What Once Was: Twin Cities

These are a collection of photos taken of buildings and landscapes that no longer exist in the Twin Cities. Provided by the books of Larry Millett.

[@heterosectional]

Class here has been replaced by glass/no class. Something classy about photos in black and white that adds class, too. Thanks for sharing this bittersweet trip.

[@jonathanbraski]

Thanks for creating this! It makes me just SICK to think that gems like this could be destroyed! The Urban Renewal movement caused many cities throughout the country to lose some of their most prized possessions. It makes me both sad and angry to know that they were intentionally demolished. Buildings RIP

[@hollydugal5299]

That's really sad that a lot of these beautiful and bridges are now gone. These old buildings and bridges had a lot of character that the a lot of new buildings don't have. Some of these old buildings look like castles.

[@MikeJohnson-nr4mh]

Old comment but I had to chime in. It seems like the idiots who tore these structures down had absolutely zero interest in preserving our history which is a damn shame.

[@hollydugal5299]

@@MikeJohnson-nr4mh 100% Agreed!!!

[@RayRift]

This video is a true service to humankind. Stunning. In the future present, you must be involved in creation of a historical simulation. Can you imagine photosynthing these!?

[@ClueMaster317]

Beautiful! Very appropriate ending. I was waiting for that building to pop up. So many people were upset when that building came down. It helped start the National Regestry anyway.

[@Vromiaris778]

The demolishing of the "Met" must be listed as one of the most tragic demolitions of the modern era. That building was simply stunning!

[@johnryman1366]

With glass floors under a glass roofed atrium....knocked down for a parking lot. What a fantastic structure with nothing saved, the 2"thck glass floor panels in piles of ruble. Stupid wasteful insensitive officials ran the city into the banality it is today, with idiotic curvey malls.. Suburbanization of urban space. Stupid 60's city planning by people who hated "Old, or historic"

[@Hemulen40]

Greetings from Sweden : Most inner city blocks in all the major cities have been devastated over here too . Sad !

[@heterosectional]

We do have one still classy building, Par N: The Swedish Institute on Park Avenue in south Minneapolis. It was the castle like home of the publisher of a Swedish language newspaper here. And the site has been expanded.

[@holoholopainen1627]

At least You have GAMLA STAN ! I remember walking The Street - PM Olof PALME had His apartment ! ( I have heard - That City named that to His Honor - The Olof Palme Street ) He always had a State Paid VAKT as Guard standing by - The Entrance !

[@terryblessing6388]

Really sad so many beautiful buildings demolished

[@mh605]

That's "Radisson," not "Radison." I won't mention Swede Hollow. ;-) Thanks for the photos. They were interesting, and it's sad that all that is gone. I don't recognize the town in those photos, even though I've lived here most of my life.

[@signjay]

A wonderful series of photos, but the glaring omission is The Great Northern Depot in Mpls. Also missing is Dania Hall on the West Bank. Minneapolis is probably the worst city in the country for tearing down anything that is old. At least St. Paul has some sense of its past. Thanks for this post. A former Minnesotan has a tear in his eye tonight.

[@SD457500]

I remember reading that a lot of these buildings got torn down in the 60s for redevelopment. I wish I could have been born early enough to see some of them.

[@susanjaeger5645]

Amazing old World buildings.

[@scottyb83]

Disappointing that no one thought to preserve back then. If some of those buildings survived the wrecking ball just slightly longer they may still be in existance.

[@WilliamofMunich]

Highly unfortunate. People who want only money in life never stop to appreciate the beauty that sometimes money creates, Architecture being a good example of this.

[@InfamousYG]

i wish all these buildings were never tore down and wish they were still here today there nice

[@felix121984]

I grew up in Minneapolis-St.Paul region in the 198o's. At that time we had two major uptown/downtown city shopping Downtown Minneapolis and ST.Paul very rare for a medium sized urban areas. Now both of the downtowns are now empty.

