[DEV] Live Minneapolis - Saint Paul

The Summit University neighborhood is ethnically and economically diverse—home to new arrivals from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; the Rondo neighborhood which served as the center of Saint Paul’s African-American community until the construction of I-94 in the 1960s; and historic and upscale Ramsey/Cathedral Hill area.  Well preserved homes and buildings from the late 1800s abound in the neighborhood, with landmarks around every corner.  There are a number of retail areas in the district—Selby Avenue, with its shops, gathering spots, and destination dining is probably the most well-known.  The neighborhood is close to downtown, has great transit service and free-way access, and is very easy to walk and bike around

Boundaries and Zip Code

North: University Avenue
South: Summit and Irvine Avenues
East: Marion Street/Kellogg Boulevard
West:  Lexington Parkway

Zip code:55104, 55103

Sub-Neighborhoods

The following neighborhoods are part of the Summit-University planning district (District 8):
Aurora/St. Anthony
Rondo
Ramsey Hill/Cathedral Hill
Selby-Dale

History

Between 1854 and 1872, the city annexed land in the Summit-U neighborhood and with the arrival of the streetcar, the succeeding two decades saw most of the neighborhood’s settlement—many houses that you can see today are from the 1880s and 1890s. Streetcar lines ran east and west along University Avenue, Rondo Avenue (largely obliterated by the construction of Interstate 94), and Selby Avenue, and north and south along Dale Street, providing ready access to both downtown St. Paul and to the interurban line which was completed in 1891 and traveled to Minneapolis. While the area certainly attracted wealthy homeowners, James J. Hill and Archbishop John Ireland were instrumental in encouraging laborers to settle in the area. In the 1930s, Rondo Avenue was at the heart of St. Paul's African-American community with long-time residents and new arrivals from the South and many black-owned businesses. With the construction of I-94 in the 1960s, the neighborhood was destroyed—hundreds of homes and businesses were demolished and the freeway stood on what was once Rondo Avenue.
For more information about the history of the neighborhood, and Rondo specifically, see:

The Minnesota Historical Society
The Ramsey County Historical Society

Housing Styles and Types

The neighborhood features a broad range of housing types, styles and ages.  Ramsey Hill (which is home to  includes rowhouses, apartments, and historic single-family homes in the Victorian style, while the Rondo and Aurora Saint Anthony portions of the neighborhood have a mix of historic homes and bungalows as well as apartment buildings, townhouses and single-family homes form the 1950s – 1970s.

Schools

Public Schools:

• Maxfield Magnet School (K-6)
• J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School (K-6)
• Webster Elementary Magnet School (K-6)
• Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School (K-8)
• Benjamin E. Mays Magnet School (K-6)
• Central High School (just outside of the neighborhood) (9-12)
• Gordon Parks High School (just outside of the neighborhood) (9-12)
• Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning (adults, ESL, GED, and more) 

Private Schools:

• Christ Household of Faith School—located at 355 Marshall Ave (K-12)
• St. Peter Claver School (K-7)
• Saint Thomas More Catholic School (K-8)

Post-Secondary:

• College of Visual Arts
• William Mitchell College of Law
• Saint Paul Technical College

For more information on Saint Paul schools, visit Live MSP's Schools page.

Public Facilities

• Martin Luther King Recreation Center
• Jimmy Lee Recreation Center and Oxford Pool and Waterpark
• Carty Park—neighborhood park at 705 Iglehart Avenue
• Marshall/Webster Park—a neighborhood park with ballfields, playground, tennis courts and more at Laurel and St. Alban’s Streets.
• Western Park and Sculpture Garden
• Rondo Community Outreach Library
• YWCA Cathedral Hill
• Cathedral of Saint Paul—a prominent city landmark
• Rondo Days is an annual weekend festival held in mid-July to commemorate the Rondo neighborhood. The event is the second largest African American sponsored festival in Minnesota.

Home Purchase/Home Improvement Incentives

• Rondo Community Land Trust—Home Buyer Initiated Program  
• MCASA Homes 

For information about other incentive programs that may be available in this neighborhood, visit Live MSP's Incentive Programs page.

Getting Involved

• Summit University Planning Council—works to improve the common good of the community and promotes enlightened, active citizenship by providing information and conducting forums enabling residents to address issues that affect them.
• Ramsey Hill Association—Dedicated to preserving the historical significance of the neighborhood and building a stronger community, the RHA provides a voice to the residents of this unique neighborhood by working with state and local government agencies representing the interests of the Ramsey Hill area.
• Aurora-Saint Anthony Development Corporation
• Rondo Community Land Trust-- is a community-based affordable housing land trust working to create and preserve homeownership for low-to-moderate income in Ramsey County.
• Selby Area Community Development Corporation—provides resources for businesses and homeowners along Selby Avenue.
• Saint Paul Urban League—assists African Americans and other culturally diverse groups in the achievement of social and economic equality.

News

The Summit-University Planning Council publishes an electronic and print newsletter. The print edition, The Front Porch, is published quarterly and mailed to all Summit-U residents. The e-newsletter, Porch Lite, is distributed monthly with the occasional special edition. Subscribe to Porch Lite. 

The Ramsey Hill Association publishes newsletters 10 times per year.  PDFs are available at: http://www.ramseyhill.org/newsletters.php

Statistics

• Wilder Research Center Neighborhood Profiles—Includes trend information on neighborhood demographics, economics, and housing, taken from the most recent census data.
• Ramsey County’s Property Records and Revenue Department—Review Saint Paul property sales data by searching for or entering in a street name.  You can find the most recent sales price for individual properties and current property tax information.
• Saint Paul Crime Statistics—Crime maps, statistics, and reports compiled by the Saint Paul Police Department. Check out Interpreting Crime Statistics. to help you make sense of these resources.

Real Estate Listings

Search Realtor.com for listings. You can search for properties by either clicking on the map or entering the neighborhood name or zip code (noting that zip code boundaries span multiple neighborhoods) into the search bar.

OwnAHomeMN.org—Check here for listings of affordable homes sold by community developers.  Note: not all neighborhoods have listings.

Contacts

Summit-University Planning Council
Irna Landrum, Executive Director
627 Selby Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104-6615
Office: 651-228-1855 FAX: 651-225-1108
Website: www.Summit-U.com
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Meetings: Board Meeting - 4th Tuesday, 7 p.m. St. Albans Community Room, 665 Selby Ave.

HousingResource Center – St. Paul
Laura E. Bolstad, Program Administrator
627 Selby Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104-6615
Office: 651-228-1077
Fax: 651- 228-1083
Website: http://www.housingresourcecenter.org/
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ramsey Hill Association
Jim Groskopf, Chair
1043 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105-3002
Daytime Phone Number: 651-293-9144
Website: www.ramseyhill.org

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