urbanMSP

I don't think that downtown Minneapolis proper can have one. Even at the summer solstice, the sun sets about 30 degrees past E-W. And I think the downtown street grid is kinked more than that.

Outside of downtown, I can confirm that there is one, because the sun is often shining directly into my eyes when driving.

Looks like this would happen with sunsets twice every summer, about a month before/after the solstice on May 20th and July 20th. It would also happen for sunrises twice a year, around November 20th and January 20th.

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/
Sunset (red line) on May 20th, 2019: Sunrise (green line) on November 21, 2019:

That's a nice interface on that website!

Probably worth noting that the angles that it shows for sunset would be where the sun hits a theoretical horizon, but to get the true "henge" effect, it would need to be at those angles some distance above the horizon (and preferably setting almost vertically).

Also, the shift in the grid at the Hennepin would preclude some of the long vistas you'd want to achieve the true effect.

Almost 50,000 people living downtown in 2018.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... r.amp.html

Almost 50,000 people living downtown in 2018.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... r.amp.html

Wow our year over year growth must have been crazy high last year.

There’s a shade under 50,000 people living in downtown Minneapolis after the city’s core added 6,325 residents in 2018, an increase of 14.5 percent.

Wow!

The existing facade, while nice, really doesn't have enough windows in it for an office user. So there would have to be pretty significant changes to the facade anyway.

Good to see they'll also be fixing the bad sidewalk condition that currently exists here. Unfortunately, it means there will be one less place to be an Easy Rider badass in downtown.

Some scaffolding is up and some of the facade has been removed. Looks like they're setting up a chute for demo?

Almost 50,000 people living downtown in 2018.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... r.amp.html

I’d be interested to read a streets.mn post with a map showing the boundaries of “downtown” and estimates of the population broken down. Then show the missing services. How do we have 50k living (and working) in that relatively small area but have things missing still. “Downtown is dead outside of business hours” doesn’t hold true any longer.

I remember when it was loudly bemoaned downtown lacked a grocery store. Now there are ... four? I bet even more could survive.

I remember when it was loudly bemoaned downtown lacked a grocery store. Now there are ... four? I bet even more could survive.

By my count, we have 4:
Trader Joes
Lunds
Target
Whole Foods

Only Lunds and Whole Paycheck are full service. I'd reckon that there is capacity for another full service grocery store in there. I'd really like something to go in near Elliot Park.

I remember when it was loudly bemoaned downtown lacked a grocery store. Now there are ... four? I bet even more could survive.

By my count, we have 4:
Trader Joes
Lunds
Target
Whole Foods

Only Lunds and Whole Paycheck are full service. I'd reckon that there is capacity for another full service grocery store in there. I'd really like something to go in near Elliot Park.

Out of curiosity, what delineats a “full service” grocer to you? I’m wondering specifically why you aren’t including TJs in that listen? Cheers

I could see a full grocery on the edge of Downtown near Washington Ave/35 doing good business and attracting U of M students and Downtown dwellers even more than TJ already does.

I remember when it was loudly bemoaned downtown lacked a grocery store. Now there are ... four? I bet even more could survive.

By my count, we have 4:
Trader Joes
Lunds
Target
Whole Foods

Only Lunds and Whole Paycheck are full service. I'd reckon that there is capacity for another full service grocery store in there. I'd really like something to go in near Elliot Park.

Out of curiosity, what delineats a “full service” grocer to you? I’m wondering specifically why you aren’t including TJs in that listen? Cheers

Might be eating my words a bit. But I consider a full service grocery store one that has a bakery and butcher in it. Thinking back, I don't know if Lunds downtown has either.

Haha it’s all ok. That makes sense. I appreciate your response.

Lunds downtown has both of those in addition to an olive bar and cheese shoppe

There’s a cheesemonger no less. Love that Lund’s.

Cool, I obviously don't shop at Lunds. TJs and Target are my go-to's because I'm cheap.

Trader Joe's is mostly pre prepared ingredients and not a lot of raw ingredients to actually cook with.

There’s a cheesemonger no less. Love that Lund’s.

If you mean "someone that stands behind the cheese counter", sure, but last time I was in there they didn't have or know what Cotija was. That's like not knowing Cheddar. Every Mexican place in the city puts it on their refried beans.

Trader Joe's is mostly pre prepared ingredients and not a lot of raw ingredients to actually cook with.

I've been pleasantly surprised in that regard with the new one downtown. More fresh meat (pre-packaged, of course) and produce than I recalled.