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

Having Saved Minneapolis From ICE, Mayor Jacob Frey Embarks on Televised Victory Tour

Plus MN goes gun crazy, lyin' ICE, and a very cute restaurant in need in today's Flyover news roundup.

February 13, 2026

Freeloader Friday: 97 Free Things To Do This Weekend

Mutual aid markets, book fairs, and lots of V-Day happenings.

February 13, 2026

On the Big Screen This Week: Newly Restored International Films and a Gender-Swapped Anime ‘Hamlet’

Pretty much all the movies you can catch in the Twin Cities this week.

February 12, 2026

Operation Metro Surge Ending? Months-Long Campaign of Death, Terror, Destruction in MN Spun as ‘Success.’

Plus MN bands drop agency with Epstein ties, a cool Southdale Center vid, and La Mama needs our help in today's Flyover news roundup.

Corporate Communications in ‘Uncertain, Stressful, and Volatile Times’: How MN Employers Failed to Address the ICE Occupation

We asked Minnesotans how their bosses responded to our statewide crisis. And boy did they tell us.

February 12, 2026
See all posts