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51-476: Riverside Plaza is composed of six buildings and has 1,303 residential units, making it the main feature of the city's Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Each building has a different height, intended to reflect the diversity of its population. Rapson was inspired by the time he spent in European cities, where people of different ages and levels of wealth coexisted in close quarters. The area was developed with support from

102-635: A car. The neighborhood's overall population has risen at a moderate but steady rate, from 6,368 in 1990 to 9,000 in 2020. Cedar-Riverside is one of the most diverse areas in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It is home to a number of the 100 or so different languages that are spoken in the Twin Cities. A vibrant neighborhood, it boasts many restaurants, cafés, bars, and venues for performance art and music. The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood

153-404: A collaboration between Gloria Segal , her husband Martin, and University of Minnesota professor Keith Heller — who controlled a majority of the property east of Cedar Avenue — and the B. W. and Leo Harris Company, investors west of Cedar. The city was also involved after the city council directed its planning commission to prepare a redevelopment plan for the area in 1965. Gloria Segal recalled

204-469: A core community in the 1920s due to the impact of Prohibition on the entertainment district. Into the 1940s, Cedar-Riverside remained heavily Scandinavian. Postwar immigrants from all over Eastern Europe then settled in the area. The junction of Washington Avenue , Cedar Avenue , and 19th Avenue was known as Seven Corners. The Cedar-Riverside area had been known as "Snoose Boulevard" (Snusgatan) because so many Scandinavians lived there. The West Bank, with

255-570: A host of other Scandinavian-owned businesses. On Cedar Avenue was Dania Hall , where the Danish community would meet. An eclectic mix of Gothic and classical styles, the building included a dining hall and kitchen in the basement, commercial space on the first floor, offices for the Society of Dania plus billiard and reading rooms on the second floor. A theater/assembly hall on the third and fourth floors featured Scandinavian vaudeville acts and weekend dances. On

306-469: A lesser extent, Bob Dylan . Many of these musicians also taught, performed and/or jammed at the West Bank School of Music. The Cedar Cultural Center , Extempore' Coffeehouse, Scholar Coffeehouse, New Riverside Cafe , Viking Bar, 400 Bar, 7 Corners, Whisky Junction, Cabooze and Cedarfest have likewise all been popular music venues in their time. Established in 1978, KFAI community radio has broadcast

357-510: A letter of commitment for a $ 24,000,000 guarantee was received June 28, 1971.” The project was to include housing for a range of incomes: 117 public housing units, 552 units subsidized by the FHA 236 program, 408 units targeted at middle-income tenants, and 223 “semiluxury” units. The complex was thus initially a mixed-housing initiative earmarked for both high-income and low-income residents, including renters and leasers. According to Rapson, who designed

408-756: A mix of community talk radio and folk and avant-garde music from around the world from the Bailey building since 1991. The arts flavor of the area is enhanced by the presence of Augsburg University and the University of Minnesota 's West Bank Arts Quarter, which is home to the University’s arts programs. Cedar Riverside also plays host to the annual Zombie Pub Crawl . In the 2005 the Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl began with about 100 participants. In 2011 Cedar Riverside hosted approximately 18,000 individuals for

459-422: Is historically known for its immigrant population, beginning in the late 1940s post-World War II with immigrants from eastern Europe. With the arrival of many new Cambodian , Somali , and especially Latino immigrants, hospitals now also offer services in other languages to accommodate patients whose mother tongue is not English. Employers such as Amazon have worked with the community to provide jobs and reduce

510-586: Is part of the University community , and is dominated by the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota 's Minneapolis campus, which includes the Law School , Carlson School of Management , Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and West Bank Arts Quarter. The East and West Bank of the U of M are connected by the Washington Avenue Bridge . The acquisition of a number of residential blocks by

