5 Things You Can't Do In Minneapolis Anymore... But Wish You Could

For 66 years Nye's was a Northeast Minneapolis staple. The restaurant served a hodgepodge of American and Polish food, a woman at the piano would always sing with the crowd during bar close and in the back bar, The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band would play and often take requests. Every time I visited, I'd request "You Are My Sunshine," and they always obliged. For those who didn't know how to dance the polka, there was always someone of an older generation to take their hand and show them the ways.

Nye's was a community and it was a home for many. It officially closed its doors on April 3, 2016 and Minneapolitans have been mourning its loss ever since.

Proprietor Bobby McCoy began collecting wacky medical devices in the 1970s to open a Minneapolis museum to the public in the early 1980s. The man was passionate for all things weird and wanted us to have an understanding of how much medicine has changed over the years. In the picture above, McCoy is demonstrating the psychograph upon the subject. The device was once used to measure a person's head to determine their personality.

The Museum of Questionable Medical devices closed its doors in 2002, but McCoy did donate his collection the the Minnesota Science Museum, where it remains on display.

La Belle Vie was once referred to as the "pinnacle of Minnesota's fine dining," and served up some of the most luxurious French food that Minneapolitans had ever tasted. The atmosphere was as sophisticated and stunning as the presentation of food on their plates. The beloved restaurant closed its doors in 2015 and is missed by many.

Minneapolis native and international superstar, Prince gave so much to his beloved hometown. Even after his passing, Minneapolitans have been able to take a Prince pilgrimage from Paisley Park, to First Avenue, to The Electric Fetus, and to many other spots he loved.

Prince opened his Glam Slam nightclub in 1989 in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis. After eight years of competing against First Avenue for revenue, The Purple One sold his club to his former manager and renamed the nightclub "Quest," which became one of the hottest clubs in all of Minneapolis, only to close its doors in 2006. All that's left in that space is an overrated cowboy bar, with none of the magic Prince gave the place.

The Terminal Bar is still open in Northeast Minneapolis, but much has changed. The bar's owner, Flem passed away in 2016. The Terminal Bar was home to Northeast's blue-collar patrons, and remained an escape from the modernization of the neighborhood.

Flem was a retired Marine veteran and was a little rough around the edges. He seemed gruff at first, until you got to know him. He was good to all those who visited, as long as they didn't give him any trouble. The bar used to open at 9:00 a.m. to accommodate night shift workers.

The bar is a little lackluster these days. Drinks are served in plastic cups instead of glass ones and are a bit overpriced for what you're getting. The place is just as dingy as ever, but it's a little bit forlorn until 9:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, when local bands start to play. For many, The Terminal Bar was once a sanctuary. Those days might easily be behind them.