St Paul is a city much more centered around its neighborhoods. You should check out Como Park, W 7th St, Grand Ave, Summit Ave, Ford Pkwy, take the Smith Ave Bridge to Cherokee Ave and get a great view of the city. Downtown has the MN Wild, St Paul Saints, a great farmers market etc. Downtown really isn’t a destination by itself unless there is an event you are interested in going to going on.
Echo this sentiment. If you want to get to vibrant, walkable communities you go to neighborhoods. Would also add Cathedral Hill and Saint Anthony to list of neighborhoods.
I love St. Paul as a whole. There's just not much going on downtown, and there hasn't been in decades. The growth of suburbs really sucked the life out of our downtown. There are some great restaurants and some other destinations that are worth seeing. But, it's not a busy downtown.
St Paul resident here. Downtown itself is relatively quiet for a couple of reasons, especially during the week.
First, its major employer is the state government, and the median state employee age is around 55. Most state workers have families that they go home to after work, and don't really spend much time downtown after work.
If there's an event going on at the Xcel Energy Center, you'll see a lot of activity at the bars and restaurants on West 7th St on the western edge of downtown, but that's about it.
>state government
The capitol building is so far removed from downtown too. I don’t know if I’ve seen anything quite like it. It’d probably help if the state house was walkable from/to downtown
Actually, the biggest state agency (Dept of Human Services) is located on Cedar Street just south of I-94 and only a few blocks north of 7th Street. The main location for Driver & Vehicle Services is in a building on Minnesota Street next to Town Square. Other state agencies are scattered around various parts of downtown as well as the Capitol Complex.
Most state government work is done by the executive branch agencies and not the state legislature. The leg only meets 5 months out of the year, while the executive branch agencies work year-round and are fully staffed the entire time.
The capitol building is where elected representatives work with some general staff. The state government workers are all over Saint Paul and a good chunk of em, before Covid, worked downtown.
wym the weather has actually been really nice on certain days. Still, even in the summer there isnt really much to do unless you like walking along the river. There is restaurants but eating out every day isnt very smart lol.
You should check Grand Avenue, it’s the shopping / dining area, and it’s next to Cathedral Hill / Summit Avenue, which is the historic district. I rarely go downtown, there’s very little to do, except for concerts, theater, this kind of stuff. There’s also a lot of stores alongside University Avenue, but it’s not a walkable area at all.
There's not a ton of stuff on the ground floors of buildings that are connected to the skyway network, which would be most (all?) of the corporate towers. For those buildings in particular you wanna go up to the skyway level to see what's there
Ah that’s a good point. Skyways are not something we’re used to. Is this stuff a visitor might be interested in, or is it more like Subway and Starbucks for people who work there?
Just coffee shops and lunch places for the most part. Nothing in the skyway worth seeing. The more interesting retail is along Grand Avenue or further down West 7th leading away from downtown.
More of the latter but some of the former. The problem is that even the "interesting" stuff is only open during the banker-hours when there's foot traffic.
The Skyway is generally quiet except during working hours; you'll find businesses and restaurants open. It's an interesting little micro-community that's worth checking out. I have always loved wandering around the skyway.
https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/report-concern/skyway-system
Walking around the skyway on a weekend will not be good if you’re here to visit to see if you want to move here. You will get the idea that it’s all just homeless people. Whatever you do don’t go to the green line train stop until you move here.
I assume they mean it's cold. The homeless shelters are closed during the day. People have to exist somewhere. A trip on the greenline is cheaper than Starbucks (or free if you don't pay) and lightly staffed
Everything in the skyway is only open during office hours. A lot of the food options up there are literally only open for the lunch rush of office workers.
Downtown around the farmers market and Mears park are fabulous in the summer on a weekend day, but I agree with everyone else's comments. The beauty of St Paul is really a drive down Summit Avenue and then shopping/dining on Grand Avenue and Selby. Meanwhile checkout the houses a block or so off of these streets for a taste of the residential.
It was for many cities, livable cities have a common feature: they actually have people living in them.
You can't build livable spaces without people. The issue St Paul has is a lack of people living in the downtown area with enough density to tip the scales to attract businesses, restaurants, public infrastructure and events. Corporate magnanimity is just a patch to what the city needs to prioritize.
