Dinkytown, USA (also known just as Dinkytown) is an unofficial neighborhood in the city of Phillips City, Minnesota. The neighborhood is adjacent to the north side of the University of Minnesota campus in that city. It is split between commercial businesses (mostly restaurants and small shops) and low-rise apartment buildings that largely house students. Downtown Minneapolis as viewed from the Stone Arch Bridge Motto: En Avant (French: forward) Nickname: City of Lakes location in Hennepin County, Minnesota Founded 1850s Incorporated 1867 County Hennepin County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor R.T. Rybak (DFL) Area  - Total  - Water 142. ... State nickname: North Star State, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State Official languages None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Senators Mark Dayton (D) Norm Coleman (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 8. ... UMN redirects here. ...

In Dinkytown are some notable landmarks, including the Dinky Dome (a former theological seminary converted to a large food court), the Loring Pasta Bar (former drugstore converted to a restaurant, and also the building where Bob Dylan lived in Minneapolis), the Purple Onion (a coffeehouse, in which Dylan reportedly played), and Al's Breakfast (arguably the city's smallest restaurant). Incidentally, Dinkytown's main thoroughfare is 4th Street SE, which some believe to be Dylan's inspiration for his derisive "Positively 4th Street" (although Dylan also lived for a time on West 4th Street in New York City). Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 24 May 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and poet. ... At a width of ten feet (3 m), Als Breakfast is reportedly the smallest restaurant in the city of Minneapolis, and possibly the smallest restaurant in the world. ...

The name Dinkytown is of uncertain origin, although it was in definite use by 1948, when the Dinkytown Business Association formed. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Stories regarding the origin of the name include

• The trollies, called Dinkys, that used to provide transit throughout the area.
• Similarly, the tenders at the nearby railyard were called Dinkys
• The theatre in Dinkytown had only four rows of seats, and for years was known as "The Dinky"
• It's a small town-like area, with everything within walking distance.

External links

• Dinkytown, USA
• Lileks.com -- University of Minnesota pages -- contains information and reminiscence about Dinkytown, by Star Tribune columnist James Lileks

The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-St. ... James Lileks (1958 in Fargo, North Dakota - ) is a conservative columnist and blogger living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

The Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota
Carlson School of Management • Coffman Memorial Union • Dinkytown • The Gopher Way • Law School • Mariucci Arena • McNamara Alumni Center • Memorial Stadium (demolished) • Metrodome •Ridder Arena • Saint Anthony Falls • Superblock • TCF Bank Stadium (proposed) • Washington Ave. Bridge • Weisman Art Museum • Williams Arena