborhoods. But we already knew the neighborhood was fast becoming the place to live, work, dine, shop, and play in the Twin Cities. In her story, Anna Pratt talked about the spate of new restaurants, retail, and condo/apartment developments in the area, and the need for green space to complete the former industrial area’s renaissance. We’ll be covering the new North Loop brewpub and restaurant Freehouse soon.

4. The top five tips for creating great urban places
This aspirational article by the New York-based Project for Public Spaces encouraged us to have a vision (the plan comes second), give participants a voice, expand our expectations, embrace debate, and get going by doing. Sound advice.

5. The bar-meets-bike business called Pedalpub is on a roll
And…we’re back to beer. In her article, Lori Storm talked with local brew enthusiasts Al Boyce and Eric Olson about the growth of their Pedalpub business here and across the U.S.

6. Hive minds: Urban beekeeping in high places
Meleah Maynard braved the rooftops of the Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and Foshay Tower to report on urban beekeeping. She also explored honey businesses Beez Kneez and Mademoiselle Miel, while delving into the reasons behind the decline in bee populations.

7. The two-wheel entrepreneurs: Bike culture spawns businesses nationwide
We’re seriously into bikes here. Depending on the month, we might be the #1 spot in the nation for urban biking—or it might be Portland. This feature by Lee Chilcote, an editor at our parent company, Issue Media Group, talks about how entrepreneurs in other cities are "riding" the new bike culture. In doing so, they're offering us models to learn from and a spirit to emulate as we pedal into the future.

8. The big picture: Laura Zabel on art's new roles in the community
Our former editor Jon Spayde talked with Zabel, the Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts in Saint Paul, gleaning her insights on transforming the nonprofit organization into an innovative center of thought and action about the relationships between artists and communities.

9. The real estate developer as artist: Peter Remes
The founder of First & First, Peter Remes has creatively redeveloped a number of derelict or underused properties in the Twin Cities—including Aria, 612 Broadway (home of 612 Brewery), and Icehouse. In doing so, he's transformed them into hotspots with, as he says, “an atmosphere that’s provocative, conversational, thought-provoking and stimulates curiosity.” We can’t wait to see what he does next.

10. Geek gals: Can the Twin Cities lead in helping women take their place in high tech?
Elizabeth Millard, our former Innovation and Jobs News Editor, examines the “stacked deck” behind the lack of women in technology and the initiatives that are building the momentum necessary to create change.