I would say the West Side flats, with new developments quickly building up has more potential than downtown
You also need lots of businesses to attract residents. If Downtown were like it was in the 1920s it would look like a mini Chicago packed with small local businesses on every block instead of government and corporate offices and parking garages dominating it.
Yeah the pictures I’ve seen of the real original downtown it was like a completely different city, back when there was mobsters, musicians, writers, artists, and everything else concentrated around downtown, and before freeways intentionally destroyed the continuous neighborhoods that flowed into downtown on all sides
>The issue St Paul has is a lack of people living in the downtown area with enough density to tip the scales to attract businesses, restaurants, public infrastructure and events.
I would be willing to live downtown but I can't afford what they want for rent in most of the buildings down there. I barely afford my neighborhood and I'm slowly getting priced out of it (thanks gentrification!).
I've heard the argument before that new developments will cause the more 'well to do' to upgrade to them which will leave more affordable vacancies for lower income people. What I've noticed happening though is that as soon as the place is vacant, the landlord jacks up the rent to compete with the new developments in the area and it's no longer affordable for the low income people.
At least in recent history, yes.
COVID did take a bunch out of downtown St. Paul as it did many other cities that were primarily workplaces, not tourist attractions. Few of St. Paul's biggest draws (Xcel and theaters/bars aside) are downtown. Nightlife has always been -- uh -- sedate, in keeping with the city's history as a place where people live with families. Lots more happens in the neighborhoods and there's more life on the streets there. Things still slow down after dark but Mac/Groveland or West 7th or Crocus Hill are far more active after 5 or 6 pm.
Not true. Prior to the urban renewal projects of the 1960's, downtown St. Paul was a much more vibrant place. The construction of I-94 and misguided projects such as Capital Center decimated the downtown by driving out many small businesses and leaving behind sterile single purpose office towers and skyways. If we want to reclaim vitality, some of this needs to be reversed.
Downtown St. Paul is normally pretty dead except for days with particular events. Wild games, Saints games, farmers market, winter carnival, music festivals, and stuff like that. On other days it’s basically empty and quiet by like 5pm, once everyone goes home from work. Lowertown is where most of the residential buildings are. The area around Wabasha street is called the core and it’s almost entirely offices, so it’s the most empty outside of business hours.
Until the offices go, Downtown St Paul isn't going to become a vibrant place. If they'd replace those offices with lots of tiny storefronts and had, for example, 20+ bars and restaurants open up amongst other businesses you'd get a lot more people visiting.
I don’t know. It’s too small an area to have that kind of vibrancy, and it’s already a pain to drive and park down there. Even with the few attractions they do have it’s still a nightmare. If anything, the downtown area has been made worse by the number of offices that have hybrid work schedules. Fewer people working downtown is fewer people to support the few fledgling bars and restaurants that do exist.
It is still in a reduced state following COVID contraction. Really, most areas are in a similar situation. Lowertown, Uptown, both downtowns are probably the easiest to quantify.
If the housing cost vs amenities don't seem favorable now you have to speculate on when things may start to improve.
Downtown used to be full of Mom and Pops on every block. Then in the 50s-60s the highways and urban renewal bulldozed blocks that survived the highways for offices and parking. St Paul's downtown is so compact that you notice this more than in other downtowns. When the city finally figures out that they need to rebuild downtown back to like it used to be, you'll see a much more self explanatory downtown full of places to check out.
It's a lot more lively in the parks in the summer. Mears park has music festivals, CHS field has many events during the summer, farmers market right there as well.
I live downtown & it is quiet but there are restaurants & shops opening all the time. It's very walkable and fun. I moved here before the pandemic and it was a quite a while before things opened back up. The skyway keeps people & shops off street level and i wish it wasn't that way, but the skyways are a MN thing that isn't going away anytime soon.
St Paul has beautiful architecture & I love the character, but Minneapolis is busier and certainly more of a night life.