561-771: The Horn of Africa , after Ethiopians . According to US Census Bureau estimates for 2008–2012, the largest concentration of Somalia-born people in the United States is in the Minneapolis - St. Paul - Bloomington area (17,320) of Minnesota. Other metropolitan areas with significant numbers of Somali Americans include Columbus, Ohio (10,280), Seattle - Tacoma - Bellevue in Washington (7,850), San Diego - Carlsbad - San Marcos in California (2,845), Washington, D.C. - Arlington - Alexandria in

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612-587: The Independence Day of Somalia, which is annually celebrated on the same day. The council also approved a resolution making Minneapolis and Bosaso in northeastern Somalia sister cities . Additionally, the Federal Government of Somalia announced that it would start officially keeping count of Somalis abroad. Many Somali refugees in the US have experienced difficulties accessing the labour market. According to

663-491: The Riverside Plaza apartment complex was opened. Designed by architect and Cedar-Riverside resident Ralph Rapson , the tall buildings with their signature colored panels are a Minneapolis landmark and were featured as the residence of Mary Richards in later seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show . Dayton-Hudson corporation (later Target Corporation ) was a consultant, then withdrew, for a proposed commercial development in

714-614: The U.S. federal government 's New Town-In Town program, and was originally planned to be part of a utopian design that would have seen 12,500 units spread across four neighborhoods housing a total of 30,000 people. Cedar Square West was the first project in the country to receive Title VIII funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and it is the larger of only two New Towns-In Town that ultimately qualified for that program. The imposing concrete structures use multi-colored panels (attempting to emulate Le Corbusier 's Unité d'Habitation design), which strongly dates

765-842: The Virginia -D.C. area (2,715), Atlanta - Sandy Springs - Marietta in Georgia (2,305), Phoenix - Mesa - Glendale in Arizona (1,965), Portland - Vancouver - Hillsboro in Oregon (1,480), Nashville-Davidson - Murfreesboro - Franklin in Tennessee (1,420), Boston - Cambridge - Quincy in Massachusetts (1,380), and other areas (28,650). In 2014, the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution marking July 1 as Somali American Day. The event commemorates

816-596: The West Bank , or simply Riverside , is a neighborhood within Minneapolis, Minnesota . Its boundaries are the Mississippi River to the north and east, Interstate 94 to the south, and Hiawatha Avenue and Interstate 35W to the west. It has a longstanding tradition of cultural diversity and settlement, with a robust arts tradition. The neighborhood has been a port of entry for immigrants since Swedes , Germans , and Bohemians began arriving in large numbers during

867-595: The 2010 census, 47% of Somalis in Minnesota were employed, 13% unemployed and 40% were economically inactive. By comparison, the unemployment amongst the state's overall foreign-born population was 6%. At the national level, survey data over the period 2011 to 2015 shows that 58% of working age Somali Americans were employed and 5.1% self-employed. The Somali community in the United States is represented by various Somali-run organizations. Somali Community Services in San Jose and

918-575: The Cedar-Riverside population spoke a language other than English. According to the American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2016-2020), the top non-English languages spoken in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood are Somali (spoken by 47.3% of the population), Oromo (5.5%), Arabic (4.3%), Amharic (2.1%) and Spanish (1.4%). 25% cannot speak English fluently. 32.4% of residents have less than a high school degree. 41.4% of households do not own

969-505: The Midwest." The West Bank was home to McCosh's secondhand book store, a center for Beat and Hippie left-leaning bookworms, and later Things, probably the first head shop in the Twin Cities, which sold counterculture curios, anti-war buttons and posters, incense and drug paraphernalia. Marijuana , hashish and LSD were readily available in the area after about 1967. A community of hippies — and numerous students and hangers-on who emulated

1020-720: The Round , and The Southern Theater . There is also a percolating music scene, with musicians frequenting venues like The Cedar Cultural Center , The Cabooze, The Red Sea, Part Wolf MPLS, Acadia Cafe, and Palmer's Bar . Additionally, the West Bank music scene is known as a catalyst for major musicians, such as Bonnie Raitt , Leo Kottke , Butch Thompson (Jazz Originals), Peter Ostroushko ( Prairie Home Companion ), Dave "Snaker" Ray ( Koerner, Ray & Glover ), Erik Anderson ( The Wallets ), Dakota Dave Hull , Sean Blackburn (Prairie Home Companion), Bill Hinkley (Minnesota Music Hall of Fame), Karen Mueller (Autoharp Hall of Fame), and, to

