From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dinkytown, USA (more commonly known just as Dinkytown) is an area within the Marcy Holmes neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota consisting of several square blocks occupied by various small businesses, restaurants, food courts, bars, and the like, and apartment buildings mostly housing university students. Dinkytown is adjacent to the north side of the University of Minnesota campus.

The Varsity Theater on 4th Street

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), 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).

The name Dinkytown is of uncertain origin, although it was in definite use by 1948, when the Dinkytown Business Association formed.

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.
• A prominent building at the main intersection has the name of an early owner carved in stone over the doorway: "grodnik," meaning a small (or dinky) town.

• Dinkytown Exchange Free community forum for Dinkytown residents to exchange info and trade goods and services.
• Lileks.com -- University of Minnesota pages -- contains information and reminiscence about Dinkytown, by Star Tribune columnist James Lileks

Violent, colorful protests in Dinkytown in 1970:

http://www.barnbuster.net/DinkytownRedBarnprotest.html

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/02/23/67284

Coordinates: 44°58′51″N, 93°14′10″W