CC Club, Lyndale Ave in Minneapolis.

The Hi-Lo Diner’s stainless-steel façade and glowing neon sign stand out against the night along East Lake Street, where one of Minneapolis’s most recognizable retro landmarks continues to operate inside a restored 1950s Fodero dining car. The interior’s purple and blue lighting reflects off the ribbed metal siding, giving the building the classic mid-century glow that made roadside diners iconic across the United States.

Originally built in New Jersey, this particular dining car was transported to Minnesota and fully refurbished before reopening in 2016. Its presence on Lake Street connects several eras of the corridor’s history—from early automobile culture and mid-century roadside design to Lake Street’s longstanding role as a diverse commercial spine lined with independent businesses, bars, and restaurants. Today, the Hi-Lo remains both a neighborhood gathering spot and a small architectural artifact representing the golden age of American diners.

Lowry Hill Liquor Store on Hennepin Ave in Minneapolis.

Dulono's Pizza in downtown Minneapolis

Liquor Lyle's bar & restaurant on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis.

Stella's Fish Cafe restaurant on Lake Street in Uptown Minneapolis during a December snowfall.

Treat Yo Self neon sign on Lake Street

Mill Ruins Park near downtown Minneapolis with Canadian wildfire smoke.

The former Pillsbury flour mill near downtown Minneapolis. It's since been renovated into condos.

Cowboy Slims bar at Hennepin and Lagoon in Uptown Minneapolis.

The former Pillsbury mills on the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis.

On the day Cup Foods re-opened, owner Mahmoud Abumayyaleh looks out at the memorial in front of his store where George Floyd was killed on May 25th, 2020.

Midtown Exchange, Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis as seen from Boom Island in May 2020. Gold Medal Flour and Northstar Blankets neon signs visible across the Mississippi River.

A neon sign in downtown Minneapolis that reads "PARK HERE".

West River Parkway and the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis.

The Nicollet Island Inn, a landmark along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, occupies a 19th-century brick and limestone structure originally built in the 1890s as an industrial facility. Converted into a hotel and restaurant in the 1970s, it retains its historic character with exposed stone walls and vintage architectural details. Illuminated signage and soft outdoor lighting highlight the inn’s distinctive facade, with the iconic Pillsbury’s Best Flour sign visible across the river, linking the scene to the city’s milling heritage.

A large Jack Daniels mural on the Whiskey Junction building on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis. The bar has been closed since at least 2020

Ice covered skyway windows in downtown Minneapolis.

This neon sign once promoted the California Zephyr, one of the most celebrated passenger trains of the postwar era. First introduced in 1949, the train linked Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, offering panoramic views of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada. The glowing red lettering, paired with imagery of a bridge, skyline, and streamlined locomotive, reflects the optimism of mid-20th-century American rail travel and the romance of crossing the continent in comfort and style.