Tough to say, though it's hard to believe that I'm the same guy that, within the past 5 years, would have said something about not needing to live in a big city because all the things I need in life can be had in an out-state or rural location. While that's techinically true (and, indeed, a lot of my interests: being active, music recording, reading, movie watching, computer-related stuff) are things that can be done pretty much anywhere-especially in the digital age, I have sure found myself assimilating more and more into the urban lifestyle in recent years.
Certainly, I must give Minneapolis credit as just a fantastic big city. So many things to explore, so many things offered, from arts to the parks to dining & entertainment (listen to me, I sound like an article from AAA's Home & Away magazine--but it's true!). In addition to being more comfortable living around loads of people with a political alignment more or less on the same planet as mine, Sharon & I have been taking part in more of these big-city offerings in recent times. It's easy to forget that even some outdoorsy things, such as biking and running, can in some ways be almost better in the big city, if the trail system is nice enough (which it totally is in the Twin Cities). But, if you don't mind spending just a little money, the entertainment you can seek out around town is really only supassed by some of the super-cities (LA, NY, Chicago), and I'll wager the Twin Cities is a lot easier on the pocketbook.
We had the opportunity to go on a date Sat. night (Aaron's already heard this story, more or less, but I'll go on anyway). Lucy was coming off a double-ear infection and we had basically been living in a madhouse for the last week or so. As a result, there was no planning done for this up until about an hour before we headed out. We were actually considering just dragging the TV & DVD player upstairs and doing the date that way, but we were both a bit stir crazy and just wanted to get out, sans-little girl, so we could give each other undivided attention in a public setting for a change.
I happened to remember a Dunn Bros. (local coffee house chain) location in downtown Minneapolis, kind of in the warehouse district, called The Freight House. Pat & Dan had considered doing our release party there-not sure why we eventually decided against it. Anyway, their calendar indicated they had a jazz-trio playing. Now, I've never been a huge jazz guy, but I've always attributed it to me simply not getting it, rather than there being anything flawed with the style. And I've really always sort of wanted to see a jazz trio or quartet play live, thinking that it might be just the thing to kick-start my appreciation of this uniquely American art form. Oh yeah, and since this place was on 3rd Ave, which is bascially just Nordeast's Central Ave once it crosses the river into downtown, we decided we'd eat at a place on Central Ave in this mini-sort of hspanic district.
Eschewing something totally adventuruos, we went to a place we had eaten at before, Chiapas, and the food was outstanding and reasonably-priced (sub $25, which included a huge appetizer and a drink apiece). You can tell really a authentic Mexican place because the food is inexpensive and the decorations are garish and almost campy. Anyway, really good food. The evening was heating up (-10 degree temp aside), and we headed on to The Freight House.
Coming upon the river from the North (northeast) side, a suspicion I have had for some time was totally confirmed. That area, which once upon a time contained a really shitty Red Owl (grocery store) and was the site of gunshots that scared the begeezus out of a certain fresh-faced Iowa kid on his first late-night bus trip home from Greenpeace (let me know if you want that story again), was now all revitalized, dolled up, and happening. Riverfront property, I'll tell you. It is now all condominiums and bistros.
Anyway, we crossed the river and, only about a block from The Freight House, found a bank of empty meters (free after 6 in Minneapolis), and parked. A brisk (and I mean brisk) one-block walk, and we were there. Good coffee and a cookie each, and we headed up to the upper level, where the trio was just getting underway. OK, here's the punchline. It was SMOOTH JAZZ.
We still had a really nice time together and some good conversation, but the crack was made that, rather than listening to live music, our evening was more akin to calling Three Rivers Park District on a speakerphone and getting put on hold.
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6 comments:
Not SMOOTH JAZZ!
Damn. What a disappointing end to a noble evening.
With some planning, perhaps next time it will be totally successful.
And next time, eat somewhere you've never eaten before.
There certainly are a lot of options there on lower Central Ave. Kind of wild, a very diverse, multicultural collection of people living around there, but you never really hear much in the way of crime stories. Maybe they've figured out the formula for racial & ethnic harmony.
Someday, when you come to visit the cities and we "do Minneapolis," we'll eat down that way.
I look forward to it.
A new era dawns as Taco Bell and pizza loosen their grips on our dining experiences.
In favor of more expensive Mexican food and fancier pizza.
Wow, TB and cheap pizza losing a grip? Good for you Danny boy. The good things in life deserve some attention time and again.
Well, I was sort of joking a bit about "fancier pizza" and all that. Food at a nice restaurant simply tastes better than food at a fast-food joint. Maybe one of the main differences is that, in my early to mid 20s I LITERALLY could not afford to eat out at a place other than TB. Like, ever. Now, I sometimes can. Though, lest anyone think I'm truly losing touch with the Dan of old: In my list of top 20 things in life, eating at a fancy restaurant is still not in there.
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