311,895
Population
Sunny Days: 194
90100 Affordability
80100 Schools
85100 Diversity
65100 Safety
St. Paul, Minnesota
Pig's Eye
St. Paul Skyline, Credit: LookyLOO: Rudy Balasko
Urban Garden and Stream in Mears Park, Credit: LookyLOO: Joe Christensen
Minnesota State Capitol , Credit: mnhs.org
Winter Skate at Landmark Plaza, Credit: Pioneer Press
LookyLOO Review of St. Paul
Best of both worlds.
As the more serious, slightly quieter city of the Twin Cities, St. Paul is more affordable, homier, and more suburban, while just over the river from the bigger city amenities of Minneapolis. Meanwhile, St. Paul has its own culture, great music, fun activities, and an arts scene.
In the rising WFH culture, direct proximity to a business district drops in importance and St. Paul gets on more equal footing to Minneapolis.
The climate might be changing, but snowy winters are a constant in St. Paul -- winter will be cold and it will snow. A lot. But the city knows its stuff, so streets get cleaned up fast and the snow is not that disruptive. Renters will want to make sure that the responsibility of snow shoveling is understood because those who do not clear their sidewalks can be fined.
Lifestyle
Life is good
St. Paul is a great city, with plenty to do, good schools, and a decent cost of living. It’s also comfortable, with nice, easygoing people who are fairly hardy -- not shocking, given the tough winters. It has a growing downtown for socializing but it isn't trying to compete with Minneapolis on that account. If you are in the market for a city with serious commercial heat, look across the river (The Mississippi River largely divides the Twin Cities). St Paul is a great, comfortable place for adults/families looking to stay in at night and/or go to cozy neighborhood spots. If you need something more dramatic downtown Minneapolis is a short train, bus, or ride away.
If you want to see what's happening in St. Paul check out the calendar of events.
Worklife
The great majority of St Paul citizens work in the city, and the highest percentage of them work in the Service sector. Trade, manufacturing, and government make up the other significant employer groups. The greater Twin Cities area has a big tech sector and major Fortune 500 players like Target, UnitedHealthcare, and Cargill offering significant professional employment.
The economy in the area is very strong and relative to other major metros the commute times are negligible with 30 minutes or so considered significant. Living in St Paul in less expensive housing and commuting to Minneapolis by train or car will feel like a walk in the park for people from NY, Chicago, Atlanta, or LA.
Schools
St. Paul Public School District receives a "B-" rating on niche.com but checking parent reviews reveals a better narrative than that (depending of course on the schools). Check out one parent/counselor's pov on the schools relative to Minneapolis:
I work with children and often have to talk to teachers and school social workers…I can't tell you why, but I can say anecdotally that the schools in Saint Paul feel a lot safer, better staffed, and better run than Minneapolis public schools. Seemingly less staff turnover, too. I think like all public schools, it varies based on neighborhood and funding, but I would much rather send my hypothetical kid to a St. Paul public school than a Minneapolis one.
St. Paul uses an "open enrollment" system with priority given to students living within a school's Community School Zone. If more students seek attendance than a particular school has spaces then they are put into a lottery system.
There are several excellent school choices including:
-Highland Park Senior High is "A" rated on niche.com with particularly high grades for Academics, College Prep, and Diversity. It is noted for its IB program, Spanish and Mandarin Immersion Programs, and for Capitol Hill Figted and Talented students instruction.
-Open World Learning Secondary School is an "A-" rated Magnet School serving 6-12th grades. It's well-known for its outdoor fieldwork and retreats that keep students in the outdoors. It has the highest graduation rate in the Twin Cities and 100% of students matriculate to college.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Something for Everyone
St. Paul is always a good place to live, particularly for families. Young people will enjoy the revitalized downtown, with its hip and happening restaurants and bars, while parents will love the excellent school system.
Reviews of St. Paul from Locals
Snow and more snow.
adieudaemonic
Living in St. Paul
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉
Expect seasonal depression, winters have been dreary lately. A light therapy lamp and Vitamin D are recommended.
The social scene is much more insular here. I would recommend meetups specifically for transplants, other meetups or groups related to your interests, or Bumble BFF. People like to go on about how it is impossible to make friends here; I haven’t found that to be true. You do have to put in effort though.
Your experience in Saint Paul will heavily depend on your neighborhood. Some are walkable with most types of business nearby, while others are car dependent and nearly indistinguishable from first ring suburbs.
Saint Paul is a sleepy city, most places close relatively early (~10PM). It has quite a few artistic and sports venues to enjoy, I’m not going to list them all. Saint Paul’s slogan is “Keep Saint Paul boring”, but there is plenty to do. I don’t know if I would describe any as unique to Saint Paul, other than maybe the Wabasha Street Caves?
Diverse food scene!
I think it is always a concern when making a jump like that to a new place, what happens if you lose your job? Minnesota’s unemployment benefits and support are vastly superior to most state’s.
Home ownership is much more attainable, I think Saint Paul’s median housing price is roughly half of Phoenix’s.
For more reviews of what living in St. Paul is like from locals check out: The Reviews
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Living in St. Paul
Neighborhoods in St. Paul
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Summit Hill
Young Professionals
Summit Hill is a good place for young profs to start their search. Filled with beautiful old homes that in most cases are available for rent, plus condo/apt options it is easy to find something affordable here. Just as important you are in the center of the social action in St Paul – bars, restaurants, and cafes, all walkable from home. Downtown and in particular the Lowertown Historic District is another cool option. The area is filled with converted warehouses that offer housing, creative work options, and plenty of cool coffee shops, breweries and eclectic food options.
- Summit Hill
- Downtown/Lowertown Historic District