It's Quiet Uptown

I love Uptown Minneapolis. Despite it's misnomer of a name (it's def not Uptown of Downtown tbh), I LOVE Uptown. But not everyone feels the same. The most concerning aspect of this trend is that not all businesses feel the same love as me, and we rely on the business strip in Uptown to give it the vibrance that makes it feel like home for so many people.

Living in Uptown is convenience exemplified. I can walk to Target, Lund's, Cub, and (if I take a long walk) to Whole Foods. I'm walking distance to 8 great coffee options (Black Walnut, Canteen, Dunn Bros, Isles Bun & Coffee, Curioso Coffee Bar, Corner Coffee, Lake and Bryant Cafe, Uncommon Grounds Coffeehouse... the list actually goes on).

My favorite bar and restaurant (Sooki and Mimi) and bookstore (Magers & Quinn) are around the corner from each other. My bank (Chase) is one block from my home.

And yet Uptown is quiet. Businesses are leaving left and right. We recently lost Kitchen Window, Stella's Fish Cafe, Urban Outfitters, CB2 and H&M.

On the other hand, a new era is upon us. Arts and Rec and Curioso Coffee are some of the newcomers who are helping revitalize the business district that we know and love.

I called around to my favorite coffee shops in the blizzard hoping to find one that was open. I finally got lucky with number 5, Curioso. I had only been in once before, because their default milk is oat (for planet saving reasons), and I have a strong preference for almond milk (sorry planet). Despite this setback, I was able to enjoy a delicious skim milk flat white in a total blizzard in my neighborhood.

If that doesn't convince you to give Uptown another try, I don't know what will.

Ps! Curioso now offers almond milk! Big win!

Why We Love the State Fair 🌽

The Minnesota State Fair is the undeniable event of the summer. Here are some of our fair must-sees:

• Crop Art. Minnesotan art at its finest. Our friends Marta Shore and Tara Cantwell will both have pieces in the fair this year - look out for their names!

• Princess Kay of the Milky Way. If we needed another reason to love butter, here it is.

• The State Fair news cycle. We get so many good news stories around State Fair time. Here are some of my favorites so far this year. Meet the Roasted Corn Producer, New Foods, and the Data.

Part of the State Fair magic is the attention to detail and excellent midwestern branding that we see at and around the fair. It's very impressive to attend an event at this scale and see it grow year after year.

We would love to plan your next event with fun touches like those we see at the fair, whether it's a custom cocktail, a local band, or an audio guest book. Please reach out today to get started!

Show Announcement: Cat Tales and Pandelion

We are excited to announce an upcoming show with Sociable Cider Werks on Friday, August 11, at 6 pm with Cat Tales, a funkalicious local band, and Pandelion, a local funk/blues/jazz band. This show is perfect for all ages and is free to attend! We're excited to see you there.