Behind Bars Bicycle Shop
Website I Facebook I Flickr
208 13th Ave NE # 1, Minneapolis, MN 55413-2994 (612) 436-0255Hours:Tuesday - Friday: 10am-7pm
Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
Always Closed on Mondays.
Dogs always welcome.
Bus: 2 St NE & 13 Av NE

Sheridan resident, Angelina McDowell, nominated Behind Bars Bicycle Shop, as a neighborhood gem. Angelina is a Bachelor's in Social Work student at Augsburg College and her main mode of transportation is her bike. Here's what she has to say about Behind Bars:

I love the guys working at Behind Bars Bicycle Bike Shop. Chuck and Josh (as well as the rest of the staff) are so personable and fun to talk to. They take time to get to know each and every person coming into the shop. When ever I have time, I like to go in there and just visit. I feel like I am hanging out at a friends' house that happens to fix bikes. 

When I was in a bike accident a couple years ago, my bike was out of commission for a few days, they were kind enough to loan me a bike from the shop to get around while it was getting fixed. 

This place is a great neighborhood business, with a fun staff, and I hope they are around for a very long time!

Angelina and I hung out in the "living room" of Behind Bars, talking about her experience with the bike shop. Her first encounter with their exceptional customer service was when she brought in a used bike she bought at a garage sale and they tuned it up at a cost in line with her investment. A year later, she came back in and Chuck called her by name! 

She was unfortunately hit by a car while on her bike and while she was OK, the bike was not. Chuck fixed it and returned it like it was new. 

Angelina talked about how welcoming the shop is and that she likes to stop by and just hang out. She even knows Chuck's wife and daughter. 

Chuck has made his shop his second home and even displays his collection of skulls around the shop (maybe his wife doesn't want them in their home?). He also collects belt buckles and has picked up many while thrifting as he travels. 

Chuck likes biking on off road trails in the woods best but his daily commute to work takes him on the Theodore Wirth trail. When I asked him how he chose Sheridan neighborhood for his shot, she said he always knew he wanted to be in Northeast Minneapolis because of the arts, bars and neighborhood focus. For his part in contributing to the community, he sponsors school carnivals and donates to silent auctions in the north and northeast neighborhoods. Behind Bars is a partner of Full Cycle and helps sponsor Break The Cycle, a social fundraising event that benefits at-risk and homeless youth. He also helps sponsor racing teams- head sponsor for Behind Bars/Little Guy Racing and shop sponsor for Larson Cycle Racing team. 

Chuck aims to have a shop where everyone who walks through the door feels comfortable. He likes that people stop in while they are waiting for a table at nearby restaurants. Every year, he has a sale during Art-A-Whirl since their is increased foot traffic in the area. 

I can see why Angelina likes hanging out at Behind Bars. Chuck is extremely personable and enthusiastic about his shop, his family, his friends and customers and hobbies such BMX and skate boarding at 3rd Lair Skate Park. 

Loring Park neighborhood is located in the southwest portion of downtown Minneapolis. The neighborhood is bound on the west by West Lyndale North, Lyndale South and Hennepin avenues; on the south by Interstate 94 and on the east by Highway 65. Interstate 394 and 12th Street North and South form the northern and northeastern borders. The neighborhood is named for its park, Loring Park, which was known as Central Park until its name was changed in honor of Charles Loring, the first superintendent of the Minneapolis park system. Turn-of-the-century brick walk-up apartments and a row of businesses surround the park. The neighborhood is home to important institutions and buildings such as the Basilica of Saint Mary, the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church and the Woman's Club. The Walker Art Center and Guthrie Theater nearby and many restaurants and cafés ensure an active social and cultural life.

Source: City of Minneapolis Profile Page

I had the pleasure of going on two separate tours of the Loring Park neighborhood. Both of my guides take lots of fantastic photos of their neighborhood, please take a look: 

• Julie's Flickr set
• Ren's Flickr set

Julie moved to Minneapolis after she graduated from Michigan State and lived in Loring Park from 1993 until 1994. She left Minneapolis for career opportunities in Chicago and New York City but when Minneapolis lured her back in 2009, choosing Loring Park as her home, to her, was a no-brainer.  In fact, she lives across the street from her first apartment. In addition to working as a Creative Recruiter, hiring people to work in marketing, advertising and design, Julie volunteers to do art therapy once week with Free Arts Minnesota. She enjoys talking about “the arts” as being more than just a visual form. Julie is a natural at reviewing restaurants and other venues because she is a regular contributor to Yelp. While living in Chicago, Julie started a brunch club and continued the group here in Minneapolis.

Ren Rhodman first fell in love with Minneapolis in 2006 as an out-of-state visitor. She fell in love with Loring Park and moved here in 2008. Ren is a telecommuting database administrator and is back to school part-time studying software development. For fun, Ren enjoys photography, knitting and crocheting, and is an amateur naturalist. Her dog, Riker enjoys many walks around Loring Park. You can learn more about Ren’s interests and hobbies on wr3n, now and zen and on Flickr.

Both Julie and Ren focused their tours around the perimeter and within the neighborhood's namesake Park. As I look back at the Loring Park map, I realize there is still much to see! If you want to show me around the eastern sections of the neighborhood, fill out a tour guide form!

Linden Hills is located in southwest Minneapolis. It's bound on the north by 36th Street West and Lake Calhoun, on the east by William Berry Drive and Lake Harriet, on the south by 47th Street West, and on the west by France Avenue, which is the city limit. The neighborhood, named by the developer for the linden trees and rolling terrain, was developed in the 1880s to entice homebuyers to leave downtown for cottages on Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. Most of the original cottages have been replaced by large bungalows and Tudors. The Lake Harriet-Como Streetcar ("Trolley") line runs through the neighborhood. Built at the end of the 19th century to connect downtown Minneapolis with the lakes, the historic rail line now only operates between Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun.

Source: City of Minneapolis Linden Hills Profile page

Elliot Altbaum is a Southwest High School grad (2010) and has just completed his first year at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is listed as “one of 40 colleges that change lives”. He is currently undecided in his major but is considering Urban Development and Social Change. For the summer, he is working at Lucia’s To Go. 

You can follow our footsteps by accessing the Linden Hills walk on MapMyWalk.com. Linden Hills is a relatively big neighborhood and Elliot focused on the area in which he spends the most time. He told me there is a lot more to see, including two business districts (44th & Beard and 44th & France) Southwest High School, and historic homes. If you want to be the next tour guide for Linden Hills, fill out the tour guide form.