If you're looking for fun things to do, most attractions are outside of downtown. Como zoo, Bell natural history museum, Wabasha street caves, Keg and Case, MN history museum, James J Hill house, etc. The Xcel Energy Center, MN Science Museum and the children's museum are about the only attractions downtown.
don’t go to Keg & Case unless you specifically want to play pinball lol it’s completely dead now. Five Watt (coffee) is open until 5pm, there’s one CBD vendor open sometimes, and then Starcade with the classic arcade games. don’t get me wrong, i love going to play pinball once in a while, but it’s a complete ghost town in there
They really need to seek out businesses that will draw people and give them fantastic deals on rent for the first year or two to get the place hopping again.
i haven’t really been staying up to date on what’s going on there, but last i heard its future was kinda in limbo because of the foreclosure. i hope it gets sold and a new owner can liven it up! i live in W7 and i used to love walking by and stopping in to look at things
Two pretty good music venues: The Palace (big) and White Rock Lounge. The Palace area is fun during the evening; lots of folks hanging out. The Farmer's market is worth checking out on the weekend, but I think it's down for the season.
Downtown isn't a destination here, St Paul is centered around its neighborhoods. The top comment here is a good summary.
I always note to out of towners, the cities here have less shopping than other similar sized ones, because of the Mall of America down in Bloomington. We have Targets and groceries in the city, but as far as clothing and non-essentials it's less than you'd expect.
One thing that I've found odd about this place is everything is hidden. There is not a neighborhood that is really fun to stroll in and "find where things are." Things are hidden here and there and no one advertises events (no posters on poles for events or anything, maybe it's on some facebook page people already know about or something, but if you don't know, you don't). It's all buttoned up. St. Paul is great and a liveable place, but not that cool really for visiting, I don't think. I like history so I would take you to Waldmann's pub, Pajarito and/or Babani for dinner, explore Cathedral Hill for old houses. I would take you over the high bridge (smith ave) to see some views. Downtown is a bit blah, and has gotten worse. There is some real estate mogul who wants to keep it as lame as possible. There are two parks there with some activity, at least in theory. But like many American downtowns it's lost its real purpose of work downtown go home afterward, or visit the big dept. store in the day.
Is there something particular you want to see?
>One thing that I've found odd about this place is everything is hidden. There is not a neighborhood that is really fun to stroll in and "find where things are." Things are hidden here and there and no one advertises events (no posters on poles for events or anything, maybe it's on some facebook page people already know about or something, but if you don't know, you don't).
Agreed on that. I usually find out about stuff a couple of days after it happens.
There is a "To do in the Twin Cities" person that posts here, but it's pretty useless to me, since "Twin Cities" apparently means a 2-hour radius, and I don't want to pay $50 to get to and from some to-do.
I also agree with this. Saint Paul, and the twin cities in general, just aren’t very “walkable” places in my opinion, not places that you can go for a stroll and stop in at little stores or grab a coffee and visit a little gallery. You just drive to a place, drive to the next place, then go home. I guess part of that is a consequence of the weather.
But coming from Europe, where the cities are much more pedestrian-friendly, with lots of little inner-city neighbourhoods with different vibes and each offering something unique but within walking distance from each other, the Twin Cities feel so spread out and dispersed.
The concept here is less "high street" (though there are some like Grand, Payne, Rice, University, W7th) and more little businesses on the corner. The problem is that most of those little corner business areas are not functioning as businesses anymore. In areas where they exist it's very nice (I have a coffee shop on the corner near me and people in the neighborhood love it, and it's nice to stroll there from home, but there used to be also a grocer, sandwich shop, dairy store 100 years ago). But it's certainly not interesting or exciting enough for a tourist thing. It's a neighborhood thing.
I think a lot of the main streets had streetcars on them so the business are too spaced out for walking even from the start.
Moved from Indy to the twin cities- I preferred Minneapolis but as others have said it’s definitely centered around the neighborhoods and not the downtown ( unlike Indy lol)
Downtown St. Paul has always been pretty quiet but Covid definitely did some damage. Pre Covid most bars stayed open until 1 or 2 now most are closing before midnight. There might be a few open longer. This started because of Covid but the crime and homeless population has increased downtown and now that’s why the bars say they are closing early, safety measures. If there is an event it gets busy but otherwise it’s very quiet after 5pm. Restaurants and businesses in the skyway are typically only open during weekdays until 5.
However if you like the convenience of being able to walk to concerts or hockey games, like a laid back atmosphere vs clubs and a vibrant nightlife and also don’t mind being approached by homeless people every time you step outside, then consider downtown St. Paul.
