Buzz

Twin Cities cracks Business Week's list of 10 most improved housing markets

Business Week Wednesday, June 23, 2010

According to Business Week, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area has the ninth most improved housing market in the nation:

"The Twin Cities area, which has a low 6.8 percent unemployment rate, is more stable now than it has been in years. Prices in the Minneapolis area started to rise in 2010 after falling for 41 consecutive months, reported the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors, signaling that prices have already reached bottom."

Read the full article here.

Urban spaces come alive with renegade yoga meet-ups

Star Tribune Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Yoga is leaving the studio and hitting the streets in the Twin Cities. Guerrilla yoga sessions might happen anywhere, from a parking lot to a park, reports the Star Tribune:

"On the shores of Minneapolis lakes, recent graduates from CorePower's teacher training programs lead free classes with the twin purposes of gaining teaching experience and making yoga accessible to those who can't afford studio yoga.

'It's a win-win,' said Joe Pollock, who started Saturday classes at Lake of the Isles. 'It's a fun way to practice in an outdoor setting. People running by always want to know what's going on ... one random person came because someone else tweeted about it. ... The reality is, yoga is a huge business. I think that's fine, as long as there's a way to make it accessible to other people too.'"

Read the full article here.

MD+DI names hearing implant maker Envoy Medical one of "50 Companies to Watch"

Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A medical device trade journal has named a White Bear Lake company on its "50 Companies to Watch" list.

Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry says Envoy Medical is worth keeping an eye on since its prosthetic hearing implant device, Esteem, was approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March:

The "FDA recently approved Envoy to market a 'first of its kind' prosthetic hearing restoration device. The approval follows a unanimous vote by a 15-member independent advisory panel in favor of approving the Esteem for moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. FDA expedited the review process, noting that it believes the Esteem 'represents a breakthrough technology.'"

Read the entire list here.

Best Buy starts the presses on @Gamer video game magazine

CrunchGear Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Even as it stocks its stores with e-readers, Best Buy still sees a future for print.

The consumer electronics retailer is rolling out a print magazine this month called @Gamer. The video gaming magazine will be available by subscription and in stores starting this month for $5.99 an issue.

CrunchGear questioned whether readers will be able to trust the magazine's recommendations, since the company sells those games. A Best Buy spokesperson tells the blog that the magazine will have an editorial team separate from Best Buy.

Read CrunchGear's entire post here.

Ernst & Young announces Midwest region Entrepreneur of the Year winners

Ernst & Young LLP Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Ernst & Young last week announced its Entrepreneur of the Year winners for 2010. Central Midwest Region winners include the creators/founders of Surly Brewing, Jack Link's Beef Jerky, Snap Fitness and Starkey Laboratories, among others.

"Ernst & Young believes in the power of entrepreneurship," partner William Miller said in a statement. "These Entrepreneur Of The Year award winners are best in class, and we are proud to honor their outstanding success."

Read the entire list of winners and press release here.

Target's $5 million puts Orchestra Hall renovation fund over the top

Minnesota Public Radio Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Target Corporation has given $5 million to the Minnesota Orchestra's fund to renovate Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. The gift puts the $40 million campaign over the top, giving the green light to the project.

"No start date has been set for the project, but [orchestra president and CEO Michael] Henson says it is on target to open in June of 2013.

"Target Corporation will hold naming rights for Orchestra Hall's new lobby and terraces. The state provided $14 million in bonding money and the orchestra raised another $29 million in private donations."

Read the full article here.

Likeness of sports columnist Sid Hartman to join downtown Minneapolis statuary

MinnPost Wednesday, June 16, 2010

At a celebrity-studded banquet in honor of Star Tribune sports columnist Sid Hartman's 90th birthday, plans were announced for a statue of the sports media legend in downtown Minneapolis. MinnPost's David Brauer took a look at how a likeness of Hartman will fit into the collection of recognizable faces in bronze around downtown.

"This got me thinking: who is honored with a statue in downtown Minneapolis?

"Obviously, the traditional concept involves heroes, inordinately defined as politicians and generals. Those categories were always too narrow. But downtown's sculpture garden is starkly different: future civilizations would correctly discern our priorities�sports and pop culture."

Read the rest of the article here.

Guerrilla gardeners plant on public land

St. Paul Pioneer Press Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Guerrilla gardeners are taking it upon themselves to beautify plots of land that are public property in the Twin Cities, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Some local officials find it annoying.

"To Hall and her furtive cohorts, beautifying ugly land can't be a bad thing. 'All it means is that a little bit of ground is being improved,' said Hall, gazing at her 8-by-12-foot garden on city property behind her town home.

"Many people have seen the work of guerrilla gardeners but don't know it. The eco-outlaws sneak flowers into land by freeway exits, abandoned city gardens, or vacant lots.

"Some make their own 'seed bombs'�green grenades made of compressed compost, fertilizer and seeds, designed to be thrown onto soil.

"'When I am riding my bike, I look for vacant lots and just throw in a couple of my seed bombs,' said Bridget McDonald of Minneapolis, who started guerrilla gardening last year.

"'A month later � flowers!'"

Read the full story here.

A field guide to Twin Cities farmers markets

Twin Cities Daily Planet,Asian Pages Wednesday, June 09, 2010

A timely introduction to farmers markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul appeared in the Asian Pages newspaper and was picked up online by the Twin Cities Daily Planet.

