Stephanie Fox has won two awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for her articles. She lives in South Minneapolis with her husband David, a martial arts instructor, and her two bulldogs, Quigley and Lazlow.
Stephanie Fox
Iconic Hennepin Ave business district has a 100+ year history
Too few Metro Transit police officers means risks for bus riders

BY STEPHANIE FOX Unlike many American cities, bus shelters in Minneapolis are not privately owned. They are owned and operated by Metropolitan Transit Authority, a division of the Metropolitan Council. Buses carry nearly 70% of public transit riders on 123 bus routes, with thousands of passengers waiting every day at…
World-class commerce graces Lake Street
Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church hit with hateful graffiti in March; May be part of a deeper problem
BY STEPHANIE FOX Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis, with a membership of 12,000, is the largest Lutheran Church in the country, perhaps in the world according to some accounts. It’s not the kind of church that actively courts controversy. Located on 50th Street in a liberal section of…
Roosevelt educator hopes to make life skills part of the curriculum

BY STEPHANIE FOX A few years ago, Roosevelt High School teacher Ben Rengstrof noticed that while classes offered by the Minneapolis School District focused primarily on getting students into college, programs in basic life skills were lacking. He had an interest in cooking—at the time, just a hobby—but decided that…
St. Paul’s increasingly trendy Selby Ave offers various fitness-based businesses
Franklin Ave Open Streets a pageant of wealth

BY STEPHANIE FOX Highlights of a Minneapolis summer are the Open Streets festivals, held all over the city over the course of the season. The city temporarily closes blocks and blocks of main streets to traffic, allowing pedestrians, bike riders, skaters and skateboarders to roam freely, visiting booths from nonprofits,…
Here’s the lowdown on Bloomington Ave

BY STEPHANIE FOX While Bloomington Avenue in South Minneapolis is mostly single-family and duplex homes, there are small stretches of unique and colorful businesses. Lots of street corners offer super places to eat, shop and visit. Hot Plate 5204 Bloomington Ave. 612-824-4794 The restaurant Hot Plate, a local institution, is…
Dine and drink your way along Cedar Avenue, from the Creek to the West Bank
Mercado Central great place for Latino businesses to grow

BY STEPHANIE FOX At the corner of Bloomington and Lake Street is Mercado Central, recognizable by the bright blue awning above the doors and the always-crowded parking lot. The stores, restaurants and other businesses reflect a vibrant, flourishing marketplace. If you come to the Mercado on weekends you will have…
Temple Israel on Hennepin gives its best for 140 years

BY STEPHANIE FOX Everyone in Minneapolis recognizes the large, elegant neoclassical building facing Hennepin Avenue near 23rd Street. Temple Israel, housing Minnesota’s oldest Jewish community and the state’s largest Jewish congregation, is more than an architectural landmark. It is a cultural and religious one as well. Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman leads…
Other December holidays share Christmas traits

BY STEPHANIE FOX In December, Christmas takes over everything. Christmas music is everywhere, dozens of TV specials and shows have Christmas themes, decorations with Christmas themes fill homes, stores and the streets. Anything winter related becomes a symbol of Christmas, from toy soldiers to snowflakes to bells to stars to…
Dinkytown holds memories for generations of Minnesotans

BY STEPHANIE FOX It started with the railroad, or at least that’s what some historians claim. The small four-block commercial section of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood called Dinkytown may have gotten its name from the railroad tracks that ran through the area. Or maybe, not. Photographer and Minneapolis historian Steve Bergerson…