Monday, February 16, 2009

The Policy Discussion Watering Hole Of The Hawthorne Neighborhood

Photo By John Hoff

Broadway Pizza has many claims to fame, including an amazing amount of old-timey train photos, an actual model train that circles around near ceiling level, a real live caboose parked on the grounds, but probably the most important feature of Broadway Pizza is that, for some reason, this is where neighborhood movers and shakers tend to congregate to have...

...informal policy discussions, usually right after official meetings end. People involved in neighborhood meetings just tend to make their way to Broadway Pizza to continue the discussion over pizza, beer and ESPN.

And guess what? It's got wireless. I guess I never really tried to pick up a wireless signal here until tonight. Maybe it's had wireless for a long time, I don't know.

But if there was ever a more perfect meeting spot in Hawthorne, I have yet to hear of it.

Some folks don't even think of the area between I-94 and the Mississippi River as Hawthorne. For one thing, its composition is very different than commonly-held perceptions of Hawthorne as a working class neighborhood with old houses, engaged recently in a kind of transformation. This part of Hawthorne--which somebody once dubbed the "Hawthorne Annex"--actually has LUXURY CONDOS.

Yes!!!!!!!!! Upscale, luxury condos in the Hawthorne Neighborhood.

Many a happy night I've spent at Broadway Pizza with Jeff Skrenes, Brian Thao Worra, Peter Teachout, and, of course, the lovely Connie Nompelis.

What could make this place better? Blogging with one hand while stealing fries from Jeff with the other.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

There boneless buffalo wings are the best. Yummy.

Anonymous said...

http://www.insightnews.com/

Uh-oh, it looks like Al McFarlane and check-scam artist Randy Staten have set their sights on Jeff Skrenes. What are the odds that Al Flowers will mysteriously discover an interest in participating in HACC meetings?

jhop said...

Great pizza and atmosphere. I need to get over that way more often.

The caboose seating area (smoking area still?) was always a neat place to hangout.

Jeff Skrenes said...

Yep, I've seen the Insight article. I've posted a response on my personal facebook page, and am looking into how/whether to do so on a more public scale. I'm not too worried though. What really bothers me is the Minnpost article that started this whole thing is such a terrific piece...just the TITLE is so terrible! Hey, if I'm getting lumped in with Don Samuels in anyone's attacks, I'll take that as a badge of honor any day.

To jhop, sorry, smoking indoors in MN is pretty much gone. Not even in situations (drinking a Guiness) or places (Tootsie's, the 400 Club) that practically demand that you light up.