# Why is Minneapolis all "futuristic" in a Barbarella sort of way? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471 "2005-10-16T15:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/21 "2005-10-17T22:30:22Z")
Oh, man…I love Lileks! Incidentally, if you look around his site (in the Mpls Modern section) you find [this](http://www.lileks.com/mpls/modern/commercial/frank.html) photo of the Franklin & Nicollet liquor store. Notice the apartment building behind the store. I used to live there. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/22 "2005-10-17T23:02:59Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Other than some of the buildings in the Water Street district and some warehouse lofts in the 3rd Ward, I’m trying to think of what historical buildings Milwaukee has actively preserved. The Astor Hotel, The Blatz Brewery Complex, Brewers Hill Historic District, Central Library, the Old Coast Guard Station, Eagles Club, Federal Building, First Ward Triangle Historic District, Germania Building, Gesu Church, Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Factory, Highland Avenue Historic District, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Iron Block, Johnston Hall, Jos. Schlitz Co. Brewery, Knickerbocker Hotel, McIntosh-Goodrich Mansion, Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee County Historical Society, Milwaukee News Building, Mitchell Building, Newberry Boulevard Historic District, North Point Lighthouse, North Point Water Tower, Old St. Mary’s Church, Pabst Brewing Co. Complex, Prospect Avenue Mansions Historic District, Public Service Building, St. Josephat Basilica, State Bank of Wisconsin, Tripoli Temple, Walker’s Point Historic District, and 127 other places. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/23 "2005-10-18T00:37:13Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > The Astor Hotel, The Blatz Brewery Complex, Brewers Hill Historic District, Central Library, the Old Coast Guard Station, Eagles Club, Federal Building, First Ward Triangle Historic District, Germania Building, Gesu Church, Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Factory, Highland Avenue Historic District, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Iron Block, Johnston Hall, Jos. Schlitz Co. Brewery, Knickerbocker Hotel, McIntosh-Goodrich Mansion, Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee County Historical Society, Milwaukee News Building, Mitchell Building, Newberry Boulevard Historic District, North Point Lighthouse, North Point Water Tower, Old St. Mary’s Church, Pabst Brewing Co. Complex, Prospect Avenue Mansions Historic District, Public Service Building, St. Josephat Basilica, State Bank of Wisconsin, Tripoli Temple, Walker’s Point Historic District, and 127 other places. Most of these are not what I would refer to as being “preserved”. Brewer’s Hill, for instance, is being preserved by pretty much razing everything and sticking condos wherever they’ll fit in. The Astor, the North Point Lighthouse and Water Toor, and Prospect Ave are all pretty nice but I don’t know that I’d say Milwaukee has made great efforts to preserve architecture, especially not prior to the Water Street revitalization. Don’t misunderstand; I liked Milwaukee when I lived there (I lived in a really cool remodeled former bording house on the corner of Prospect and Bradford after moving from some yuppie dorm off of Wisconsin Ave.) but I think Milwaukee’s failure of ascension to the title “Hippest Mid-Sized City In America” is less an active preservation of local history than a lack of direction or (until the last eight or ten years) an interest in urban renewal. But I find myself strangely enamored of **Beware of Doug** ’s Scandinavian theory and would like to subscribe to his newsletter. 😉 And yes, Minneapolis is a very pleasent and attractive city which I have absolutely no reason to visit again. But if by some chance a job, a woman, or a freak disturbance in the space-time wash drew me to it, I wouldn’t be heard to complain too loudly. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/24 "2005-10-18T01:14:43Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I used to live there. When? I used to live just a stones throw up Nicollet - near the convention center. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/25 "2005-10-18T03:02:48Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > When? I used to live just a stones throw up Nicollet - near the convention center. From June 1996 to May 1997. After that I moved back to Pennsylvania. I kind of miss Minneapolis. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/26 "2005-10-18T06:18:38Z")
> [@VCO3](#): > > Although, it emits a _horrible_ ear-stabbing shrieking klaxon whenever the doors close. Someone should **really** do something about that. Let me guess… the cars are made by Breda? SF’s newish Breda LRVs will liquefy your head with that “doors are closing” noise. What got me about Minneapolis is the absence of anything at ground level. Buildings have doors, but there’s nothing there but an escalator to the second floor. Just seems like a huge waste of leasable space in those office buildings. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/27 "2005-10-18T16:41:18Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > What got me about Minneapolis is the absence of anything at ground level. Buildings have doors, but there’s nothing there but an escalator to the second floor. Just seems like a huge waste of leasable space in those office buildings. The skyway system in Minneapolis links all of the second floors of the buildings. That means that a lot of the retail businesses have moved to the second floor, following the people. The first floors are used, just not by the stores that you are used to seeing there. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/28 "2005-10-18T18:20:06Z")
Used for what? Storing Christmas decorations in the summer? I understand that a good many of the buildings were built before the Skyway, and that street-level services migrated upstairs, but it just seems bizarre to have so much empty floor space. The building I was going to every day had absolutely nothing in its public space - just the bottom end of an escalator. No building directory, no security guard, no artwork. Just empty. And mind-blowing to see space that would lease around here for around $75 a square foot lay completely bare. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/29 "2005-10-18T18:33:18Z")
Minneapolis is a really nifty city. It certainly does have that funky-architecture thing going in places… a reflection of the funkiness of its citizens, methinks. Minneapolis also has a very VERY hip and active theatre/arts community, and has one of the highest number of playhouses per capita in the world. I love it here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/30 "2005-10-18T19:00:56Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Hmm…nice looking town. > > What’s the job market like? [Here](mailto:upop@xmradio.com) is a chart showing Minneapolis’ unemployment rate over the years. Minneapolis has always had a relatively low unemployment rate. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/31 "2005-10-18T23:42:57Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > [Here](mailto:upop@xmradio.com) is a chart showing Minneapolis’ unemployment rate over the years. Minneapolis has always had a relatively low unemployment rate. No, no it isn’t. It’s a satellite radio link. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/32 "2005-10-19T00:54:45Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > No, no it isn’t. > It’s a satellite radio link. OOOPS…[Here](http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost) is the link with the unemployment rates. Also, [Here](http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/minneapolis.html) is another website which has many pictures of Minneapolis. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471/33 "2005-10-19T11:34:23Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > OOOPS…[Here](http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost) is the link with the unemployment rates. No, it isn’t. It’s a non-existant survey, & a disclaimer page. Are you _sure_ Minneapolis exists? That those images aren’t Photoshopped? “Minneapolis” sure is a funny sounding name. Are you just “putting us on” as you cool/hipster/teens/rock & roll-set types like to put it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-minneapolis-all-futuristic-in-a-barbarella-sort-of-way/326471.md?page=1)