Skip to Content
Opinion

Friday Open Thread: Better Knowing Our Twin Cities

TGIF. Let's chat.

Did you know there’s a massive Hindu temple in Sisqó’s hometown of Maple Grove? Did I just type history’s most interesting sentence?

|Woolennium via Flickr

Howdy, Racket subscribers! Jay here, filling in for Friday Open Thread prompt duties since Keith selfishly took a vacation.

So we have a certified hit on our hands with Ian Ringgenberg's loving travelogue from St. Paul. The story has amassed 15,000+ views and counting, which, based on my napkin arithmetic, amounts to roughly 5% of the capital city's population. We love to see it, folks.

In the spirit of discovering new pockets of our backyard, I'll ask you: What are some other parts of the greater Twin Cities metro that summon your curiosity?

Personally, I may have become White Bear Lake-pilled last weekend! I found WBL's old downtown quite charming, and immediately dialed up Zillow to browse the (very limited) selection of pre-war houses. (It's important for readers to know I've never lived outside of Minneapolis proper; the farthest I've lived from my childhood home is eight miles—aka the Eminem special.)

Share your questions, observations, and/or neato factoids about other under-discussed places in the country's 16th largest constellation of cities.

Or don't!

It's Friday Open Thread, meaning you can gab about whatever the hell you'd like. Even the very fun new song from Olivia Rodrigo:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Racket

ICE in the Twin Cities: New Day, Same Occupying Fascist Army

Plus... well, that's all we're discussing in today's Flyover news roundup.

January 12, 2026

Art Shanties, Art Sleds, World Snow Celebration: This Week’s Best Events

Plus curling classes, a Pride party, a book fair, and a tribute to the great Dolly Parton.

January 12, 2026

RacketCast, Ep. 42: What’s Going on in MN? Feat. ‘Never Post’

Enjoy this bonus crossover episode that originally appeared via 'Never Post.'

January 12, 2026

How Minneapolis Activism Has Changed Since George Floyd

Plus poet Danez Smith pays tribute to Good, MN launches its own probe, and people fighting the good fight against ICE in today's Flyover news roundup.

The Final Food News 2025, and What’s Ahead for 2026

It's the December Racket Restaurant Roundup... in January!

January 9, 2026

Fort Snelling: The Advance Guard of Federal Invasion Since 1805

Federal agents are once more using Fort Snelling for its established purpose: to maintain a “monopoly of violence.”

See all posts