Keep St Paul Boring
Keep St Paul Boring started off as a funny inside joke, according to the Minnesota newspaper, the Star Tribune, but it didn't stay that way for too long. Since it's inception on Twitter, the slogan has cropped up on bumper stickers and t-shirts all around the Minnesota Capitol city.
But St Paul really isn't all that boring, as I and countless other residents know, but we are definitely pushing to keep (and make) St Paul more walkable, bikeable, and hip. When competing with our much livelier neighbor, Minneapolis, it's important to point out what St Paul does better.
City Parks
The Twin Cities are home to several dozen city parks, but St. Paul has some of the more interesting ones. Within Lowertown (that's downtown for you non-locals) you will find Rice Park, which overlooks the George Latimer Public Library and hosts a variety of street talent. Last year it was home to a plethora of Pokemon Go players and over the winter was the location of the St Paul Winter Carnival.
Surrounded by bars and craft eateries and nestled into the historic business sector of Lowertown is Mears Park, which is a little woodsier, a little more maintained, and even features a small band-shell for local performers, often of the jazz variety.
Moving away from the density of the city and just a mile to the Northeast you will find Swede Hollow Park, a system of trails nestled into a ravine on East Side, a culturally diverse neighborhood. I really personally enjoy this park, since I live right next to it, and it leads very conveniently to one of the locations on my list of things that St Paul does well.
Swede Hollow has an amazing and sordid history and I promise one day I'm going to write up a whole, separate post about this amazing place, but for now you can read about it here.
Coffee
The monotony of Starbucks can be found across the globe, but Minnesota is home to Caribou Coffee - a specialty coffee and espresso retailer that servers breakfast sandwiches (and other food items) delicious enough to knock Starbucks' chorizo down a peg or two. Their seasonal drinks are often more creative and change from year to year, making it a real treat to sample what they'd concocted - no boring PSL here!
But St Paul is home to a lot of local, hipster coffee spots as well, including the Dancing Goat, which is accessible from Swede Hollow. They know how to do their espresso right and the prices are reasonable on their semi-gourmet sandwiches.
Historic (and gorgeous!) Mansions
Summit Ave, and the neighboring community) is home to some of the oldest and most gorgeous homes in St. Paul including the one pictured above. The James J. Hill House is owned and operated by the Minnesota Historical Society and conducts regular tours of the gorgeous mansion. Also lining this street is the governor's mansion and several other old homes that have been converted into Victorian style apartments.
Also on the corner of Summit and Selby is the Cathedral of St Paul, a towering and beautiful structure that rivals the newly renovated Capitol building.
This is one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of St Paul and while it's insanely expensive to live here (my last apartment was half a block from this massive church) it's one of the most beautiful areas to walk around, especially during the fall.
Here's another shout-out to my favorite bar, located in Selby and Western Ave.
Tourist and Entertainment Attractions
While we can't boast about being home to Mall of America (that's in Bloomington), the location of Paisley Park (Chanhassen, actually), OR the Guthrie (thanks, Minneapolis) - we do have some really wonderful entertain venues in St Paul.
The beauty of the Xcel Center, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is that they're all conveniently located in one massive sprawl of a building.
You'd have a difficult time managing to line up a Wild hockey game, a concert in the Roy Wilkins and a theatrical performance within the Ordway on the same day, but if you pulled it off you'd never have to step outside to change venues and if you got hungry in between shows, there's a lovely little cafe on the Xcel side of the building.
If that's not quite your speed, you could stroll across the street and visit the Science Museum of Minnesota instead. Check it out here to see what exhibits are available. The back patio features a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River.
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is a fun and family friendly attraction featuring a small zoo, a tiny amusement park, and a lovely indoor conservatory with several different types of flora, as well as an outdoor Japanese garden. It's the perfect place for a date or a nice day out with the family and best of all - it's free!
www.comozooconservatory.org/
Honorable Mentions
But St Paul really isn't all that boring, as I and countless other residents know, but we are definitely pushing to keep (and make) St Paul more walkable, bikeable, and hip. When competing with our much livelier neighbor, Minneapolis, it's important to point out what St Paul does better.
