Saint Paul Real Estate Blog

Great River Water Park Opens Saturday

As mentioned in this previous post about Saint Paul Parks, the city is home to a brand new water park!  The new Jimmy Lee Recreation Center & Great River Water Park will have its grand opening this Saturday on May 31, 2008.  The center and water park will strive to serve Saint Paul residents while also welcoming visitors from surrounding cities.  

Located in the historic Rondo neighborhood and reconstructed from the Oxford/ Jimmy Lee Recreation Center built in the 1960’s, this community center is more than a water park.  Sure, it has slides and waterfalls.  It is also a state of the art recreation and fitness center.  It features four gymnasiums, a computer learning center, a dance studio, synthetic outdoor turf field, party and meeting rooms, and a host of other brand new amenities.

Of the new facility, Mayor Coleman said “From its opening, Jimmy Lee is a crown jewel in the city’s world-class parks and recreation system and shows why Saint Paul is the Most Livable City in America.”

The facility is located at the corner of Lexington Parkway North and Interstate 94,...

The Highland Park Neighborhood of Saint Paul

The Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, can be found in the southwestern corner of the city.  Its boarders are Randolph Avenue to the north, West 7th Street and Minnesota Highway 5 to the south, and Interstate 35E to the east.  Its western boarder is the Mississippi River.  Highland Park’s great location allows ready access to Interstates 94 and 35E.  Likewise, the Minneapolis and St. Paul International Airport is directly across the river.  Both Downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis are just a few minutes drive away.  If you’re looking for the Saint Paul neighborhood that has it all, Highland Park may be just the place for you.  From merchants to entertainment, Highland Park real estate has much to offer.

The Highland Park neighborhood is extremely pedestrian friendly, with many sidewalks and paths available for its residents.  In fact, many of the amenities which the neighborhood...

Saint Paul's Grand Old Day

The Grand Avenue Business Association would like to invite you to the 35th annual Grand Old Day celebration on Sunday, June 1.  This is St. Paul's first rite of summer, and it takes place along the city’s historic Grand Avenue annually on the first Sunday in June.  Grand Old Day is the Midwest's largest one-day festival and includes a parade, sporting events, live music on 7 stages, art fair, family fun zone, teen battle of the bands and international performance.  Because this year sees the 35th Grand Old Day, the theme of this year's celebration is "Flashback to the '70s" to celebrate the festival's 1970s roots.  Organizers hope that festival-goers will don their bell-bottoms and platforms. 

Of course, there will by a “groovy” parade along Grand Avenue in the Summit Hill-Crocus Hill neighborhoods of Saint Paul.  There will be dog competitions, art cars on display, children's activities, street performances, and lots more events and activities.  All of the street’s stores and restaurants will be open for food, drink, and shopping.  For the day, Grand Avenue will be divided into five sections: 

  • The Sporting District will feature, well, sports!  There will be an 8k inline skate, an 8k run, a ¼ mile and ½ mile youth run, a 5k walk/jog, and the strongest woman and man on...

Music in Saint Paul Parks

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation offers musical experiences for all tastes.  There are band concerts, dance or choral performances, plays, musicals, even movies.  The summer music program begins on May 18 and performances continue through early September. Performances are free with the exception of the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening theater style musicals and variety shows at Como Lakeside Pavilion in July and August.

Every Sunday from June 8th through August 24 at the Como Lakeside Pavilion, Sunday Afternoon Pops Ensemble concerts will be held.  This 21 piece band plays a variety of popular music, show tunes, dixieland, classics and of course audience requests.  Shows begin at 3:00 p.m.!

Join the fun on selected Wednesdays in June, July and August for a free children's concert series at the Clarence Wigington Pavilion.  The Clarence W. Wigington Pavilion on Harriet Island is located at the Harriet Island Regional Park 200 Dr. Justus Ohage Blvd across the Mississippi River from downtown Saint Paul.  All concerts are free and they begin at 11:00 a.m., ending at noon. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch to eat while you enjoy the entertainment.  The band schedule for the children’s music series can be found here.