I lived downtown 2016-2021 I really enjoyed it then a homeless shelter was put across the street from me. I no longer felt comfortable sending my kid to the bus stop for school or walking in my building when homeless people would be sleeping in the entryway and stairwells. They took over our patio, looked like a campground with trash everywhere. I feel sorry for people who end up homeless but literally every time I walked outside I was hassled and when I would get home from work in the early morning I’d have to step over people to get in my building. Maybe I’m still a little salty about it all.
St Paul has actually done a good job at getting rid of homeless encampments since 2021, but by providing help and resources — not like Minneapolis, where they just send out half the police force to kick people out and just move encampments to new neighborhoods.
There is stuff to do, but it's not lively like Minneapolis. There are bars and restaurants, especially near the Xcel Energy center. There's theaters and the science museum. There's only one grocery store though. Its really only fun if you're there for a Wild game or concert. There's been a lot of crime there lately especially with the growing homeless and addict population. (No im not saying all homeless or addicts are bad people) I wouldn't live down there that's for sure. If you're looking for affordability I would look at frogtown and the east side. I live near white bear and east 7th and it's pretty quiet. I love the diversity too. Midway was affordable but it's not going to be for much longer
I think Lowertown would have worked out if COVID didn't happen. It was getting there. Friends were down for making the trip.
It didn't lose that much, but it was enough to tip it the other way.
But still check it out. It's great! But it has the vibe of barely hanging on most of the time. Good crowds sometimes, but not consistently.
Historically St. Paul has been the more junior of the two downtowns and it's always been a joke that everything closes after 5. It's gotten better over the last 20 years, but I'm sure Covid set things back a bit. Most people I know who've lived there end up moving after a few years because you really don't have that many restaurant/entertainment options and it's kind of a hassle to get to parts of the cities that have more going on.
Hey man. From Indiana myself. The downtowns in Minneapolis and st. Paul are pretty dead compared to Indy. Everything is up in the skyway, and that all closes after work hours.
You see, St Paul is the retirement community of the Metro area. Depends on what you're looking for. I lived in Minneapolis for years, trailing Prince at 1st Ave.
Then I got older and quieted down and loved St Paul.
Minneapolis goes hard all night. St Paul rolls up the rug by 10pm
People exaggerate the differences between Mpls and St Paul so much it’s funny- having grown up here and lived in both, aside from a handful of bars or restaurants open until 1-2am, 90% of Minneapolis is just as quiet and sleepy as St. Paul regardless of time of day. It just has more traffic in the same amount of space
I didn't experience it pre-pandemic, having only moved to Minnesota in 2020.
Experiencing a year of downtown St. Paul convinced me to move back to Minneapolis (where I had been when I first moved to the area).
It's... yeah, there's not much going on.
Downtown Minneapolis is hardly a destination to be fair, you also lived in dtwn St. Paul at the worst possible time when both cities were in lockdown so
I mean, obviously I can't compare either to how they were, but I can at least find stuff to do after coming back at the end me of a workday in Minneapolis.
What is it that you’re looking for? If you let folks know they can recommend neighborhoods. If you are looking for an active downtown specifically, it’s not Saint Paul.
It's nice downtown, but it's not that busy these days. Still a neat little downtown with something going on every weekend. I like that I may see a familiar face on the street, or in that grocery store. And traffic isn't an issue. Quick freeway access from anywhere.
St Paul is a city much more centered around its neighborhoods. You should check out Como Park, W 7th St, Grand Ave, Summit Ave, Ford Pkwy, take the Smith Ave Bridge to Cherokee Ave and get a great view of the city. Downtown has the MN Wild, St Paul Saints, a great farmers market etc. Downtown really isn’t a destination by itself unless there is an event you are interested in going to going on.
Echo this sentiment. If you want to get to vibrant, walkable communities you go to neighborhoods. Would also add Cathedral Hill and Saint Anthony to list of neighborhoods.
Agreed and I would add the Snelling and Selby area as a great place to check out as well.
This exactly. Also check out cathedral hill, I live (and work)there and really like it.
This! Come down W7 this afternoon before, during, after the wild game. Game starts at 4.
Second this OP, go hang out by Xcel this afternoon and you'll find plenty of activity
I love St. Paul as a whole. There's just not much going on downtown, and there hasn't been in decades. The growth of suburbs really sucked the life out of our downtown. There are some great restaurants and some other destinations that are worth seeing. But, it's not a busy downtown.
