The Sheridan neighborhood is located in northeast Minneapolis. It extends from Washington Street NE on the east to the Mississippi River on the west, and from Broadway Street NE on the south to 18th and 17th avenues NE on the north. It is named for Civil War General Philip Sheridan. The neighborhood elementary and junior high schools and the local park are all named after General Sheridan too. A large portion of the neighborhood was built for industrial use of the Mississippi River, but there is potential for new housing in these industrial areas. The Sheridan neighborhood also has a sizable amount of small apartment buildings.

Source: City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Profile Page

Note: I was recently in DC and took a photo of the statue commemorating General Philip Sheridan. 

Heidi Andermack has had a connection and dedication to Northeast Minneapolis since moving to the City of Lakes in 1993. She lived in Northeast neighborhoods until 2009 and now has a business based in Sheridan.  She is co-owner of Chowgirls Killer Catering which has enjoyed a permanent home in the Sheridan neighborhood since 2006 at 1222 Second Street NE. During our walk, I learned that Heidi was instrumental in the formation of Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and in 2002 coordinated the creation of the Arts Action Plan for Northeast Minneapolis. Heidi is married to local typographer, Chank Diesel (Chank Co) and they are parents to Max. 

You can follow our footsteps by accessing the Sheridan Walk on MapMyWalk.com. 

I have been working on the Sheridan neighborhood post and was unable to meet my self-imposed deadline tonight. So, before calling it a night, I thought I'd post my most recent Armatage streets and alley walk which I did on Wednesday, August 24. As a reminder, this is part of the series in which I plan to walk every street and alley in my neighborhood of Armatage (walk #1 and walk #2). 

Walk #3 (orange line) started at the bus stop at 56th & Oliver and after picking up Stewie, was a quick trip (1.09 miles total) around Armatage Park and Community Center. 

The East Harriet neighborhood is located in Minneapolis' Southwest Community. It takes its name from Lake Harriet, which Fort Snelling builder Col. Henry Leavenworth named after his wife in 1819. The neighborhood is bordered by 36th Street on the north and 46th Street to the south. Lyndale Avenue is the eastern boundary; Lake Harriet and Lakewood Cemetery largely make up the western border of the neighborhood. In addition to these Minneapolis landmarks, the Lyndale Park Rose Garden and the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary are located within East Harriet. Many houses in the neighborhood are two-story homes, set back from the streets.

Source: City of Minneapolis East Harriet Profile

Amy Zimmerman has lived in the East Harriet neighborhood for a year and a half. While she is currently working as a Trust Administrator (estate planning), her life’s work and passion is in music. An aspiring Opera singer,  she has three music degrees:  B.Mus. from Immaculata University in Philadelphia, a Masters degree in Musicology, and a Masters degree in Arts Management, both from City University London. Amy is an avid Yelp contributor and blogs as Kitchen Diva, which used to be devoted to her garden and cooking but after a diagnosis of Dietary Fructose Intolerance (DFI) she now focuses on recipes that are DFI friendly.

You can follow our footsteps by accessing the East Harriet walk on MapMyWalk.com. On the day that we met for our tour, it was approximately 100 degrees with 75% humidity (read: hot, sweaty mess). So, we both agreed it would be best to limit our tour to a few key highlights around Amy's home which happen to be some of the most gorgeous spaces that the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board have to offer. I know there is more to East Harriet and I look forward to returning. If you want to be the next tour guide for East Harriet, fill out the tour guide form. 

Last week I introduced my new weekly(ish) feature- walking every street and alley of Armatage, my neighborhood in the southwest corner of Minneapolis (here's walk #1). Since I just took 100 photos at the Armatage Summer Festival, I wasn't sure what would inspire me on tonight's walk for my Wednesday contribution to Armatage 365. 

The homeowner told us that the hydrangeas are without leaves because her above-ground pool broke and chlorinated water poured out all over the back, side and front of the home. Fortunately no one had water in their basement and these flowers took the biggest hit but will hopefully survive.

Cul-de-sacs are uncommon and the late 1970's style homes on Thomas Avenue are about 30 years newer than most of the late 1940's homes in the area. 

Northrop is located in the southern part of the city and is bound from east to west by Cedar Avenue and Chicago Avenue and from north to south by 42nd Street and Minnehaha Parkway. As are many neighborhoods in Minneapolis, Northrop is named for its elementary school. Northrop Elementary takes its name from Cyrus Northrop, second president of the University of Minnesota. The neighborhood consists mainly of two-bedroom, pre-1940s stucco, brick and stone houses. It shares with Field, the neighborhood located to the west of Northrop, an active business hub at Chicago Avenue and 48th Street. Restaurants, banks, a theater and other services are located around this busy intersection.

