1254 Russell Ave. N. Wiped Off The Face Of The Earth...

BEFORE
AFTER

Contributed photos, xoxo, blog post by John Hoff

Demolitions sometimes happen in Homewood, too. WHO KNEW?!

Above is a photo from a few months ago, and below is a photo from a few weeks ago of the demo-in-progress of 1254 Russell Ave. N., one of the very few demos in Homewood since the housing crisis.

This crappy little duplex achieved a moment of fame when, during the...

...campaign for Fifth Ward City Council, (Don Samuels versus four political midgets) boards on the windows were painted with the words "How Many Years Don?" as if the years of it being boarded and vacant had anything to do with Don Samuels and not with Natalie Johnson Lee, NRRC, the church which owned the building, etc. (Click here for a close-up photo of the Natalie Johnson Lee sign on the building)

And so another house which stood for as much as a century is wiped off the face of the earth. It's sad. I wish to see more renovation and revitalization and less demolition, even though some buildings undoubtedly need to go.

Here's a little musical serenade to mark the passing of 1254 Russell Ave. N., click here.

NoMi Newlyweds: Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Brian Reichow - Part One - The Ceremony

The love story of NoMi revitalizer, Brian Reichow, and his sweetie, Chriss Garlick, has a new chapter to share. The couple tied the knot this past weekend, actually on 10-10-10. Their engagement celebrations have been shared a couple of times here on JNS (click here and also here) and so it's only fitting to share their wedding, reception and next day after party here on JNS, too, rather than my own blog which tends to be a bit of a social event photo journal.  Here's the photo journal here after the jump....

The Groom and parents wait for the ceremony to begin

The flowers were stunning, of course

Brian and his daughter Ariel, a Junior Bridesmaid, walk the aisle

Waiting for his Bride

The Flower Girl heads down the aisle

She dropped autumn leaves from her basket

Here comes the Bride, with her Daddy, - LOVE!

Bride and Groom arrive together at the altar

A Wedding Prayer -  Bride: "Dear Lord, please help him to put the seat down" Groom: "Dear Father, please let her believe me when I say I didn't hear her hollering because the plaster walls are too thick"  - Just Kidding!

Mothers of Bride and Groom light the two candles symbolizing their individual children

The couple use their symbolic candles to light their Unity Candle

Jr Bridesmaid Ariel was the only attendant I had a clear shots of, she was lovely.

A last blessing before the declaration of Husband and Wife

The Pastor: "Introducing Mr and Mrs Brian Reichow" - I love the smiles!

"You may now kiss the Bride"

Stay tuned for photo journal of the reception party!

Former Owners Drop By For A NoMi House Tour

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

The fabulous and oh-so-affordable North Minneapolis house of Brian Reichow has been featured on this blog before, click here and here.

Recently, Brian had special visitors to his house...the former owners. One can't help but be reminded of that new country song, "The House That Built Me."

Here is Brian's description of their visit, which he initially posted on Facebook...

Their eyes lit up as they recognized things from their childhood (the three sons are all in their fifties), and recounted stories ranging from which room was where they watched The Beatles play on Ed Sullivan, to where one started the house on fire, to the playroom where they all lit comic books on fire, to where their father kept his girlie magazines, to how the kitchen was originally laid out, to the location of a long-since-removed gazebo, to the timeframe when a rock garden and now-dilapidated koi pond was created, and so on.

Their mother, who turned 80 today (hence the specially arranged visit), had never seen the hardwood floors before because during 1954-1964 nobody would have even considered having hardwood floors (carpet was all the rage). She also recalls there being a beautiful cork floor in the sunroom, where an oak floor is today.

One mystery that has been resolved is "What the heck is the big grating near the alley for?" -- I'm told it was a raised platform for garbage cans back in the day, and also where one would place the large wire basket for burning leaves, when such things were still permitted in Minneapolis.

The single coolest observation was when they pointed out something I had completely missed: there was once an arched, recessed telephone nook in the hallway across from the kitchen door, with space for both an old-school wall phone and address book/phone book. One can pick out the "shadow" of where it once was, which until now I had assumed was just a poorly done plaster patch job.

They also pointed out some items missing from the basement rumpus room - namely, a seating booth and a triangular corner shelf that once held a giant bottle (magnum?) of some wine. Once again, the "shadow" of these lost elements can be picked out when you know what you're looking for.
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JNS says: That's so cool, Brian. However, when it comes to my house...based on some of the items left behind, and some of the mail that still arrives...I don't know if I'd be as welcoming as you to former owners or residents!

Photos By John Hoff

Normally, when I take pictures I am just trying to DOCUMENT things. Yes, I've tried to take artsy photos before. I once had a photo on display in a gallery, when I was quite young and may have gone in a more artsy, less journalistic direction.

