Visited St. Paul, so far I have LOVED what I've seen so far. (Minneapolis: neighborhood, school)

[lalife]

I graduated from St Paul college and it did get me a good job for over 10 years. The school has a good reputation for tech colleges in the Twin Cities. Anyway, yes I think you should be able to find a studio apartment in Crocus Hill /Cathedral Hill for around $550-$600. That area has TONS of charm! Just stay away from the apartments right across from the school. I think those are Section 8.

[icewater]

Glad to hear Saint Paul (hopefully) is gaining a young, interested, enthusiastic person who will take the city as it is and likely find the gems it has to offer. Yes, downtown is a ghost town in the evening, but even that has character to be discovered. One of the great things you'll find is that the downtown area isn't the only indentifier of the city---get out and explore and take the bus, walk around, have NO agenda. I hope you will develop pride in the town. Garrison Keillor called it Pumpernickel Bread compared with MPLS's Wonder Bread identity. Welcome.

[Radical_Car]

Thanks icewater!

[knke0204]

What are some 'unknown' secrets of St. Paul? I'm mainly a MPLS person, so I don't know much of the hidden secrets like I do in MPLS. Can anyone help me out?

[west336]

the "watering holes" are everywhere and super cool and laid back -- the way I PREFER to have a brewsky with friends! I WISH there were more places like that in Minneapolis and closer to where I live!!

[DannyBanany]

Originally Posted by knke0204

What are some 'unknown' secrets of St. Paul? I'm mainly a MPLS person, so I don't know much of the hidden secrets like I do in MPLS. Can anyone help me out?

-Happy Hours are cheaper, more close knit, and relaxed than Mpls.
-Parking is easier.
-Except for downtown and by the rivers, the streets are gridlocked and easily navigable.
-Grand Avenue always has something new I haven't seen before.
-Restaurants are better and less known. Chino Latino, Roat Osha, etc. are all way overrated.
-Saint Paul feels more expensive than Minneapolis.

I've heard that Saint Paul is the westernmost Eastern city, while Minneapolis is the easternmost Western city. I always thought that summed it up well.

[Radical_Car]

In what ways does it feel more expensive then Minneapolis?

[DannyBanany]

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

In what ways does it feel more expensive then Minneapolis?

I guess the word I was looking for was "regal" or "established" or "classical".

[Radical_Car]

Oh ok, makes sense.
Thank you

[icewater]

Yeah, I have also heard that STP is the last city of the East and MPLS is the first city of the West. It seems about right.

-And yes, you can't beat Summit Avenue for classical and established.

-Do you remember Ventura's rant about the confusion of STP streets? He said it seemed they were laid out by a drunken Irishman. He complained about after wrestling at the Civic Center trying to find his way out of town at night. This led Norm Coleman to follow this in some parade (St. Pat's?) where he was walking/twirling down the middle of the street and shouting "See Jesse!? See how easy it is to get around!? See!"

-Also, at one point some crackpot had proposed that a good way to alleviate the parking hassle in downtown would be to string CABLE CARS across the river to the lots there on the West Side. How great would this be?! To see cable cars ferrying people across the water at 5pm. For sure this would have been an AWESOME and UNIQUE calling card for the city. Like a blue collar ski village. And, along with the 1ST building it would liven up the skyline and increase its identity. Too bad this probably never got off the ground for a moment, but it's vision like this that would enhance the city (more interestingly than flogging the Peanuts on Parade characters for another summer---ugh).

-Another STP pride point is the various gangster spots. Here's something I clipped out in the early 2000s but don't know the source:" Alvin (old creepy) Karpis, one of the gangsters who used St. Paul as a refuge during the 1930s, wrote later in his life about his headquarters: The Green Lantern, a Wabasha Street speakeasy fronted by a cigar store. " He goes on: "Every criminal of any importance in the 1930s made his home at one time or another in St. Paul. If you were looking for a guy you hadn't seen for a few months, you usually thought of 2 places- prison or St. Paul."

-One of my favorite radio personalities, T.D. Mischke, would always go to commercial breaks with the line: "A.M. 1500-- Good Old St. Paul, Big Time Minneapolis."*** He also had a true crime anecdote that kind of sums up the differences between the 2 cities: St. Paul Bank XYZ was robbed last week by a man toting what witnesses confirm was a shotgun. Minneapolis Bank ABC was robbed last week by a man who handed the teller a note demanding money or he'd detonate the bomb inside the bag he left on the counter. The teller handed over the money, the man left, and inside the bag on the counter was a taupe colored bath towel.

-Not there anymore, but a true STP institution was Tiger Jack's Shoe Shines and Hickory Chips. Near the corner of I-94 and Dale.