Loring Park

Loring Park
Neighborhood
Location of the Loring Park neighborhood within the U.S. city of Minneapolis Location of the Loring Park neighborhood within the U.S. city of Minneapolis
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Hennepin
City	Minneapolis
Community	Central
Area
• Total	0.452 sq mi (1.17 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	7,873
• Density	17,000/sq mi (6,700/km2)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	55403, 55404
Area code(s)	612

Loring Park
240px Loring Lake
Type	Urban park
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Coordinates
Area	33.94 acres (13.74 ha)
Status	Open all year

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1980	5,908		—
1990	6,586		11.5%
2000	7,501		13.9%
2010	7,873		5.0%

Loring Park is the largest park in the Central Community of Minneapolis, Minnesota on the southwest corner of downtown Minneapolis. It also lends its name to the surrounding neighborhood.

Park

• William Berry house.JPG

  William Berry house in Loring Park

• LoringParkWinter Minneapolis MN.jpg

  Loring Park in winter, park center erected ca.1906

Designed by American landscape architect Horace Cleveland, the park contains a small lake (Loring Lake formerly known as Johnson's lake) and paths for walking and biking. Originally named Central Park it was renamed in honor of Charles M. Loring. The park is located on the former farm of Joseph and Nellie Johnson. The park is the site of various cultural, social and political events. In October of 2014 a project to remove cattails from the pond began. The cattails had encircled the entire south pond and almost choked the entire north pond. City officials persuaded the State Legislature to grant them authority to eradicate the cattails.

Neighborhood boundaries

The official boundaries of the neighborhood are Lyndale Avenue to the west, Interstate 394 to the north, 12th Street to the northeast, Highway 65 to the east, and Interstate 94 to the south.

Neighborhood characteristics

Notable buildings near Loring Park include the Walker Art Center, Basilica of St. Mary, St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis Convention Center, and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The park is surrounded by apartment buildings, many dating from the early 1900s. Recent construction in the area has brought many new town homes and condominiums to the area. Loring Park is locally known for its diverse social environment and as a nexus for many arts and cultural events.

File:Loring-park-berger-dandelion-fountain.JPG

Berger Fountain at Loring Park, Minneapolis, MN.

References in popular culture

Loring Park is mentioned extensively by Craig Finn in the bands Lifter Puller and the Hold Steady. Portions of the television series Man v. Food's first season finale were filmed in Loring Park.

Events

Loring Park is the venue for various annual events. The Twin Cities Pride Festival and the Loring Park Artists' Festival are some of the more famous events. Loring Park's location directly across from the Walker Art Museum makes it a fitting venue for the annual Loring Park Artists' Festival and a series of smaller artist gatherings. Starting in summer 2014, Chipotle has held their Cultivate free music and culinary festival in Loring Park. The 2014 lineup included Portugal. The Man, The Mowgli's, and Grouplove. Walk the Moon is slotted to appear at the 2015 festival.

External links

• Minneapolis Neighborhood Profile - Loring Park
• Citizens for a Loring Park Community
• Loring Business Association