#MyDowntownRochMN featuring Misun Bormann

In this week’s #MyDowntownRochMN blog, meet Misun Bormann. Misun is a mom of three who spends much of her time Downtown between working meetings, entertainment, and family time. Keep reading to learn more!

Samantha: Hi Misun, can you start off my telling me a bit about yourself and your family?

Misun: Sure! I am 48 years old and married with three children. My husband is a John Marshall graduate. He and I met and married in the Twin Cities but moved down to Rochester in 1998 because we thought it would be a great place to raise a family. I currently work for Winona State University - Rochester (WSU-R), and my husband is a State Trooper. This year I have two boys at Century High School and one girl at Friedell Middle School. When the kids were little they saw many fun kids' shows and even the circus at the Mayo Civic Center. We also used to also go on family bike rides around Downtown on the bike trails. Now that they are older, we enjoy as a family visiting Soldier's Memorial Field (both boys are big into military history, along with their dad), Thursdays on First & 3rd, and eating out at some of our favorite restaurants.

Samantha: Can you tell me a little about your job at WSU-R and how you felt about working Downtown?

Misun: I am the Clinical Placement Coordinator for Graduate Programs in Nursing and am responsible for clinical site development and communication. WSU-Rochester opened their Downtown Broadway office in December of 2016; I was lucky to have a gorgeous space with a fabulous view to work in for a while, but unfortunately lost my Downtown office space when I transferred to a different position at WSU last spring. I still get to enjoy various meetings and such at the Downtown office but miss that feeling of being in a historic building with a modern Downtown vibe. When I worked Downtown (or now visit the Downtown offices for meetings), I loved walking over to the People's Food Co-op, Mango Thai, Terza or Chester's to grab lunch with colleagues. It gave me the feeling of working Downtown in a big city like Minneapolis or Chicago, without the parking challenges. Haha!

Samantha: That’s a great perk! You mentioned spending a lot of time Downtown with your family, what are some activities that bring you Downtown?

Misun: My daughter Alexa and I enjoy walking around the Shops of University Square either before or after we eat. I also like to point out gift ideas to my husband when we walk by Lasker Jewelers. We also enjoy various activities like Thursdays on First to grab some fun food, listen to music, and shop to find those unique handmade items. My mother-in-law has a tradition of buying from a vendor there who takes big rocks and converts them into landscaping decorations for Christmas gifts. I am the proud owner of three. :) We also attend many concerts and events at the Mayo Civic Center, the Ice Cream social hosted by PossAbilities at Soldier's Field, and my daughter and I attended the Dogs Downtown event earlier this year with our family pet Buster Bear.

Looking to learn more about the great events hosted at the Mayo Civic Center? Click here.

Samantha: I’m glad you find so many ways to spend quality time together Downtown! In terms of food, do you have any favorites?

Misun: Our family are big "foodies" and enjoy good cuisine, so depending on what someone in our family is craving, we have our go to favorite spots. Chester's has amazing banana cream pie and my husband also loves their Grilled Meatloaf. My favorite is their Raspberry Chicken Salad, while my daughter loves the Lobster Mac and Cheese and for the boys it’s the steaks and ribs. If it's Italian, we head right over to Victoria's, and if it's a night out for just mom and dad, we love to head over to Pescara. I have also had meetings Downtown earlier in the morning, so I love to stop by Cafe Steam and grab a chai latte before starting my day. If I am Downtown and need to grab a quick lunch, I love to walk over to the People's Food Co-op.

Samantha: You sure do have the Downtown food scene in check! Now, if you only had 24 hours Downtown to build your perfect day, what would it include?

Misun: I’d start my day with meetings at our WSU-Rochester office, have lunch at Mango Thai and leave work early to do some shopping. I’d then meet up with my family for dinner at Chester’s, and then walk over to Soldier's Field to enjoy the park before heading over to a family friendly concert/event at Mayo Civic Center. After the concert, we’d drop the kids off, while mom and dad head out to the La Vetta rooftop for a late-night drink.

Samantha: Sounds like the perfect day to me; thanks for sharing Misun!

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Disclaimer: the views, comments, and opinions located within this blog are those of the community individual, not those of the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA).