Univ of Minn: Twin Cities

I was there for graduate school (business) and didn't really see much of the campus other than my particular class area. I do know the admin buildings are old architecture, lots of pedestrian bridges, and the favorite hangout area was called Dinkytown. Not much help, I'm afraid, but maybe a start.

ETA: Might try contacting the alumni association:

http://www.minnesotaalumni.org/s/1118/index2012.aspx

I know a LOT about the medical campus...but there's a bridge that everyone calls suicide bridge, you can guess why.

cheerio said:

I know a LOT about the medical campus...but there's a bridge that everyone calls suicide bridge, you can guess why.

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For good reason. My bus was late once because someone jumped.

I spent two years at UofMN for my undergrad degree but I don't feel like there are any big moments of my college life there that stood out as special cause of the school I was at. If you want super specific answers to things like where to kids hang out or what kind of food is nearby for people to grab nearby, you can PM me that if you want.

But like I said, I feel it was a pretty average college experience, but I also did not live on campus. I loved in a south suburb and had to via to school everyday. So did a lot of others. Often my bus ran out of seats and people had to stand so I can only assume there were plenty of other students who loved off and not close to campus like I did.

I know there's the East Bank campus, the West Bank campus, and the Saint Paul campus.

The Saint Paul campus is close to the State Fair grounds.

Dinkytown is the student neighborhood, with all the book shops and hobby shops and restaurants.

Coffman Memorial Union is the name of the student union in Minneapolis.

cheerio said:

I know a LOT about the medical campus...but there's a bridge that everyone calls suicide bridge, you can guess why.

Click to expand...

I might be misremembering, but I believe poet John Berryman ended his life from that bridge.

caw

reddirtwriter said:

Thanks all. The details like dinkytown were what I was looking for. It seems there's a farmers market on campus too. Anyone know more about it? One of my characters is a health nut and drags his roomie there for the best of the best in organic veggies. LOL

I've gotten the rough draft written and will be starting back through it again, so these suggestions are great.

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The farmers market was Wednesday between 9 and 11, when I was there. It was a little small, but good local food. I often stopped for some fruit for breakfast before class. Although there are many farmers markets in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, a UofMN student can't be the concordance of the one on campus. It was in a walkway between two rows of buildings next to an area of campus called "The Mall".

Edit: Church street is the name of the street where it was. It was a pedestrian walkway so almost no cars where there ever.

Also, when I graduated, they were building a light rail line on Washington so it would be easier for students to commute. That might be interesting to add in.

The University of Minnesota is huge. It has several sections of campus and takes over several neighborhoods. By the way – this is important – it is known everywhere (by everyone in Minnesota) as The U. So, if you were to ask a high school senior in Duluth where they planned to go to college, they might say, "I'm probably going to the U," but they'd never say, "I'm going to Minnesota," or "To the U of M."

Go on line and check out the U's student newspaper, the Minnesota Daily – http://www.mndaily.com/

This can give you some insight.

blacbird said:

I might be misremembering, but I believe poet John Berryman ended his life from that bridge.

caw

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Yes, John Berryman jumped from the Washington Ave. Bridge.

I went to the U many years ago, but the thing I recall about the Washington Ave. Bridge is that it was pretty gross inside the covered walkway (graffiti, trash, urine). It had to be really cold outside for me to opt to walk inside rather than just walk outside of it. On the West Bank, there used to be a tree into whose branches people would throw old pairs of shoes.

Students hung out in Dinkytown (and there were lots of really rundown houses around there that students rented), but Stadium Village was also a nearby neighborhood with bars and restaurants.

Also, the Weisman Art Museum caused much controversy when it was built. Some loved the building. Some thought it a modern eyesore.