Buzz

Grist, a source for green news, recently posted a video and text about the Twin Cities' Nice Ride bikeshare program.

Streetfilms took a special trip to the Twin Cities to find out more about Nice Ride.

Quoting Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who says, "You've got to go big or go home," Grist emphasizes the fact that the program went from 65 stations with 700 bikes last year to the current 116 stations and 1,200 bikes.

Companies see the bikeshare stations as good for business, Rybak says. 

Washington, D.C., Madison, Wisc., Denver, and Boston have similar bikeshare services, it states.

Although California was named the best state for kid-friendly dining, Minnesota ranked high in kid-friendly options, according to online restaurant reservation site OpenTable.

The list of winners was culled from more than ten million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners, and included more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states.

Out of 100 top kid-friendly eateries, twelve Minnesota restaurants were recognized, with Buca di Beppo nabbing five spots for its family-friendly style in Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Axel's Bonfire took three spots on the list for its locations in Blaine, Savage, and Woodbury.

Also making the list were Boca Chica Restaurant in St. Paul, Burger Jones near Lake Calhoun, and Good Earth and Mozza Mia, both in Edina.

Johnny Michaels, who works as a bartender at La Belle Vie restaurant in Minneapolis, was recently featured in Esquire magazine.

"Mixology is sort of like cooking with liquor," says Michaels in the interview, joking,  "With my looks and personality, I should've been a cook."  

He describes his good fortune to have wound up at La Belle Vie, which he imagines is "like getting drafted by the New England Patriots."

Although he claims he's not a popular "silver-tongued" charmer, he admits that he's in a good position to see people's moods brighten.

"What's good to hear is when people tell you, 'That's the best drink I've ever had in my life.' That's my crack. That's my home run," he says in the piece.   

According to rankings compiled by U.S. News and World Report, The Saint Paul Hotel is the top luxury hotel in the Twin Cities, based on an unbiased analysis of awards, expert recommendations, and user ratings.

The publication's travel listings noted that the hotel has a combination of history and comfort, and excels at sophisticated elegance. "Sipping a cocktail in the classic lobby bar or dining at the St. Paul Grill are culinary highlights of many travelers' trips," the site noted.

Coming in second and third on the list are Graves 601 Minneapolis and Hotel Ivy, which also garner high marks in terms of recognition and user ratings.

Event planning site Successful Meetings reported on a survey of the 10 best convention and visitors bureaus and destination marketing organizations in North America, and Minneapolis came in third place, just after Toronto and Seattle.

The results were derived from a survey by the Watkins Research Group of over 600 meeting planners, and identified over 30 defining characteristics of 46 key convention and meeting destinations.

Meet Minneapolis, the city's convention bureau (and a sponsor of The Line), was noted  for attendance gains in the first four months of 2011, particularly in major shows like the Twin Cities Auto Show and Minneapolis Home and Garden Show.

Star Tribune sports columnist Sid Hartman is featured in a piece on The Morning Delivery titled "Journalists in which the word 'retirement' just isn't in their vocabulary." [sic]

Hartman, who is 92 years old, is still meeting deadlines and speaking on the radio weekdays, it states.

Hartman, who was a high school dropout, never received any formal journalism training, but after beginning as a delivery boy for the Star Tribune at the age of 12, he was able to work his way up to full-time columnist.

"Instead of wondering who Sid interviewed, a better question might be who hasn't this celebrated veteran interviewed," the piece reads.  

Hartman once followed New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath into the shower for an interview, introduced Bobby Knight to Ted Williams, and drove to the airport with Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford after the funeral of Roger Maris, the article recounts.

Dennis Bracken, Assistant Sports Editor at the Star-Tribune, is quoted as saying: "Name a major moment in Minnesota sports, and Sid was there and probably had his hand in making the news."

Cool Hunting, which showcases interesting new developments every week in the areas of design, tech, style, travel, culture, and more, recently featured an invention that comes out of Minneapolis.

Bike Fixtation, the bicycle-repair kiosk from the Minneapolis company of the same name, topped a recent list of picks on the Cool Hunting website.

"If you've ever ended up stranded in the city with a flat tire, you'll find the new Bike Fixtation kiosks helpful. The self-service stations are open extended hours for bicyclists in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan areas," the notice reads.
 
An international team of editors and contributors at Cool Hunting sort through all kinds of innovations to provide the weekly digest.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area landed on Forbes' list of Best Cities for Young Professionals, coming in at number 10 on a list of 15 top cities.

The Midwest was well represented on the list, with Des Moines grabbing the top spot, Madison coming in third and Omaha at number five.

