Rachel Hutton
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Articles by Rachel Hutton
Malls are dying. Southdale placed a $400 million bet to reinvent the concept
Rachel Hutton, Carson Hartzog, Star Tribune An old idea is new (and extra fancy) at Southdale Center, the shopping mall that started it all. This spring's opening of Tiffany & Co. marked the completion of Southdale's gleaming new luxury wing. On a recent weekday, there was little foot traffic to scuff up the white-marble floors, unlike the Edina center's opening day 70 years ago. That fall, 75,000 people came to see the country's first fully-enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall.
Malls are dying. Southdale placed a $400 million bet to reinvent the concept.
Malls are dying. Southdale placed a $400 million bet to reinvent the concept. Southdale Center in Edina is working to re-attract customers on a variety of fronts. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune) By adding luxury goods and places to live, work, and play, the country’s first indoor shopping center is now trying to pioneer The Mall 2.0. An old idea is new (and extra fancy) at Southdale Center, the shopping mall that started it all.
Southdale vs. Galleria: Comparing Edina’s two malls
Southdale vs. Galleria: Comparing Edina’s two malls Boutique shopping mall Galleria opened across the street from Southdale Center in 1974. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Two of the toniest shopping spots in Minnesota, Southdale Center and Galleria, sit right across Edina’s 69th Street from one another. Galleria opened two decades after Southdale, and the upscale boutique mall remains a destination for high-end home furnishings, with Arhaus and Design Within Reach.
Twin Cities Day Trips: Prior Lake has boats and boutiques, golf and gambling
This is the fifth stop in our summer Twin Cities Day Trips series with tips on where to eat, shop and explore. Check back next Saturday, July 25, for our day trip to Hudson, and in the meantime, explore previous destinations Wayzata, Blaine, Hopkins and Hastings. Prior Lake is both the largest lake and one of the oldest cities in the Twin Cities’ southern metro.
Who are the social media influencers embroiled in a legal battle?
Who are the social media influencers embroiled in a legal battle? What to know about Momchats and Dadchats, Minnesota’s uber-popular parenting influencers. Social media influencers Suzanne and Dillon White stand in their stairwell surrounded by blue tape, indicating flaws, in Woodbury, MN on Monday, June 29, 2026. The couple, with millions of followers, are in a war with their contractor over the construction of a million dollar home in Woodbury.
MnDOT has a way with words; we rated their funniest freeway signs
MnDOT has a way with words; we rated their funniest freeway signs Our favorites reference “Heated Rivalry,” Burma-Shave and Taylor Swift. Find out how you, too, can promote road safety with pop culture puns. The internet debated if this MnDOT road safety message was a "Heated Rivalry" reference or a sign of Wisconsinites invading cabin country. (Minnesota Department of Transportation) Comment Gift Share “Going to the cottage?” the sign greeted Monday commuters.
Twin Cities Day Trips: Historic Hastings offers charming rivertown reverie
This is the fourth stop in our summer Twin Cities Day Trips series with tips on where to eat, shop and explore. Next, we day trip to Prior Lake! Check back next Saturday, July 18, and explore our earlier trips to Wayzata, and Blaine and Hopkins. Before Minnesota became a state, Hastings was a steamboat landing and a grain and lumber milling hub at the nexus of the Mississippi, Vermillion and St. Croix rivers.
Fashion sale features unique, handmade secondhand clothing
Fashion sale features unique, handmade secondhand clothing Thrifting is chic. And Minneapolis’ Textile Center’s annual Slow Fashion Sale is a stylista’s favorite for affordable, one-of-one items. Minneapolis’ Textile Center’s annual Slow Fashion sale features handmade secondhand apparel. (Textile Center) Comment Gift Share With surging interest in thrift and vintage shopping, Minneapolis’ Textile Center has become a hotspot for used garments and accessories made by hand.
Biking is a love language
By Rachel Hutton, Star Tribune MINNEAPOLIS - Kim Kardashian may be a global trendsetter, but Minnesotans have been onto her dating trick for decades. Mega-influencer Kardashian recently posted a selfie peddling beside her boyfriend, Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton. Former music mogul Scooter Braun shared a video of biking through Times Square with his girlfriend, actor Sydney Sweeney. Then Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were spotted on Citi Bikes.
Timothée Chalamet learns what Minnesotans know: Biking is a love language
MINNEAPOLIS - Kim Kardashian may be a global trendsetter, but Minnesotans have been onto her dating trick for decades. Mega-influencer Kardashian recently posted a selfie peddling beside her boyfriend, Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton. Former music mogul Scooter Braun shared a video of biking through Times Square with his girlfriend, actor Sydney Sweeney. Then Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were spotted on Citi Bikes.
