Prince Family Reunion featuring: Michael Bland ( Prince, Soul Asylum) Kirk Johnson (Prince, The Truth) Dez Dickerson (Prince) Dr. Fink (Prince) Bobby Z (Prince) Stokley (Mint Condition) Jellybean Johnson (The Time, The Family) Eric Leeds (Prince, Madhouse, The Truth) O'dell (Mint Condition, The Truth) Kip Blackshire (Prince) G Sharp (Jimmy Vaughn, Dr. Mambo's Combo) Tyka Nelson (Prince) Donnie LaMarcha (The Truth, Bobby Caldwell) Brian Gallagher (Prince, Greazy Meal) & a very special MAZERATI Reunion

So, my wife is the best in the world! She wants to take me to MPLS! It will be my first pilgrimage to Prince’s hometown. I know many of you have visited or visit often. Does P still do anything for his birthday there? If not, that’s cool – I’m excited to go! When would be a good time to go?

So, can you guys give me suggestions on hotels, places to visit, clubs to party at and other hot spots? Of course, I’d like to visit 1st Avenue and 7th St. Entry. Is Paisley Park still open to the public? What about the club where past band members play on Sundays?

Thanks everyone! Can’t wait to read what you recommend?

Power to the people of MPLS!

I wanted to see the symbol shaped drive way and tried to find it on Google Earth, with no luck. Is anyone else able to view it on Google Earth?

Just out of curiousity, why was the house demolished? Did Prince do that or a different owner?

CLR said:

Prince owns the property on Galpin, which is about a mile from Paisley Park, and he had it demolished. No clue why, but some searching on the Org would turn up some answers, and a few conjectures. Both the purple house and Kiowa Trail and the Galpin house have been demolished.

The driveway isn't shaped like the symbol, it's just the symbol in the middle.

http://maps.live.com/defa...&encType=1

ernestsewell said:

Thanks for the link. I wonder why all the demolishing of his homes? Strange? I'd love to read some of the threads about it here (the org), but alas, am never able to get the forum search to work for me? I have just assumed it was a non working feature? I guess I'm not doing something right when I use it? I have a home by the lake marked on Google Earth and another close by to the one as well. Are these NOT Prince owned homes? The windmill home? I don't know what you are referring to with "the purple house, Kiowa Trail", and would love to know more!

Thanks for the link. I wonder why all the demolishing of his homes? Strange? I'd love to read some of the threads about it here (the org), but alas, am never able to get the forum search to work for me? I have just assumed it was a non working feature? I guess I'm not doing something right when I use it? I have a home by the lake marked on Google Earth and another close by to the one as well. Are these NOT Prince owned homes? The windmill home? I don't know what you are referring to with "the purple house, Kiowa Trail", and would love to know more!

Paisley Park was never open to the public for tours or whatever, except during the Celebrations. It's a business, not the RNR hall of fame. You could walk around outside, and maybe step foot onto the grounds, before someone comes out to shoo you away. Also, when you pull out of Paisley Park, turn left (west) onto Audobon Road. About a 1/4 or 1/2 mile is Galpin Rd. Turn right (north), and go up a mile or so. Prince's old property is there where he torn down the yellow house (seen in the Gett Off videos). Rumor has it that Larry Graham lives next door or thereabouts (but who cares). The property is blocked off with a security gate, so not sure how close you'll get to anything.

Just go to 1st Ave. There are concerts there all the time. Find someone local to listen to.

Visit Calhoun Square (Hennepin Ave and Lake St). There's a great BBQ joint in the back of it called Smokey Bones or something like that. They have blues bands there too. (I used to work at the salon next door, but never did go to eat there, but my GOD it smelled good.) It's great to walk down to Lake Calhoun, just a couple of blocks down from Calhoun Square, and walk around the lake. It's a good brisk walk, should take under an hour. It's beautiful. The old NPG store is on S. Lake, across from Calhoun Square. Last I saw it was a gift shop. (Exit Calhoun Square onto Lake Street, and it's right across from you.)

Walk Nicolette Mall some afternoon, see the shops, go shopping. There's even a TV station that used to do their weather report outside on the sidewalk (the studio was right there). The Mary Tyler Moore stuff is in that area too. There's a Hard Rock across from 1st Avenue now I think, or in that area. There's all sorts of places to eat along Nicolette Mall, too. Nicolette Mall is just a road through downtown that's been blocked off permanently, cobblestoned, and opened up for pedestrians to walk. It's lovely.

