One Set of Pipes or Two? First, a caveat: for the record, I’m never in favor of winterizing a home, even one that’s vacant, even in Minnesota in the winter. In my experience, it’s almost always more cost-effective to empty such a home, move any to-be-disposed-of personal effects into storage, and expeditiously get the home on...Read More
“Are They Spying on Us?!?” As far as I know, the 85 year-old woman sitting on my right at the Gopher game today had not — unlike me — just finished reading what feels like the sequel to “1984,” a new novel called “The Circle.” Rather, what caught both our attention was the overhead camera...Read More
“The Big Little Muddy” “The Big Muddy” is typically associated with the Missouri River. But, at least the next few weeks, that term also applies to what’s left of Sunset Boulevard in my neighborhood in South Minneapolis. Workers tore up the street last week to, umm . . . (un)pave the way for a new...Read More
Narrow Lapels, Dated MLS Photos & “Winter” Stamps If you wait long enough, eventually, everything seems to come back in style. That’s true in real estate marketing: after conspicuously sticking out the last 5 months or so, there are actually a couple VERY stale MLS listings — featuring winter shots — that will actually look...Read More
Why is There a Changing Room Inside the Front Door?? What does a cozy restaurant in a smallish space do to keep its patrons from being blasted by cold gusts every time someone opens the front door? In the case of Linden Hills eatery “Tilia,” you create a “vestibule inside the vestibule,” complete with a...Read More
Minnesota: Global Warming Winner According to scientists, which of the following are associated with global warming? A. Drought B. Floods C. Tornadoes D. All of the above. Answer: D. According to Weather Underground found Jeff Masters, “the 2011 Mississippi and Missouri River floods were higher than any other year, the 2011 Texas drought drier than...Read More
