About a week ago my pops came to town. We needed breakfast so we headed over to the Avenue Eatery. We walked there.
My dad grew up in Cudahy, WI, a working class suburb of Milwaukee, with a long period of living in the Bay View neighborhood in the city proper. The Cream City (nicknamed for it's uniquely colored brick) is the most segregated city in America; but there is/was poverty both North and South.
Bay View is the prime example of a working class neighborhood that struggled through decades of decline. Now, when I return, there's always a new brew pub, artists studio or, what do you know, services that real people can use. When I was a kid, that was unthinkable.
If you know anything about the recent history on West Broadway and NoMi, you know what a struggle it can be to revitalize a major corridor. Bean Scene Too was the second coming of Linda Baker's dream. The business struggled--the economy had tanked--and Catalyst has taken it over with the help of Shericka Teague, an experienced personal chef and a great person. What Linda Baker says in the video below, is the reality on the ground. We do have amazing housing, we don't have commerce; but neither did Bay View 10 years ago. Let's do something about that.
This video was a part of a multi-part examination of North Minneapolis produced by Andrew Mannix, Karlee Weinmann and me, Scottie B. Tuska, in 2008 for MinnPost.com.
For more photos from the Avenue Eatery grand opening, checkout An Owl's Nest, she's awesome and has a really cute baby.
For more photos from the Avenue Eatery grand opening, checkout An Owl's Nest, she's awesome and has a really cute baby.
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