Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics

[TommyT]

The Minneapolis Christmas Market will be open daily from November 28-December 24 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

I'm actually quite surprised that it will be open daily for 10 hours a day for nearly a month!

[seanrichardryan]

I feel bad for the vendors sitting out there for ten hours in winter.

[min-chi-cbus]

Probably downtown business interests' way to keep "the wrong kind of people" out.

It quotes that the funds are necessary to leverage private interests' investment (in other words, it backs their investment with some guaranteed revenue). Whether that keeps the "wrong" people out or not remains to be seen -- it surely doesn't seem to do that at casinos, and $3-$6 per person (kids/adults) isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for most people who are used to paying triple that for the State Fair (for example).

However, I tend to agree that free is the better way to go, especially when a hot dog will cost $6 and a beer (if they're smart enough to serve it) will cost $11!

I'm more for alcohol infused hot chocolate or hot cider myself!

Like a "Hard Yoo-hoo!"?

[Nathan]

I feel bad for the vendors sitting out there for ten hours in winter.

I feel worse for the vendors selling hot food on hot days at the fair

[Condo_Dweller]

The Warner Properties that were recently sold will mean that rents will go up significantly for the residents of those 407 apartments. I rented from Warner for 15 years in two buildings and 4 different apartments. Warner Properties was a family trust and was a family run rental company for over 70 years. They kept rents reasonable and ALWAYS, ALWAYS kept up their buildings. Each building has live in managers. Most of that portfolio are older, solid, stock buildings with great woodwork, brick exterior. I rented from them for they were always spot on with repairs, upgrades, dealing with bad tenants, and kept rents cheap. The apartments are roomy. I had two walk in closets in a studio, rented a two bedroom, and one bedroom. Bathrooms were decent size for older buildings. Warner is one reason we have good old stock and affordable apartments in Uptown.

[Wedgeguy]

I need some help to remember the name of the hotel/motel that used to sit on the NE corner of 10th and 4th Ave. Was torn down years ago now but it is bugging me. Thought it started with an L. The Lemington is where the super transist/parking garage now sits. Was there such a place called the Lexington, or am I confusing St. Paul with that name? Thanks if anyone can answer that question.

[TroyGBiv]

Lemington was a hotel on that location. Although I think it was between 3rd and 2nd on 10th.

[Wedgeguy]

Lemington was a hotel on that location. Although I think it was between 3rd and 2nd on 10th.

The Lemington is where the parking garage is on 10th, 2nd, and 3rd. The parcel that bugs me is on 10th and 4th a block to the east of the parking ramp. Next to the Francis Drake and across from the entrance to 35W. But thanks for the try.

[mullen]

The old Curtis Hotel was around here to.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywood ... 253722791/

[Wedgeguy]

The old Curtis Hotel was around here to.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywood ... 253722791/

Not it, but thanks for the reminder, I had totally forgotten about the Curtis Hotel legacy. I do believe that the Curtis was either on the block where the Hilton now stands but faced second street or the Short block which is now basically empty parking block except for the 2 historic building that front 9th. This hotel that is driving me crazy was about 5-8 stories tall. Was probably built in the late 40's or early 50's as it had a white and teal blue facade and was on the corner next to the Francis Drake and across the Street from the Ameriprise operations building. But thanks again for sharpening my memory. I think I don't remember the Curtis as well, because it may have already been torn down before I settle here in the Twin Cities.

Both the Curtis and the Leamington were very near the old convention center. They were our equivalent of a convention hotel in their time. Both were good sized hotels in their own right. Again thanks for the try.

[bapster2006]

You can always count on the Bapster. I personally took these photos of that ugly *ss building, ha ha. My favorite part was the barbed wire on the east side.

10th St and 4th Ave abandoned blue building west face by bapster2006, on Flickr

10th St and 4th Ave abandoned blue building east face by bapster2006, on Flickr

[Wedgeguy]

That is the building, but we still have not a name! Yes it was one turd in the punch bowl of a building! Thanks for the pic, now if we can only remember it's name!!

[mister.shoes]

Holy balls. It's on Street View as of July 2007. The next snapshot in October 2008 has it gone.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9718932 ... !5s2007-07

[bapster2006]

I don't want to know its name! ha ha.

As an added bonus, just because it was mentioned, here's a photo I took of the Hotel Leamington in 1987 with the dirt hole for the IDS Operations Center.

Hotel Leamington c1987 by bapster2006, on Flickr

[FISHMANPET]

You can always count on the Bapster. I personally took these photos of that ugly *ss building, ha ha. My favorite part was the barbed wire on the east side.

10th St and 4th Ave abandoned blue building west face by bapster2006, on Flickr

10th St and 4th Ave abandoned blue building east face by bapster2006, on Flickr

Man, I actually like the look of this. Obviously it would need some maintenance, and the white cinder blocks on the first floor could be better, but I'm digging the overall look.

[grant1simons2]

Looks like it's in Hong Kong

[MNdible]

That's the old Leamington Motor Lodge, not to be confused with the Leamington proper.

As I recall, in its latter years, it was owned by People Serving People and used as a shelter.

[holmstar]

It looks like someone took an old mobile home and fed it like 30 other old mobile homes.

[fehler]

That building was next to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, if that's the name you're looking for.

[Wedgeguy]

That picture really confused me as I had lost what direction it was taken from. Without Grant Park on the left and the Ameriprise office building on the lower corner. I could not figure out the parking ramp, because it is now where the Ameriprise block is. All that open space south of the church with out the parking structure and the church without it's new steeple. The land where the Hilton Garden is now, was then a one story traffic operations center for the Twin Cities. Thanks, fun to look and see how much the city has changed since I moved to town.

Ok, thanks Mndible, I thought the name started with an L. I was correct there. It was just you had to add Leamington Motor Court to it to get the correct building. You are correct with it's later use as well.