Character &Culture
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6/30/2015
I grew up strictly white middle class in the suburbs of Hopkins and Minnetonka in the '70s and '80s---it was a good time and a good place to grow up; but very sheltered also. Like anywhere, kids get involved in sports so the winters aren't bad with team sports and the health club, or YMCA to stay busy; and lots of outdoor skating and later on, skiing at Afton. And we had Ridgedale Mall--Dayton's, all that. Now there is the Mall of America also. This state suited me very well as a young guy, I naturally loved fishing and hunting. Sports aplenty also: soccer, baseball, basketball, golf. Lot's of great golf here and lakes for boating in summer. And cabins/lakes for fishing, waterskiing; or snowmobiling and ice-fishing in winter. Beautiful lakes to see and play on all over the state: Clearwater (Annandale), Minnetonka, Mille Lacs, the Boundary Water, Winnie, Lake of the Woods. Up North resembles Canada. Now for practicalities: lots of intelligent,creative,oppressed, and repressed people. They live in their own minds and are closed off, many extremely attractive but can also be very mean and cold---and dark (like the weather for half of year). Extremely passive aggressive--they will ice you and sabotage you and band against you--if you're not 'normal'. Weather is just brutally oppressive and apocalyptic in winter. Summer is paradise if you have money for a boat and/ir cabin. Uptown is lovely..Calhoun and Harriet for walking, biking, blading, sailing. Lastly I would recommend William's in Uptown and Chino-Latino,MagersQuinn books, Half-price books (St.Louis Park), cruising University Ave. and around the U. Watching Gopher's hockey. First Ave. for a club. Hopkins. Annual Film festival in Minneapolis, Sally's Bar, West Bank, East Bank, Exploring just driving all over St.Paul, MPLS, the State Fair, St.Thomas area Ford Parkway, Minnehaha Falls, the Mississipi...etc. Overall, Winter is not really feasible, the wealthy are able to take refuge in Fl. I'm just leaving altogether, back to L.A., Orange, and Hermosa..I always miss the character, the history and the culture though, it has inspired guys like the Coen brothers, Dylan, Prince, F.Scott Fitzgerald,O.E. Rolvaag, Lewis, Sigurd Olson,countless actors, inventors, etc., then they all leave it behind.
Eric | St. Louis Park, MN