The Twin Cities are blessed when it comes to vintage shopping. When we first visited Minneapolis in autumn of 2017, we fell hard for Minnehaha Mile, a tree-lined stretch of vintage shops cutting through the Longfellow neighborhood.
The shopping street has changed a good bit since then, bidding adieu to Strange Boutique, Junket: Tossed & Found and Time Bomb (which moved to East Lake Street), welcoming newcomers like Meseret’s Ethiopian Restaurant, and celebrating Moon Palace Books’ graduation to a larger, even more fabulous space two blocks from the original store.
Fortunately, a few of our old favorites are still kicking. Turquoise Vintage, pictured above, is a multi-dealer affair, but you’ll know owner Toni “Pyrex Queen” Johnson’s section by her colorful towers of casserole dishes dating to the 1930s. Elsewhere you’ll find black velvet paintings, ornate gold clocks à la Bob Guccione’s bathroom, and funky psychedelic-print dresses seemingly plucked from Norma Arnold’s closet.
At 33rd and Minnehaha, the decade-old, single-screen Trylon Cinema is still showing badass repertory films, David Cronenberg marathons, and 3-D double features like It Came From Outer Space and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. With nights hosted by Sound Unseen, Tape Freaks, and the Twin Cities Psychotronic Film Society, Trylon remains a magnet for film geeks.
Other #MinneMile highlights include E’s Emporium for household goods and furniture from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s (hope you like Brady Bunch orange!) and Heroic Goods & Games, which specializes in old-school video and board games. That last one’s pop culture blasts from the past — Tommy Hilfiger-branded Gameboys, Hamburglar glasses, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books — will make latchkey kids squeal with nostalgic delight. Happy hunting, friends!
Note: Many of the shops along Minnehaha Mile keep very limited hours. To hit them all, you’re best off shopping on a Friday or Saturday afternoon on the first or third weekend of the month. If you have your heart set on one place in particular, please call ahead before setting out.
Trylon Cinema: 2820 E. 33rd St.; 612-424-5468.
Moon Palace Books: 3032 Minnehaha Ave.; 612-454-0455.
Heroic Goods and Games: 3456 Minnehaha Ave.; 612-200-9354.
Meseret’s Ethiopian: 3867 Minnehaha Ave.; 612-354-4419.
Turquoise Vintage: 3869 Minnehaha Ave.; 612-720-7272.
E’s Emporium: 3911 Minnehaha Ave.; 612-702-5355.
