Diversity and Community

What We’re All About

Saint Paulites are saying “we told you so” a lot these days. And the rest of the country is listening.

Back in 1883, Mark Twain said, “Saint Paul is a wonderful city. It is put together in solid blocks of honest bricks and stone and has the air of intending to stay.” With its down-to-earth ways and cultural sophistication, ethnic diversity, historic traditions and numerous newly constructed buildings, Saint Paul has a unique blend of past and present. Saint Paul is definitely here to stay.

In March of 1998, Forbes magazine confirmed that business and construction is booming in Saint Paul with “more than $1 billion of new developments underway.” Already housing the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies such as Northwest Airlines and Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing (3M), Saint Paul has now attracted business from other metro area locations, such as Lawson Software. The Science Museum of Minnesota and the Xcel Energy Center which hosts Saint Paul’s NHL expansion team, the Minnesota Wild, are the latest additions to Saint Paul’s thriving riverfront.

Along with new developments, Saint Paul’s rich history is evident through its architecture. In 1994, Delta Airlines inflight magazine Sky said that “Saint Paul, whose narrow, tangled streets, charming public squares, and stately government buildings, recalls more European origins.” The residential area, once home to writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is celebrated by National Geographic Traveler in a 1998 article stating, “His tree-shaded neighborhood is bordered by Summit Avenue, one of the grandest rows of Victorian Boulevard architecture anywhere in America.”

In 1997, Endless Vacation magazine crowned the Twin Cities as the “Midwest’s performance capital” with more than 30 theaters in operation. Saint Paul’s Ordway Center for the Performing Arts hosts a variety of performances ranging from Broadway’s best to cultural celebrations of song and dance. Minnesota’s only black professional theater company, Penumbra Theatre Company, presents artistically superior productions providing excellent and thought-provoking theater.

Now that the word is out about Saint Paul, more and more visitors are flocking to America’s bright, new travel star. Whether they come to join in January’s Saint Paul Winter Carnival fun, when the temperature dips to an average 11 degrees, or to bask in the sun when the average temperature hits 83 for July’s gastronomical delight, Taste of Minnesota, first-time visitors are amazed by the diversity and quality of places to go and sights to see in Saint Paul.

Part of the joy in visiting Saint Paul is the ease in getting here. Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport, the country’s fifth safest and 15th busiest, is less than four hours from any part of the United States and less than

15 minutes from downtown. If you’re coming by train, the Amtrak depot in Saint Paul’s Midway area is ten minutes from downtown. Buses arrive from all over the country, and the terminal is in the heart of the city. Quality interstate highways make Saint Paul easily accessible by auto, whether you’re coming from north, south, east or west.

Once you’re here, you’ll find affordable accommodations to fit your needs as well as your pocketbook. The city and its surrounding suburbs offer 35 hotels and motels with a total of 4,500 rooms.

Restaurants reflect the diversity of Saint Paul’s 287,000 residents, and the metro area’s 2.7 million, representing nearly every culture, creed and ethnicity. Visit the Hispanic neighborhood of the West Side and Hmong and Southeast Asian neighborhood in the University Avenue area for authentic specialty cuisine.

From the latest in medical technology to innovative health care programs, the Saint Paul/East Metro area’s medical community continues to provide some of the nation’s finest health care. U.S. News and World Report recently rated the University of Minnesota Hospital among the nation’s best, and the Mayo Clinic, located southeast of the Saint Paul area, in Rochester, Minnesota, affords residents access to one of the country’s top medical centers, serving as a regional standard for medical practice, research, and education and offering diagnosis and treatment in virtually every medical and surgical specialty. The University of Minnesota Medical School provides high-quality health care and serves as a major medical research facility, consistently ranking among the top 15 institutions in the country. The strong partnership between the University and the community
is also indicative of the state’s innovative approach to health care.

Saint Paul’s new motto might be the same as Saint Paulite Garrison Keillor’s motto for Lake Wobegon: “Sumus quod sumus” -- “We are what we are.” Saint Paulites like what they are. We think you’ll like us too!

Minnesotans are actively involved in the political arena, leading most states in voter turnout for the past 20 years. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 79.2 percent of eligible Minnesotans voted in November 2004, making Minnesota the top turnout state over runner-up Wisconsin.

Minnesota is home to a number of well-known national politicians, including former Vice Presidents Walter Mondale and Hubert H. Humphrey. The state has been represented by senators spanning the political spectrum, including former Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone, who tragically died in a plane crash just days before the 2002 senatorial election. Former Saint Paul Mayor, now U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale to take Paul Wellstone’s seat in the Senate. Senator Mark Dayton’s Senate seat is up for re-election in November of 2006. Republicans have a slim majority in the State House, and the Democratic Farmer Labor party has the majority in the State Senate, though all seats are up for election in November of 2006.