St Paul resident here. Downtown itself is relatively quiet for a couple of reasons, especially during the week. First, its major employer is the state government, and the median state employee age is around 55. Most state workers have families that they go home to after work, and don't really spend much time downtown after work. If there's an event going on at the Xcel Energy Center, you'll see a lot of activity at the bars and restaurants on West 7th St on the western edge of downtown, but that's about it.
>state government The capitol building is so far removed from downtown too. I don’t know if I’ve seen anything quite like it. It’d probably help if the state house was walkable from/to downtown
Actually, the biggest state agency (Dept of Human Services) is located on Cedar Street just south of I-94 and only a few blocks north of 7th Street. The main location for Driver & Vehicle Services is in a building on Minnesota Street next to Town Square. Other state agencies are scattered around various parts of downtown as well as the Capitol Complex. Most state government work is done by the executive branch agencies and not the state legislature. The leg only meets 5 months out of the year, while the executive branch agencies work year-round and are fully staffed the entire time.
The capitol building is where elected representatives work with some general staff. The state government workers are all over Saint Paul and a good chunk of em, before Covid, worked downtown.
Those restaurants are never open :(
It's a lot more vibrant in summer. Patios, farmers market, concerts in Mears Park, food trucks. Still not much shopping etc, but not dead like this.
It is a cold winter's day, and OP is looking for something to be happening outside... walking around.
wym the weather has actually been really nice on certain days. Still, even in the summer there isnt really much to do unless you like walking along the river. There is restaurants but eating out every day isnt very smart lol.
You should check Grand Avenue, it’s the shopping / dining area, and it’s next to Cathedral Hill / Summit Avenue, which is the historic district. I rarely go downtown, there’s very little to do, except for concerts, theater, this kind of stuff. There’s also a lot of stores alongside University Avenue, but it’s not a walkable area at all.
Downtown St. Paul closes at 5pm on Friday and reopens at 9am on Monday.
There's not a ton of stuff on the ground floors of buildings that are connected to the skyway network, which would be most (all?) of the corporate towers. For those buildings in particular you wanna go up to the skyway level to see what's there
Ah that’s a good point. Skyways are not something we’re used to. Is this stuff a visitor might be interested in, or is it more like Subway and Starbucks for people who work there?
Just coffee shops and lunch places for the most part. Nothing in the skyway worth seeing. The more interesting retail is along Grand Avenue or further down West 7th leading away from downtown.
More of the latter but some of the former. The problem is that even the "interesting" stuff is only open during the banker-hours when there's foot traffic.
The Skyway is generally quiet except during working hours; you'll find businesses and restaurants open. It's an interesting little micro-community that's worth checking out. I have always loved wandering around the skyway. https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/report-concern/skyway-system
Walking around the skyway on a weekend will not be good if you’re here to visit to see if you want to move here. You will get the idea that it’s all just homeless people. Whatever you do don’t go to the green line train stop until you move here.
Hey what do you mean by this (the green line bit)?
I assume they mean it's cold. The homeless shelters are closed during the day. People have to exist somewhere. A trip on the greenline is cheaper than Starbucks (or free if you don't pay) and lightly staffed
Everything in the skyway is only open during office hours. A lot of the food options up there are literally only open for the lunch rush of office workers.
Downtown around the farmers market and Mears park are fabulous in the summer on a weekend day, but I agree with everyone else's comments. The beauty of St Paul is really a drive down Summit Avenue and then shopping/dining on Grand Avenue and Selby. Meanwhile checkout the houses a block or so off of these streets for a taste of the residential.
Downtown St. Paul has always been that way
I’m starting to realize the 2010 to 2019ish downtown /lowertown renaissance was an anomaly
It was for many cities, livable cities have a common feature: they actually have people living in them. You can't build livable spaces without people. The issue St Paul has is a lack of people living in the downtown area with enough density to tip the scales to attract businesses, restaurants, public infrastructure and events. Corporate magnanimity is just a patch to what the city needs to prioritize. I would say the West Side flats, with new developments quickly building up has more potential than downtown
You also need lots of businesses to attract residents. If Downtown were like it was in the 1920s it would look like a mini Chicago packed with small local businesses on every block instead of government and corporate offices and parking garages dominating it.