But I believe art and expressiveness is inherently a part of our being, especially if we consciously choose to live as artists. So even when taking a mundane blog photo, I am at least TRYING to apply certain aesthetic principals: images with people are inherently more interesting, especially if you get CLOSE, not FAR AWAY. Some pictures look "balanced" and some just look...like a jumbled toybox. Sometimes a person's character shows in their face like a painting, if you can snap off a photo at precisely the right second...

Walking around Homewood, the art seeping into my mental pores, I unconsciously slipped into my artsy photographic mode, and this is some of what I found in my camera afterward. Top to bottom...

Those are tiny clay figures, getting dry, made by some children at an art class. But through my lens, from a certain angle...their small scale appeared lost, the tray and the wall behind appeared part of a surreal landscape.

In the second photo, after explaining the origins of the phrases "upper case" and "lower case" letters, George Roberts tells me (his theory of) why "capital" letters are called that.

In the third photo, the North Minneapolis "WHAT WE WANT" project, brainchild of George Roberts. I'm not going to spoil the surprise by saying more about this project, but it's going to generate positive buzz for our neighborhood. Turns out what North Minneapolis wants...is what ANYBODY might, reasonably, want.

In the last photo, an object in the window of George Roberts' studio.

I highly recommend going to Homewood Studios and just...wandering around.

"Step Down Gallery" At Homewood Studios...

Photos By John Hoff

Homewood Studios has the cutest little gallery for displaying art. It's in a narrow recessed corridor, and since you have to be quite aware of your step--so you don't break your ankle and file a frivolous North Minneapolis lawsuit--there's a notice written on the floor which says STEP DOWN.

Thus did the "Step Down Gallery" earn its name!

(Do not click "Read More")

Children's 1 x 1 x One Gallery At Homewood Studios...

Photo By John Hoff

Here's a very special part of Homewood Studios in the Willard Homewood Neighborhood: it's the 1 x 1 x One Gallery, which displays one piece of art, by one child artist, for one month. Sometimes the children have an art opening, with a few friends plus cookies and milk. After the art is on display it goes back to the child's home...grandly framed!

(Do not click "Read More")

"Seven Of Us, and Him" On Display At Homewood Studios...

Photos By John Hoff

Yolanda (Yo) McCrary is having an art show at Homewood Studios from August 11 to September 5, 2009. The opening reception will be August 14, 2009, from 5 PM to 9 PM. Here's a sneak peak at the show coming together, above.

The title is, of course, intriguing. Seven women...and one man? What's THAT all about?

(Do not click "Read More")

JNS VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Homewood Studios, Transformation Of The Vacant Lot...

In this exclusive video, which I shot during a spontaneous and unscheduled visit, George Roberts of Homewood Studios explains how a garbage-strewn vacant lot next to the studio building was transformed into attractive green space through years of hard work.

(Do not click "Read More")

JNS VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: A Tour Of George Roberts' Creative Space In Homewood Studios...

My tour of Homewood Studios was unplanned. I just wanted to see what was happening to the nearby Uncle Bill's store, whether it was being demolished by a backhoe or merely picked at around the edges by a massive metalic crow...

George Roberts approached and introduced himself. I'd never really MET him before, though we'd been at some other social events together. He has such amazing humility, such an ability to slide into the background and OBSERVE, that it takes three or four meetings to realize there's an older, wiser man in the corner and he's straring right into your SOUL.

Uncle Bill's wasn't going down in the next five minutes. Though I'd felt rushed rushed, there was suddenly plenty of time to mosey like molasses, to fall under the gentle guidance of this calm, wonderful man and see what treasures were inside Homewood Studios. And then I remembered the video function on my camera and thought, well, I'll share this moment with my readers.

There is so much more to Homewood Studios than this brief snippet, or even the next brief snippet. George Roberts' is at the center of a revolutionary concept...a core of artists revitalizing the neighborhood. The home of Homewood Studios used to be a building full of garbage...now it is a pulsing heart of orderly creativity where children immerse themselves in art with skillful teachers, where creative people find creative space to fill the world with thought-provoking art.

This is who we are, I thought. This is the very thing which is NoMi, and this is what Johnny Northside Dot Com exists to share.

The Foreclosure Crisis Hits Even Exclusive Homewood...

During the Johnny Northside movie party a couple days ago, our host Brian Reichow took guests on an impromptu tour of his neighborhood to point out two houses going into foreclosure. The Homewood area of Willard-Homewood is a highly desirable neighborhood, and foreclosures haven't been hitting there in the way they've hit, for example, Hawthorne and Jordan...


All the same, the word is two houses are going into foreclosure: 1111 Russell Ave. N. and 1001 Russell Ave. N.

So if you know somebody who wants a home in Homewood, spread the word. Brian (pictured posing near "The Gates of Homewood") tells me this neighborhood is full of teachers and school administrators, who have somehow formed clusters. There's also a good share of lawyers.

Serving Up Images Of The Johnny Northside Movie Party, Part Two...