The Rosetown Playhouse, Hillcrest Community Theater and Como Park Productions present musicals and variety shows each summer season at the Como Lakeside Pavilion.  Admission...

Saint Paul Parks

The great City of St. Paul has over 170 parks and open spaces, as well as 33 city operated recreation centers.  They feature great places to visit and fun activities for all ages.  Saint Paul Parks and Recreation has been “Helping to Make Saint Paul the Most Livable City in America” through the conservation and maintenance of its green spaces.  Here, we will explore some of the more popular locations for residents to visit.

Como Zoo was established in 1897 with the donation of three deer. Today Como has 25 animal habitats featuring orangutans, gorillas, giraffes, lions, tigers and more.  Como Park Zoo and Conservatory provides a balanced combination of fun, family and education.  Its mission is to inspire the public to value the presence of living things in our lives.  Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is open 365 days a year and admission is free.  Guests are invited to make a voluntary donation to help care for the plants and animals.

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, formerly Como Park Conservatory, opened in November 1915.  It fulfilled then-Superintendent of Parks Frederick Nussbaumer dream of some day adding a glass conservatory to Como Park.  The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory occupies one full acre under glass, managing six...

Saint Paul Real Estate Market Analysis for April 2008

New listings for homes fell in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the month of April, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors’ Market Update for 100 Twin Cities Communities. During April of 2008, there were 681 new listings in the City of Saint Paul compared to April of 2007’s 806 new listings. This is a drop of about 15.5%. It is very different from March 2008’s drop of just 4.1%.  The Downtown neighborhood of St. Paul experienced the greatest decline in new listings at -42.4%. 

In March of 2008, the East Side, Mac-Groveland, North End/Frogtown, Phalen, and West Side/Cherokee neighborhoods had more new listings than March 2007. However, in April, there weren’t any neighborhoods in St. Paul which experienced an increase in new listings. The Mac-Groveland and West Side/Cherokee neighborhoods managed to hold steady, showing no increase or decline for the month of April compared to last year.

Looking at posted new listings of Saint Paul real estate for the 2008 year-to-date, the decrease appears to be less drastic.  From January through April of this year, there were 2,515 new listings in the city, compared to 2,637 throughout the same time period of 2007. That is a decrease of just 4.6% new listings in St. Paul so far...

Saint Paul’s Downtown Neighborhood

Downtown St. Paul is bordered by the Mississippi River to the south, Marion Street to the west, University Avenue to the north, and Interstate 94 to the east.  With the Capitol just a few blocks, downtown St. Paul is an ideal location for government workers. Additionally, many state offices are located in the area.  Industrialized areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul are within short driving distance.  Easy access to I-94 connects you quickly with the rest of the Twin Cities.

Downtown St. Paul, which is also known as “Lowertown,” is home to many attractions, such as the Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota History Museum, and the Children's Museum.  Downtown also boasts the historical Landmark Center and the Ordway. The Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild NHL hockey team, is located on Kellogg Boulevard. Galtier Plaza, McNally Smith College of Music, and the Minnesota World ...

Welcome to The Saint Paul Real Estate Blog!

This blog is devoted to providing information and resources to help you buy or sell Saint Paul, Minnesota real estate.  If you’re new to the home buying or selling, or you’ve been through the process a dozen times, this blog will be useful in helping to inform you.  Future posts will include information about St. Paul and its neighborhoods, the Saint Paul real estate market, home purchasing and selling tips, and more. 

Barker & Hedges is an established RE/MAX real estate agency operating in Saint Paul.  The individuals who comprise the Barker & Hedges Team come from a mixture of backgrounds.  Our different areas of expertise and varying personalities combine professionalism, ingenuity, and skill to assess the changing world of St. Paul real estate. Please take a moment to get to know our Team members by reading about them here.

Some pages on this website which you may want to check out are our general information for home buyers and home sellers. You can find homes in St. Paul with our property search.  We have some real estate articles on our site which may be of interest to you.  On our homepage, you can also find out about individual Saint Paul neighborhoods. 

We will expand on each neighborhood with posts that highlight...

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