Neighborhood Feature - Tangletown
I'm excited to be kicking off a regular series as part of my posting rotation - neighborhood spotlights. In these posts, I'll be highlighting some of my favorite neighborhoods in Southwest Minneapolis and Edina, those I live and play in - and also sell real estate in. I plan to feature local businesses within these neighborhoods, architecture, home values and of course my favorite places to dine, drink and spend a day there.
Today, we are talking about all things Tangletown. Tangletown is located in Southwest Minneapolis with 46th Street as the Northern boundary, Diamond Lake Road as the Southern boundary, 35W to the East and Lyndale Avenue to the West.
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Tangletown was originally known as the Fuller neighborhood until 1996 when its name changed to the present. If you've ever driven within the boundaries of Tangletown, you know where its namesake originates from. The winding, curvy streets are an unexpected change from the regimented grid of city living. It's as if you drive out of a city and into the charmed streets of Pleasantville.
Actually, Tangletown doesn't originate all that far from Pleasantville. Prior to the city center stretching its boundaries to encapsulate what we now know as Southwest Minneapolis - the area of Tangletown was a rural destination for the upper class. With its rolling hills and proximity to Minnehaha Creek, what is now known as Tangletown was once an exclusive and private retreat for the wealthy.*
Today, the vintage homes of Tangletown are highly sought after for their unique character, originality, elevation over the city and tight-knit community within its bounds.
Tangletown boasts a lively and robust Neighborhood Association tackling initiatives from business facade improvements and sustainability to water improvement and organics recycling. Their neighborhood Halloween festivities are rivaled by few and the recently updated Fuller Park serves as a hub for social events.
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Where to eat
If you don't live in Tangletown proper, chances are you've traveled there to eat at one of their many sought after dining destinations, my favorite of all being Wise Acre Eatery.
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Wise Acre on a winter day is a cozy, dimly lit, relaxing eatery to be served a hearty, hand crafted meal. Unlike some of our finer dining establishments, you'll leave full and the flavors will linger with you long after you leave. There's a sense you are being nurtured while you're in their care, with 80-90% of their food coming from their farm located just under an hour away. Their mission of feeding us sustainably grown meats and produce harvested from their farm by day and prepared for their table by night makes it easy to become a repeat customer.
Another Tangletown eatery with a cult-like following is Sun Street Breads. In the morning, swing by for an espresso treat and an Almond Cakester or on the heartier side, go ahead and build your own biscuit sandwich.
Known for their sandwiches, make a point of having lunch there - I have a hard time straying from The Delta - sweet potato mash, mustard greens and fennel slaw on a cracked wheat roll.
What to do
In between brunch at Sunstreet and dinner at Wise Acre, make a point of spending time at Simply Jane ArtAble - a nonprofit arts education center and drop-in paint studio.
Located near the intersection of Nicollet Avenue & Diamond Lake Road (conveniently next to Wise Acre), walking in to Simply Jane is reminiscent of falling down the tree in Alice in Wonderland. Owner and professional muralist Jane Elias has created a world where artists of all abilities and disabilities are welcomed at their individual level.
I recently had the chance to drop-in for painting time with my two daughters and meet Jane. The girls were at a stale mate when it came to choosing a design to paint - all of which are created by Jane and traced on to canvases, ceramic accessories, placemats, birdhouses and the like by members of her staff.
Once they made their selections, they were given a quick lesson in how to use the paints and brushes as well as techniques for making their designs pop.
From there, it was about taking in the classical music playing in the background and soaking up the natural light pouring in through the skylights - all aesthetic choices Jane made to keep the space comfortable for those with mental health challenges. You can generally let your guard down while working with the finest materials for creating your works - a belief of Jane's to provide the best for her fellow artisans.
'It's about peace and love' says the sign on the door. Enter at the risk of becoming changed. Jane's mission to challenge stereotypes and break down boundaries for every member of our community is powerful and her model of serving others is humbling. Click over to their site for more information on Summer Camps (open for registration!), Art Classes, Birthday Parties and more.
Living in Tangletown
Thinking of buying or selling in Tangletown? Here is a glimpse of some data for the Tangletown market from the month of February, 2017:
Median home price in Tangletown was $400,000
Median days on market was 21 days
Median price per square foot was $206
Number of homes for sale in Tangletown in February was 10 homes
These homes sold for a median of 98.8% of their original list price
The long and the short of it? Tangletown is an in-demand area of Southwest Minneapolis where buyers are often competing for properties. If you've thought of selling your home in Tangletown, now would be a great time to do so with limited properties available in the neighborhood. If you are interested in buying in the area, make sure you are working with an experienced realtor that is confident in multiple offer situations as it's likely you will find yourself in one. Don't let that scare you off, however, from owning your own little piece of this gem of a neighborhood. Tangletown is a community of do-gooders looking to improve their neighborhood for generations to come.
Thinking of buying or selling your home? Check out my services page for more on my unique approach.