No People Allowed

The January 2006 article “Seven Weeks on the Lean Streets” struck a chord when it pointed out the difference in availability of public facilities during one young man’s trek through the Twin Cities. I often hike through different neighborhoods; I, too, have long noticed the lack of public niceties in poor neighborhoods and the wealth of resources where wealthy people live. One building looks to be a really blatant example of this. The Loring Nicollet Community Center, located on the near south side of Minneapolis, posts it right on their front door: “Sorry—No Soliciting. No Public Restrooms. No Public Telephone. No Bicycles.” They might as well save a little money on the printing and just say: “Community Center—Keep Out.” Not surprisingly, even though I pass there on a regular basis, I’ve never seen anybody enter or leave that building.