🙋‍♂️ Frequently asked questions

What do I get?

In practical terms: You're getting access to frequent, brief updates on neighborhood happenings delivered to your inbox and the full archives on our website. You get access to comments and a direct line of communication to ask your own questions.

Big picture: You're getting more information about the curiosities, goings-on, and colorful people that make up the Longfellow communities than would make sense anywhere else. In theory, that should translate to a more interesting day-to-day life and a deeper connection to your immediate surroundings. That's the hope, anyway!

Who’s writing this? 

Hi: I’m Trevor, the main voice behind the project, though not the only contributor. I don’t want to make this too much about me, but some resumé-type details that might be relevant:

• I’m a former reporter for the Associated Press, and I've written for the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, City Pages, Racket, MinnPost, and the like.
• I spent another chapter of my career in local government doing community engagement and communications for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.
• I served on the Minneapolis city council's pedestrian advisory committee and Seward Neighborhood Group's history committee.
• I have a BA in journalism and an MA in communications both from the U, where I was also an editor at the Minnesota Daily.
• I’ve co-authored a book about dominoes and was part of the group that wrote the Seward neighborhood history book.
• I’ve lived in or around Longfellow for 16 years and currently live in Cooper with my wife and dog. 

Editing help from Longfellow's own Tatum Fjerstad. Logo by Paul Novak with the good-humored permission you'd expect from Matt at East Lake Liquor.

How often will I hear from you? 

A couple times a week. Brevity and casualness are the norm, though there are some more in-depth features mixed in. It shouldn't feel like a chore to keep up with. 

What kind of content? 

Some common story archetypes: How’s business at [neighborhood business]? What’s the deal with [neighborhood curiosity]? What’s the plan for solving [neighborhood challenge]? What's [interesting person]’s story? Did you know about [piece of neighborhood history]? Crime trends and political intrigue, too, but not as front-and-center as you might find elsewhere. 

Is this part of a bigger business or project? 

Nope! 

What area are you focused on? 

The same boundaries as the Longfellow Community Council: Hiawatha Avenue, the Greenway, and the river. That encompasses the neighborhoods of Longfellow, Cooper, Howe, and Hiawatha. 

How did you land on that price? 

It's priced in line with other newsletters of our kind (run by a dedicated professional, about a hyper-specific topic). Less than the Star Tribune or New York Times, more than stuff that's free, about the cost of a burrito per month. And it's really easy to cancel if at any point it feels like you're not getting your burrito's-worth.

Is there a free trial or introductory pricing? 

Just a straightforward price-per-month. Since it's easy to cancel at any time, the most you'll be risking is one month's fee.

I'd really like access but I can't afford it right now.

The Longfellow Community Council has generously sponsored a limited number of yearlong subscriptions to provide access to people for whom the cost is a barrier.

We're also lucky to have some great free sources of information in the neighborhood, including the Longfellow-Nokomis Messenger, the Longfellow Community Council's newsletter, and the Facebook group Longfellow Social.

What role do readers have? 

The best way to participate is by sharing what you're interested in. Have a question you’d like us to get to the bottom of (as long as it's not the Longfellow Boom)? An interesting tidbit we might not have caught? A menu item you swear by or a favorite vista or a quirky piece of history? A petty grudge with a neighbor you'd like to air out to everyone? (Just kidding, save that one for NextDoor.) Let us know!