We've been together for almost a year and a half now. We've discussed everything from runaway romance and touching Jonathan Rhys-Myers to bloody mice, debt, and the beauty of the unexpected bowel movement. The romance, dear readers, is over.
So let's be honest: You believe the Midwest is either hokey flyover country or the Land of Complacency and Passive-Aggressiveness. (I know you do; I read the New York Times, too.)
So I've decided that you all need to come to Minneapolis and learn to love what you assume you'd hate.
I thought I'd do my part by bringing my favorite places in the M-P-L-S to you. Straight to your desktop. Served fresh, every Monday morning.
First up: Peavey Plaza
(Click on the image to get an enlarged view.)
One of the things I love most about Minneapolis is its commitment to making art and culture free of the snobby elitism that is usually associated with "high art." On Friday I went to hear some Mozart at Orchestra Hall (which is the grid-like building in the photo) as part of the Minnesota Orchestra's pre-season preview concerts called Sommerfest. Every weekend for most of the summer, Peavey Plaza turns into an outdoor concert venue (free of charge, I might add) while the orchestra takes the stage inside (which, unfortunately, is not free).
They were hawking bratwursts with sauerkraut for under three bucks right outside the door. Beer kegs, too! Add in the free live music and scandinavian sensibilities and you start to wonder if life really just doesn't get any better than this.
Once we got inside and sat down, a rather fey Mozart, the concert's M.C. clad in impossibly tight satin pants and a white powdered periwig, started cracking jokes about how badly Salieri sucked as a composer. Would this ever happen at Carnegie Hall? No.
I took the series of pictures above after the concert. Some notes: the tall building in the middle is The Holy Church of Savvy Shoppers (also more colloquially known as Target Headquarters). The pond area off to the left is much bigger than it looks in the photo; it's actually an elaborate series of waterfalls and small ponds that can be drained to make room for larger concerts.
Next week: The Sculpture Garden!
--Josh K.










































































