Neighborhood

The Lowry Hill East neighborhood (The Wedge) is named after Thomas Lowry, a leader in the development of rapid mass transit who installed the horse-drawn street cars that first ran along the neighborhood in the 1880s. The neighborhood is most often referred to as The Wedge because of its boundaries – Lyndale, Hennepin, and Lake – forming the shape of a wedge.

The Wedge began as one of the first suburbs for the expanding downtown in the 1880s and 1890s. Many of Victorian homes and brownstones still exist as both single and multi-family homes. Renters and homeowners alike cherish the beauty and history of these original buildings. The Lowry Hill East historic district provides a glimpse into the enduring legacy of famed architect T.P. Healy. As in most neighborhoods, buildings have changed over time; most recently, there has been significant expansion of residential housing along the business corridors and the Greenway that has enlivened these areas.

At the heart of the neighborhood is Mueller Park, named after brothers Robert and Herbert, residents and environmental stewards who served as natural historians of the neighborhood. The park was the result of the dedicated efforts of residents organized through LHENA who moved into the neighborhood in the 1970s to restore the aging, though still beautiful, housing stock and who raised their children alongside college students, artists, and musicians (most famously, The Replacements).

Today, the neighborhood remains a hub for mass transit options, including the Bryant Ave Bicycling Boulevard, the Greenway that runs along the southern border, and the Uptown transit hub. The Wedge is among the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city of Minneapolis with nearly 9,500 residents living inside one square kilometer, and business-lined corridors along its borders. This densely compact built environment makes the neighborhood a magnet for people who value the ability to walk or bike to businesses, schools, the lakes, grocery stores (including the iconic Wedge Co-op, which was started in this neighborhood), medical and veterinary services, restaurants, art institutions, and nightlife. The Wedge continues to be an exciting and dynamic neighborhood at the forefront of progressive urban living.