Queries
DirecTV service/signal in Duluth?
I had DirecTV when I lived in Minneapolis and was very happy with it. When we moved up here we rented for starters and I just went with Charter because the rental was wired for cable.
I really don’t like very much about Charter, other than the Internet, which my company pays for anyway. I am considering going back to DirecTV when my promotional rate with Charter is up.
My question is, with the frequent fog, heavy snow, etc. is signal strength an issue? I’d love some feedback from people who have used or are using DirecTV in Duluth. Thanks!
Duluth Apartment-seeking Advice
I’ll be moving to Duluth this summer to take a job at UMD, and I’m seeking advice about finding apartments to rent. I’m looking for a nice and well-kept one- or two-bedroom place, pet friendly. Any tips about which rental companies to avoid, which are reliable, average prices and what you get for it, neighborhoods, how to avoid bad apartments that look good online, or tips about good places coming available? Thanks!
Free Bulletin Boards in Duluth???
I’m looking for some places in Duluth where I can post some Community Action Duluth posters promoting our free MNsure and SNAP assistance program where they can be seen by wide audiences. If you know of a good place where our poster won’t be immediately ripped down or apart, I’d love to hear of it. Thank you!
Was your great-aunt a milliner? Or grandmother? Or second cousin?
I’m working on an art and history project that tells the story of women milliners from our state’s past. Millinery was one of the only professions open to middle-class women for a very long time. I’m looking for your relative who made hats. Or rather, I’m looking for stories about your relative who made hats. Anytime from the 1890s until the 1950s. Please contact me if you’ve got a relative who was a milliner!
Lovit Soft Drinks from Fitger’s
I read that Fitger’s made soft drinks during prohibition, but this wooden case I found doesn’t look all that old. Does anyone know when they stopped making soda?
Recommendations on short-term accommodations in Duluth
Perhaps someone can provide a bit of advice on short-term accommodations in our fair city. I’m currently in the process of finishing my thesis and am being seriously handicapped by my roommate situation. There’s no hard feelings, but the scale of work I’ve left to accomplish is simply too grand and requires an environment where I can devote some serious attention to my work. Of course, being a student, money remains a sizable obstacle. I can afford $375 for a month, but finding such a short-term lease has proven impossible. As such, I was wondering if you fine folks would happen to have any creative thoughts on the matter. I am open to just about any solutions.
I appreciate the consideration and a very happy Homegrown to everybody!
I want to raise and slaughter sheep in my Duluth backyard
Lambs rather … I enjoy the old-world taste of their meat and find it difficult to procure at my local super mart. I feel their presence would reduce the amount of lawn mowing while cutting down on my risk of heart attack or stroke as they sooth me with their constant bleating and licking of salt from my fingers. I’m talking like one or two maybe, but there is some (dumbass) rule in zoning preventing me from doing this legally, or they’d be everywhere. What if it was small and I kept a muzzle on it at night?
Where should I get old photos copied?
I stumbled across a great old photo of my grandfather. My siblings want copies. Where should I have it copied? I’m looking for someplace I can trust with an old and irreplaceable photo. Thanks for any advice!
PhTSD
So I’m on the way home two weeks ago and sitting at the traffic light in on Central and Grand thinking I’m having some strange wish sandwich, déjà vu flashback episode. I know the post-traumatic Pizza Hut syndrome can be resurgent, but I swear they took the sign down months ago. Am I crazy?
What happened to that poster from R.T. Quinlan’s men’s room?
Having spent several hours at R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon on Sunday, I was reminded of the framed poster that used to hang outside the toilet stall in the men’s room, next to the urinal. I thought there was a good chance an image of it might be available on the Internet somewhere, but my searches for “classic bathtubs, breasts” yielded only distractions. (more…)
Tenancy Questions: Pets, etc.
A friend of mine is in a state of post-graduation flux. He’s been asked to renew his lease. He has days to decide. He might be relocating, so renewing is committing before he knows what his job prospects are.
1. He may know within a few weeks. How does one sweet-talk a landlord into extending a lease for a few months? (more…)
The hunt for a wireless provider in Duluth
We’re ready to ditch Dish and are looking to go wireless-only at our house (no cable package). Are there any good companies providing wireless (besides Clearwire) in Duluth these days?
Banner Photo Info: Where’s the Party?
