Author Archives: Ezra Van Den Einde

Doing it Downtown, all summer long

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Opinion piece by Ezra Van Den Einde, MSUM

The lakes are great and who doesn’t love a road trip with the family, but downtown is the real place to be during the summer. Starting in mid May, a series of fun summer events will be going on in downtown Fargo-Moorhead.  To help you plan your summer I have highlighted a few events you won’t want to miss.

Like classic cars? Starting on May 17 Broadway in Fargo will be swarmed with fancy, unique and classic cars. The event lasts from 5-9pm and will be held the first Thursday of the month through September. For more information or to check out photos, visit “Cruisin’ Broadway” on their facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cruisin-Broadway-Downtown-Fargo/91362550665

The weekend following the kickoff off of cruise night will be a busy one. With people parking their cars and lacing up their running shoes, Fargo will be overtaken by runners of every skill level. From a youth half mile run to the main event where over two thousand runners will be taking on the 26.2 mi. trek through the streets Fargo, the event has something for everyone.  Registration ends on the May 6 and can be found along with a rundown of weekend events on the Fargo Marathon website.

http://www.fargomarathon.com/index.html

One of the next major events to take hold of Fargo’s downtown streets will be the 37th annual Fargo Street Fair. The Street Fair claims to be North Dakotas largest free outdoor event, attracting thousands for great vendors selling clothes, food, crafts and more. The dates you should mark on your calendar are July 19- 21. Applications to your space as an artist, crafter or vendor can be downloaded here.

If these events still leave you with time to spend celebrating summer in Downtown Fargo and Moorhead, don’t worry. Spend some time in one of the beautiful parks. Go for a refreshing swim at Island Park Pool. Visit the Hjemkomst Center, the Plains Art Museum or the Fargo Theater. Spend a day shopping on Broadway or take a walk along the Red River. Where ever your summer takes you, remember that you don’t need to look any farther than downtown for memorable summer fun.

Below are a couple more sites to help you continue Doing it Downtown this summer.

Downtown Fargo

 Fargo-Moorhead events calendar

Sharing the Road

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Bicycle outside of GNB

Story and Photos by Ezra Van Den Einde

With higher temperatures around the corner and road construction heating up it may be time for locals to warm up to bicyclists.

Fueled in part by the growing presence NDSU has in downtown Fargo, an effort is being made to add bike lanes to 10th  and University, both are one ways in north Fargo.

The discussion has been heated at times and one city commissioner is strongly opposed to the idea.  “Those are our only north south arterials through the whole city, to me, to try to shove something on there, that’s just incredibly wrong.” Dave Piepkorn said during a recent Fargo city commission meeting. Piepkorn says the negative feedback he has received exceeds that of any other issue.

The city plans to run a series of public service announcements to better educate and prepare the public for bicyclists.

Great Northern Bicycle Company

One downtown business owner whose life revolves around these controversial spinning wheels has ideas that may ease the publics concerns. Tom Smith, owner of Great Northern Bicycle Company in downtown Fargo, thinks the negative response is “a bit of a knee jerk reaction” and that the concerns have to do with dangers and the amount of daily traffic on 10th and University.

Biking down Broadway

 

In order to make biking safer and decrease the publics’ discomfort of sharing the roadways with bicycles, Smith says it’s necessary for bicyclists to follow all traffic laws. He says being consistant, predictable and following traffic laws will help cyclists become an accepted part of city traffic.

Below is a link to a safety education video for drivers and bicyclists created by the League of Illinois Bicyclists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1PXvxh_6MI&feature=player_embedded

 

 

Pay to Park? Forget it.

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Finding a spot to park

Article and Photos by                             Ezra Van Den Einde, MSUM

Living in downtown Fargo, people may have problems finding spots to park near their homes, but a recent study says that there’s a surplus of empty pavement. What’s the name of the study and who conducted it?

 

Dick Herrig has been working the Fargo parking lots as an attendant for 14 years and says that if people are willing to walk a couple of blocks shouldn’t have problems finding a spot.

Dick Herrig and Bob Nelson

Herrig works a parking lot on NP Avenue, which is shared by the city of Fargo and adjacent business owners. He says, “It’s full to capacity… 90 percent or more have a monthly permit.”

Bob Nelson, works with Herrig, says, “We need a parking ramp to replace the one they tore down.” He added that the Island Park Ramp could accommodate more daily commuters, if they were willing to walk across the railroad tracks.

