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Skyway Adventures
Jul. 19th, 2006 01:34 pmLast night we helped one of our neighbors take down a shelf, and then invited her come over and hang out for a bit. In our conversation, the skyway system in downtown St. Paul came up, and she talked at length about how much fun she had exploring it and getting lost in it, the different shops and restaurants she's managed to find in interesting corners of downtown office buildings. In contrast, while it is easily accessible, I rarely find I have a need or want to use it. But today, spurred in part by her tales of adventure and a want to find different options for quick lunch (she mentioned a natural foods shop with sandwiches, and a whole food court!), I took to the skyway to see what I could find to eat. I couldn't find any online St. Paul skyway food guides to help me. I did find a map and a vague superlative blurb about the miles upon miles of connectivity found in St. Paul above any other city. Hmm. Intimidating, especially for a girl who tends to get easily lost. Undaunted, I entered the skyway system at the Union Depot.
First I found a corner with an orange neon sign reading "EXECUTIVE COFFEE". They had a cooler with sandwiches, but none vegetarian. I found a convenience store with a deli in the back. They had lunch specials, but nothing vegetarian. They had a board with a dizzying array of bagels and cream cheeses, but none were left. A woman next to me said "Ooooh, you have to get here earlier than this to get one of those." Interesting. I moved on. I passed another corner with a soup and sandwich board, but there was nothing vegetarian. (I was starting to sense a theme.) I passed a sit-down restaurant. Through the bank buildings, through one inoffensively beige, flourescent-lit corridor after another, flanked by people in business clothes holding food items from restauraunts I hadn't found. I feel like the skyways are some sort of secret society you only get to join when you work in one of the interconnected buildings and know the handshake or something. I found a McDonalds (ew), a Caribou, but not the natural foods place or food court. I wonder if the people in business clothes find themselves feeling similarly out-of-place if they try to find lunch amongst the artists of Lowertown?
Amazingly, I found my way back in a circle after about 20 minutes, and got a sandwich from my usual haunt. Maybe I'll try again some other time.
First I found a corner with an orange neon sign reading "EXECUTIVE COFFEE". They had a cooler with sandwiches, but none vegetarian. I found a convenience store with a deli in the back. They had lunch specials, but nothing vegetarian. They had a board with a dizzying array of bagels and cream cheeses, but none were left. A woman next to me said "Ooooh, you have to get here earlier than this to get one of those." Interesting. I moved on. I passed another corner with a soup and sandwich board, but there was nothing vegetarian. (I was starting to sense a theme.) I passed a sit-down restaurant. Through the bank buildings, through one inoffensively beige, flourescent-lit corridor after another, flanked by people in business clothes holding food items from restauraunts I hadn't found. I feel like the skyways are some sort of secret society you only get to join when you work in one of the interconnected buildings and know the handshake or something. I found a McDonalds (ew), a Caribou, but not the natural foods place or food court. I wonder if the people in business clothes find themselves feeling similarly out-of-place if they try to find lunch amongst the artists of Lowertown?
Amazingly, I found my way back in a circle after about 20 minutes, and got a sandwich from my usual haunt. Maybe I'll try again some other time.
