Bryn Mawr

Ten years ago, we moved into Bryn Mawr. My husband teases me that we bought the first house we looked at. (I remind him it was the second house we looked at.) We had been living in a Minneapolis Warehouse District loft when we decided it was time for a garage, a yard, and a mortgage. We wanted to live close to the city. We also wanted an urban vibe with an interesting mix of people and architecture. We found that in Bryn Mawr. When the leaves drop in the fall, we have a view of the Minneapolis skyline. We feel so entrenched in our life here that when we eventually moved to a larger home on a bigger lot, we bought our neighbor's house. Same street, same skyline view.

Apparently Cottage Living magazine also finds Bryn Mawr noteworthy. This month (July/August issue) the national magazine included it in its “Top 10 Cottage Neighborhoods” feature. I contacted the editor of the story to find out how they selected our little slice of the city.

Logan Ward told me that the criteria was “all about liveability and quality of life”—things such as homes that are inspiring and have a cottagelike style, with a liveable scale and proportion that suits their street scape, as well as a relative affordablity. He said he didn’t know Minneapolis, but had heard many good things and had a “feeling” he would find what he was looking for.

Ward contacted the head of what he referred to as our cities’ “coalition group” and asked about the area’s neighborhoods. Other criteria included how well do the people of the neighborhood band together? What opportunities are there for day-to-day contact with neighbors? Is there a well-organized neighborhood network? Cottage Living also placed emphasis on shops and hangouts, green space, diversity, and what the editors called a “cottage twist,” something unique that brings a smile. In the case of Bryn Mawr, Ward was charmed by the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary—the oldest public wildflower garden in America.

I admit that when I initially contacted Cottage Living I was skeptical that a writer from the East Coast would truly understand my neighborhood. But as I listened to Ward speak about Bryn Mawr the reporter in me vanished and the homeowner emerged. I was beaming with pride for my neighborhood, our neighbors, our association, the Bryn Mawr Bugle newspaper, the shop owners, Greg (who tends to our public gardens), Vida (who sends our neighborhood e-mails), Sotera (who crafted our area signs), and our park board for protecting Wirth Park, The Meadows, and Eloise Butler.

Yes, Bryn Mawr has lovely homes, but it’s the people of Bryn Mawr that make us a neighborhood.