Source: City of Minneapolis neighborhood profile

Jen Williams is my co-worker and friend so I was thrilled that she and her daughter Brynn agreed to show me around Northrop. For pay, Jen is a career counselor and when she's not having a blast with me at work, she can be found "running, biking, hiking, camping, reading, home decorating, photography, and spending time with all the cool people I'm lucky to have in my life". Brynn attends Windom Dual Immersion Elementary School, likes to run and climb (here's evidence) and recently learned to paddle a kayak all by herself! Currently, she is very into playing school and doing lightbox tracing/drawing. 

Note: My favorite part of the evening was when I first saw Brynn covered in temporary tattoos from head to toe. The best one was a gas gauge on her belly. 

You can follow our footsteps by accessing the Northrop Walk on MapMyWalk.com. Jen and I agreed it would be best to keep our tour focused on a few main highlights so our route covered a small footprint of Northrop. I look forward to returning to learn more.

The first post for this blog was a mini tour of Armatage (my neighborhood) which is the southwest corner of Minneapolis (and often confused as part of Richfield). Last night, I proclaimed to the Twitterverse that Scott and I would walk every street and alley in the Armatage neighborhood...in one night. You see that Scott knew better and made me eat my words publicly, while chomping on a slice of My Sharoni 'za at Pizzeria Lola. 

Making lemonade out of lemons, I'll turn this multi-evening activity into a new regular blog post!  In fact, I will try to create a quick post shortly after I take my Wednesday photo for Armatage 365.  Walking every street is inspired by Francine Cochran who accomplished her goal of walking the entire city of Minneapolis back in 2005. 

On our walks with Stewie, Scott and I like to say hello to the other dogs in the neighborhood. Clockwise from top left: Mala, Carter, Murphy and our dog Stewie in the background, Scott and Mitch.

Paul Lundgren's child, Alex along with his mother, created this sidewalk art based on  Alphabet of Nations by They Might Be Giants. 

During the debate of whether or not my goal of walking all Armatage streets in one night could be accomplished, I bribed Scott with a stop at Pizzeria Lola. Their proximity to our home is becoming an issue since we were just there on Saturday.

Located on 56th and Xerxes, Lola has a dog friendly patio which makes sense; its namesake is a beautiful Weimaraner. Determined to get a photo of a person and/or dog for Armatage 365, I asked C.A.R.A.G. resident, Jen if I could take a photo of her with her Golden Retriever, Gigi. Turns out it was a great connection; Jen owns Radar Virtual Concierge Services in which Jen makes use of her vast knowledge of dining and entertainment venues and events in the Twin Cities to make personalized suggestions for her clients.

The Powderhorn Park neighborhood, on Minneapolis' south side, takes its name from Powderhorn Park lake, a small lake shaped like a powder horn. People gather for cultural activities and large community events in the park. The neighborhood is bound on the north by Lake Street, on the east by Cedar Avenue South, on the south by 38th Street East, and on the west by Chicago Avenue. Powderhorn Park is mainly a residential neighborhood, where single-family houses and narrow residential lots are prevalent. The neighborhood was annexed by the City in 1887 and most of the housing was built by 1920. In 1986 its southern boundary was moved from 36th Street to 38th Street.

Source: City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Profile

Emily Lloyd (@elloyd74) moved to Powderhorn Park from the Washington, DC area in the summer of 2006.  She lives with her partner, Teresa, the programming director of the nearby Urban Arts Academy; and their two teenage daughters, Olivia and Isabel. Emily works as a librarian at the public library in Eden Prairie, and writes, teaches and creates art for play. 

When asked to describe the culture of Powderhorn Park, Emily said: Powderhorn feels more like home to me than any other place I have lived. It's colorful (lots of murals, and the beautiful bright buildings on Lake Street) and has a laid-back, come-as-you-are vibe. My impression is that residents here really have a strong sense of living in a neighborhood--a community--not just "in South Minneapolis." We might have a higher incidence of Tibetan prayer flags and signs about workers' rights or peace than most Minneapolis neighborhoods. 

Emily is currently working on 6 Words Minneapolis, a public art project and collection of 6-word memoirs from as many Minneapolis residents as she can reach via foot, poster, or internet. Share your 6 Word Story by filling out this form and spread the word by sending it to your friends and neighbors. 

The 6 Words Minneapolis posters invite citizens to share their six word story in private places like coffee shop restrooms. As you can see from the above example, people share a range of emotions in six words. One of the many reasons I love Emily's project. 

The Minneapolis 81 tour is a snapshot of Powderhorn Park on one day, with one person as tour guide. Another way to experience Powderhorn Park without physically being there (clearly the best way), is through their ongoing photo project, Powderhorn 365.

Started in 2009, the first two years have been created into books one can purchase.  The creators of Powderhorn 365 have shared its success with other neighborhoods spurring additional 365 blogs:

• Armatage 365
• Phillips+Whittier 365
• Northside 365
• East Harriet 365
• Kenny 365. 

