Frame 1: Northbound on Intestate 35W toward downtown Minneapolis.
EVERY TIME MY HUSBAND and I journey toward and around downtown Minneapolis, I am taken by the skyline. Generally, I am not a fan of skyscrapers embedded in concrete, of vertical lines that block ground level views and cast long shadows. I am of the prairie, of horizontal lines and broad vistas.
Frame 2: You best know which lane you should be driving in.
Yet, I have grown to appreciate the Minneapolis skyline. From a distance. And through the viewfinder of my Canon DSLR. My camera distracts me from the often congested traffic, although my definition of congested certainly differs from that of a city dweller.
Frame 3: Traffic builds as we approach the downtown. Great sign placement choice by Yahoo.
Afterward, when I am back in my Faribault home office, photos uploaded into my computer, I study the frames. And I see in the downtown skyline images an almost other-worldly quality, as if the collection of buildings is background in an animated film. Unreal. Stacked Lego blocks. The work of an artist rather than that of engineers and builders.
Frame 4: Enough traffic for me. About this time I’m asking my husband, “Do you know which lane you’re supposed to be in?”
Frame 5: Traffic slows in a tight spot.
Frame 6: We’re going right. Better than taking the congested 16A exit.
Frame 7: I love this painterly view of the Minneapolis skyline.
Frame 8: One last look at the skyline.
Do you see what I’m seeing, that surreal artistic quality in the buildings?
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Those architects were paid good money to get that effect..
Great comeback. You are making me smile this morning.
My word! I have achieved one good thing this week 🙂
And I bet more good things…
Possibly 😀
Excellent. I like to hear that.
Strange thought of the day, I am guessing it’s Friday evening where you are, it’s Saturday afternoon here, so you are talking to the future and I to the past. 🙂
Alright then…
Yes
That second to last photo would indeed, to my mind/eye, make a lovely painting
Thank you, Marney.
Skylines amaze me as well and you have managed to see past the buildings and embrace their beauty. I wonder how you would react in NYC?
Oh, I’ve been to NYC, once during spring break of my junior year of college. I remember this: good-looking men in leisure suits along Wall Street, the pretzel vendor on the corner, the man pushing a garment rack down the street and me almost being trampled because I was gawking up at the skyscrapers.
I have no desire to return to NYC. Too much big city for me.
The skyline is pretty incredible in the evening too.
I agree. Last time we were in the Cities, heading south, darkness had fallen and I was beyond impressed by the beauty of the Minneapolis skyline at night. I kept cranking my head back to look as my husband drove away from the city.
I love the Minneapolis Skyline – we had our engagement photos with the backdrop of the skyline – it is eclectic with old and new 🙂 Thanks for sharing – Happy Day – Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing your personal connection to the Minneapolis skyline.
The two-tones on the beige building, the mirror panels full of reflection, and so many shapes and sizes, I love this city-scape as well. We’ve been seeing a lot of it since buying the cabin 🙂
Alright then, Jackie, let’s see some of your on-the-road shots of the skyline. I’d love to see your photographic perspective.
Maybe on our way up tomorrow 🙂
What a beautiful weekend it will be to stay at the cabin. Safe travels, my friend.
Great pic Audrey of the skyline. Reminds me so much of the Dallas skyline. The Ft. Worth skyline, while a bit smaller, is pretty also as they used to outline the building in white lights. Love seeing the skylines of large cities…but so glad I like e in a smaller one!
That’s interesting that the buildings would have been outlined in white lights.
I, too, am grateful that I live outside of the city.
Frame 7 is just fantastic! c
Thank you kindly, Cecilia. That means a lot to me coming from you.
The Minneapolis skyline is a beautiful one. It’s been more than thirty years since I’ve been there and it’s changed a lot. The mirror panels on tall structures are truly beautiful in many cities. The day you shot those photographs you had the good fortune of amazing poufy clouds and lovely blue sky.
Even I was amazed at how lovely the photos were. Yes, everything was ideal to make for a good photo shoot.
Lovely.
I’ve been there MANY times and still appreciate the skyline!! xx
Just like there’s something about the Duluth skyline.
Last time I saw the Minneapolis skyline, I was on a jet airliner headed for San Diego, CA. That was in April 27, 1967. Ultimate destination: MCRD San Diego. I love the big cities. So long as I live outside of the most extreme beltways!
I bet the Minneapolis skyline looks a lot different than in 1967. Thank you for your service to our country.
Your streets/highways are so wide and have so many lanes. It’s very unusual for us to have any more than three lanes. Sydney wasn’t very well planned, I’m afraid, after all, it started as a dumping ground for convicts! I like the look of the brown building in the last photo – the one on the right hand side. It looks like it has some charm and character xx
You can never have enough lanes on a metro freeway. Unfortunately I don’t know the identity of most downtown Minneapolis buildings. But I think the brown one may be apartments.