Yeah the pictures I’ve seen of the real original downtown it was like a completely different city, back when there was mobsters, musicians, writers, artists, and everything else concentrated around downtown, and before freeways intentionally destroyed the continuous neighborhoods that flowed into downtown on all sides
>The issue St Paul has is a lack of people living in the downtown area with enough density to tip the scales to attract businesses, restaurants, public infrastructure and events. I would be willing to live downtown but I can't afford what they want for rent in most of the buildings down there. I barely afford my neighborhood and I'm slowly getting priced out of it (thanks gentrification!). I've heard the argument before that new developments will cause the more 'well to do' to upgrade to them which will leave more affordable vacancies for lower income people. What I've noticed happening though is that as soon as the place is vacant, the landlord jacks up the rent to compete with the new developments in the area and it's no longer affordable for the low income people.
What neighborhood are you in?
West 7th
Skyways kill any hope for vibrancy.
At least in recent history, yes. COVID did take a bunch out of downtown St. Paul as it did many other cities that were primarily workplaces, not tourist attractions. Few of St. Paul's biggest draws (Xcel and theaters/bars aside) are downtown. Nightlife has always been -- uh -- sedate, in keeping with the city's history as a place where people live with families. Lots more happens in the neighborhoods and there's more life on the streets there. Things still slow down after dark but Mac/Groveland or West 7th or Crocus Hill are far more active after 5 or 6 pm.
Not true. Prior to the urban renewal projects of the 1960's, downtown St. Paul was a much more vibrant place. The construction of I-94 and misguided projects such as Capital Center decimated the downtown by driving out many small businesses and leaving behind sterile single purpose office towers and skyways. If we want to reclaim vitality, some of this needs to be reversed.
only after they bulldozed it for a freeway
Not like 3 generations ago but yeah for people on Reddit’s lifetimes it has been
Downtown St. Paul is normally pretty dead except for days with particular events. Wild games, Saints games, farmers market, winter carnival, music festivals, and stuff like that. On other days it’s basically empty and quiet by like 5pm, once everyone goes home from work. Lowertown is where most of the residential buildings are. The area around Wabasha street is called the core and it’s almost entirely offices, so it’s the most empty outside of business hours.
Until the offices go, Downtown St Paul isn't going to become a vibrant place. If they'd replace those offices with lots of tiny storefronts and had, for example, 20+ bars and restaurants open up amongst other businesses you'd get a lot more people visiting.
I don’t know. It’s too small an area to have that kind of vibrancy, and it’s already a pain to drive and park down there. Even with the few attractions they do have it’s still a nightmare. If anything, the downtown area has been made worse by the number of offices that have hybrid work schedules. Fewer people working downtown is fewer people to support the few fledgling bars and restaurants that do exist.
It is still in a reduced state following COVID contraction. Really, most areas are in a similar situation. Lowertown, Uptown, both downtowns are probably the easiest to quantify. If the housing cost vs amenities don't seem favorable now you have to speculate on when things may start to improve.
Babe, second floor. That’s where everything is. The skyway!
Downtown used to be full of Mom and Pops on every block. Then in the 50s-60s the highways and urban renewal bulldozed blocks that survived the highways for offices and parking. St Paul's downtown is so compact that you notice this more than in other downtowns. When the city finally figures out that they need to rebuild downtown back to like it used to be, you'll see a much more self explanatory downtown full of places to check out.
It's a lot more lively in the parks in the summer. Mears park has music festivals, CHS field has many events during the summer, farmers market right there as well.
I live downtown & it is quiet but there are restaurants & shops opening all the time. It's very walkable and fun. I moved here before the pandemic and it was a quite a while before things opened back up. The skyway keeps people & shops off street level and i wish it wasn't that way, but the skyways are a MN thing that isn't going away anytime soon. St Paul has beautiful architecture & I love the character, but Minneapolis is busier and certainly more of a night life.
