'Ghost city'? No. But problems are real. A native son's overstated critique hurts, especially the part that's true. By Editorial Board Text size Copy shortlink: Good old Tom Friedman, like Charlie Brown and Dobie Gillis, is a Minnesota character who owes his fame to literature. And while we wouldn't presume to take credit for the career of Friedman, a New York Times columnist and bestselling author, he doesn't hesitate to describe his Twin Cities upbringing as formative. Growing up in St. Louis Park, he wrote in 2011, "surely had a big impact … it bred a deep optimism about America and the notion that we really can act collectively for the common good."