The Ballad of Cedar-Riverside
How One of Minneapolis’ Most Vibrant Areas is Rapidly Disappearing
By Ali Jaafar
Ah, Cedar-Riverside. The mere mention of that hyphenated name is enough to get a rise out of most Minneapolitans, not to mention the ones who actually live there. It is a divisive area, a place that has been characterized as both a colorful ethnic melting pot and a miniature gangland; the last “real” corridor of the city and a bullet-riddled death trap.
This long-running debate is even more pertinent to students at our fair university, whose daily travels often take them within a stones’ throw of Riverside. For many U students, the area has long been a source of confusion and target of misguided derision. For those of you just entering the world of higher education here in Minneapolis, I guarantee you it won’t be long before you have to endure a long-winded
description of the many deadly faults of Cedar-Riverside. It will most likely be given by someone who has never spent more than five minutes there. It will most likely grate.
It’s unfortunate that it gets reduced to that, though, because the issue is immensely complex. Cedar-Riverside is an area in flux, an area with real issues relating to its identity and its ability to handle emerging social issues. It’s an …
