New bench installed on the Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis. The trail was rebuilt following construction of the new green line extension light rail project.

Another new bench on Cedar Lake. This one with a plaque that reads "for my husband Geoffrey Hellman who finds his peace here on the shores of Cedar Lake. Randi" For $5,000 you too can have a bench with your name on it for 10 years..

A weathered metal bench sits along one of Minneapolis’s elevated pedestrian and bicycle bridges, its frame showing rust from years of exposure to winter salt and freeze–thaw cycles. The skyline appears in the distance—soft, cool, and out of focus—giving the bench a quiet vantage point over the city. Graffiti tags on the slats and a discarded green Mickey’s bottle beneath the seat add small traces of everyday use, hinting at how these bridges serve not just as transportation corridors but as informal social spaces.

Many of the city’s long-span pedestrian bridges, especially those built over rail corridors and highways, were added during the late 20th century to connect neighborhoods divided by infrastructure. Despite their utilitarian design, they often become familiar landmarks for runners, cyclists, and residents crossing between neighborhoods at dusk, when the muted lights of downtown begin to glow against the evening sky.

A "Welcome to Minneapolis" sticker on a bench in Minneapolis.

No Justice, No Peace written on the sidewalk in front of a bench in South Minneapolis.

A bench at Bde Maka Ska in South Minneapolis. The Minneapolis skyline seen across the lake.

Benches in Central Park on a September evening.

Snow surrounding a bench in Father Hennepin Bluff Park in Northeast Minneapolis.