Documentation: "Dinky Town" by Alex Awada

Our group decided to conduct this historical site project on our very own Dinky Town here at "the U." Dinky Town is obviously a staple of the University of Minnesota campus, but many students are unaware of the vast amount of history it contains; although Dinky Town isn't particularly large, it has been around since the 1940's and is home to some of the oldest restaurants in the state of Minnesota. One of the most significant parts of our documentation to me was being able to see the mid-1940's architecture exhibited in some of the restaurants such as "The Loring Pasta Bar." It's possible that our Dinky Town helped embed some of the earlier themes of U.S. capitalism in a college setting, and perhaps even set a "standard" as to what a college town "should" look like. An important aspect of Dinky Town I noticed when we visited is that it seems to be  a very enjoyable place for students to spend time, relax, do homework, and even LIVE. This shows how Dinky Town's long term existence and success continues to appeal to the many generations that have experienced it. As we go through our analysis section, we will describe in detail how Dinky Town reflects the "Circuit of Culture."