‘Good Morning America’ spotlights ‘St. Anthony Main neighborhood’ in Minneapolis

The “Main Street USA” segment included some colorful characters from Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 2, 2024 at 10:01PM
The St. Anthony Main Theatre and nearby restaurant.bestmn2012 bestmn2012
The Main Cinema worked as a backdrop Tuesday for the "Good Morning America" series “Main Street USA.” (David Joles/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

“Good Morning America” dedicated more than four minutes of airtime Tuesday to celebrate the “St. Anthony Main neighborhood,” the artsy area along the Mississippi River across from downtown Minneapolis.

In a live segment in front of the Main Cinema on SE. Main Street, correspondent Alex Perez called the area a “hidden gem” as about two dozen locals held up signs proclaiming their love for the Twin Cities.

A taped segment gave viewers a quick history lesson of the area and spotlighted folks including Aster Cafe general manager Shane Arundel, water taxi operator Cory Parkos and Bill Neuenschwander, who leads Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront. After nodding to the TC Swing classes that take place in the area, Perez introduced a couple who showed off their moves on the brick sidewalk.

Back in the New York studio, the show’s hosts burst into the applause. No one cheered louder than ABC News chief business reporter Rebecca Jarvis, who grew up in Minnesota.

“Minneapolis represents!” she said before tacking on the fact she used to take art classes not far from where Perez was broadcasting.

The segment was part of “GMA’s” regular series “Main Street USA,” which kicked off last July in Stillwater.

The long-running ABC morning show, which airs locally from 7 to 9 a.m., will visit Ann Arbor, Mich., Wednesday.

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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