Glass Endeavors

One more reason I like Living in Longfellow: artists and craftspeople like the ones at Glass Endeavors. A stained and fused glass studio and retail store, owners John & Zoi Sandy and their staff have many years of experience creating glass art and teaching the craft to others. They offer fun and affordable classes, custom design, repair & restoration of glass, crystal and china, and they sell finished products and supplies to make your own glass or mosaic pieces. Hours: Tue-Thu 10-8, Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5 (closed Sun & Mon). 612-721-9553. Located at 2716 East 31st St (next to the Minnehaha Ave post office).

Riverstone Salon Spa

Summer's here and it's time to relax and rejuvenate. Can't get away to the woods or your favorite quiet spot? How about a trip to your neighborhood spa? Riverstone Salon Spa offers a variety of hair, skin and nail care services, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, and spa packages. Riverstone is locally owned since 2005 by Longfellow resident Tamie Drackert, and is located at 34th St & 42nd Ave S - right across from Turtle Bread. Hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 9pm; Sat 9-5 / 612-721-1518.

Longfellow Community Warming Party

Join your friends and neighbors on June 7th in celebrating everything that makes our neighborhood great! The Longfellow Community Council (LCC) is hosting the return of their Community Warming Party, bringing together the neighborhood for food and fun. The event will kick off the "Take a Look at Longfellow" campaign - showcasing some of the neighborhood's great places and history. There will also be a silent auction featuring donations from local artists and businesses with all proceeds benefiting LCC. The event is FREE and open to all!  Tuesday, June 7th - 5:00-7:00 pm - Longfellow Grill Patio (Lake St & West River Pkwy).

Guitar Rodeo

Being a music lover as well as a Longfellow resident, I am continually surprised at all the independent artists and craftspeople doing business in our neighborhood. Just a few blocks from my house is the Guitar Rodeo, where they build, sell & repair custom acoustic guitars. As the world's largest independent Taylor guitar dealer, they sell most of the guitars through their website, but you can stop in their showroom at 4151 Minnehaha Ave and see for yourself these beautiful instruments. Showroom hours: Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm; Sat 11 am-3 pm. 612-767-2800.

Ballare Teatro Performing Arts Center

Ballare Teatro ("Dance Theatre" in Italian) teaches dance to people of all ages, from toddlers on up. In 1998 dancer & owner Ann Williams founded Ballare Teatro, which currently has 4 studios and 16 highly trained dance instructors. They offer classess, workshops and performances in tap, ballet, jazz, modern and hip hop dance. That's a lot of dancing! They also have a full schedule of summer classes and workshops, including some fun pre-school and elementary age workshops like the 'Wizard of Oz' and 'Star Wars' (especially for boys). Located at 43rd & Minnehaha; 612-721-8619.

Patrick's Cabaret

Begun by performance artist Patrick Scully and friends over 25 years ago, Patrick's Cabaret has played a major role in the diversification of the Twin Cities performing arts community.  With its mission of serving the needs of local artists from underserved communities, Patrick's prides itself on being "edgy, experimental, improvisational, culturally expansive, socially relevant, politically charged, entertaining, provocative, and mesmerizing." The building has recently undergone renovations to add more bathrooms and updates for performers with special mobility needs. Check out the calendar of local theatre, dance, music, comedy and of course, cabaret-syle variety shows. 3010 Minnehaha Ave S; Shows - 612-721-3595.

RLM Art Studio

Right across the street from the Tapestry Folkdance Center (see blog post from Jan 31) sits a small art studio with a lot of heart and soul. RLM Art Studio is the home of Ricardo Levins Morales and his "art for social justice". Born in Puerto Rico and Minneapolis-based since the mid-70's, Levins Morales was a founding member and "Director of Outreach and Troublemaking" at Northland Poster Collective for 30 years. The shop and internet store & gallery feature beautiful posters, notecards, buttons, calendars and commissioned art work for individuals and organizations, not to mention his free monthly downloadable calendar. 3745 Minnehaha Ave S; 612-455-2242.