Saint Paul, MN HyperLocal City Guide featuring Neighborhoods, Zip Codes and Yellow Pages.

Once a railroad empire, St Paul, MN, is recognized for numerous noteworthy early beginnings and for progressive quality of life in arts, education, music and cultural history. The port of entry is at a great bend in the Mississippi, and there are over 900 lakes in the general metropolitan area.

The Historic landmarks, City squares, parks, towers, turrets, lofty arches, Baroque domes and elaborate adornments, abound throughout the city. Saint Paul is referred to as the state capital on the bluffs as it is poised along the Mississippi River, is contiguous with Minneapolis, and forms the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Adding to its history, St. Paul's oldest streets are narrow and crooked, conforming to the hills and to the river frontage. Many of the modern downtown buildings are interconnected by enclosed skywalks.

Noted “Companion On the Prairie” radio host, Garrison Keillor, shows off his home town of St Paul through his stories of heritage and family settings on the famous radio program where listeners share in the uniqueness of the city.

St Paul was founded on the site of an early fur-trading post and it became territorial capital in 1849 and state capital in 1858. The city was a booming river port and transportation center, especially after the arrival of the railroad in 1862.

Accommodations
St Paul Hotel, a traditional historic hotel, is connected to the skyway system. The St Paul Hotel is close to downtown theatres and is a member of the worthy Historic Hotels of America. Holiday Inn St. Paul - River Centre- is located downtown. It’s location is across the street from St. Paul's River Center.

Embassy Suites Hotel is located downtown and has a French Provincial-style, and is four blocks from the State Capitol. The Radisson Riverfront Hotel is a Convention Hotel with rooftop, revolving restaurant and unhindered views of the Mississippi River.

Restaurants
I Love You Grand Ole Creamery is a favored stop. The popular Cafe Latte, sits at the corner of Grand and Victoria, the center of St. Paul's trendy Grand Avenue shopping district. It's great for people-watching and has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the street.

In the areas of St Peter Street and Sibley Street, there are a selection of eateries. The Ristorante Luci serves up Italian classics; and the St Paul Grill overlooks Rice Park. Also Forepaugh's is a French option in Irvine Park which has nine rooms for dining.

Shopping
The Mother of All Malls--The Mall of America, is the nation's largest Mall mecca. There is no sales tax on clothing in St Paul. The Mall has everything: 50 restaurants, major department stores such as Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, and over 520 specialty stores and boutiques, movie theaters, nightclubs, bowling, 14 theatres, a roller-coaster, and a NASCAR racing experience.

In St Paul, Grand Avenue has a selection of interesting shops and restaurants, while at 50th and France Avenue, there are range of boutiques and home related stores. Saint Paul Center, in the World Trade Center downtown, features more than 100 specialty shops and department stores.

Major Attractions
The capitol, completed in 1904 and designed by Cass, was modeled after St. Peter's in Rome. Near the capitol are the Cathedral of St. Paul; the state historical society building, containing a museum and library; and the St. Paul Arts and Science Center. Other points of interest in the area are Fort Snelling State Park and the Sibley House Museum (1835), home of the first territorial governor.

The Science Museum of Minnesota allows a visit with polar bears, exploration, and a boat trip down the Mississippi River at this innovative museum.

St. Paul has a notable chamber orchestra, opera company, conservatory, and several musical theaters. The city's many educational institutions include Bethel University, the College of St. Catherine, Concordia University, Hamline University, Macalester College, the University of St. Thomas, the William Mitchell College of Law, as well as several theological seminaries. A branch of the University of Minnesota is also in St Paul.

Arts/Music
The Cathedral of St. Paul is the Classical Renaissance-style Cathedral dating back to 1915. It features a splendid interior of six chapels, imported marble columns, large statues of the four evangelists and beautiful rose windows. Built in 1915 on the highest point in the city, the cathedral is one of the largest in the country. A replica of St. Peter's in Rome, the building boasts a newly restored 175-foot-high copper dome, a massive rose window, and granite-and-travertine construction.

Other favored sites to explore include: the Weisman Art Museum, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which has displays on European pieces among 85,000 exhibits.

Theatres include: The Great American History Theatre- where St Paul presents plays about Minnesota and Midwestern history; and the Penumbra Theater Company -Minnesota's only black professional theatre company. The Ordway Music Theatre is home to the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera.

In St Paul, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, on the second floor of the historic Landmark Center, has a permanent collection focusing on Asian, and 19th and 20th century American art, along with changing exhibits of contemporary sculpture, paintings and photography.

The Cathedral of St Paul has beautiful stained-glass windows, statues, paintings and other works of art, as well as a small historical museum on the lower level.

Written by: Karen J. Lee