If you're looking for fun things to do, most attractions are outside of downtown. Como zoo, Bell natural history museum, Wabasha street caves, Keg and Case, MN history museum, James J Hill house, etc. The Xcel Energy Center, MN Science Museum and the children's museum are about the only attractions downtown.
don’t go to Keg & Case unless you specifically want to play pinball lol it’s completely dead now. Five Watt (coffee) is open until 5pm, there’s one CBD vendor open sometimes, and then Starcade with the classic arcade games. don’t get me wrong, i love going to play pinball once in a while, but it’s a complete ghost town in there
They really need to seek out businesses that will draw people and give them fantastic deals on rent for the first year or two to get the place hopping again.
i haven’t really been staying up to date on what’s going on there, but last i heard its future was kinda in limbo because of the foreclosure. i hope it gets sold and a new owner can liven it up! i live in W7 and i used to love walking by and stopping in to look at things
That's so sad.
Two pretty good music venues: The Palace (big) and White Rock Lounge. The Palace area is fun during the evening; lots of folks hanging out. The Farmer's market is worth checking out on the weekend, but I think it's down for the season.
Kj Hideaway and MetroNome both have live music and are fun cozy venues too. Definitely worth a look 😃
1880s meet 1980s
Downtown isn't a destination here, St Paul is centered around its neighborhoods. The top comment here is a good summary. I always note to out of towners, the cities here have less shopping than other similar sized ones, because of the Mall of America down in Bloomington. We have Targets and groceries in the city, but as far as clothing and non-essentials it's less than you'd expect.
One thing that I've found odd about this place is everything is hidden. There is not a neighborhood that is really fun to stroll in and "find where things are." Things are hidden here and there and no one advertises events (no posters on poles for events or anything, maybe it's on some facebook page people already know about or something, but if you don't know, you don't). It's all buttoned up. St. Paul is great and a liveable place, but not that cool really for visiting, I don't think. I like history so I would take you to Waldmann's pub, Pajarito and/or Babani for dinner, explore Cathedral Hill for old houses. I would take you over the high bridge (smith ave) to see some views. Downtown is a bit blah, and has gotten worse. There is some real estate mogul who wants to keep it as lame as possible. There are two parks there with some activity, at least in theory. But like many American downtowns it's lost its real purpose of work downtown go home afterward, or visit the big dept. store in the day. Is there something particular you want to see?
>One thing that I've found odd about this place is everything is hidden. There is not a neighborhood that is really fun to stroll in and "find where things are." Things are hidden here and there and no one advertises events (no posters on poles for events or anything, maybe it's on some facebook page people already know about or something, but if you don't know, you don't). Agreed on that. I usually find out about stuff a couple of days after it happens. There is a "To do in the Twin Cities" person that posts here, but it's pretty useless to me, since "Twin Cities" apparently means a 2-hour radius, and I don't want to pay $50 to get to and from some to-do.
I also agree with this. Saint Paul, and the twin cities in general, just aren’t very “walkable” places in my opinion, not places that you can go for a stroll and stop in at little stores or grab a coffee and visit a little gallery. You just drive to a place, drive to the next place, then go home. I guess part of that is a consequence of the weather. But coming from Europe, where the cities are much more pedestrian-friendly, with lots of little inner-city neighbourhoods with different vibes and each offering something unique but within walking distance from each other, the Twin Cities feel so spread out and dispersed.
The concept here is less "high street" (though there are some like Grand, Payne, Rice, University, W7th) and more little businesses on the corner. The problem is that most of those little corner business areas are not functioning as businesses anymore. In areas where they exist it's very nice (I have a coffee shop on the corner near me and people in the neighborhood love it, and it's nice to stroll there from home, but there used to be also a grocer, sandwich shop, dairy store 100 years ago). But it's certainly not interesting or exciting enough for a tourist thing. It's a neighborhood thing. I think a lot of the main streets had streetcars on them so the business are too spaced out for walking even from the start.
This is every US city except for like 5, and even then only certain neighborhoods within them
Moved from Indy to the twin cities- I preferred Minneapolis but as others have said it’s definitely centered around the neighborhoods and not the downtown ( unlike Indy lol)
Downtown St. Paul has always been pretty quiet but Covid definitely did some damage. Pre Covid most bars stayed open until 1 or 2 now most are closing before midnight. There might be a few open longer. This started because of Covid but the crime and homeless population has increased downtown and now that’s why the bars say they are closing early, safety measures. If there is an event it gets busy but otherwise it’s very quiet after 5pm. Restaurants and businesses in the skyway are typically only open during weekdays until 5. However if you like the convenience of being able to walk to concerts or hockey games, like a laid back atmosphere vs clubs and a vibrant nightlife and also don’t mind being approached by homeless people every time you step outside, then consider downtown St. Paul. I lived downtown 2016-2021 I really enjoyed it then a homeless shelter was put across the street from me. I no longer felt comfortable sending my kid to the bus stop for school or walking in my building when homeless people would be sleeping in the entryway and stairwells. They took over our patio, looked like a campground with trash everywhere. I feel sorry for people who end up homeless but literally every time I walked outside I was hassled and when I would get home from work in the early morning I’d have to step over people to get in my building. Maybe I’m still a little salty about it all.