You can follow our footsteps by accessing the Powderhorn Park walk on MapMyWalk.com. 
Note that I'm covering the boundaries as defined by the City of Minneapolis so landmarks on the northside of Lake Street are in the Midtown Phillips or East Phillips neighborhoods. That said, places like Midtown Global Market and In The Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre, just to name two, are popular attractions for Powderhorn Park citizens. 

The Hiawatha neighborhood is located along the southeastern border of Minneapolis and is part of the Longfellow community. The neighborhood is named for its elementary school, Hiawatha. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the American poet born in 1807, made the names Hiawatha and Minnehaha famous in his poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The neighborhood extends from 40th Street on the north to 54th Street East on the south, and from the Mississippi River on the east to Hiawatha Avenue on the west and south. The light-rail transit line runs along Hiawatha Avenue, connecting downtown Minneapolis to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America in Bloomington. Minnehaha Avenue runs parallel to Hiawatha Avenue and clusters mixed and commercial uses, unlike the rest of the neighborhood with its mainly single-family houses. One-third of the neighborhood's area is open land: parks, including Minnehaha Park, and the Mississippi River's Lock and Dam Number 1.


Source: City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Profile

Brian (@emoeby) has lived in the Hiawatha neighborhood for 10 years, He and his wife, Tricia started in a home on 46th Avenue and then moved so they could have more room to start a family. Brian and Tricia love the neighborhood so much that when they were house hunting, the never looked outside of the Longfellow Community. They have a son, Dean, who at the time of our tours was learning to walk. 

I was happy to have met Tricia and Dean but my main tour guide was Brian. He works as a Systems Analyst from home, a perk he enjoys as it keeps him in his community. In fact, on our second tour, I met him at Peace Coffee in the Longfellow neighborhood just to the north of his home. Brian's main interests are baseball, craft beer, scenic drives, BBQ, and learning about Minneapolis/MN history. He combines those interests on his personal blog, which he's had for more than 10 years, East-Lake Tumblr. He also contributes to a collaborative Twins blog.

Follow our footsteps by accessing the Hiawatha route on MapMyWalk.com.

You can take this walk by accessing Hiawatha part two on MapMyWalk.com. 

The Cooper neighborhood is located in southeastern Minneapolis. It extends from 38th Avenue South in the west to the Mississippi River in the east and northeast. From north to south, Cooper extends from the 27th street railroad tracks to 34th Street East. The neighborhood's name is derived from an elementary school named after James Fenimore Cooper, an American novelist born in 1789. A mainly residential neighborhood, Cooper's most important commercial corridor is Lake Street. Parks cover the banks of the Mississippi River.


Source: City of Minneapolis profile page

Justin and Lucy were Cooper residents at the time when I started Minneapolis 81. They lived in a beautiful duplex which will be featured on the tour, but, they are now proud homeowners in the Minnehaha neighborhood!

Lucy works at the University of Minnesota in the College of Design as a career professional.  Justin just graduated from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and is now job searching and working for a landscaping company.  Justin and Lucy love to try new restaurants especially hidden gems around Minneapolis and St. Paul.  

To access the map and walk this route yourself, visit Cooper on MapMyWalk.com.

North Loop neighborhood makes the northern part of the loop that encircles Minneapolis' downtown. The neighborhood extends from Plymouth Avenue on the north to Interstate 394, which makes the southern boundary. The western boundary is Interstate 94. The boundary continues along 12th Street North to Third Avenue North, then to Washington Avenue, and Hennepin Avenue. The Mississippi River is the northeastern boundary.

The neighborhood grew very fast in the last few years, as industrial buildings and old warehouses were converted for residential and commercial uses. This transformation was followed by new residential construction. The North Loop, which used to be industrial land, is now a vibrant residential neighborhood, very conveniently located near the downtown core.

Source: City of Minneapolis neighborhood profile

I met Jan Elftmann at the Linden Hills Festival after I spent about 15 minutes admiring her art car. Jan is an Artist, ArtCar artist, Director of the ArtCar + ArtBike's of Minnesota, Curator of 801 Art Gallery, Educator of Art, Science and Engineering and a foodie! 

As Director of Art Cars of Minnesota her work involves directing, curating, producing, organizing, promoting, writing grants, and participating in the yearly activities of the ArtCars, including the ArtCar Parade cruise, with her ArtCars, the Cork Truck (needs a new engine and new tires) and the Holey Circle. As you can imagine, much has been written about Jan and her art cars and the article Holey ArtCars! by Norma Smith Olson is a great account of Jan's work in art and science within in the community and in schools. 

Jan's husband, Dave Lewis, is a fabulous, passionate cook, drummer and Art Buyer at Fallon, an advertising agency in Minneapolis. 

To access the map and walk this route yourself, visit North Loop on MapMyWalk.com.