"With two dozen markets in the Twin Cities alone, choosing the right market is like deciding where to dine, for each market has its own personality. The Minneapolis market open every morning at Lyndale near Olsen Highway is most like the State Fair featuring crowds of people strolling through the booths offering local produce, imported items, fast-food (grilled corn-on-the-cob, grilled brats, coffee, etc.), live music, outdoor furniture, even clothing items

"The downtown St. Paul market on 5th Street, open Saturday and Sunday mornings, is more like a country roadside stand where the farmer comes in from the field with freshly picked food. In fact, this market does not allow any imported food

"And, then there are the small markets throughout the area with their own approaches to food and fun."

Read the full story here.

CNN features social entrepreneur/brewer Finnegan's in small business segment

CNN Wednesday, June 09, 2010

CNN raised a glass to Finnegan's Irish Amber last week in its Small Business Success segment. The network talked with Finnegan's cofounder Jacquie Berglund about brewing in a downturn. The Minneapolis beer company, which donates all its pretax profits to charity, is tightening its belt, she said, but the taps are still flowing.

"There's still a lot of opportunity out there. We have a great product. We just need to make sure people are choosing us first," Berglund said.

Watch the entire segment below:

Esquire ranks Nye's among best bars in the nation (again)

Esquire,Star Tribune Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Nye's Polonaise Room, located just across the Hennepin Avenue Bridge from downtown Minneapolis, has again made the upper reaches of Esquire magazine's national bar ratings. In 2006, Esquire named Nye's the best bar in America; this year, as the Star Tribune notes, Nye's is listed as one of "10 Bars Every Man Should Drink in Before He Dies." Six other bars in Minneapolis and St. Paul also rate mentions by the magazine.

"If they made a sequel to Fargo, the first scene would be set here. The sparkling vinyl booths and sing-along piano bar made this place the epitome of swank for the generations of Polish-Americans who populated northeast Minneapolis. Thankfully, the old-timers refuse to yield."

Read the full story here.

Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked 7th most Bohemian metro

The Atlantic Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Minneapolis once had a neighborhood called Bohemian Flats, but that was named for a different kind of Bohemian. Now the Mill City, together with St. Paul, has achieved top-ten status among the most Bohemian cities in the United States and Canada. Richard Florida explains the rankings at the Atlantic magazine's website.

"The index charts the concentration of working artists, musicians, writers, designers, and entertainers across metropolitan areas. We measure it as a location quotient, which basically compares regional employment to the national norm, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and StatsCan. ... Los Angeles is North America's most bohemian metro, followed by New York, Vancouver, Toronto, and greater Washington, D.C. Rounding out the top 10 are Nashville, Salt Lake City (which may come as a surprise to some), Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Francisco, and Montreal."

Read the full story here.

Rickshaws pull into the transit mix

Downtown Journal Wednesday, June 09, 2010

The Downtown Journal takes note of a transportation trend that's on the rise partly due to the opening of the Minnesota Twins' Target Field in downtown Minneapolis: rickshaws, also known as pedicabs.

"Pedicabs, those three-wheeled pedal taxis that combine the mechanics of a tricycle with the luxury of a chariot, are everywhere this spring. And while they aren't necessarily new to Minneapolis, the last few months have seen the number of giant trikes mushroom, lured Downtown by the flood of pedestrians surrounding Target Field. It's a sign that the Twin Cities have finally jumped on board with a green industry that has been growing exponentially--and often problematically--in cities large and small around the country.

"But while we may be a little late to the pedicab game--pedicabs have operated in New York City since 1995, and in Portland, our rival in all matters cycling-related, they've been part of the urban landscape since 2002--we seem to be ahead of the curve in policing it."

Read the full story here.

Fort Snelling's Upper Post being readied for big things

Star Tribune Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Fort Snelling has been in the news recently for demonstrations calling attention to the history of ill treatment of Native Americans at the site. But behind the scenes, redevelopment of a less-known part of the fort complex is beginning after long years of neglect. The Star Tribune reports that the buildings at the Upper Post are being prepped for new life as residences, offices and possibly a hotel.

"The handsome yellow-brick buildings are still boarded up, the overgrown fields creased by the wind like some verdant sea of grass.

"But after years of much talk and hand-wringing, the pieces are falling into place to remake Fort Snelling's Upper Post --cousin to the historic fort that attracts thousands annually--and the nearby light-rail station area into a mixed-use, self-sustaining development that also respects its storied past.

"The result would be a unique village atop the river bluffs, next to the airport, that would include offices, shops, museums, even housing and a hotel. Between old and new structures, up to 4 million square feet might be available for development--about the size of the Mall of America."

Read the full story here.

Minneapolis chair designer breaks his foot, then reinvents the crutch

Fast Company Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Jeff Weber broke his heel five years ago while gardening and found himself with plenty of time to ponder just how ugly and uncomfortable conventional crutches are. A seating designer by trade, Weber decided there had to be a better way and came up with MobiLegs.

Fast Company writes about the crutches, which "look like they'd be equally at home being sold at a hospital supply or a sporting goods shop." Weber's new company will start selling a basic and deluxe model of the ergonomic crutches this summer for $60 and $90, respectively. He hopes to quickly grow into a $10-million-a-year company.

Read the entire Fast Company article here.

Also, see MedCity News' article here.