Next I will relate Mankato to Cramer’s ideas of a “funky” city. Mark Cramer is the author of a book titled Funky Towns USA. It contained 12 points that help to classify a city as being “funky”. In the next few paragraphs I will relate his points to Mankato. His first category is Unconventional Regional Customs. I have been aware that small towns like Mankato don’t really use row houses. Larger towns such as Minneapolis or St Paul are basically known to use this. As we walked down Parson Street, one can notice that this was very rare for a small town to do, and it also felt out of place considering what the houses on the next block over looked like.

Another one of Cramer’s categories is Cross-Cultural. I believe Mankato is very diverse in the people that are residents here. While walking around at school, I notice that there is a very wide variety of people that attend school. I also feel that they belong here because they don’t seem out of place living here because they are valued and respected. Another culture of people that are in mentionable numbers is the Mexican population. They help to diversify Mankato by contributing their culture and beliefs upon Mankato, while continuing to expand in their own beliefs and customs. I also notice a wide variety of people at my place of employment. At Masterpiece Studios, I get the pleasure of working with an assortment of different people, and getting the job done while interacting with other people about who they are, and from where they have come.

An additional category is Public Hangouts. Even though I may not know how to get to a lot of places in Mankato, my friends do. I believe that there are many, hangouts around Mankato where people congregate together. The best one that I can think of would be Best Buy. My friends and I always go to either Best Buy, or the River Hills Mall and hangout together. Other hangouts that are worth mentioning would be Perkins and the bowling ally on 169. One other important hangout spot here in Mankato is BW-3’s. One can shoot pool, play foosball, or just relax while indulging in some of the best wings in the nation. You can choose up to 12 different varieties of great chicken wings. I believe that these are always great places to just hang out and relax.

The next category is Upended Facilities. There are many of these in Mankato. The first one that I believe is worth mentioning is that the Mankato mall that used to be located on Hickory Street, has now been transformed in the Intergovernmental Center, and other governmental offices. Some of the aspects of a mall are still located in the same building. Some examples are BW-3’s, Mall 4 Movie Theater, and other shops are still in place. One more area of interest that has now become and upended facility is the old MSU. The campus used to be located downtown near Fourth and Jackson Sts, and it was the Mankato State University Teachers College until 1979. It now has Blue Earth County government buildings in its place. The city needed more space for additional buildings because of the rapidly growing campus, so that is why Minnesota State University is located at 228 Wiecking Center.

Last, but certainly not least, one absurd aspect of Mankato is that there was the Dakota Massacre right in downtown Mankato. Memorial Park is what the spot is now called. December 26, 1862, this horrible and tragic event took place. Thirty-eight Native Americans were hung at the site of the Buffalo located on Riverfront Drive downtown. It is said that the actual hanging post can be seen underneath the bridge if looked at carefully. This execution is said to be the most extensive execution in US history. People drive by this buffalo countless times each day, some remembering what a tragic event it was, and many not even knowing why the large buffalo is sitting there. There is a plaque located off to the side of the buffalo relating to the event and telling what a horrible tragedy this was, and still is.

As one can see from the above material, Mankato is full of diverse people, has a strong background, and follows suit from the ideas and thoughts of strong urbanists throughout history. By classifying Mankato into Cramer’s categories, you can definitely derive that Mankato is a "Funky City". I have learned much about Mankato by taking the walking tour, and putting my opinions and knowledge into this essay. Mankato is a continuously expanding and changing city, and it will continue to set standards for cities throughout the future by utilizing Lynch’s images of an ideal city, and also through demonstrating Cramer’s ideas of a funky city.

Shannon McNammee

F01