The Salad Days

I have come to be a resident of Minneapolis. I like that fact. But one of the privileges I have is that I live about 5 minutes or less from the Mississippi River, and therefore, the same distance from St. Paul.

St. Paul seems to contrast Minneapolis in so many ways. Tonight, the four of us took the only kind of sleigh ride so far possible in this snowless season. We climbed into the Honda, and went for a ride down Summit Avenue. Summit Avenue is the street in St. Paul. There are mansions and impressive places of residence. And right now, there are many beautiful lights. We listened to Christmas music and meandered our way from the Mississippi all the way into downtown St. Paul.

The road is named Summit for a reason. A short distance before downtown finds one at a summit overlooking downtown. Tonight, the clarity of the night was stunning, and the twin domes of St. Paul (the capital and the cathedral) were beautifully lit. Once we descended from the summit, we took a quick turn through downtown. In front of Landmark Center (a major gathering place downtown), there is a free ice skating rink. The locals were clamoring to get to it tonight, since we are up into the 30s for the first time in a while. The plazas were lit up with classy lights, and the people were descending upon downtown. Some to skate. Some to eat. Some to see the Who. All the same, St. Paul was alive tonight.

We made our way back home via Grand Avenue, a street which runs parallel to Summit Avenue. The ethnic restaurants and book shops beckoned us, but with two little ones in tow (already in their pajamas I might add), we made our way home, promising ourselves a future date to one of these restaurants with potential. As we neared the Mississippi again, we passed by one of favorite eateries, and my daughter said, "Hey, it's the Highland Grill." Steph and I laughed that our 3 year old is already catching on to our restaurant habits.

The Twin Cities are indeed fraternal. Neither of them blow you away as cities like San Francisco or Chicago. But there is a unique substance to this place. The presence of two distinct, large cities in such close proximity does create a fascinating place. I have talked a lot about Minneapolis. It is the big city of the two. It has much to offer, while St. Paul seems to be a confident, albeit forgotten younger sibling. But the longer I live here, the more I realize that even though my address is in Minneapolis, I live in the Twin Cities.