For sale: Betty Danger's Ferris wheel
For sale: Betty Danger's Ferris wheel Custom-designed for dining, the wheel hosted everything from business meetings to engagements - including one that went awry. The Ferris wheel at Betty Danger's Country Club, which later became Hey Y’all, Tipsy Taco Bar, is for sale. (Provided) Comment Gift Share For sale: one 65-foot-tall Ferris wheel, custom-designed for dining. May be purchased on its own or along with a property that once hosted one of the state’s most outlandish “eatertainment” concepts.
Chalamet learns what Minnesotans know: biking is a love language
Chalamet learns what Minnesotans know: biking is a love language “Sex and the City” maligned men who rode a bike to a date. But cycling country knows they’re a catch. Kalon Shepard (left) and Beatrice Altopp show off a photo of themselves on a tandem bike date before embarking on a group ride at Perennial Cycle in Uptown Minneapolis. (Rachel Hutton/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Kim Kardashian may be a global trendsetter, but Minnesotans have been onto her dating trick for decades.
That Midwestern Mom’s new talk show combines cookie salad and chitchat
That Midwestern Mom’s new talk show combines cookie salad and chitchat Minnesota’s folksiest social-media celebrity brings her show online. Social-media personality That Midwestern Mom, a.k.a. Amber Estenson, on the set of her new talk show at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal, Minn.
Twin Cities Day Trips: Wayzata’s luxe lakeside shopping and dining
This is the first stop in our summer Twin Cities Day Trips series with tips on where to eat, shop and explore. Next day trip — Blaine! Check back next Saturday, June 20. Serving as the premiere “gateway” to Lake Minnetonka, Wayzata was a 19th century vacation destination for wealthy Twin Citians arriving by stagecoach or train. The city of 4,000 residents has a charming Tudor-style depot that still anchors the half-mile stretch of Lake Street now lined with upscale restaurants, boutiques and more.
New rehabilitation option: Prisoners turn time into tattoos, with a purpose
Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan’s bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan’s shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan’s mother. kAmv@?K2=6D H2D?’E DFC6 9@H v2:E2? D2E E9C@F89 E96 @C562=i %2EE@@D :? E96 DA:?2= 2C62 9FCE 2 =@E] “s@?’E =6E A2:? 86E J@F 5@H? 2?5 <66A >@G:?8 7@CH2C5[” v2:E2?
Dear Driver: The bicyclist’s wish list
As Minnesota’s biking season begins, gas prices have been going up as fast as temperatures, encouraging more people to ride. Even with the state’s extensive network of bike lanes and paths, autos pose a substantial risk. Last year, 14 bicyclists were killed on Minnesota roads, double the number of deaths as 2024. Bicyclists who don’t follow traffic laws and neglect to use lights and helmets put themselves and others in danger. But auto drivers are far more likely to cause a fatal crash.
7 Brew brings coffee and congestion to Vadnais Heights
7 Brew brings coffee and congestion to Vadnais Heights Drive-through Cookie Butters and Bikini Bottoms have arrived in the metro, along with gridlock and hour-long lines. At the new 7 Brew in Vadnais Heights, Minn., there’s less of a coffee shop’s typical morning rush than spikes at noontime, evenings and weekends.
For these controversial influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate
MINNEAPOLIS — Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes. The next, they were crushed under a digital dogpile. John O’Sullivan, Josh Liljenquist and so-called “Minnesota Angry Man” Chris Ostroushko each established their fandom in very different ways: as a virtual tour guide, a self-appointed do-gooder and an unlikely anti-ICE activist, respectively. kAmu@C ~’$F==:G2?
Graduation party etiquette
MINNEAPOLIS — As graduation season approaches, we checked in with etiquette instructor Nicki Black of Polished and Beyond in Plymouth, Minnesota, for tips on how to be a gracious graduate and polite guest. Involving graduates in party planning, and reviewing expectations for their behavior, reinforces skills they’ll need in adulthood, Black noted. She also shared suggestions for making smooth introductions, ideas about what to write in a card and the typical amounts of cash guests enclose.
For these influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate
MINNEAPOLIS — Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes. The next, they were crushed under a digital dogpile. John O’Sullivan, Josh Liljenquist and so-called “Minnesota Angry Man” Chris Ostroushko each established their fandom in very different ways: as a virtual tour guide, a self-appointed do-gooder and an unlikely anti-ICE activist, respectively. kAmu@C ~’$F==:G2?