I found the graphic of all the banner photos, which was great fun to look at. But I want to know: what’s going on in this photo? Obviously a somber gathering, but what are the details? Of course, apologies if I just didn’t search well enough.
What happened to Dubrue?
I remember drinking Dubrue at local restaurants and bars around 2011-2012. I also vaguely remember a story of a fire in the building the brewery was located in. Since then, I haven’t seen the brew anywhere. I did some internet searching but I haven’t come up with much. Is Dubrue around anymore?
Crazy Pine Siskins
We have a gazillion pine siskins at our bird feeders right now. The feeders have to be filled twice a day to keep up with these ravenous little guys. Does anyone know what the story is? We have had siskins before but never so many at one time. Undoubtedly our seeds are tasty, but …
High School Hockey on Local Radio
Yes, I’m a sports fan, I enjoy ice hockey, and I go to the state high school tournament often. Now time for the whining. Why are two local sports stations broadcasting the same high school hockey game live (e.g., Jan. 29)? This is not the first time. Both 560 and 1490 have it and 1490 is the “home of the Minnesota Wild” in these parts. The Wild have a game this evening, which would be on 1490, that I assume will be preempted or joined in progress. One station for the high school game tonight is enough. My suggestion: Trade off or put Wild game on another station owned by whatever radio group. Looking forward to reading comments and other views on this situation.
Perfect Day Duluth
Is it just me or do you notice that a lot of people refer to this blog as “Perfect Day Duluth?”
1) What’s up with that? Why do people make that mistake?
2) When they do, do you correct them? How do you correct them without sounding like a pretentious know-it-all? I am a pretentious know-it-all, so that’s why I ask.
To move back or not?
I was born and raised in Duluth (I left five years ago) and I am contemplating moving back to Duluth from the Twin Cities. The main reason: I miss my family. However, I have a few concerns and would like feedback from non-relatives that still live in Duluth. We left mostly because of the lack of jobs. Have things improved? I am also concerned about lack of activities for small children, quality of schools, etc. Is Duluth really turning around, or is it dying?
Outdoor fitness groups in Duluth
A question from PDD’s e-mail inbox:
I just moved here from Southern California. Do we have non-motorized events in Duluth? I mean joggers, walkers, bikers, skaters will gather and ride together. Example is CicLAvia in Los Angeles, where they closed downtown the city for motor vehicles.
Punkin’ Chunkin’
One of our holiday traditions the past few years has been to watch Punkin’ Chunkin’ on the Discovery Channel. I just read that it was cancelled for this year, which is sad and means we’ll have to find some other boob tube diversion that night.
Got me thinking, though: does anyone do this in the area?
Help searching Duluth addresses for old businesses
I’m a bit of a armchair history buff, especially when it comes to Duluth and the surrounding area. I love absorbing historic information, but one thing has eluded me: finding out information about old businesses and such. I just want to be able to type in an address and see old directories, find out the history, but I’ve had zero luck.
I tried Ancestry.com, which is close, but you can only search the old city directories by a person’s name, which does not help at all if I don’t know who to look for. I know there must be something out there. I know people on PDD seemingly have this very ability as they’ve contributed information on past posts, like “(insert business)” was listed at such address in 1985,” etc. So how is it done? Is there any online resource that can feed my history needs? Your suggestions and assistance would be greatly appreciated by this curious minded fellow.
Rooftop Bars in Duluth
A question posted on PDD’s Facebook page:
House Hunting in Riverside
My husband and I have recently thought about buying a house in Duluth. There have been a few houses in the Riverside neighborhood that have caught our eyes, but we aren’t really familiar with that part of town. Can anyone offer up any kind of information regarding Riverside?
Skyline Parkway Corridor Management Plan
Does anyone have any word on building restrictions on Skyline Parkway? I’m asking because someone built a house on the lower side of Skyline a block above my house. Someone is working on a plot of land to the east which is also directly above my house and they need a variance (for which there is a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday next week).
My street has had a drainage issue ever since I moved in, but the first house to be built up there caused the issue to escalate. With more housing being built directly above, I fear that the problem will get increasingly worse. If anyone has any info on the corridor management plan or building on Skyline in general please let me know, and if you think this issue might directly affect you, let me know so I can forward the meeting info on to you.
I love Duluth and hope that we can work together to make things better. Above is a panoramic picture of ice taking up half the street due to water running down it.