To determine the best cities for young professionals--which Forbes defines as adults aged 24 to 34 who hold a bachelor's degree or higher--the magazine assessed cities on seven factors, including unemployment rates, projected growth, number of small businesses, median salaries, and cost of living.

A local program that assists immigrant farmers has been spotlighted in Harvest Foodservice Journal, a publication that connects those interested in sustainable food systems with contacts in the foodservice industry.

The Minnesota Food Association (MFA) trains immigrant farmers in techniques that allow them to grow food that can be certified as organic, which opens up new markets and resources for them. That designation can also link them to important wholesale markets that might otherwise be inaccessible.

To build a bridge over cultural differences, the MFA works with translators and various ethnic groups to build educational sessions. The non-profit training program helps by offering low-cost land rental, affordable infrastructure like walk-in coolers, and assistance with taxes.

In a story this month from The Economist titled "A Warmer Welcome in a Colder State," the magazine describes the receptive atmosphere for immigration in the Twin Cities, and beyond.

Despite a 130 percent increase in foreign-born people in the state between 1990 and 2000--compared with the 57 percent national average for the same period--"Minnesota has largely avoided the backlash seen in states such as Arizona," it reads.

The state is far removed from Latin America, and unauthorized migration isn't a big concern here, the story says. However, the state has been proactive in this area, with strong refugee resettlement programs that go back to the 1980s.

The Twin Cities have also established a number of related support initiatives for immigrants. For starters, Minneapolis and St. Paul are "sanctuary cities," which prevents police from collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in their regular work.

Government money has also gone to help immigrant entrepreneurs.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak acknowledges that while there have been plenty of challenges, "it has an enormous upside in a global economy.".

A study of 361 metro areas gives the Twin Cities a third-place ranking for its resilience. Rochester, Minn., and Bismarck, N.D. top the list, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

The Business Journal states that according to the study "there is no place better than the Upper Midwest at bouncing back from financial, natural or other disasters."

Cities in Texas and California were at the bottom of the list, whixh came out of the University at Buffalo Regional Institute.

Factors in the Resilience Capacity Index included voter participation, home ownership, economic diversity and income levels, the Business Journal reports.

Minnesota now ranks 7th in CNBC's annual ranking of the top places to do business.

For the past five years, the news firm has ranked all 50 states based on categories such as cost of doing business, workforce, transportation and infrastructure, education, access to capital, and quality of life.

Minnesota improved its rankings for cost of doing business and access to capital, and came in 8th for its quality of life. The state came out ahead of Iowa and Nebraska, which also placed in the top 10.

Overall, Virginia was the highest-ranked state, and Rhode Island was the lowest-ranked.

Saint Paul beat out hundreds of competitors to become a "top 10 city" for its quality of life and business-friendly environment.

The rankings were put together by FDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times Ltd., which tracks global business and investment trends.

The Cities of the Future process compares over 400 cities in North and South America, examining economic potential, human resources, cost effectiveness, quality of life, infrastructure, and business-friendliness.

In a comment on the Financial Times results, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman cited significant infrastructure investments like the Central Corridor Light Rail Line as well as a revitalized bar and restaurant scene in Lowertown. He noted, "[W]e are focused on making Saint Paul a destination for living, working and playing."

A couple of local beer companies made it onto the recent list of "Best Beers in America," according to a story in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

The results come from the American Homebrewers Association, which polled the readers of its journal, Zymurgy. Readers came up with a list of their 20 favorite beers.

Minneapolis-based Summit Brewing Co., placed 48th for Summit EPA. In terms of best beer portfolios, it ranked 25th, with nine of its beers named by readers, according to the story.

Another local company, Surly Brewing Co., did well with its Furious ale, while it also ranked high in the category of best breweries.

At the top of the list was Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Russian River Brewing Co.'s Pliny the Elder, while the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Del., led for its brewery and portfolio.

As a part of a larger project on American Muslims, the Washington Post has a feature story and slide show that shed light on the efforts of local Somali youth activist Abdirizak Bihi.

Bihi, who singlehandedly runs the Somali Education and Special Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, has been a valuable resource for authorities investigating the radicalization of American Muslims.

But much of his work in "Little Mogadishu," an area of Minneapolis where many Somalis live and gather, has to do with setting up more youth programming.

Photos in a slide show document his work to build up youth soccer and basketball programs, including getting an AstroTurf field built, fundraising for Somali Week athletic games, improving access to a local gym, and starting a girls' basketball league.

The only way he can be successful in protecting his community, he says, is "to do everything to build up every part of these kids' lives."