Name That Sidewalk! #8

After last sidewalk's wintry fun, it's time once again for another round of Name That Sidewalk!

Winner recieves a personal vintage missive hand delivered by our nation's finest postal service.

Leave guesses in the comments or via email at blindeke at gmail.com. Good luck and good sidewalk hunting!

[??????]

Name That Sidewalk #7 MYSTERY REVEALED!

[The mystery sidewalk, with a lovely askew desire path.]

Well, there were a lot of incorrect guesses about the latest mystery sidewalk. My theory is that, by late August, Minnesotans develop a perception filter that forces our brains to not be able to comprehend a sidewalk covered in snow. As we live here, experiencing the bi-polar climate, whether we like it or not, our brains banish any memories of the opposing season, fostering collective states of willed bi-annual amnesia. Call it "midcontinentitis."A wintery landscape in late August seems like another planet, and cannot be comprehended by a Minnesotan.

That said, this sidewalk wasn't completely difficult, certainly not as challenging as Mystery Sidewalk #6. Guesses included:

"50th and France"
"East River Road"
 and "Lake Calhoun"

Could it be? Note the lengthy topographic slant, certainly rarity in the Twin Cities. Note also the lights in the distance, betokening some sort of dense node. What is it? A mall? Note also that I live nowhere near Minneapolis, and am a profoundly lazy person.

Yes, those are the distant lights of downtown Saint Paul. Dutiful reader and long-time Saint Paul West Ender Adam Yust was the first to correctly ID the spot, sending me an email that simply said:

Wabasha St, west side

Correct! Not only is this spot less than a mile from my apartment, it's less than a 1/4 mile from Name That Sidewalk #4, the spot at the top of the no-longer-extant "green stairs."

Better luck next time!

[Studies show that most sidewalk bloggers will only walk 1/2 mile to take photos of mystery sidewalks.]

Name That Sidewalk! #7

Here's a new Name That Sidewalk for you to perpipatetically ponder. This one is guaranteed to be in the Twin Cities proper, a wandering late-winter desire path.

[????]

First one to correctly identify this sidewalk to within 1/8 of a mile will receive a vintage postcard depicting the Twin Cities of a bygone era bearing congratulatory tidings.

Good luck and godspeed.

Name That Sidewalk! #6: MYSTERY REVEALED

["R" stands for "Recondite."]

OK, it's been three (3) months and zero (0) people have correctly identified the mystery sidewalk in Name That Sidewalk! #6, despite the inclusion of a special hint and slightly less cropped (and skyway revelatory) photo, which means nobody will be receiving the vapid and futile promise of a meaningless trinket to be delivered in the mail. So sad!

Also note that this is the first time that I have stumped you, the 19 dutiful readers of this semi-pathetic blog on sidewalks. I'd like to feel proud that I've fooled all dozen-and-a-half of you, particualrly given your admirable track record of past sidewalk identification.

I want to say, "Yes" while gleefully rubbing my hands together. "Now my sidewalk mystification is complete," in an ominous voice dubbed over like in that that 'all your sidewalk are belong to us' animation.

[TAKE THAT, CATS.]

But I can't. Because this sidewalk (as was clearly stated in the hint) was not technically a "Twin City Sidewalk." No, this sidewalk was in Duluth, a city (also in Minnesota) that all of you should visit on a regular basis! Go to Duluth!

Yes, this sidewalk is in Duluth outside the student center on the Univeristy of Minnesota-Duluth campus. It caught my eye because of the unusual 'no bicycles' parking bollards and the small scrabble leter 'R' serving as a sidewalk detritus punctum.

[The mystery sidewalk.]

Name That Sidewalk! #6 - Special Hint Edition

OK, I'll admit this is kind of a trick question candidate. Because nobody was able to Name That Sidewalk, I'm going to give you a hint. I've un-cropped the photo in order to reveal more revealing detail.

Now go ahead and Name That Sidewalk!


Hint: Neither Minneapolis nor Saint Paul.

Name That Sidewalk #6

It's time once again for another Name That Sidewalk! This one comes with a mysterious clue...

First one to guess correctly receives the meaningless promise of a future prize. Leave guesses in comments or email me directly.

Name That Sidewalk #5

It's time once again for another Name That Sidewalk! Here's the double-signed doozy:

First one to win receives a meaningless promise of a future prize in the mail. Leave guesses in the comments, or email me personally at blindeke@gmail.com.

Name That Sidewalk! #4

It's time once again for another Name That Sidewalk! (To the winner of the previous Name That Sidewalk!, your prize is finally in the mail. I promise.)

[Click to enlarge.]

The winner will receive a prized copy of James Howard Kunstler's post-oil novel, The World Made By Hand, in the mail at some point in the future.

Name That Sidewalk! #3

It's time once again for another Name That Sidewalk! (To the winner of the previous Name That Sidewalk!, your prize is finally in the mail. I promise.)

I saw this crazy car on the sidewalk one day, absolutely stacked to the ceiling with paper...

[Click image to embiggen.]

... the only question is: Where in the Twin Cities is this sidewalk?

The winner receives a prized copy of Clyde Fans: part one, a graphic novel-type publication featuring wonderful antiquated urban landscapes and typewriters, drawn and written by Seth Weeks of Montreal Canada.

Name That Sidewalk! #2

It's time once again for another Name That Sidewalk! I saw these two 'surveyors' stretching a tape measure across the street, from sidewalk's edge to sidewalk's edge...



... the only question is: Where in the Twin Cities is this sidewalk?

The first person to post the correct answer in the comments below will get this weather beaten and falling apart copy of Jane Jacobs' The Death and Life of Great American Cities, without doubt the greatest sidewalk book ever written.

Good luck and godspeed!

Twin City Photo Contest: Name the Sidewalk?

Can anyone name where in the Twin Cities this photo was taken?



Leave guesses in the comments, or email me at blindeke at gmail.com. The first winner will receive a special Twin City Sidewalks prize in the mail!