Welcome to the Grain Belt: May 2012

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Lake Harriet

I have written in previous posts about Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles, part of the Chain of Lakes not far from my apartment. A more recent discovery of mine was Lake Harriet, a bit further away from me. As Lake Harriet is not as close to Uptown Minneapolis, a commercial district, it is less busy and more peaceful than the other two lakes. I prefer to come here if possible because it really feels like an escape from the city. Moreover, Lake Harriet has a bird sanctuary (a treasure for ornithology enthusiasts such as I), a peace garden, a rose garden, and an amphitheater for outdoor concerts in the summer.

Map of Chain of Lakes showing my apartment

A lone lifeguard chair, longing for summer

Barren beach in late March. Trees are full of leaves now.

Canoes being prepared for summer activities

Colorful kayaks

Hennepin Theatre District

Greetings, dear readers! I apologize for the amount of time which has lapsed since my last post. I have been very busy with other projects (and riding my bicycle in the glorious spring weather) and have been very distracted from writing. But many interesting events have taken place since I last posted, so there will be quality reading material for you in the weeks to come.

Several weeks ago David and I joined the Smith College Club of Minnesota for a tour of the State Theater and Pantages Theater in downtown Minneapolis. When you think of U.S. cities with famous theater districts, probably New York and Chicago come to mind, and Minneapolis probably does not. However, Minneapolis has a fantastic theater scene and excellent theater program at the University of Minnesota.

On our tour of the State and Pantages Theater, we learned not only about the history and architecture of the theaters, but we were also able to go backstage.

Lobby of the State Theater

State Theater

Stained glass exit sign

View of Hennepin Theater District from skyway

Marquee of State Theater

Inside of Pantages Theater

Pantages Theater

View of Pantages Theater from stage

Pantages Theater seating

Welcome.

Minnesota, a state truly worthy of the numerous appellations which it has been given: the Corn Belt, the Grain Belt, Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Upper Midwest, the Gopher State, and home of Al Franken, only to name a few. Minnesota, a state whose natural beauty is exemplified in its name, the Dakota word for "sky-tinted water."

Minnesota is a state in which I had never dreamed of living. If not a European capital, I assumed that I would always reside in a U.S. city located not more than 350 miles inland from the East or West Coast. The notion of relocating from Munich to a city in the U.S. Midwest with limited public transit and even harsher winters than NW Pennsylvania was not particularly appealing. Moreover, the thought of bringing a European to a U.S. city with no U-Bahn was frightening as well.

The inception of our relocation to the Midwest happened last spring when David was offered a research position in Minneapolis. The only previous knowledge we had of Minneapolis was obtained through my layover in the MSP Airport in 1999 and through watching the Coen Brothers' cult classic "Fargo" twice.

Despite our many initial doubts, after doing thorough research, we were convinced of the livability of the Twin Cities. It didn't hurt that a number of college and grad school classmates and coworkers - including a former Smith College DJ from Minnesota whose judgement I trusted - assured me that the Twin Cities was a wonderful place to live.

So far, those friends and coworkers have been correct in their assertions. Minneapolis and Saint Paul form a cultural center in the Upper Midwest which includes theaters, museums, art galleries, music venues, funky ethnic restaurants, and microbreweries. What's more, the Twin Cities are much more progressive than I realized. The Twin Cities are also in the forefront of the eco-friendly movement, claiming the title of the number one biking city in the United States. And the cities' prime location on the Mississippi River as well as the myriad of lakes within the city limits create a truly unique landscape.

As I had intended to start a blog while in Munich about bad European fashion trends and tragically never did realize that goal, I am determined to regularly update this blog so that my colleagues and friends who live so far away can see what I am experiencing here. It is with these opening words that I say welcome to the Grain Belt.