Dinkytown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dinkytown
Dinkytown, USA
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Commercial District
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The Varsity Theater on 4th Street SE
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Hennepin |
| City | Minneapolis |
| Neighborhood | Marcy-Holmes |
| Branded | 1940s |
| Founded by | Unknown |
| Named for | Grodnik or Dinkys |
| City Council Ward | 2 |
| Elevation | 830 ft (253 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 612 |
Dinkytown is a lively area in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is part of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. This district is a hub of small businesses, restaurants, and apartment buildings. Many students from the University of Minnesota live and spend time here. Dinkytown is located right next to the university's East Bank campus.
Contents
What Buildings Are in Dinkytown?
Dinkytown has some interesting buildings with a lot of history.
The Marshall Apartments
The building now known as The Marshall is an apartment complex for university students. It stands where the old Marshall-University High School used to be. The high school closed in 1982. Later, the building became a center for new businesses. It was taken down in 2013 to make way for The Marshall apartments.
The Chateau Co-op
The Chateau co-op is a tall, 22-story apartment building. It was built in 1973. It is located at 13th Avenue Southeast and 5th Street Southeast.
How Did Dinkytown Get Its Name?
The exact reason for the name "Dinkytown" is not fully known. However, people were definitely using the name by 1948. That's when the Dinkytown Business Association was formed.
Here are some popular ideas about where the name came from:
- The small streetcars that used to run through the area were called Dinkys.
- Some say that small chicken tenders at a nearby train yard were also called Dinkys.
- There was a movie theater in Dinkytown that only had four rows of seats. It was known as "The Dinky Theater" for a long time.
- The area feels like a small town. Everything is close enough to walk to.
- An early owner of a store in the area was named Louis Grodnik. Some people think his name, "Grodnik," sounded like "dinky town."
- A football player for the Minnesota Gophers in the 1940s and 1950s was named Frank "Dinky" Rog. His friends spent a lot of time in this area.
