Bars Near UMD and CSS Campuses

duluth14 Apr 23, 2012 21 Comments

Is there a city ordinance that prohibits businesses in the neighborhood around the University of Minnesota Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica from having full liquor licenses? Why is it that the nearest bar to campus is Burrito Union and not something around Woodland or by V.I.P. Pizza? Anyone have any ideas on that?

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21 Comments

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

I think the answer is that no one has seen the opportunity yet. If things go as planned with the development at the old Woodland Middle School site, there will be at least one bar/restaurant there.

Past posts about this on PDD:
Developer has new student housing/retail plan for Woodland Middle School site
Duluth Dinkytown?

Claire

about 12 years ago 

You can drink at Chester Creek Cafe, they have a cozy wine bar, and you can drink at Bulldog Pizza. Beer and wine only for both.

Karasu

about 12 years ago 

I think the neighbors have always pitched a fit when anyone brings up the idea of catering to college students in the area. I think there's a clipping file at the library if you'd like to read further.

wildgoose

about 12 years ago 

Was there a bar in the old pizza place where Subway is now?

duluth_bishop

about 12 years ago 

I think there is also some pressure from established taverns not to expand development for on-sale distribution.  I had a conversation with a local real-estate investor on how Mark Lambert's project could pull a lot of business away from him and other landlords.  He wishes he would have been more involved in the conversation.  Maybe "purveyors of sociability" are better organized.

duluth_bishop

about 12 years ago 

I think Lola's [RIP], next to the Subway on Kenwood, served beer.

duluth14

about 12 years ago 

I was thinking somewhere along the lines of duluth_bishop, I'm guessing that the owners of bars downtown and Canal Park don't want a place near campus opening up to take away business from them. With Lambert's development, I hope he considers putting some sort of nightlife there. I know that a lot of the residents wouldn't be huge fans of this, but around campus, there isn't a whole lot to do. I think it could cut down on DWIs if there was something closer to campus for some adult beverages than Dubh Linn/Fitger's/Grandma's. Also, Chester Creek is plenty close, but the cost of a beer or wine there is pretty much out of most college student's range. Bulldog Pizza doesn't have a bar really, it's mostly a family restaurant.

woodtick

about 12 years ago 

There is the Other Place on Calvary Road just northwest of the neighborhood of Woodland.  You can bowl (I think), eat Chinese and buy Twig Bakery goods while enjoying a refreshing macrobrew.  The only thing missing is a shooting range.

duluth14

about 12 years ago 

The bowling alley is now gone from the Other Place, but I think you're right that a shooting range wouldn't be the worst addition. They have plenty of macrobrew, but I also believe they have some micros on tap too.

Tony D.

about 12 years ago 

I've never researched it, but the story I heard was that back in the 1950s, as UMD was leaving the Old Campus (or "lower campus") and expanding the "new campus," there was some sort of trouble at a nearby frat house, and a student died. The city then supposedly passed some rules regulating how many non-related folks can live in the same house within a certain distance from campus. And that may have something to do with the zoning that keeps the surrounding area residential (with little student housing) and the closest nearby retail section (Mt. Royal) several blocks from campus.

UMD loves it: with no nearby "Dinkytown" or "State Street"-like retail area for students, they have a monopoly on student spending, esp. those who live on campus: books, food, etc.

wildgoose

about 12 years ago 

I feel for the students on this one.  I went to St. John's we had a fun little pub on campus "The Butcher Shop" now defunct that served "3.2" beer (as if).  Also there was regular bus service into town so we weren't totally isolated. But a lot of people did choose to drink and drive and every year at least one guy died tragically.  

I really wish that we had a better "dinkytown" kind of environment.  I don't think this can be developed, it is much more organic in MSP but it could be at least cultivated and that has not happened.  If I lived near UMD I'd be concerned, but right now I'm concerned about all of those people pouring across the bridge every Fri and Sat night.  Bad public policy.

pbroman

about 12 years ago 

I've never understood this. Many thousands of students in one area that drink the living CRAP out of liquor 9 months a year, and all the bars stay away. You'd think Kenwood or Mount Royal would host a big college meat market complete with dance floor, sports TVs, and cheap beer. Kids wouldn't have to be stupid and drive either, or sneak booze on campus. I've always wondered why there are no big restaurants or bars in Kenwood or Mount Royal. Mount Royal is also full of elderly folks that don't like to drive far. Cheap breakfast diner by day for the whitehairs, sports bar by night for the kids. At least upper Woodland has Sammy's and a few others.

Anyone remember "Somebody's House," a fairly large restaurant in the Mount Royal complex? Now it's the drive through bank or something like that.

edgeways

about 12 years ago 

It's not huge, and probably couldn't handle all that much traffic, but there is an empty corner (well empty gas station) now at Woodland and St. Marie. Parking would be an issue, but if built to fill the lot it might handle a decent crowd ... but again ... parking.

duluth14

about 12 years ago 

Edgeways, that would be a legitimate spot. What about right across the street from VIP pizza at 19th Ave E and 8th street? There's been an empty lot there for over a year. pbroman, that all boggles my mind too. They're missing out on some serious big business.

bully

about 12 years ago 

I really don't know how many students that live on campus are 21.  Most people move off campus after their first year and live mostly in the hillside area.  Having a bar near UMD would involve driving most of the year.

duluth14

about 12 years ago 

Not on campus, but from College Street down to Superior Street, the Woodland area, and Kenwood too, are filled with college students. Woodland is a lot closer than Canal Park to these areas.

Carla

about 12 years ago 

I am planning a building for the corner of 19th Avenue East and Eighth Street -- kitty corner from At Sara's Table / Chester Creek Cafe -- to be built next year. If any Auntie Penures out there would like to put in a bar, let me know -- particularly with a specialty wine and beer shop attached.

c-freak

about 12 years ago 

The bar in my basement allows smoking.

baci

about 12 years ago 

@TonyD 
re: "... may have something to do with the zoning that keeps the surrounding area residential ..." 

If you can call it that. We have defacto frat houses and such now. I know that many campus neighbors would support an intentional designed student oriented district. It's a reasoned and logical alternative to the status quo.

@Carla - While I like the idea, I like the hardware store concept I heard floated a lot better.

The Big E

about 12 years ago 

If they hadn't short-sightedly taken the carwash out of the old University Conoco, some enterprising person could have repurposed the space to host the foam-drenched dancing parties that the youth of today are well-known to favor.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

Is that the youth of today or the youth of 2008?

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