Duluth MN Recommendations from Perfect Duluth Day

Myers-Wilkins and Lincoln Park Experiences

Jan 12, 2016 5 Comments

My family and I are currently considering a home in the Myers-Wilkins / Lincoln Park / Denfeld school boundary and are looking for some first-hand experiences. We definitely do not want to open enroll. We like the idea of our daughter going to school with her neighbors and I don’t want to be driving her to and from school every day.

I have heard mixed things about Myers-Wilkins, but as of right now, we feel OK about potentially sending our daughter there (she is 1, so it’ll be a few years). Same for Denfeld, but I would love to hear some first-hand experiences.

My mom used to work at Lincoln Park Middle School about 15 or so years ago and her experience left much to be desired. I have heard recently of some people pulling their kids out of Lincoln Park (all second hand stories) because of bullying problems. We are of the mentality that if she has good parents at home, she will do fine anywhere; however, we don’t want to send her somewhere we know could cause problems during middle school, and we all know how awesome middle school is…

I am hoping to hear of some positive experiences, since I have pretty much only come across negative opinions (none of them first hand), but any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated!

Recommendations Duluth Public Schools

Cider in Duluth?

Jan 12, 2016 3 Comments

Although off the beaten path, I enjoy Endion Station‘s cider selection. Is there anywhere else in town with a comparable cider menu?

Recommendations, Restaurants Cider, Endion Station

Board Games in Duluth

Nov 22, 2015 8 Comments

Is there anywhere in Duluth (bar or coffee shop) with a good collection of board games? Classic games, not weird ones that take days to learn. I’d like to get some people together outside of my home. Just need a good place to do it! Thanks!

Recommendations Board Games, Queries

PDD Gift Guide 2015

Nov 18, 2015 14 Comments

’Tis the season for the seventh annual PDD Gift Guide — a list of holiday gift ideas with a local connection. We present 15 ideas to get things started, and invite everyone to add their own suggestions and links in the comments below.

Recommendations Gift Guides, Made in Duluth

Guide to Duluth-related Blogs in 2015

Nov 08, 2015 6 Comments

The craft of writing personal blogs probably hit its stride in Duluth around 2005 and started dying out around 2010. It’s been a long time since the days PDD carried a feed of local blogs, which became unnecessary once subscription news-aggregator applications became available. There is still a strong set of Duluth-area writers and photographers dedicated to kicking out text on a regular basis, however, and we profile them here so you can check them out and add them to your feeds as you wish.

Recommendations Guides and Lists

Still curious?

Oct 20, 2015 3 Comments

What’s the deal with Curious Goods in Superior?

If you’ve driven by 1717-1/2 Winter St. and wondered if the store ever opens, well, it doesn’t … but in a way it’s always open, on the Internet. For the past decade or so Curious Goods has basically been a warehouse for eBay items from the seller Curious-g.

Recommendations Queries, Superior

#notsaintpaul

Sep 30, 2015 3 Comments

So I’m finishing work tonight and my friend says, “meet me at the Brewhouse.” I tasted a flight of three and ordered the dopplebock. The drink coaster just made it too easy for me.

Great American Beer Festival Awards Winners 2015

Don’t get me wrong, I love St Paul, but it appears as though the judges have spoken.

From the Great American Beer Festival, Duluth takes two awards!

To me, it’s gotta be extra special bitter. (How often can a drink coaster be mightier than the billboard)?

Silver – Double Porter | Bemidji Brewing Co., Bemidji (Baltic-style porter)
Bronze – Lonely Blonde | Fulton Beer, Minneapolis (English-style summer ale)
Silver – 14° ESB | Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth (extra special bitter)
Silver – Procrastinator Doppelbock | Fitger’s Brewhouse, Duluth (German-style doppelbock or eisbock)
Silver – Pumpkin Grinder | Mankato Brewery, Mankato (pumpkin)
Silver – Size 4 | Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park (session India pale ale)
Bronze – Firebrick | August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm (Vienna-style lager)

News and Current Affairs, Recommendations Beer and Breweries, Bent Paddle Brewing, Fitger's Brewhouse, Great American Beer Festival

Fall Reading List: A Hillsider and a Buried Man

Sep 24, 2015 1 Comment

Two books lead the list of recommended local reads this fall: One is a new book by Duluth’s outgoing mayor, which will no doubt generate tons of attention before anyone fully reads it. The other is an impressive memoir published back in March by a humble Lakesider, which deserves to be held up next to Duluth’s highest ranking literary office.

Art, Recommendations Books, Don Ness

Free Train Rides

Sep 23, 2015 1 Comment

There are two opportunities to enjoy free train rides on the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad on Sept. 23. Departures are at 2 and 6 p.m. The century-old coaches have capacity for 130 riders each trip, so arrive early! More info on the PDD Calendar and Facebook.

Events, Recommendations

Duluth Bombardier Hat

Sep 15, 2015 2 Comments

Does anyone know where I can purchase a local bombardier-style winter hat, perhaps leather exterior but not a fur interior? I have not been able to find one myself. Thanks in advance.

Outdoors, Recommendations Queries

Save the LS&M Railroad for the enjoyment of future generations

Aug 31, 2015 No Comments

The struggling Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad in West Duluth has persevered against all odds as a scenic, historic railroad since 1980 despite receiving virtually no public subsidies. Running on the very first tracks to enter Duluth, dating back to 1870, 145 unbroken years of history are on the line right now. A dedicated all-volunteer group, none of whom has ever received a paycheck, is keeping this history alive. The railroad costs the city virtually nothing, has proven to be largely self-sufficient, and is an irreplaceable treasure that needs community input in order to survive the massive cleanup now being planned for the U.S. Steel site near Morgan Park. The two newspaper columns linked below will shade things in a bit for you. Take a trip on the LS&M during one of the next six weekends or you just might miss your chance, forever.

Duluth Budgeteer: Save the train for future generations

Duluth News Tribune: Massive cleanup plan emerging for U.S. Steel site in Duluth

News and Current Affairs, Recommendations Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad, U.S. Steel Duluth Works

Where to have a bonfire in the Duluth area

Aug 27, 2015 6 Comments

If a family wanted to have an outdoor memorial service that included a bonfire somewhere in the Cloquet-Duluth-North Shore region, where might they go?

Outdoors, Recommendations Queries

Duluth Windshield Replacement Recommendation

Aug 13, 2015 3 Comments

Does anyone have recommendations for a good, honest, reliable windshield replacement place in Duluth/Superior? Recommendations as to who to stay away from would be helpful, and appreciated, too. Thanks!

Recommendations Auto Repair

The Power of Place

Aug 04, 2015 No Comments

Place matters. It is our soil for sinking roots. Each contribution—150 years of them in Duluth—has been like individual leaves falling to the ground, gradually producing a rich, alluvial-like cultural soil.

We are all responsible for conserving culture, while simultaneously adding to its richness.

Economy and culture in the Twin Ports, though the two need not be distinguished, is increasingly based on neighborliness rather than on a cutthroat sense of competition.

Read the full column for some simple suggestions to spur us on:

Eddy Gilmore: “The power of place”

Recommendations

Looking for an affordable plaster repair and ceiling painter

Jul 22, 2015 No Comments

We need an affordable plaster repair and ceiling painter for the first week of August. We have done this job before, but with three small kiddos we need to seek help (although my 14-month-old is totally willing to assist!). It’s pretty straight forward and a quick moving job, other than one area over the staircase that is more tricky. I’d love to pay someone by the day. I think it’d be two days max if you’re motivated.