1. Scrub away months coffee stains in your kitchen sink. Many units at Santiago Apartments have white farm-style sinks. Brighten yours up with a scrubby sponge and some Comet!

2. Clean out your closet. Everybody loves closet space but maybe it’s time to declutter. Instead of sending your items straight to the landfill, consider donating them to Goodwill or a community organization like Bridging. A free ad on Craigslist is a great way to get rid of something fast.

3. Bust dust above window and door frames. If you’ve never looked up there you should! You’ll probably find a quarter inch of dust waiting to be wiped away. Gross! To get even more grossed out, learn more about dust here.

Name: LG (Little Gray)

Species: Feline

Resident since: 2011

Likes:

• Watching traffic on University Avenue
• Drinking water straight from the faucet
• Napping next to radiators

Dislikes:

• Losing toys underneath the oven
• Empty bird feeders
• Bathtime

Favorite thing about living at Santiago Apartments: The pet policy! No pet deposit. No pet rent. No additional pet fees. No dogs allowed.

It’s a new lease year at Santiago Apartments! Welcome to all of our new residents.

Before

Wallpaper

Pile of wallpaper

Which side has fresh paint?

That’s better

Way better

I knew it wouldn’t be easy but this wallpaper in #102 had to go. We will miss long-term resident, Sydne, but we won’t miss this wallpaper. Pretty sure Sydne won’t miss it either.

We finally quit stalling and resurfaced the parking lot! Get it?

Before

After

After

The backyard is all dressed up for spring! We’ve got petunias, geraniums, marigolds, irises, and we’ve got those tall spiky things. Plus, there are hollyhocks, morning glories, and sunflowers currently hiding out underground.

Hopefully these Home Depot plants are hardy and ready to party because we’ve got some weather on the way.

April. The time of year when the boiler and the trees swap dormancy status. Hello, buds. See you in October, boiler!

Southeast Minneapolis, 1889, Courtesy of John R. Borchert Map Library, University of MN

Does the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood need a name change? A recent article in the Star Tribune explores that question and neighborhood residents weigh in.

“Marcy-Holmes traces its roots back to Minneapolis’ earliest days, when the neighborhood was part of the town of St. Anthony. Residents say they don’t want to lose that connection to the past — visible in landmarks like the Stone Arch Bridge and converted factories — as the neighborhood evolves.”

2/23/17 Update

Further discussion in The Journal: Marcy-Holmes, a neighborhood both old and new

“A bunch of people are upset that we keep getting called Northeast. Why does it matter?”