If you want to see the old Glam Slam club, it changed to The Quest, and is on 110 N. 5th Street. It still looks like the Glam Slam, but there is no Prince stuff in there (symbols, etc). The layout is still the same. I saw The Time there in 1997. It was great. Big place.

Downtown MPLS is alive at night w/ plays and clubs, whereas downtown St. Paul is deader than my interest in The Rainbow Children. Find the local paper (the Tribune, as well as the little local entertainment paper, I think it's called City Pages. You can find it inside most any club or restaurant or mall. It has listings for restaurants, clubs, films, etc etc. I think almost any town has one.

This is a great time of year to go to. The spring/early summer there is fantastic.
[Edited 5/9/09 23:33pm]

CLR said:

The windmill home was on a lake; the home on Kiowa Trail. When I lived in Tulsa, I had a client that was from MPLS, and she had worked on a gambling boat that went up and down the lake. They passed Prince's house every day. She said "That windmill was SO UGLY! You can't miss it. People asked about it, and we told them, 'That's Prince's house'." That was the house where Francis lived until he died, then Prince had it torn down.

The windmill home was the house w/ the gate that you see a picture of in misc books, that he bought around the Purple Rain time. A lot of later albums were recorded there, and songs like "Power Fantastic" (with the piano upstairs, and the studio downstairs). He moved to the Galpin house (a mile from Paisley Park, with the symbol in the driveway) around the early 90's I believe. It was the Chiquita yellow he talks about, and can be seen in the "Gett Off" video single, inside and out. (Of course there are outside shots of Paisley Park in that too)

I am not sure why he tears everything down, figuratively and physically. The rumor about him packing up the house in 4 trucks and sending it to Manuela is pretty funny, but doubtful it's true. But that's what happens when you keep marrying your fans.

CLR said:

Prince owns the property on Galpin, which is about a mile from Paisley Park, and he had it demolished. No clue why, but some searching on the Org would turn up some answers, and a few conjectures. Both the purple house and Kiowa Trail and the Galpin house have been demolished.

The driveway isn't shaped like the symbol, it's just the symbol in the middle.

http://maps.live.com/defa...&encType=1

ernestsewell said:

Click to enlarge:

squirrelgrease said:

thanks for posting the house pics!

CLR said:

http://prince.org/msg/7/166497

CLR said:

The windmill home was on a lake; the home on Kiowa Trail. When I lived in Tulsa, I had a client that was from MPLS, and she had worked on a gambling boat that went up and down the lake. They passed Prince's house every day. She said "That windmill was SO UGLY! You can't miss it. People asked about it, and we told them, 'That's Prince's house'." That was the house where Francis lived until he died, then Prince had it torn down.

The windmill home was the house w/ the gate that you see a picture of in misc books, that he bought around the Purple Rain time. A lot of later albums were recorded there, and songs like "Power Fantastic" (with the piano upstairs, and the studio downstairs). He moved to the Galpin house (a mile from Paisley Park, with the symbol in the driveway) around the early 90's I believe. It was the Chiquita yellow he talks about, and can be seen in the "Gett Off" video single, inside and out. (Of course there are outside shots of Paisley Park in that too)

I am not sure why he tears everything down, figuratively and physically. The rumor about him packing up the house in 4 trucks and sending it to Manuela is pretty funny, but doubtful it's true. But that's what happens when you keep marrying your fans.

ernestsewell said:

Click to enlarge:

squirrelgrease said:

Thanks for the thread link. I just checked it out. It doesn't tell me much about why the house was demolished, but was interesting just the same. Is there another thread about the other house being demolished? There were photos in that thread of a blue (I guess that's supposed to be purple?) house and a yellow house. Someone mentioned that the yellow house was later painted brown? Hopefully that blue/purple house was later painted another color? Yuck! I'd love to see some larger more detailed photos of his homes if anyone has them. Maybe I should start my own thread rather than continue to hijack this one? I just figured this topic has been beat into the ground before I ever got here.

ernestsewell said:

I didn't remember seeing a house in the Gett Off video, so I searched it out on the internet today for another viewing. Are their two videos, because I don't see a house there anywhere?

Did Prince have these homes built, or did he buy existing homes? I'm wondering if he picked the purple and yellow colors himself or if they were already painted that way?

It was on the VHS but the video was "Gangsta Glam" with Prince doing push-ups by the pool. LOL!

Hey! Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I really appreciate the love!