[@sonunow]

I cant believe all of that is gone....so sad

[@MattBurosh]

Damn, I always love/hate watching videos or looking at pictures like this. Could you imagine if Rice and University still looked like that today?!

[@EC-ol8nz]

MattBurosh i cant believe they flattened all that! Now it baron and convoluted with the train.

[@JasonfromMinnesota]

a history lesson i can't wait to come home

[@timm55]

Actually the Libray site is a parking lot! It is on 10th/Henn. right in front of St. Thomas

[@johnbartholf777]

Some notes on when the buildings came down would be nice.

[@usmc4life4]

I live in st. paul and my grandpa and dad always tell me of how st. paul used to be , i even have noticed how the city is slowly destroying itself, if i could have one wish it would be to live in st. paul during the 30's when 7th and wabasha was like broadway in new york

[@DTM-Books]

There needs to be a movement to rebuild these classic buildings. There's no reason why Mpls couldn't restore The Met, the Old Post Office, or any number of classic hotel buildings. It would certainly be better than the lousy "parking lot/shopping mall" paradigm of the last 50 years.

[@jimstokes6742]

You are DREAMING. It ain't gonna happen.

[@ronaldschultenover7591]

workmanship no longer available. The Met was ugly Romanesque revival and would not rent today.

[@heterosectional]

Bring back the old parking meters and put back streets near downtown with NO parking meters. The new meters just plain suck.

[@brianwoodling5407]

Fantastic architecture, never to be seen again,sad

[@heterosectional]

Depressing.

[@franklinbolander1916]

VERY SAD THE TWIN CITIES IS A THUGGISH MESS NOW....LONG STANDING PLACES OF BUSINESS GONE,AND MORE LEAVING ALL THE TIME FOR PLACES LIKE SOUTH DAKOTA!

[@usmc4life4]

@bluzdawg good observation, i noticed that too, my family once lived in swede hollow in the early 1900's when it was mostly italian, as well as the Levee

[@ClueMaster317]

beautiful

[@Weezymagee]

what is this song, ive heard it before, its beautiful

[@70CarStall]

The Metropolitan was the most tragic yet there was no way it could have lasted into the 80s .

[@mh605]

That's "Radisson," not "Radison." I won't mention Swede Hollow. [wink] Thanks for the photos. They were interesting, and it's sad that all that is gone. I don't recognize the town in those photos, even though I've lived here most of my life.

[@Highfalutinloyd]

@MrTheMercury yeah, because we know how smart everyone in those warm places like the South, Arizona, California, etc. are

[@brayski7648]

My towns my life.

[@nategrimes19]

i have never heard of any of these places ( probobly cause im only 11) but minnesota is still my home

[@jimstokes6742]

Thanks! So much C L A S S has been lost. It has been replaced with soul-less brick and mortar.

[@heterosectional]

Or as I wrote, CLASS has been replaced by GLASS/NO CLASS.

[@LuisJohnSoria]

Bravo! Bravo la mia signora giusta.

[@stephenjoachim2263]

I think it was Swede Hollow, not Sweed Hallow

[@EricDavidFloyd]

The Met was so well built it would have lasted past 2080. Afterall It was built out of stone. America as a whole has little respect for history. Newer is always better - so the saying goes. Notice Europe and how those nations add to the old but never "renew" the entire downtown - unless its Berlin 1945. So now Minneapolis looks like a piece of glass. Woopie! On the other hand those old buildings were not bringing in the cash.

[@getemnate1]

CENTRAL!!

[@ronaldschultenover7591]

Syndicate block was greeat but had a big fire destroyed onen end

[@LINDY2588]

Some of these buildings would be really nice to still have around but look at this way change comes with time and there was probably a good reason for those buildings to not be around either they were not salvageable or the funds werent there to save them either way they are not around anymore so lets stop crying about it and move on.

[@tvnist]

Disaster!