Saint Paul Neighborhoods:

Pride of Place by David Lanegran, Ph.D., Macalester College
published by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Clearly, Saint Paul has strong neighborhoods. In nearly all parts of the city, residents are investing in their property. They are not only buying houses, they are expanding, re-roofing, changing color schemes, and planting gardens. Our city is being rebuilt one house at a time and this activity is tangible evidence that residents of Saint Paul have confidence and pride in our neighborhoods. The private investment in housing and the beautification of Saint Paul's neighborhoods is the most significant measure of our neighborhoods' strength. After all, if residents do not have enough confidence in the future of their neighborhoods to invest in their homes, who will?

We can see other signs of neighborhood strength as well. The growth of population among new immigrants to Saint Paul is a second indicator of neighborhood strength. Like living things, neighborhoods change. They grow and adapt. In the fall of 1998, my Urban Geography Field Seminar conducted extensive research in the Payne-Arcade neighborhoods. We found so much enthusiasm for the Eastside that we titled our book, Pride of Place. The East Side has received many new immigrants to fill the gaps left by the early settlers of the area, the Swedes, Germans, Italians, and the Irish. The new Americans want the same things others have enjoyed - family security, educational and job opportunities, shopping areas and places to worship and gather.

In many cases, newcomers have regenerated old commercial strips in Saint Paul's neighborhoods. These revitalized commercial areas are a third major sign of strong neighborhoods. Along University Avenue, Concord Street and on other old streetcar lines, scores of new small businesses have been established to serve the needs of new Americans, including insurance agencies, funeral parlors, auto shops, book stores, beauty shops, and others.

Another indicator of Saint Paul's strong neighborhoods is found along Grand and Selby avenues amid the neighborhoods of the Historic Ramsey and Summit Hill districts. There has been a huge wave of investment and increasing property values from I-94 south to the Mississippi River for both the middle income and upper income areas in these neighborhood. And there are numerous social spaces - coffee houses, restaurants, and bars - also strong indicators of thriving neighborhoods.

The emergence of the District Council system is another measure of the strength of Saint Paul's neighborhoods. Over the past 20 to 25 years, these organizations have allowed for the democratic expression of neighborhood power and have had many positive impacts on the quality of life in Saint Paul's neighborhoods.

Neighborhood strength is also seen the in the growth of the publics school system and the school-age population. Many of our schools were built to serve neighborhoods but the increase in enrollment in the magnet schools has lessened the value of the schools to serve as neighborhood centers. Funding for neighborhood schools has decreased. This is a crucial feature of the cultural landscape that must be addressed.

Neighborhoods are patterns of residential settlement designed to provide secure places for people to live. A strong neighborhood is a place where residents have confidence they can control the future of their property and their lifestyle. They show this confidence and pride by investing money, time, and energy into their community. By this definition, I believe Saint Paul's neighborhoods are stronger than ever.