1071-596: The Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO) on the west coast offer guidance to new Somali families and works closely with the municipal authorities to strengthen civic relations. The Somali Community Access Network (SomaliCAN) is one of several groups serving Columbus' Somali community. In Minnesota, the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), Somali American Parent Association (SAPA), and Somali Action Alliance also offer various social services to

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1122-567: The Somali government and some were also issued land back home. Following independence in 1960, Somali students began arriving in the US to pursue higher studies while living with relatives or on scholarships. Many of the youngsters returned to Somalia after graduation and went on to play an important role in the development of their nation. During the 1980s, a small number of Somalis settled in the United States. They were later joined by many other ethnic Somalis from different backgrounds, who sought asylum in

1173-597: The U.S. is now among the largest in the Somali diaspora . The earliest ethnic Somali immigrants to the United States were sailors who arrived in the 1920s, mainly from British Somaliland . Eventually acquiring American citizenship, they actively participated in the Somali independence movement and served as key liaisons whenever Somali political figures visited the UN headquarters. For their substantial contributions to Somali society, these early Somali expatriates were rewarded with medals by

1224-455: The U.S. were sailors who came in the 1920s from British Somaliland . They were followed by students pursuing higher studies in the 1960s and 1970s, by the late 1970s through the late 1980s and early 1990s more Somalis arrived. However, it was not until the mid and late 1990s when the civil war in Somalia broke out that the majority of Somalis arrived in the United States. The Somali community in

1275-622: The US after the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia or emigrated from other parts of Greater Somalia . A large number of the Somali immigrants settled in Minnesota , which by 2002 harbored the largest population of Somalis in North America. Many of the newer arrivals came through voluntary agencies ( VOLAGS ) contracted with the State Department , who helped them settle in. By 2006, Somalis in

1326-518: The University for expansion of the West Bank campus was controversial in the 1960s. The neighborhood is also home to Augsburg University , a private liberal arts college . It is served by the Blue and Green light rail lines. Two popular mixed-use bike/pedestrian paths, Hiawatha LRT Trail and Samatar Crossing , also connect the neighborhood to the downtown area and to neighborhoods further south. In

1377-640: The area in 1974. Many of the businesses that were established during that time — Martha's Antiques, the Whale Leather Shop, the Five Corners Saloon, Richter's Drug Store and Smith's Leather Shop — eventually went out of business, gradually giving way to newer stores and shops. The Depth of Field also closed in the last half of 2019. Brian Coyle Community Center, named after onetime city councilmember Brian Coyle , opened adjacent to Riverside Plaza in 1993. The neighborhood's past still has an influence in

1428-631: The complex as an example of effective multi-family public housing, backed $ 50 million in loans for the project. Exterior shots of the complex were featured on television as the residence of Mary Richards in the final two seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show . It is speculated that the color scheme of the Minnesota Timberwolves 's 2022-2023 season City Edition jerseys was partially inspired by elements of Riverside Plaza's design; both notably have similar blocks of vibrant color. Cedar-Riverside Cedar-Riverside , also referred to as

1479-462: The complex declined permission to HBO to film their upcoming series Mogadishu, Minnesota in their building. In 2011, a major renovation of the then almost 40-year-old complex began, prompted by major problems with their mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. The renovation was completed in two years on a budget of $ 132 million, most of which came from private sources. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development , which viewed

1530-576: The corner of Cedar and Washington, just before the Washington Ave Bridge, was the Breezy Point Tavern owned by Oscar Carlsen, a Norwegian immigrant from the turn of the 20th century. Oscar had come to Minnesota to work in the lumber camps and saved a stake to buy this tavern. Where men in the community once worked in small businesses, or as skilled tradesmen, and workers for the railroad, flour mills, and breweries, Cedar-Riverside declined as