For these influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate
MINNEAPOLIS — Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes. The next, they were crushed under a digital dogpile. John O’Sullivan, Josh Liljenquist and so-called “Minnesota Angry Man” Chris Ostroushko each established their fandom in very different ways: as a virtual tour guide, a self-appointed do-gooder and an unlikely anti-ICE activist, respectively. kAmu@C ~’$F==:G2?
Graduation party etiquette: Where guests and grads go wrong
Seniors at Blaine High School’s 2025 graduation ceremony listen attentively. Parties can help grads practice planning and hosting skills they’ll need in adulthood. Richard Tsong-Taatarii | The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS By Rachel Hutton • The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS) MINNEAPOLIS — As graduation season approaches, we checked in with etiquette instructor Nicki Black of Polished and Beyond in Plymouth, Minnesota, for tips on how to be a gracious graduate and polite guest.
For these controversial influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate
MINNEAPOLIS - Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes. The next, they were crushed under a digital dogpile. John O'Sullivan, Josh Liljenquist and so-called "Minnesota Angry Man" Chris Ostroushko each established their fandom in very different ways: as a virtual tour guide, a self-appointed do-gooder and an unlikely anti-ICE activist, respectively.
For these controversial influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate
MINNEAPOLIS - Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes. The next, they were crushed under a digital dogpile. John O'Sullivan, Josh Liljenquist and so-called "Minnesota Angry Man" Chris Ostroushko each established their fandom in very different ways: as a virtual tour guide, a self-appointed do-gooder and an unlikely anti-ICE activist, respectively.
How did Dave Ryan keep it fresh for decades on the air?
How did Dave Ryan keep it fresh for decades on the air? The KDWB radio host reflects on his career and what he’ll do when he no longer has to wake up at 4 a.m. Dave Ryan, at KDWB's St. Louis Park studios in 2018, is retiring after more than three decades hosting his morning show. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Dave Ryan, host of the Dave Ryan Show on 101.3 KDWB, hosts his show in the studio in St. Louis Park on Friday, September 21, 2018.
Where guests and grads go wrong
MINNEAPOLIS -- As graduation season approaches, we checked in with etiquette instructor Nicki Black of Polished and Beyond in Plymouth, Minnesota, for tips on how to be a gracious graduate and polite guest. Involving graduates in party planning, and reviewing expectations for their behavior, reinforces skills they'll need in adulthood, Black noted. She also shared suggestions for making smooth introductions, ideas about what to write in a card and the typical amounts of cash guests enclose.
How to pronounce Minnesota names including Jacob Frey and Kaohly Her
Do you speak Minnesota? Take our pronunciation quiz Do you speak Minnesota? Take our pronunciation quiz Do you rhyme Frey with “hey” or “hi”? Hormel with “normal” or “bell”? From Aitkin to Zup’s, see if you know how to say the names that commonly trip us up.
For controversial Minnesota influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate
For controversial Minnesota influencers, online fame draws fervent love and hate Social media followings can bring influence and mimic powerful personal connections. But controversies trigger a mighty backlash. The way our brains are wired can encourage audiences to develop so-called parasocial relationships with influencers. (Dreamstime) Comment Gift Share Listen Print Three Minnesota influencers recently experienced the fickle nature of internet fame. One day, they were garnering lots of likes.
Graduation party etiquette: Where guests and grads go wrong
Graduation party etiquette: Where guests and grads go wrong Expert tips for being a gracious host and giving great gifts. Plus, how much cash to slip in a card and why a texted thank-you note won’t suffice. Seniors at Blaine High School's 2025 graduation ceremony. Parties can help grads practice planning and hosting skills they'll need in adulthood.
North Oaks was the only city in the U.S. unmapped by Google. Then a YouTuber flew his drone.
North Oaks was the only city in the U.S. unmapped by Google. Then a YouTuber flew his drone. Most people access this ultra-private Minnesota city by writing a big check. This provocative filmmaker used his wits. Documentary YouTuber Chris Parr holds the controller for his drone with a 360-degree camera attached as he launches it from North Oaks' West Rec Park. (Chris Parr) Comment Gift Share Listen Print Documentary YouTuber Chris Parr takes an irreverent approach to portraying unusual communities.
Works by Charles Schulz and George Morrison bring five and six figures at auction
St. Paul-based Revere Auctions, the state’s first bidding house dedicated to fine art, brought in big bucks for the work of Minnesotans Charles Schulz and George Morrison during a sale of American artworks. Though the Twin Cities-raised cartoonist and the Grand Portage Anishinaabe artist both died in 2000, their creative output has only become more popular. Revere has been selling work by both artists since it launched in 2017, said co-owner Robert Snell.
