Designer Clothing Store Opens Near SW Minneapolis

H&M to open in Calhoun Square on Dec. 14.

Local fans of skinny jeans, Swedish-style, can rejoice: discout fashion retailer H&M has announced they will open their newest Twin Cities store in Uptown's Calhoun Square shopping mall on Dec. 14. According to Finance & Commerce, the Stockholm-based company is likely to do well despite having several other stores in suburban malls around the metro area: “I think it will be a good location for them,” said Ned Rukavina, senior director with Bloomington-based Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq, adding that the Uptown market has tightened up. “People want to be there. Density is really important and that’s a great, dense market,” Rukavina said. “I think there’s retailers that want to be there and it’s a struggle finding the space.” Are you looking…

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James Sanna

3:39 pm on Friday, November 30, 2012

Re: low prices - Hear, hear. Do you have a link to the Not for Sale report on child slave labor? I know some of that came up in the recent Bangladesh factory fire, but I couldn't find a good, comprehensive summary of accusations online in time for this article.   more ›

Saying Goodbye To A CARAG Cornerstone

For over 30 years, snowstorms and stickups couldn't phase Linden Hills resident Don Olson at his shop at 34th and Lyndale.

Minneapolis Firefighters Win Awards for CARAG Rescue

2011 duplex fire killed 1.

Friday morning, two Minneapolis firefighters were awarded medals for going above and beyond the call of duty in rescuing three men from a burning duplex one year ago, according to KSTP.  According to news reports at the time, firefighters arrived to find the building on the 3300 block of Bryant Avenue South ablaze all over. The fire started around 5:15 a.m. on the upper level of the building. While firefighters were trying to pull three men from the upper level, the blaze jumped to a building next door, forcing residents there to evacuate. News reports at the time said firefighters risked their lives to bring the three men out. In all, around 40 firefighters were called in to subdue the blaze.  Of the three men living in the upper unit, …

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Careless CARAG Driver Nearly Creams Cop Car

A roundup of incidents and crimes reported to the Minneapolis Police Department on Oct. 10.

Around 9 p.m. Wednesday night, an extremely intoxicated CARAG resident decided to try to exit an alleyway onto the 700 block of West 31st Street. The 29-year old driver reversed straight into the path of a police car traveling on West 31st Street, and continued across the road, according to a report filed by officers with the Minneapolis Police Department. The maneuver left the drunkard’s car parallel to the road, blocking both lanes of travel “for several minutes,” causing a minor traffic jam. At this point, according to the police report, the driver managed to extricate himself from the driver’s seat and start walking around. When officers approached him, the report says, “they could smell a strong odor of alcohol and noticed slurred and…

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Longtime CARAG Restaurant Suddenly Closes

Chef blamed disputes with landlord.

Long a familiar and delicious presence on the 3400 block of Lyndale Avenue South, the El Meson Bistro unexpectedly closed its doors on Tuesday morning.  "I write this with a heavy heart. Sadly, we have made the very difficult decsion to close our doors at El Meson," read a note posted on the restaurant's website. "We appreciate all of your support over the years and hope to see you at Cafe Ena." Follow us on Facebook | Sign up for our free email newsletter Chef Hector Ruiz and restauranteur Erin Ungerman bought the CARAG staple in 2003, and were routinely praised by local foodies for their Spanish- and Carribean-influenced food. In an interview with Patch, Ruiz said the move was a "business decision," but would not impact either couple's …

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Distracted Driving Causes Crash on Xerxes

A roundup of crimes and incidents reported to the Minneapolis Police Department on Sept. 16 and 17.

On Monday, a careless CARAG resident plowed into a parked car on the 4700 block of Xerxes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the driver admitted to police that she's been checking her smartphone just before the crash, according to a report filed with the Minneapolis Police Department on Monday. "She stated that the next thing she knew, she'd rear-ended a parked car," the report noted. The impact was so strong, the victim car lurched forwards and came to rest against another parked car on the same block. Sept. 17 One driver at the corner of William Berry Parkway and Richfield Road was cited for driving after having their license suspended when a license plate scanner mounted on a police cruiser identified the arrestee's car. A Linden Hills driver …

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Could 36th Street Get Bike Lanes?

City mulling "cycle track."

CARAG and East Harriet residents could find biking to Lake Calhoun a lot easier if an idea City of Minneapolis planners are toying with comes to fruition. According to OurUptown.com, a stretch of West 36th Street between the lake and Dupont Avenue/King's Highway is in the running for either bike lanes or a "cycle track" akin to the protected bike lanes on 1st Avenue North in downtown or 1st Avenue South in Kingfield. The site has also posted proposed alignments for the lanes/tracks. The road is targeted for bike lanes in the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan, approved in Sept. 2011. The plan suggests shared lane markings, like those on Bryant Avenue South, ought to be put on the rest of 36th Street. Currently, the bike lane project is in its…

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Minnesota Twins Spruce Up Local Ball Field

Neighborhood park gets some help from the pro's at Target Field.

We love our parks hard, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board obviously does what they can to maintain them on a limited budget. But sometimes, they need a lot more TLC than they get. To that end, Bryant Square Park in CARAG got a visit Tuesday from the same ground crew that keeps the Minnesota Twins' home looking spick-and-span, regardless of how well the pitching staff is playing. Over 80 volunteers reset bases, repaired the infield and outfield, repaired fencing, and added new benches for the players, according to the Park Board.  And, the Park Board said, everything was ready for a little league game the next day! Keep up-to-date on local news! Follow us on Facebook or sign up for our free, daily newsletter!

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Church's Lemonade Stands Raise Money For Same-Sex Marriage

Minneapolis church's children raise money with "Lemonade Stand-ing On The Side Of Love."

Few things are as symbolic of summer in America than a group of young kids selling lemonade from an upturned cardboard box by the sidewalk. Capitalism, youthful idyll, neighborliness—it's all in there, sweeter than powdered, lemon-flavored drink mix.  Two Sundays ago, the children of Southwest Minneapolis' First Universalist Church added "charity" and "equality" to that list when they set up lemonade stands after church to raise money for the fight against the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. "It was really neat—a lot of the kids had made posters during their time in Religious Education class, and hung those up to direct people from the sanctuary to the social hall," said Golden Valley resident and First …

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CARAG Apartment Building Saved From Fire

Fire contained to one unit by Minneapolis fire crews.

Monday night, residents of an apartment building on the 3500 block of Dupont Avenue were surprised by the smell of smoke wafting through their hallways. According to a written statement from Minneapolis Fire Marshal Perry Ebner emailed to reporters, fire crews were called to the scene at 9:21 p.m. When they arrived, they weren't able to see any fire apparent from the outside. However, residents told firefighters smoke seemed to be concentrated on the third floor. Discovering one unit on fire, crews evacuated the entire building and began attacking the flames. At 9:43, crews called a second alarm as a precaution against the fire spreading, Ebner wrote. Two other large apartment buildings in Minneapolis have burned down in recent months …

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