Photos By John Hoff

Here are a few more images from the Johnny Northside movie fundraising party. More of these events will take place, which include discussions about the issues impacting our neighborhood.

In the top photo, Realtor and part-time model Connie Nompelis (No-buhl-iss) demonstrates innovative NoMi name-tag wear. Her dress was too, um, slinky for the stickers to stick. The poor dear!

As part of our kicky "demolition" party theme, the name tags were made to look like...

...little condemnation placards. Guests had a choice of being condemned for stuff like lack of maintenance, bad hygiene, no utilities, etc. "Unsafe structure" was rather popular with a few of the men who were into, like, body building.

In the next image, our host Brian Reichow shows off a letter he received from the city after trimming branches and leaving a pile of branches sitting around for ONE DAY. I told Brian, geez, I could show you a pile of branches on Bryant Ave. N. which has been sitting in a front yard for THREE MONTHS. But, like I tell him, "What's a crime in Homewood? Answer: somebody burned the toasted brie." By that definition, Brian and his unsightly branches are the Homewood equivalent of a whorehouse.

Put that in your crack pipe and smoke it, Brian!

In the next photo, Connie poses with a copy of the original Homewood advertising brochure from the early 1900s. A particularly amusing portion of the brochure says, "This could never happen in Homewood." These pieces of history remind us things do change. In fact, sometimes things change dramatically if a few energetic people keep pushing in a focused way.

Right now, in the wake of historic opportunity created by the foreclosure crisis, we are remaking our neighborhood. The Johnny Northside movie documents a part of that struggle. It is a story of North Minneapolis told BY us, not ABOUT us.

In the last photo, hard evidence from Brian's fridge that even exclusive Homewood is still "Single Daddyville." Brian is very devoted to his daughter who is nearly the same age as my son. I'm told when Brian's daughter comes over for visitation, she helps with the recycling. By use of the Minneapolis Advantage program, Brian found an incredible deal on a house and has created a wonderful life in this affluent enclave of North Minneapolis.

But he still craves the excitement and struggle of neighborhoods like Hawthorne and Jordan. That's one reason Brian hosted this party. I want to take this opportunity to thank Brian for his hospitality. Brian, your beautiful home was truly "of service" to our effort!

Serving Up Images Of The Johnny Northside Movie Party, Part One...

Just to be clear, this isn't the PREMIER PARTY or something. We were just showing some video snippets and raising funds for final production of the movie. You still have an opportunity to attend more of these Johnny Northside movie parties, and you won't even have to miss Pride Week or whatever.

So here's some photos of the soiree. If you were there and want to add your all-too-interesting anecdotes, well, in that case...

...there are comment threads and you know what to do.

From top to bottom, our host Brian Reichow poses with some brie cheese...and I'm not talking brie from the So Low! store, though I love the So Low! store and their prices are, well, SO LOW...but this was top-o-the-line double cream brie. Why is Brian holding a flame next to the brie?

He's illustrating a little joke we tell in the neighborhood, and here it is: what is a crime in Homewood?

Answer: Somebody burns the toasted brie.

In the next photo, Charles Shaw wine, which can often be purchased for $2.99 a bottle at Trader Joe's. (In California, where Trader Joe's got its start, it can often be purchased for $1.99 a bottle, which is why it's known as "two buck chuck.") As Connie Nompelis put it so well, "We're serving Charles Shaw because we want to MAKE money at the fund raiser."

In the next photo, little party favors: small slices of gray board with tiny condemnation notices, made to look like the doors on a vacant and boarded house. Word is if you put one of these talismans in your window or above your doorway, it will ward off condemnation.

There's a story behind the party favors and it's a big part of the making of the movie. The guys at 612 Authentic had a break-in at their offices, which resulted in the theft of their video equipment and computers, including much of the footage shot for the Johnny Northside movie project. A gray board appeared to secure the building right after the break-in. Obviously, 612 Authentic was devastated by the loss of their equipment and footage.

However, a short while later, the Minneapolis Police Department actually recovered the stolen property. The footage was returned and, in fact, there was something extra: an amateur attempt to shoot a "gangster rap" video. I keep hoping some of that stuff will appear in the final movie.

Anyway, the party favors were created from that gray board which appeared on the office after the break in. There is a lot of magic, luck and emotional energy in those little squares of wood.

Moving on to the next picture: Jules Inda, who is the spouse of North Minneapolis marketing guru Pat Carney, stands nearby as I serve up what you might call...a spontaneous comic reading. In the next photo, three bloggers pose together for a portrait: Dottie Titus of the Jordan Livability Blog, myself, and Ed Kohler of The Deets.

In the next image, Pat Carney shows how he feels about residents of HOMEWOOD, and Brian Reichow shows how he feels about residents of HARRISON. I guess the "L" stands for "LOVE" or...well, perhaps not.

In the next photo, I pose with Carleton Crawford, chair of the Fifth Congressional District Republicans. He was very nice and, um, he had enough money for the cover charge, so we let him inside.