The downtown area has 11 city lots with monthly rates ranging from $50-$65. Six of the lots also have daily and hourly parking rates.

City of Fargo parking

According to the city of Minneapolis website, rates for non-reserved monthly parking in can cost up to $203. Compared to Minneapolis, parking in downtown Fargo is one half to one third the cost, so people in Fargo should be happy with walking a couple of blocks or paying such a small cost to park downtown.

 

(Edited by Lauren Tollefson, MSUM multimedia journalism major).

 

Old ads give downtown a unique atmosphere

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Written by Ezra Van Den Einde MSUM Senior

The hotel bison advertisement feels the effects of weathering.

Storefronts and buildings are often home to large advertisements. These signs change over time. Good ads are updated to stay fresh; they are removed and replaced when businesses move or turn over.

It doesn’t take long for ads to look dated or become an eyesore. Outdated ads can do more harm then good for both the business and the area surrounding the unsightly signs.

Dakota Business College leaves it's mark on the side of this old brick building.

Historical Ads Weather Time

Large faded advertisements and business names are a common site found on the buildings overlooking the lively downtown streets. These ads give a look into the history and add character to the downtown scene. Decorating the otherwise blank brick buildings, they create an aesthetic that is unique to downtown. Historical ads can be found on old buildings in both downtown Fargo and Moorhead.

These ads have been battling mother nature for decades, holding on long after their purpose faded. Yet, they live on, without any connection to the current tenants, providing memories of days past and a different time.

The Creamery Co. is a prime Moorhead example

Eventide at Fairmont on Second Avenue North in Moorhead is a great example of this old signage. For anyone who has trouble envisioning this address it may be easier to think of The Creamery Co. building in Moorhead. For new buildings that do not hold any historical value to the surrounding community, signage such as this would have been replaced in no time.

The Creamery Co. advertisement is still clearly apparent on the side of a building now used by Eventide for elderly housing.

Character, like a freckle or scar

Kallyn Klein, an area resident, said the buildings history are a crucial aspect to the town. “If the building were a face it would be a freckle or a mustache, it gives so much character to the building … or a scar, it really shows some history of the building.”

Klein is not the only person who feels this way. Many of the buildings have gone unchanged for nearly a century, but downtown re-developers seem in no hurry to erase history or cover up these “scars and freckles.” Next time you walk by a building with character, try to imagine the atmosphere that would have surrounded it at the time it was originally built.

Click here for more Fargo advertising history

(Edited by Samantha Rachuy)

The Old Broadway Grill transforms from professional to party animal

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Story by Ezra Van Den Einde Mass communications senior at MSUM

Edited by Samantha Rachuy

The Old Broadway Grill is a mullet of a business, and that’s a compliment. The restaurant has found a way to appeal to professionals and downtown shoppers during the day, while avoiding a stale image that might repel young adults looking for a party scene at night.

The Old Broadway Grill is filled with business casual and professionally dressed adults during the day. One might think the OB Grill slows to a halt after the supper rush, or  they have a happy hour crowd of regulars that chat and enjoy peanuts until bar close. In reality, if you stick around as the evening transitions to night, the curly long-haired “party in the back” side of the business plans spills over from the OB City. Rap music takes over the peaceful dining atmosphere, peanuts are replaced by bowls of popcorn and the Old Broadway Grill becomes the “quiet” attachment to one of the largest and loudest parties in town.

Old Broadway Grill, courtesy of theoldbroadway.com

Most restaurants and bars undergo changes through out the day. It may be switching from breakfast to dinner, or promoting lunch specials before switching to fine dinning,  others may close their kitchens and remain open into the night. This isn’t the case at the Old Broadway Grill. Part of what makes the OB Grill unique is how much it changes. It may be a favorite spot to grab lunch for a middle age business man or for an older couple who live near downtown. These same people may not recognize the place or feel comfortable hanging around when the late crowd swarms in after dark.

Tiffany Finke is manager of the OB Grill and has spent time working at all three of the Old Broadway establishments including the Sports Zone, Grill and City Club.

Jason Laub, manager of the dinning and bar portion of the Hotel Donaldson, says they make similar changes, but to a lesser degree. “Food orders go down and drink orders go up.” Other changes he mentioned include a slight shift in music selection and a noticeable age change. “Both day and night we see so many regulars, that’s one thing that I really love about this place,” Laub added.

Even though the day and nighttime regulars at the OB Grill may not recognize their bar during the opposing time of day, the bar manages to keep everyone happy from open to close.