Twin Cities Then and Now

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and at times a little sad
Review: I thought this book was very interesting, and not at all something that would appeal only to Minnesotans. It's sometimes hard to remember just how rapidly the neighborhoods and infrastructure of American cities have changed in the last hundred years, and seeing the movement documented is really fascinating. As the authors point out in an early chapter, nothing in a city is permanent, sometimes not even the streets themselves. The book does have some unhappy overtones. Like other cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul have chosen at times to simply bulldoze seedy areas of town and fill them with bland new buildings rather than try to redevelop them. New is not always better, for the city or its inhabitants. It's sad to see a block of aging but still beautiful turn-of-the century commerical buildings give way to cold-looking open spaces, or a stately mansion lawn turn into a weed-choked hillside behind a college. But this book is excellent whether you are interested in social commentary or just amazed at how quickly cities change to meet our changing needs.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and at times a little sad
Review: I thought this book was very interesting, and not at all something that would appeal only to Minnesotans. It's sometimes hard to remember just how rapidly the neighborhoods and infrastructure of American cities have changed in the last hundred years, and seeing the movement documented is really fascinating. As the authors point out in an early chapter, nothing in a city is permanent, sometimes not even the streets themselves. The book does have some unhappy overtones. Like other cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul have chosen at times to simply bulldoze seedy areas of town and fill them with bland new buildings rather than try to redevelop them. New is not always better, for the city or its inhabitants. It's sad to see a block of aging but still beautiful turn-of-the century commerical buildings give way to cold-looking open spaces, or a stately mansion lawn turn into a weed-choked hillside behind a college. But this book is excellent whether you are interested in social commentary or just amazed at how quickly cities change to meet our changing needs.

Rating:
Summary: Great photography and keepsake
Review: I'm reading this book for Augsburg College's history of the Twin Cities. I think the photography is first class and I love reading this book. It is one of few class reading I enjoy (as well as Larry Millett's Lost Twin Cities). Lewis Nelson

Rating:
Summary: Great photography and keepsake
Review: I'm reading this book for Augsburg College's history of the Twin Cities. I think the photography is first class and I love reading this book. It is one of few class reading I enjoy (as well as Larry Millett's Lost Twin Cities). Lewis Nelson