Am I Wrong For Being A...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by meatpuff

Maybe it tracked the newness and novelty of the Mall of America

I was pretty young in the 1980s and didn't have very much a picture of the USA or other cities and what they were known for. But I remember hearing all about that mall on the damned news when it opened. BIGGEST MALL IN THE WORLD! Or when the rollercoaster opened. The media thought it was the most amazing thing.

Does it have a big glass atrium? That would be very 80's Mall cool. I've been to the Twin Cities dozens of times, but have somehow avoided this place.

[Drover]

I think a lot of Minneapolis' shine wore off when the world discovered that "30 below keeps the riffraff away" isn't true. A lot of Minneapolis' appeal in the 1980s was that it appeared to offer a genuine urban experience without the urban blight. This was especially true in the 1980s when older, more established cities had experienced two solid decades of decline and urban decay with no end in sight -- very few people saw the 1990s renaissance coming around the corner and it seemed like the major cities were on their way to becoming almost ungovernable and unlivable. Kinda like Detroit. It once looked like every older major city was on its way to Detroit-dom. But when every other city east of the Mississippi was sinking, Minneapolis was a beacon of hope that suggested that you could have it all: a true urban center that didn't look like Escape from New York.

Then they discovered that 30 below doesn't keep the riffraff away after all; or at least, 30 below is no match for more generous social services than other nearby cities were providing. Minneapolis started to sink, other cities started to rebound, and now we've basically met in the middle.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Drover

Then they discovered that 30 below doesn't keep the riffraff away after all; or at least, 30 below is no match for more generous social services than other nearby cities were providing. Minneapolis started to sink, other cities started to rebound, and now we've basically met in the middle.

I think a more accurate statement would be "$500 per square foot real estate keeps the riffraff away". The urban areas that have turned around have largely done so because of intense real estate price pressure. And of course, this is a function of desirability. It can become a spiral.

[cubssoxfan]

Naw, very normal reaction. Chicago is a cool, vibrant city and region.
I am a big Milwaukee backer as well, I see much more good on my visits than I see bad.