1581-679: The early 1990s also contributed to a negative image. According to local police, however, neighborhood crime has fallen over the years following the deployment of a few additional patrol officers. The Plaza has also evolved into a lively haven for new immigrant families. In 1993, Cedar-Riverside Community School opened around the Plaza. The school meets the needs of the Plaza's residents, including its new immigrant populations. It operates in former commercial spaces near McKnight Tower and Chase House. Brian Coyle Community Center, named after onetime city councilmember Brian Coyle , opened adjacent to Riverside Plaza

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1632-409: The groups' ranks by late 2013. Most of the returnees have instead repatriated for investment opportunities and to take part in the ongoing post-conflict reconstruction process in Somalia. Participating in the renovation of schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure, they have played a leading role in the capital's recovery and have also helped propel the local real estate market. Estimates of

1683-852: The hippie lifestyle (at least on weekends) — lived in old rental houses in the area and congregated at coffeehouses, such as the Extemporé, The Scholar and the Broken Drum, and at bars, such as the Triangle Bar, the Viking, Caesar's, The Mixers and the Music Bar. (The latter burned down the night Robert Kennedy was assassinated , and eventually was replaced by a "people's park"). The Triangle often featured performers and recording artists Dave Ray , Tony Glover and John Koerner , who had associated to some degree with Bob Dylan during his brief Minneapolis sojourn. In 1973,

1734-416: The largest immigrant community in the Twin Cities. Somalis are now the predominant minority group in the area, resulting in the neighborhood being nicknamed "Little Mogadishu." According to U.S. Census data from the 2017 to 2021 periods, about 51.7% of residents were female and 48.3% were male. Around 39% of residents were foreign-born, the vast majority being of East African extraction. Around 54% of

1785-408: The late 19th century, Cedar-Riverside had a sizable Scandinavian immigrant community, most of whose members labored in the Mississippi River 's lumber and milling industries. It later evolved into a hub for intellectuals, hippies, radical activists, actors, musicians and artists during the 1960s and 70s. In keeping with its tradition of ethnic and cultural diversity, the neighborhood is today home to

1836-480: The late 19th century. Cedar Avenue became a hub of the Minneapolis Scandinavian community in the late 1800s. Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish were spoken in many of the businesses, and in the early days, stars of Swedish American vaudeville entertained at Dania Hall, Mozart Hall and The Southern Theater . There was Samuelsen’s confectionery and soda shop, Hagen's appliance store, Moberg’s Norwegian deli, and

1887-464: The locally infamous Seven Corners district, mouldered into a skid row scene in the 1950s. In the mid-to-late 1960s, the area became the center of the University-oriented counterculture and antiwar movement . It was home to local hippies , protesters, and other anti-establishment groups between the 1960s and early 1970s. During those days, the neighborhood was known as the " Haight-Ashbury of

1938-484: The neighborhood with the highest reported number of incidents, Downtown West . Overall, according to police, crime peaked in the period between 2002 and 2006, and has steadily declined in the following 5 years. By 2011, instances of serious crime had dropped a reported 40%. Photos The New Riverside Cafe Articles Book and CD Online book Somali Americans Somali Americans are Americans of Somali ancestry. The first ethnic Somalis to arrive in

1989-633: The neighborhood, located only a few blocks away. Fairview and St. Mary's, which merged in 1986, later merged with the University of Minnesota Hospitals, forming a major medical complex straddling the Mississippi River. The organization is now known as University of Minnesota Medical Center . Cedar-Riverside is located in Minneapolis City Council Wards 2 and 6, represented by Robin Wonsley and Jamal Osman , respectively. The neighborhood

2040-425: The number of Somali immigrants living in the United States vary widely, ranging from 35,760 to 150,000 persons. 2010 American Community Survey data indicates that there are approximately 85,700 people with Somali ancestry in the US. Of those, around 25,000 or one third live in Minnesota ; 21,000 of the latter were born in Somalia. Nationwide, 76,205 were Somalia-born. Somalis are the second largest ethnic group from