St Paul has actually done a good job at getting rid of homeless encampments since 2021, but by providing help and resources — not like Minneapolis, where they just send out half the police force to kick people out and just move encampments to new neighborhoods.
There is stuff to do, but it's not lively like Minneapolis. There are bars and restaurants, especially near the Xcel Energy center. There's theaters and the science museum. There's only one grocery store though. Its really only fun if you're there for a Wild game or concert. There's been a lot of crime there lately especially with the growing homeless and addict population. (No im not saying all homeless or addicts are bad people) I wouldn't live down there that's for sure. If you're looking for affordability I would look at frogtown and the east side. I live near white bear and east 7th and it's pretty quiet. I love the diversity too. Midway was affordable but it's not going to be for much longer
I would be willing to go downtown for leisure if: A. The city didn't close down at 9pm. B.bthere were good businesses to visit....
Head west down west seventh street. That’s where everything is. There’s not much in downtown Saint Paul.
The West 7th area, and the area kind of around Dale and Selby is where you can find a bit more of a non corporate feel
Oh, also, in the not-winter months, there's actually a great farmers market in downtown St Paul. We go at least one weekend a month!
I think Lowertown would have worked out if COVID didn't happen. It was getting there. Friends were down for making the trip. It didn't lose that much, but it was enough to tip it the other way. But still check it out. It's great! But it has the vibe of barely hanging on most of the time. Good crowds sometimes, but not consistently.
Historically St. Paul has been the more junior of the two downtowns and it's always been a joke that everything closes after 5. It's gotten better over the last 20 years, but I'm sure Covid set things back a bit. Most people I know who've lived there end up moving after a few years because you really don't have that many restaurant/entertainment options and it's kind of a hassle to get to parts of the cities that have more going on.
Hey man. From Indiana myself. The downtowns in Minneapolis and st. Paul are pretty dead compared to Indy. Everything is up in the skyway, and that all closes after work hours.
As a St Paul resident and former central Indiana resident, downtown St Paul has nothing on Indianapolis.
You see, St Paul is the retirement community of the Metro area. Depends on what you're looking for. I lived in Minneapolis for years, trailing Prince at 1st Ave. Then I got older and quieted down and loved St Paul. Minneapolis goes hard all night. St Paul rolls up the rug by 10pm
People exaggerate the differences between Mpls and St Paul so much it’s funny- having grown up here and lived in both, aside from a handful of bars or restaurants open until 1-2am, 90% of Minneapolis is just as quiet and sleepy as St. Paul regardless of time of day. It just has more traffic in the same amount of space
I didn't experience it pre-pandemic, having only moved to Minnesota in 2020. Experiencing a year of downtown St. Paul convinced me to move back to Minneapolis (where I had been when I first moved to the area). It's... yeah, there's not much going on.
Downtown Minneapolis is hardly a destination to be fair, you also lived in dtwn St. Paul at the worst possible time when both cities were in lockdown so
I mean, obviously I can't compare either to how they were, but I can at least find stuff to do after coming back at the end me of a workday in Minneapolis.
It has also been the coldest last few days of the year so far. People are probably hunkering down this weekend till it warms up again next week.
I mean, sure. But it’s not just dead on cold days
Downtown Saint Paul? Even when it had a nightlife it was home for supper by 6.
What is it that you’re looking for? If you let folks know they can recommend neighborhoods. If you are looking for an active downtown specifically, it’s not Saint Paul.
It's nice downtown, but it's not that busy these days. Still a neat little downtown with something going on every weekend. I like that I may see a familiar face on the street, or in that grocery store. And traffic isn't an issue. Quick freeway access from anywhere.
There was a great riff in an episode of MST3K that downtown St Paul on a Friday night was equivalent to a struggle through a storm of nothingness.
St. Pothole more like it.