Some things to do in St Paul

The following is in response to a question posed to me by DowntownMinneapolis on the Minneapolis forum.

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;Posted on: 8:15 pm, April 1, 2009 by DowntownMinneapolis

What are some hotspots you%26#39;d recommend for a fun night in St. Paul?

I%26#39;ve been to Xcel for concerts %26amp; hockey

a holiday party at the St. Paul Hotel years ago

the MN History Center

working the pledge drive at MPR

Cossettas a few times

and .. Fhimas downtown - I miss Fhimas

I know I%26#39;m missing some things, and when the new light rail connects the two downtowns I%26#39;d easily slide over for bars / restaurants, etc. and not worry about parking / drink %26amp; drivin, etc.

Fill me in on some hidden gems known only to locals.

thx !!%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am no longer a party-going youngster, so the things I like to do in St Paul wouldn%26#39;t interest most. St Paul is a city of neighborhoods. Here%26#39;s a start.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul_neighborhoods

Of course the History Center and Science Museum, but many have said you can shoot a cannon down most St Paul streets at night and not hit anyone.

http://www.mnhs.org/historycenter/

http://www.smm.org/

The good, the bad, and the funky. (Yes, there%26#39;s also an r%26amp;b band around town by that name)

Slowly but surely, history is erasing some of the neater buildings in the St Paul area. The stairs up the bluffs on the west side are gone, but it%26#39;s still fun to drive down the length of Summit Ave and ogle the architecture. Take in the Cathedral of St Paul and Landmark Center as well.

www.cathedralsaintpaul.org

planetware.com/st-paul/summit-avenue-us-mn-s…

www.landmarkcenter.org

Driving Grand Avenue is also fun, and you%26#39;ll find many places to shop and dine.

You can still take the tour of Wabasha Street Caves, and I think there%26#39;s also a ';gangster'; tour of the city.....some buildings still have bullet pockmarks on them. The streetcars are gone, but you can still catch some of St Paul%26#39;s railroad history with a visit to the Jackson Street Roundhouse. The State Capitol also gives tours.

http://www.wabashastreetcaves.com/

http://www.mtmuseum.org/jsrh.shtml

www.mnhs.org/places/sites/msc/featured.html

We used to be home to two great large breweries, Hamm%26#39;s (into Strohs) and Schmitt (into Landmark,) but sadly, both are gone. Summit Brewing is still available for tours, but I do not know the particulars.

http://www.actionsquad.org/hammsoverview.htm

fieldguide.fmr.org/site_detail.php…

www.summitbrewing.com

Mounds Park (Indian burial mounds) is another historic area in the city.

www.stpaul.gov/facilities.asp…

Of course the St Paul Winter Carnival is still an event during the height of winter. A short ride up the high bridge and up to the West St Paul Antique Mall and you can view their tribute to the Winter Carnival. Lots of photos and memorabilia.

http://www.winter-carnival.com/

merchantcircle.com/business/…

Off-beat includes AxMan Surplus on University (by now you can tell I am addicted to the place) and our two great thrift stores, (Unique and Valuthrift,) one each in the North End and East Side.

http://www.ax-man.com/

…wordpress.com/2008/…

Food: (we do not do expensive anymore)

Red%26#39;s Savoy Pizza close to downtown.

http://www.theoriginalredssavoypizza.com/

The Little Oven on the east side.

www.thelittleoven.com

Of course all the fine places close to 7 corners: DeGidio%26#39;s, Cossettas, Mancini%26#39;s, Glockenspiel, and Patrick McGoverns amongst others.

www.glockenspielrestaurant.com

www.mancinis.com

www.degidios.com

www.cossettaeventi.com

Mama%26#39;s Pizza in the North End, an institution.

mamaspizzaparlor.com

Ditto Serlin%26#39;s Cafe on Payne Ave

Great fish fry at Obb%26#39;s Bar on the east side as well as the Groveland Tap in the Macalester Area. btw, Groveland has all of Summit%26#39;s beers on tap.

www.grovelandtap.com

www.obbsbar.com/

Of course Mickey%26#39;s diner downtown, but also another ultimate diner experience at the Flameburger north out Rice Street.

www.mickeysdiningcar.com/

University Ave is now home to some good Oriental restaurants.

O%26#39;Gara%26#39;s bar on Snelling has good pub food. They also have big band jazz for free every Tuesday night.

www.ogaras.com

Como Park......just a great Park in a City, with a Zoo, kids amusement park, Conservatory, and the great old pavilion by the Lake which hosts concerts almost every night of the week from late May into September.

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/

http://www.stpaul.gov/index.asp?NID=1357

How about a boat ride or dinner cruise on the Mississippi River?

www.riverrides.com

Records and music? Definitely a visit to Cheapos on Snelling Ave just off Summit. Used and new cd%26#39;s, vinyl, dvd%26#39;s.

http://www.cheapodiscs.com/mn.htm

tptr

Some things to do in St Paul

curious about the Obb%26#39;s Bar fish fry. Do you know if they do walleye or even perch? Or is it cod?

Makes a difference to me, I must admit.

Some things to do in St Paul

A few things I%26#39;ll add is a visit to Highland Park (west of the golf course on Montreal) where the footbridge is. Grab some food and head there for a picnic, then maybe store a disc for some frisbee golf there. Makes for a nice leisurely afternoon. And it%26#39;s a very underrated place for scenery with the high-foot bridge over Montreal. Some reason it reminds me of childhood. It definitely reminds me of the slowed-down neighborhoods in Charles Schulz%26#39;s famous comic strips.

And being there, you%26#39;re close to Summitt Brewery, which is a must if for no other reason than the fantastic tasing at the end. The tour itself was nothing special, I have to admit. I like the Leinie%26#39;s tour better to be honest. But they give you more beer at Summitt -- served in 8-ounce glasses too! (Other places are 4-6) And gives a chance to try the brews that are so hard to find anywhere except for a handful of bars in St. Paul (like the Groveland Tap)?

Ha! I meant fantastic TASTING. I can assure you they don%26#39;t tase you there. (within reason of course)

Awesome - thanks

I have been to Red%26#39;s Savoy a few times too, and I think they have the best pizza in the state.

Love the atmosphere there too.

I will explore more when the Light Rail connects the two downtowns.

Anyone doing smelt fries or Booya feeds anymore?