How have Mpls and Hennepin County Suburbs changed in the last 20 years? (Minneapolis: school, tornado)

[Lake17]

Originally Posted by atler8

If you have a minute to spare, please tell me briefly about what WCCO radio meant to you folks back in the 60's, 70's & 80's or before then. I believe that someone other than the op mentioned it as something that has changed since 1990.
I grew up well to your south but picked the station up regularly on my parent's stereo as well as on my little Westinghouse transistor.
The reason I ask about WCCO is that my brother & I drove from the north woods on down through the Twin Cities during the summer of 2012 when the Minnesota State Fair was running & WCCO was broadcasting live from the fair grounds. I was shocked at how entertaining their program mix was & how informed, professional & funny the program hosts were. It reminded me of what I once enjoyed about old style am band radio & what was once commonly found on the radio dial.
WCCO's 2012 version struck me as being a contemporary & entertaining station for adults but nevertheless one that provoked a wave of nostalgia in me.

Maybe somebody else can chime in on this one. I don't have many memories of specific radio stations.

[unnativeelpasoan]

Originally Posted by Mplsite

Uptown is probably a lot more different than you remember: lots more higher end chain stores and yuppies abound.

Yeah, I miss Uptown the way it used to be...

[Govie]

A lot more freeloaders from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and elsewhere have began squatting here over that time.

[Lake17]

Originally Posted by Govie

A lot more freeloaders from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and elsewhere have began squatting here over that time.

Is this in Mpls or St Paul?

[Govie]

Originally Posted by Lake17

Is this in Mpls or St Paul?

Both.

[Duluth07]

On a (much smaller) scale, the inner ring suburbs (Richfield, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Roseville and now Burnsville) have become similar to Chicago's inner ring suburbs (I know where they are but I just can't remember all of them at the moment!). Downtown has become an apartment/condo development area for the very rich, while little to no low-income/affordable housing is left within walking distance of downtown. So while the very rich are living downtown, the very poor are now living in those first ring suburbs and pockets of North & South Minneapolis. They're attaching names to these new affluent condo areas 'North Loop' (just like Chicago)...aside from that it's the same Minneapolis I've always had a great time in. The Twin Cities Marathon (which I just ran on Sunday) is even MORE awesome than it was in 1993, the first time I ran it, so many people are there cheering us on and it seems like that's really the glue that keeps a lot of people sticking with Minnesota...that's one thing I haven't really found in other metro areas. I feel like I can go up to anyone and ask something and not get that 'crazy person' look.

Transit: when I lived down there a while ago (on Nicollet & Grant) it was really hard getting around with no car. I never went to Saint Paul or the suburbs because it was such a project just to get there! Now, with the light rail headed to the airport, and (next year) the light rail between DT Minneapolis & Saint Paul, it's really looking good - as well, the Union Train Depot in Saint Paul is being renovated for Amtrak, and (I think) that's where the Mpls-Saint Paul light rail route will end. I know this project has been a real pain for the folks who have businesses on University Avenue, but I really hope this brings more folks to that area with the convenience of light rail.

There are many more options for education in Minneapolis now...you can get your 2 year or 4 year now at Mpls Community & Technical College whereas before it was just a 2 year school. Downtown is much busier because of more students. Now, with it being so expensive to live near or in downtown, I would think that (like Duluth) most people with kids either live on one end of the city or the other end. In Duluth, they closed Central HS and now, a city that once had five high schools now just has two (East & Denfeld). Minneapolis will probably end up closing those middle/high schools closer to downtown, as more parents with kids that age move to either end of the city or the outlying suburbs. Also, 20 year ago I didn't notice areas like North Branch, Cambridge, Buffalo, or other communities 40-55 miles outside Minneapolis as 'suburbs', but you drive up I-35 and North Branch now looks like any other suburb with very expensive homes and (once the Northern Light Light Rail is completed between Minneapolis & Duluth) more people will be living along that I-35 North Corridor...depending on how fast that train goes, I wouldn't be surprised to see people living in Hinckley commuting to Minneapolis. So you've got a lot of people moving to various areas that probably wouldn't have in '93 (also, along the Light Rail between DT & Mall of America, many of those apartment buildings have been built along the rail route specifically to attract renters to the convenience of being right next to one of the stops).

This isn't really 'new', but there is a much greater number of Spanish speaking immigrants living along East Lake Street; lots of cool shops and cultural stuff along there. Loring Park isn't as much the GLBT 'place to be' anymore, now that gay people are much more welcomed by the rest of society, I think you see a much more open society now, and a freedom to live in any part of the Twin Cities without feeling they have to live in Loring Park in order to feel comfortable.

I came back here (to International Falls) a while ago after I lost my job and money while living in Minneapolis, but who knows, someday I'll be back. I liked living down there and even though I didn't see a whole lot going on in downtown Saint Paul over the weekend, I am guessing the addition of light rail will change that too. I can't really say much about crime since i haven't lived down there in a long time, but the friends I have down there haven't really mentioned it, and feel safe just about anywhere they go.

Only place I've wondered about is on E Lake St - Pizza Shack! It was greasy, it was never on time delivery, but dammit, it was the best cheap pizza I ever had. I always wondered if it was still open or not. Anyone here know?

[Mplsite]

eastlake.wordpress.com/2005/06/17/pizza-shack-is-closing/‎

[knke0204]

The metro area is much more populated.

2,538,000 in 1990.... and 3,759,000 in 2010... That's 1.2 million more people...

Suburbs like:
Maple Grove (39,000 in 1990) to (62,000 in 2010)
Woodbury: (20,000 in 1990) to (62,000 in 2010)
Lakeville: (25,000 in 1990) to (55,000 in 2010)
Blaine: (38,000 in 1990) to (59,000 in 2010)
Eden Prarie: (39,000 in 1990) to (62,000)
Shakopee: (11,000 in 1990) to (38,000)

have boomed. Exurbs like St. Michael, Rogers, Otsego, Forest Lake, Farmington, Waconia now exist for bedroom commuters instead of sleepy farm towns.

Downtown Minneapolis has become a gem.

[chessgeek]

Originally Posted by knke0204

The metro area is much more populated.

2,538,000 in 1990.... and 3,759,000 in 2010... That's 1.2 million more people...

Suburbs like:
Maple Grove (39,000 in 1990) to (62,000 in 2010)
Woodbury: (20,000 in 1990) to (62,000 in 2010)
Lakeville: (25,000 in 1990) to (55,000 in 2010)
Blaine: (38,000 in 1990) to (59,000 in 2010)
Eden Prarie: (39,000 in 1990) to (62,000)
Shakopee: (11,000 in 1990) to (38,000)

have boomed. Exurbs like St. Michael, Rogers, Otsego, Forest Lake, Farmington, Waconia now exist for bedroom commuters instead of sleepy farm towns.

Downtown Minneapolis has become a gem.

Shakopee's growth rate is unbelievable and comparable to booming Sun Belt cities. When you speak of the exurbs, you probably mean some of them have Starbucks now and a few restaurants that stay open until 9 PM (and maybe a little later on weekends).

[PullMyFinger]

A lot of people moved here because of our generous welfare benefits. You can guess the changes.