You're probably sick of year-end lists by now, but this one's for a good cause: To remind you why this god- and Madonna-forsaken frozen tundra we call the Twin Cities is still a cool place to live.

Even before the snow started dropping like Tiger Woods liaisons, there was no shortage of things to complain about in the local culture department during 2009. There was the demolition of the Uptown Bar. The opening of Cowboy Slim's. The hiatus of the Day of Music. The widespread vacancies in downtown Minneapolis. Nick Punto. Dried-up beaches. Poor attendance at the Deep Blues Fest. And budget cuts across the board at most arts organizations.

The gripes kept piling up till the bitter end, too. As I write this, I'm wondering if it's safe to go out tonight to take in some of our great local music, since the city of Minneapolis is weirdly trying to convince us that snowplowing is as overrated as Lady Gaga.

But let's stick to the positives. Here are the things that made the Twin Cities a great place to live (and, more specifically, live it up) -- albeit with a few caveats.

Sauce Spirits & Soundbar

The two-room, half-classy/half- grungy bar on the corner of Lake and Lyndale went full on with its bookings in its inaugural year to become the best new rock club in town.

(But let's not pretend it'll replace the Uptown Bar.)

Donny Dirk's Zombie Den

Best new bar. The former Stand Up Frank's space in north Minneapolis rose from the grave in a truly clever, hip, playful way, with its zombified decor and a waitstaff that's actually supposed to be brain-dead, instead of just being stoned.

(But please, no more of those stupid zombie proms elsewhere around town.)

Movie theaters serving beer and wine

Less harmful to the body than a tub of fake-butter-soaked popcorn, those adult beverages at least helped make duds like "Paranormal Activity" a little more enjoyable at a few movie houses around town.

(Too bad we were five to 10 years behind the curve from other cool cities on this trend.)

The increased mobility of the Chef Shack

It seemed like half the farmers markets and street fests I went to this past summer were topped off with tongue tacos or gazpacho from this movable feast of an eatery, housed in a cool pull-behind trailer that I frequently dream about pulling up right outside my house.

(Too bad more of the immobile restaurants here aren't this cheap/good.)

Lowertown's rebirth of cool

I already fawned over downtown St. Paul's hot "new" nightlife district in a column in September, but three months later and 70 degrees colder, I'd like to more strongly state my fondness for eating Barrio tacos and drinking Bulldog beer under a starry night, listening to Romantica in Mears Park during the Concrete & Grass Festival.

(Too bad the new Twins park didn't get built down there.)

Lift Bridge Farm Girl Saison

Like gubernatorial 2010 bumper stickers, this Stillwater-made farmhouse ale -- the best new local brew since Surly came around -- is slowly showing up all over town, but in this case it's a name people at least vaguely remember.

(Too bad so many places around town still think Blue Moon qualifies as a microbrew.)

Outdoor music cranked to 11

There were more block parties, themed fests, music-in-the-park series, and zoo and museum gigs of note this year, and best of all they lasted well into the fall thanks to the aforementioned Concrete & Grass and Vita.mn's cool Movies & Music Series at the picturesque Lake Harriet Bandshell.

(All this, despite what the Aqua-tennial and Taste of Minnesota have done to music fests' image in this town.)

We still have two daily newspapers

Speaking just from the local arts and culture vantage point -- the benefits of two competing print organizations covering hard news is really way too obvious -- there is twice as much analysis locally for new bands, restaurants, exhibitions and whatever it is the folks who can still afford tickets to the Guthrie are seeing these days.

(Now will the seven or eight conspiracy theorists with lots of time on their hands please stop leaving comments online under our A&E stories that read, "This is why your [liberal and/or stodgy] newspaper is going out of business.")

More mommy yoga studios and H&M clothing outlets

I personally cannot expound on the appeal of these places.

(But they make my Texan wife happy to live here.)

chrisr@startribune.com • 612-673-4658