Works by Charles Schulz and George Morrison bring five and six figures at auction
Works by Charles Schulz and George Morrison bring five and six figures at auction The Twin Cities–raised cartoonist and the Grand Portage Anishinaabe artist are popular among collectors. This original eight panel "Peanuts" comic strip for Sunday, Oct. 5, 1980, titled "Ho Hum Yawn," depicts Charlie Brown talking to his beloved beagle, Snoopy, pondering if he is a boring person. The strip is inscribed "To Arlene & Mark" and signed in pen along the upper center across the first and second panels.
‘Minnesota’s Batman’ is a true-crime saga stranger than fiction
‘Minnesota’s Batman’ is a true-crime saga stranger than fiction Minneapolis’ vigilante superhero NoMark pursued the U’s “campus pisser.” But can a masked crusader increase safety? The anonymous crime-fighting superhero's videos have made NoMark, shown on Minneapolis' Stone Arch Bridge, an internet celebrity.
These prisoners are turning time into tattoos, with a purpose
Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan’s bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan’s shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan’s mother. Gonzales wasn’t sure how Gaitan sat through the ordeal: Tattoos in the spinal area hurt a lot. “Don’t let pain get you down, and keep moving forward,” Gaitan said of the strategy that has guided him through 33 years of incarceration.
These prisoners are turning time into tattoos, with a purpose
Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan’s bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan’s shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan’s mother. Gonzales wasn’t sure how Gaitan sat through the ordeal: Tattoos in the spinal area hurt a lot. “Don’t let pain get you down and keep moving forward,” Gaitan said of the strategy that has guided him through 33 years of incarceration.
In Minnesota’s small Iranian community, worries about the war but hopes for a regime reset
In Minnesota’s small Iranian community, worries about the war but hopes for a regime reset The U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran are producing a complicated response among Iranian citizens and members of the diaspora in Minnesota. People post handwritten messages on a tree, part of a memorial space for the lives lost in Iran, in New York on March 14, just before Nowruz, Iranian/Persian New Year's.
These prisoners are turning time into tattoos, with a purpose
Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan's bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan's shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan's mother. Gonzales wasn't sure how Gaitan sat through the ordeal: Tattoos in the spinal area hurt a lot. "Don't let pain get you down and keep moving forward," Gaitan said of the strategy that has guided him through 33 years of incarceration.
These prisoners are turning time into tattoos, with a purpose
Israel Ray Gaitan gets a Mayan Calendar tattoo in honor of his mother's heritage from Daniel Gonzales at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater in Bayport, Minnesota, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS) Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan's bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan's shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan's mother.
Jane Fonda and Joan Baez coming to No Kings Twin Cities protest
Rachel Hutton, Star Tribune Jane Fonda and Joan Baez, celebrities known for their committed activism, will be in St. Paul for the No Kings Twin Cities protest on March 28, as part of a nationwide movement opposing the Trump administration. Dozens of Minnesota musicians — including Katy Vernon , Venus DeMars , Robert Robinson and the Singing Resistance — will perform at kick off marches at St. Paul College and Harriet Island. At the State Capitol, Fonda will speak as well as Lt. Gov.
Jane Fonda and Joan Baez coming to No Kings Twin Cities protest
Jane Fonda and Joan Baez coming to No Kings Twin Cities protest Fonda will speak, while Baez will perform with Maggie Rogers at the March 28 event in St. Paul. Actor and activist Jane Fonda will be in Minnesota for the No Kings protest on March 28.
From contraband ink to licensed artists: Minn. prison tattoo program reshapes inmate culture
By Rachel Hutton Star Tribune STILLWATER, Minn. — Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan’s bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan’s shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan’s mother. Gonzales wasn’t sure how Gaitan sat through the ordeal: Tattoos in the spinal area hurt a lot.
These Stillwater prisoners are turning time into tattoos, with a purpose
Daniel Gonzales pressed a tattoo needle into Israel Ray Gaitan's bare back, where a Mayan calendar spanned Gaitan's shoulder blades. Gonzales had already logged 30 hours tattooing the elaborate design in honor of Gaitan's mother. Gonzales wasn't sure how Gaitan sat through the ordeal: Tattoos in the spinal area hurt a lot. “Don't let pain get you down and keep moving forward,” Gaitan said of the strategy that has guided him through 33 years of incarceration.
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