Gettin Gifty in the 'Hood

The owner of my hair salon "Foiled Again" in NE (Nordeast) Minneapolis, invited myself and 6 other 'artists' (I'll use that term loosely for myself) to show our stuff at an event tomorrow night. The event is "Gettin' Gifty in the 'Hood". I haven't participated in anything like this since I left Bismarck 2 1/2 years ago. But I'm sure it will be fun.

NE Minneapolis is a ethnic melting pot, made up of descendents of Polish, German, Slovak, Finnish, Russian and Ukranian immigrants that came for the employment opportunities offered by the grain mills and sawmills along the Mississippi River. The demographic now is younger and even more diverse with a relatively recent influx of African American and Somalis.

This is not your suburban strip mall environment, or pre-fab 'town' with the fake Main Street (think Maple Grove). It is quite trendy with fabulous 'one of a kind' restaurants, galleries and shops. The city's only authentic Irish fish n' chips place, The Anchor, recently opened in the neighborhood, and joins the classics such as Nyes Polonaise Room, Jax, and many others that have been around for decades. I'm sure that our parents went to these places on their 'hot date' nights back in the late 40's early 50's.

A favorite haunt of ours is "Grumpy's" bar - famous for hotdish night (a buck a bowl) every Tuesday, and vinyl night (bring vinyl albums to spin, and your first drink is free) on Thursdays. Annie makes the city's best cosmopolitan - and I am certain to be there when she is tending bar. It's really fun to watch Dave (Gitche Gumee Guy) belly up to the bar in this blue collar neighborhood and then totter back to our table balancing a pretty pink martini. Priceless.

Well, Nordeast has a Catholic church of one ethnicity or another, and at least one bar on nearly every block. Interesting dynamic. So, maybe there will be some hip urban folks who need a rosary bracelet for 'grandma' tomorrow night.