This past Friday, after considerable haggling, some crossed wires and some interesting negotiations with the City of Minneapolis, the Northbound received their encroachment permit and installed their on-street bike corral. I hope this second on-street bike corral in Minneapolis helps set the tone for a better city approvals process so the next corral and the one after that are easier to put in use. As my post from March indicates, I’ve spent a little time on this. One year, to be exact. My efforts with Public Works to secure the encroachment permit on behalf of the Northbound led to a formal request to Minneapolis…

Most people associate the term “beer goggles” with an inebriated state of affairs in which a member of the opposite (in some cases same) sex appears more attractive. As an urban nerd, I think “beer goggles” can apply to urban places, as entire cities can look more attractive after a drink, particularly when you are strolling down a sidewalk on a pleasant evening after a nice meal with friends. In the case of the Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub, however, I hadn’t even raised the first pint of Smokehouse Porter to my lips when I gazed out the large windows toward the…