City Parks
The Twin Cities are home to several dozen city parks, but St. Paul has some of the more interesting ones. Within Lowertown (that's downtown for you non-locals) you will find Rice Park, which overlooks the George Latimer Public Library and hosts a variety of street talent. Last year it was home to a plethora of Pokemon Go players and over the winter was the location of the St Paul Winter Carnival.
Surrounded by bars and craft eateries and nestled into the historic business sector of Lowertown is Mears Park, which is a little woodsier, a little more maintained, and even features a small band-shell for local performers, often of the jazz variety.
Moving away from the density of the city and just a mile to the Northeast you will find Swede Hollow Park, a system of trails nestled into a ravine on East Side, a culturally diverse neighborhood. I really personally enjoy this park, since I live right next to it, and it leads very conveniently to one of the locations on my list of things that St Paul does well.
Swede Hollow has an amazing and sordid history and I promise one day I'm going to write up a whole, separate post about this amazing place, but for now you can read about it here.
Coffee
The monotony of Starbucks can be found across the globe, but Minnesota is home to Caribou Coffee - a specialty coffee and espresso retailer that servers breakfast sandwiches (and other food items) delicious enough to knock Starbucks' chorizo down a peg or two. Their seasonal drinks are often more creative and change from year to year, making it a real treat to sample what they'd concocted - no boring PSL here!
But St Paul is home to a lot of local, hipster coffee spots as well, including the Dancing Goat, which is accessible from Swede Hollow. They know how to do their espresso right and the prices are reasonable on their semi-gourmet sandwiches.
Historic (and gorgeous!) Mansions
Summit Ave, and the neighboring community) is home to some of the oldest and most gorgeous homes in St. Paul including the one pictured above. The James J. Hill House is owned and operated by the Minnesota Historical Society and conducts regular tours of the gorgeous mansion. Also lining this street is the governor's mansion and several other old homes that have been converted into Victorian style apartments.
Also on the corner of Summit and Selby is the Cathedral of St Paul, a towering and beautiful structure that rivals the newly renovated Capitol building.
This is one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of St Paul and while it's insanely expensive to live here (my last apartment was half a block from this massive church) it's one of the most beautiful areas to walk around, especially during the fall.
Here's another shout-out to my favorite bar, located in Selby and Western Ave.
Tourist and Entertainment Attractions
While we can't boast about being home to Mall of America (that's in Bloomington), the location of Paisley Park (Chanhassen, actually), OR the Guthrie (thanks, Minneapolis) - we do have some really wonderful entertain venues in St Paul.
The beauty of the Xcel Center, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is that they're all conveniently located in one massive sprawl of a building.
You'd have a difficult time managing to line up a Wild hockey game, a concert in the Roy Wilkins and a theatrical performance within the Ordway on the same day, but if you pulled it off you'd never have to step outside to change venues and if you got hungry in between shows, there's a lovely little cafe on the Xcel side of the building.
If that's not quite your speed, you could stroll across the street and visit the Science Museum of Minnesota instead. Check it out here to see what exhibits are available. The back patio features a gorgeous view of the Mississippi River.
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is a fun and family friendly attraction featuring a small zoo, a tiny amusement park, and a lovely indoor conservatory with several different types of flora, as well as an outdoor Japanese garden. It's the perfect place for a date or a nice day out with the family and best of all - it's free!
www.comozooconservatory.org/
Honorable Mentions
Midway Book on Snelling & University, St Paul
State Capitol Building, St Paul
Minnesota History Center - John Ireland Blvd, St Paul
Ride the Metro Green Line train to many of these fabulous St Paul destinations!
What are your favorite spots in your city?
What are your favorite spots in your city?
Sounds like a great city!
ReplyDeleteIt really is! My partner's aunt was visiting this weekend from Australia, so we took her around the city and visited the James J. Hill House and Fitzgerald's - she loved it. Definitely a great place to visit.
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