2091-443: The period of construction. Interstate 94 and I-35W both pass nearby, giving good highway transportation options for occupants, but the corridors also act as barriers to pedestrians. Despite these drawbacks, the complex has been successful in maintaining a high occupancy rate, rarely dipping below 90% in the complex's nearly 50-year life. The concept, publicly introduced in 1966, had originally been called Cedar Village. It came from

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2142-533: The present. Some of the businesses in the area harken back to an earlier time, like the worker-controlled punk hangout, Hard Times Café and the now-closed North Country Food Co-Op. In fact, some of the businesses, specifically in the Seven Corners district, use the history to promote their own business, such as the "Legend of the Seven Switchmen." Fairview Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital figured prominently in

2193-403: The same year. As of 2011, Riverside Plaza has over 4,500 tenants living in 1,303 units, split equally between market-rate and subsidized apartments. The average duration of occupancy is three to four years, a relatively quick turnover owing to the upward mobility of the newly arrived tenants, who are using the apartments as a temporary housing solution while they get on their feet. The complex

2244-695: The sequence of events that led to Cedar-Riverside being the nation's first New Town-In Town: “In February of 1970 we proposed a first stage project to the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Preliminary approval was given in April of 1970. That spring a number of people began urging us to consider a New Communities loan guarantee application. A preliminary application was submitted in June and accepted in August of 1970. Final application documents were then prepared and

2295-489: The seventh annual zombie pub crawl. Crime statistics released by the Minneapolis Police Department for all of its neighborhoods indicate that between January and May 2012, Cedar Riverside had 134 instances of crime, mainly consisting of various forms of theft. Only one homicide was reported over this period. The neighborhood's statistics were comparable to the citywide average, and were a fraction of those of

2346-654: The signing of the Money Remittances Improvement Act . Following a greatly improved security situation in Somalia in 2012, many Somali U.S. residents have also begun returning to Mogadishu and other parts of the country. A few of the homeward-bound immigrants along with some American-born associates have been sought and/or prosecuted for allegedly providing material support to the Al-Shabaab and Islamic State political militant groups. However, according to intelligence officials, fewer expatriates were joining

2397-473: The state accounted for $ 164–$ 394 million in purchasing power and owned 600 businesses. The city of Minneapolis in particular hosts hundreds of Somali-owned and operated commercial ventures. As of the 2015 American Community Survey, there are 57,000 residents in the state who are of Somali ancestry, among whom 31,400 were born in Somalia. Somalis in the United States often send resources to their extended families abroad, remittances that were facilitated by

2448-606: The state's resident Somalis. Politically, a Somali American Caucus in the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) was formed to represent the Somali community. A Somali American also chairs the Republican Party 's Immigrant Relations Committee in Minnesota. Somalis in the United States are represented by the embassy of Somalia in Washington, D.C. The embassies of Djibouti and Ethiopia in

2499-462: The towers and still lived and worked in the neighborhood, the buildings' new owners did not take proper care of the buildings after converting the structures into subsidized housing to benefit from a 10% state subsidy in addition to regular rental revenue. Members of the media have used nicknames such as the "Ghetto in the Sky", and the "Crack Stacks" to describe the housing complex. A string of homicides in

2550-483: The unemployment rate from 20 percent (in year 2017). Amazon hired 1,500 workers from the Cedar-Riverside job center and initially provided busing for workers to commute to its Shakopee distribution center but cut this service in late 2017. Cedar-Riverside is home to a thriving arts culture. There are many playhouses and theatre groups in the area, including the Mixed Blood Theatre Company , Theatre in

2601-548: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 28, 2010. The statement of significance cites its importance as a well-preserved example of urban redevelopment spurred by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , and the first to receive Title VII funding. It is also locally significant as one of the most prominent examples of Ralph Rapson's work. Most of the current residents of Riverside Plaza are Somali Americans . In October 2016, residents of

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