Skip to Content
Podcast

RacketCast, Ep. 47: Mapping MN’s Hidden City Feat. YouTuber Chris Parr

Over 100,000 YouTube viewers wanted to know more about North Oaks.

1:55 PM CST on March 6, 2026

What the hell is going on in North Oaks, Minnesota?

That's the question Minneapolis-based videographer/YouTuber Chris Parr set out to answer. In a video from last month titled "I Mapped Google’s ONLY SECRET CITY," Parr explains why North Oaks—an extremely wealthy north metro city of 5,200—doesn't appear on Google Street View, gets into the history of mapping in general, chats with multiple historians and a drone expert, and then gets hovering above the hidden city in question.

Enjoy our chat with Parr, and watch his viral video below.

But before all that, Em, Keith, and Jay went 'round the horn for our regular segment, What I Learned in Racket. Here's what we learned...


Subscribe to RacketCast wherever you get your podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, etc. • Wanna advertise on RacketCast? Email us at advertise@racketmn.com. • Have a food/drink, event, or show recommendation? How about a civic hot take? General or specific question? Call 619-RACKTIP (619-722-5847) with your first name + city + 3-min.-maximum voicemail, and we might play it on a future episode. • Special thanks to local band Van Stee for supplying our podcast music!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

If a Tree Falls in the City But Someone Replaces it, Will it Cover the Ground?

Plus reviving the fourplex debate, where to find a photo booth, and mega-cheap My Chem tix in today's Flyover news roundup.

August 19, 2026

The Final Days Inside St. Paul’s Pig’s Eye Encampment

Racket interviewed over a dozen displaced residents, volunteers, and advocates to better understand the real-life impact of cities sweeping away those experiencing homelessness.

Defense Industry Booming in MN Thanks to… Rep. Betty McCollum?

Plus orgs react to making the DHS surveillance list, teens prank a republican, and a big thanks from us in today's Flyover news roundup.

We’ve Got Miles of Music in Your Complete Concert Calendar: Aug. 18-24

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

August 18, 2026

MN Street Style: OK Little Trinket Market

'It’s not worth your thighs chafing or your feet hurting to wear something cute. But if you’re just going somewhere pretty casual or you won’t be standing too long, wear the outfit. Life’s too short.'